Apartment Inquiry Process

Send us an email-request about a specific of vacation beach rental / vacation apartment in Rio presented in our website. All of Belavista-Rio´s beach vacations rentals have a number code. If you could not find a specific apartment in send us much information as you can, such as:

• Arrival date
• Departure date
• How many vacation bedrooms you need
• How many guests, including infants or children
• Preferred area of Rio de Janeiro (Copacabana, Flamengo, Ipanema, Barra, Lagoa, Leblon)
• Your budget
• Payment Method

We will then contact the owner of the vacation accommodation and ask to reserve this apartment for you. After the owner confirms the reservation Belavista-Rio will send you a request for payment email. A 50% pre-payment booking will be requested. It is important that you make the prepayment booking as soon as possible. This will guarantee that you get the dates you requested for your holidays.

In order to insure quality and to avoid legal problems, the vacation apartments we represent in Brazil has a limit of occupancy pre-determined by Belavista-Rio. This means that when we indicate that an apartment fits 3 guests, this unit can only hold 3 individuals per night, no exceptions allowed. If we are informed by our representatives in the building that the apartment held more occupants then what was pre-established in the contract, the damage deposit will immediately retained and a new due balance determined.

Payment Methods

Unlike some competitors in Rio de Janeiro, Belavista-Rio Vacation Apartment Rentals offers you 4 possibilities of payment options:

You can make the prepayment to bank accounts, (International or Domestic), money transfers with Western Union or using the paypal.com system, where we are a verified member since 2005.

1) If you are in the U.S.A
Transfer money directly into our US account
US BANK
Checking Account 1534 XXXX XXXX

2) If you are outside the U.S.A
Through Western Union www.weternunion.com
The money is transferred directly to “Banco do Brasil”, a Brazilian bank. This process takes about 24-48 hours maximum. We will provide you with all the bank information necessary for the Western Union transfer procedure. We note however that if there is currency devaluation (or valuation), adjustments may apply in the remaining balance.
After you wire the money, they will generate you a code. E-mail us with that code, we will then go to “Banco do Brasil” and retrieve the money.

3) Pay-Pal Transfers
We will send you a “request for payment” e-mail through Pay pal’s secure website.
Belavista-Rio will add 4% on the total amount since Pay pal charges 4% from us, and we need to wire that money to the owner, loosing on the exchange rate.
www.paypal.com

4) If you are in Brazil / If you have a Brazilian Bank Account
Transfer money directly into our Brazilian account:
We will provide you with all the bank information necessary for this transaction.

Booking and Reservation Process

As soon as Belavista-Rio Vacation Apartment Rentals acknowledges the prepayments, we will make the prepayment to the owner. Now that your vacation beach rental in Rio is confirmed. We will email you the booking confirmation with all important data like:

• Complete address of the vacation apartment you selected
• A receipt of payment/proof of payment
• A contract that you will sign upon arrival
• Who will be there to greet you

Welcome and Arrival

Belavista-Rio team will then be communicating with you to know your estimated arrival time (flight schedule or bus schedule). Please let us know as soon as possible so we can plan in advance. Someone from our staff will be there to greet you! We will review with you the vacation beach rental / apartment general rules, appliances and household items. We will also make sure you are comfortable with neighborhood surrounding information. Belavista-Rio team will be happy to supply Rio de Janeiro guides and other useful information.

Upon arrival, Belavista-Rio will hand the beach vacation apartment keys (1 copy). Extra keys can be ordered at a US$ 3, 00. (Some very specific apartment keys may cost up to US$ 50, 00 due to their shape/format.)

Below, we listed other check-in procedures:

• We will collect the balance due in Cash and remit you a receipt. Please try to bring the exact changed amount in American US$ or Brazilian Real, so we don’t spend extra time in ATMs.
• We will collect the damage deposit in cash and provide you with a receipt.
We will conduct a checklist procedure – see item below
• We will sign the contract and you can keep a copy.
• The contract can be provided in English and Portuguese. (You will be familiar with this contract, since we previously emailed you a copy in the Booking process.
• Request a photo copy of your passport or I’d. – (Alternatively, you may scan it and send us through e-mail.)

Checklist

Belavista-Rio is very careful with general condition of its properties in Rio de Janeiro, as well as with the properties we represent. As mentioned before, sometime during your arrival and at your departure, a mandatory checklist procedure should be performed. This checklist will include all the furniture and fittings in the vacation accommodation the location thereof, state of conservation and working condition of all the fittings and fixtures. This procedure should be made at least one to two hours before from the apartment. Make sure you take this time into account when planning for your airport departure. By any chance, if this procedure is not conducted because of our guest’s lack of time, the damage deposit may be not returned. Exceptions will apply.
The household property checklist is an integral part of the vacation beach rentals contract.

Cleaning

Cleaning and neatness is an obsession with Belavista-Rio beach vacation apartments. A maid service will visit the apartment prior to the arrival of our next guests, so there is no requirement that you dust, vacuum, or do any “heavy” cleaning, other than for your own comfort.

Upon departure, we ask you to clean the holiday apartment minimally with the following tasks:
Throw away any perishable goods, including those in the refrigerator.
Carefully wash and put away any pots, pans, cutlery, and dishes.
Empty all trash receptacles, and take them to the garbage deposit.
Leave all articles that need washing in a pile on the floor of your beach holiday accommodation.

If you are unable to do these tasks, please advise us and we will send someone to do them for you on your departure day. In this case, a supplementary cleaning charge of US$ 40 will apply, and will be deducted from your damage deposit (see below). This service may also be scheduled anytime during your stay at your request. Cleaning services provided by to Belavista-Rio staff last for 4 hours.

We dearly ask you not to leave towels on furniture like couches, beds, etc. Please hang them whenever possible.

Damage Deposit

All Belavista-Rio vacation apartments or beach flats require a damage deposit ranging from US $ 150 - US $ 1000 depending on the apartment. This deposit is payable only in cash, and will be refunded at check-out as long as there are no damages to the apartment.

Customers are obliged to treat the property accommodation and all furnishings with care. Anything which is missing or damaged should be brought to our attention as soon as it is noticed.

Customers are obligated in cases of disruptions to the service to do everything possible in order to contribute to a recovery of the service (example; water pipes, electricity, gas, etc.) Possible damage is to be kept as minimal as possible. However; all of our apartment or residence flat has a responsible maintenance staff or doorman. In the welcoming procedure, we will provide you with the name of vacation beach rental , apartment or flat and present you maintenance personnel.

Special Requests in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Special requests, such as car transfer, baby cribs, extra mattresses/pillows, wheel-chairs, can be arranged by Belavista-Rio team. We understand foreign travelers may have special needs. Please send us your needs and we will do our best to accommodate them!

Domestic animals are allowed only in certain beach vacation apartments, with prior permission. The type and size of the animal should be stated beforehand. (Each apartment or flat has different rules.)

Cancellation Policy

Belavista-Rio Apartment Rentals understand the difficulties of last minute arrangements when traveling abroad. Also, in case you decide to cancel or postpone your trip, we have established a progressive system, that allows you to recover the most part of your reservation vacation beach rental.

The Belavista-Rio Apartments Cancellation Policy Procedures:
If a client cancels a reservation for any reason, the client may lose some or all of the payments made for the reservation.

- If the cancellation is made 90 days prior to the check-in, no penalty will be charged.
- If the cancellation is made 45 days prior to the check-in, 70% of the reservation deposits will be returned
- If the cancellation is made 30 days prior to the check-in, 50% reservation deposits will be returned
- If the cancellation is made in less than 30 days prior to the check-in, 100% reservation deposits will retained.

In case of any emergency occurs in the apartment reserved, an alternative holiday accommodation will be offered to the client prior to his arrival; if the client doesn’t like the other vacation beach accommodation and notify us before arriving in Rio, the full amount paid will be refunded.

No refunds will be made in case of any cancellation made during the stay in the apartment. (From the very moment the client gets into the vacation apartment until the moment he leaves)

FOR CARNIVAL AND NEW YEARS: No refunds are issued for New Years and Carnival Packages in case of cancellation by the client. (this is so since the demand of vacation beach rentals is much larger than its supply)

Departure from Vacation Apartment

A Belavista-Rio employee or vacation apartment owner will be there at your departure. We ask you to call us a few days in advance, to organize an appointment with you. The damage deposit will be returned at this moment and a property checklist procedure will be made. We will write you a receipt to acknowledge the damage deposit refund.

General Rules: Please Read to Avoid Problems in Brazil

We seriously advise you not to use illegal drugs in Rio and in any other region of Brazil. If one of our clients get into trouble with the Brazilian police involving illegal drugs or minors (ages of 18 or below), unfortunately we will not be able to provide legal assistance. Also, the owner of the apartment has no responsibilities to help you in such a case. Be aware that the penalties are quite extreme for foreigners involved with crimes such as drugs or sexual exploitation of minors.

All building rules and regulations must be respected. In Brazil, there are strict municipal laws regulating noises: Between 22:00 and 09:00 the tenants must not make any loud noises. Loud music and parties are subject to law enforcement authorities! In the event that you do not follow our and the building rules and regulations or in the case neighbors complain and/or the police is called, it can result in immediate eviction. This will also result in loss of prepaid rent and refundable damage deposit.

Further, neither we nor the owner of the vacation beach apartment shall be liable for any direct or indirect damages that may arise as a consequence of the use of the apartment by the client. This includes, without limitation, damages, insurance expenses, and losses because of fire, robbery or any criminal incidents.