Hi Terry, I see you asked essentially the same question in multiple places. Not everyone uses a rental agreement but most do. I have a set of terms I send to the person who wants to rent my unit and basically say that if you send me money you are agreeing to the terms. If they want it printed out and signed by both of us, I can do that but usually don't.
If you are uncomfortable and nervous about the transaction, you can ask to use an escrow service. It would cost about $100-$200 depending on the cost of the rental. Most buyers would expect you to pay it if they even agree to it at all. In most cases the owner paid the MF's months ago and doesn't want to wait until a week after you check out to get paid. It comes down to trust. You need to trust the person renting the unit. Other than recent reports at Harborside Atlantis, I have heard way more stories of renters bouncing checks, requesting charge backs, disputing payments, trashing units, etc than people showing up and having the room be unavailable.
Tracey S.
