Security Deposits are standard practice in vacation rentals and hotels, as a tool to help address unlikely damage during your stay. Lighthouse Vacations provides guests two options – leaving a card on file for security deposit or purchasing a Rental Damage Protection policy.

Rental Damage Policy
This option allows a traveler to purchase a policy to cover accidental damage to the property and its contents for the duration of the rental period. The policy generally costs $45 and is non-refundable. If you’re interested in a Rental Damage Policy, let us know and we can help.

Security Deposit
Most guests opt to leave a credit card on file for Security Deposit. In this case, Lighthouse will hold your card number securely on file until the end of your stay. In the unlikely event of damage, your card would be used to settle up.

How Lighthouse Processes Card Deposits

Step 1: Before booking, you will see a Damage Deposit or Security Deposit amount listed on the property listing. This is the amount Lighthouse with pre-authorize your card for after you make a reservation.
Step 2: Upon making your reservation, you will receive an email from us with a link to a secure app where you will be asked to re-enter your credit card information.
Step 3: At this time Lighthouse will verify the validity of the card number provided by pre-authorizing a $2 charge. This charge is intended to verify your card.
Step 4: Then 7 days before your arrival, we will increase the pre-authorized amount your card to the original deposit amount noted on the property listing. Note that for Airbnb guests, Lighthouse will pre-authorized only the $2 amount for card verification.
Step 5: At 7 days from departure the pre-authorization automatically expires.

During this process your card is never charged, we are simply pre-authorizing the agreed amount.

What if there’s damage?
Accidents happen, don’t worry! If accidental damage happens during your stay just let us know, we’ll work it out with you in a way that’s fair to you and the homeowner.