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We are first time renters and after reading all of the advice in these forums I called the Aruba Marriott to confirm if the renters are true owners and was told that they can not disclose that information to me. Obviously getting a written rental agreement in place should help, but I do not feel comfortable just sending a check to a total stranger. If we use PayPal, I believe we can report to PayPal if we are scammed and get our money back, does anyone know if this is correct? Thought this may be less costly than using an escrow account. [Q=ken1193] [Q=geraldinec22] When do you pay the person you are renting from? Can you just pay a deposit when you sign the rental agreement? Is it safe to pay by check when all you have is a rental agreement?[/Q] Before paying anyone a CENT, you should FIRST confirm for yourself (directly with the resort involved) that the "would-be landlord" actually OWNS the week in the first place. You don't want to get caught up in someone trying to rent out something they obtained from an exchange company, which is a prohibited practice and which could potentially leave leave you with NOTHING to occupy and your money GONE. Once you are convinced that the "landlord" is indeed the actual owner of the week being rented out, it is not uncommon for a rental agreement to require a 50% (non-refundable) deposit with the signed rental agreement and the reservation transferred into the renter's name only upon owner receipt of the remaining 50% due. Different rentalm agreements can (and often do) specifiy different terms, however.[/Q]