Not if you check three things: that the owner is identifiable and reachable directly, that a written rental contract reaches you before you pay, and that the property can be verified elsewhere. Baraccò Argia meets all three.

The warning signs are always the same: a price that is far too low, pressure to pay quickly, an owner you cannot reach, a request to pay through a money transfer app, and no trace of the property anywhere else.

Matthias Lavaux. The house is his, he rents it out himself, and you deal with him directly. His email address is on this site, and his phone number is on the rental contract.

Yes, and you should. The house is rated 5.0 out of 5 on Airbnb across 14 reviews, with Guest Favourite status, and 10 out of 10 on Booking.com across 9 reviews.

Yes. A seasonal rental contract is sent to you before the balance is paid, with the description of the property, the dates, the price, the cancellation terms and the inventory.

I answer within the hour, by phone or by message. For anything needing work on site, I get a tradesman from the village out the same day when I can, and the next morning if I cannot.

No. End of stay cleaning is €150 per stay, on every channel.

Yes, about 12% cheaper than on Airbnb and Booking, because there is no platform commission. On a week in July that comes to roughly €665.

By bank transfer or by card. Transfer is the one I prefer, since the bank charges are lower. The details are on the contract, and I will never ask you for them through any other channel.

A 30% deposit on confirmation, the balance 30 days before arrival. If you book less than 30 days ahead, the whole amount is due at once.

Four nights as a rule, and seven nights from 5 June to 26 September.

Yes, €1,000, held as a card registration. Your card is stored with Stripe and nothing is charged: no amount is held on your account, and I delete the registration seven days after you leave.

Up to 30 days before arrival you cancel free of charge and everything is refunded, deposit included. From 30 to 16 days, the 30% deposit is retained and the rest is refunded. At 15 days, half the rental amount is refunded. At 14 days or less there is no refund, but I always consider a change of dates in good faith.

On request, yes, but talk to me before you book. The pool is not fenced off and neither is the garden, so I would rather we discuss whether it suits your dog.

Arrival between 4pm and 9pm, departure before 11am. I hand you the keys myself. A later arrival is possible if you let me know.