FAQs

Here at Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales we know somewhere on the beach is your OBX vacation experience. We are committed to helping you find it. We have provided this information to help you plan your vacation, fully understand the rental contract, explain some policies and terms of your contract, and answer some other frequently asked questions. Please take time to read this and your contract very carefully. As licensed real estate professionals representing other people’s properties, monies and vacations; we do not get to grant exceptions to the rules.

What is a vacation rental?

Essentially a vacation rental is very similar to a long term lease that a person or family contracts when moving into a property. Thanks to the North Carolina Vacation Rental Act there are a few differences, but the main principles remain the same. Vacation Rentals are VERY different from Hotels, Motels, and Resort stays. Vacation Rentals are essentially a real estate transaction and are regulated by the NC Real Estate Commission. Your Rental confirmation is a legal contract between you and the property owner and becomes binding upon signing it or making a payment on it. We cannot bend the rules of the contract for any reason because we are simply the agent handling the transaction for the parties involved.

Who owns the property?

Vacation Rentals are owned by private individuals, just like you, who have made their properties available to Vacationers through an Agent, like us.

Can I cancel my reservation?

Yes and No. You can cancel your reservation, however you will not get a refund unless the property has re-rented under the same terms as your agreement. (See the contract for cancellation fees and non-refundable fees in such an event). After all, the property owner did take the property off the market for you and may not be able to re-rent it. If you have purchased the Travel Insurance, and the reason for canceling your reservation is covered by the insurance, then the insurance company will refund your payments. Please make sure you are happy with the property you reserve and the dates before confirming your reservation.

If I don't like the property when I get there, will you move me to a different one? 

We want you to enjoy your stay as much as possible. However, we are not able to move you to another property, or make any refunds or discounts, if you are dissatisfied due to your contract with that particular property. Again, please try to preview the property before entering into the contract.

How accurate are your vacation specialists' representations?

Our Vacation Specialists try to become familiar with all of our properties. However, it is impossible for them to remember every detail about each property and they may get them confused from time to time. There are literally millions of possible different details between all the properties we represent. Unlike a hotel or resort, every one of our properties are different. The Vacation Specialists may make mistakes from time to time and we cannot be responsible for these impossible details. If you have specific needs or expectations for your rental property, please try to preview it or have a friend preview it for you. Keep in mind that for the most part, you get what you pay for when comparing similar size, location, and seasons. For example, a 3 bedroom oceanfront that rents for $1800 per week is not going to be as upgraded as a 3 bedroom oceanfront property that rents for $2800 per week.

What are the different charges on my contract?

The rent is the money the property owner is charging for your stay. The cost of the travel insurance varies based on the cost of the reservation. If you do not desire the insurance, you can decline that on your contract, and the insurance amount will be deducted from your first payment. Other Charges include the cleaning fee and may include optional fees such as; pet fees, early check-in, pool heating fee and special event fee. The tax rate is 12.75% which includes state and county taxes.

What is travel insurance?

This insurance protects your vacation investment and is provided by Travel Guard. Please call them with any specific coverage questions as it may vary depending on where you live. Please be sure to carefully consider this insurance in order to prevent loss of any payments for an event that may have been covered by this policy. Travel Insurance cost is 7% of the total of all reservation charges, taxes and fees.

Tell me about the payments.

Payments that are received 30 days (or more) prior to arrival can be made in the form of personal check, cashier’s check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover). We will not accept personal checks within 30 days of arrival, sorry. The Advance Payment must be received within 10 days of making the reservation or the reservation will be cancelled. The Balance Payment must be received 30 days prior to the arrival date or the reservation will be cancelled in accordance with the cancellation policy. If you prefer, you can make the full payment with the Advance Payment if you think you might forget to make the Balance Payment or for the convenience. With all payments, please note your reservation number so as to avoid any confusion on who the funds should be credited.

Damage Waiver

As a guest of Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales the tenant pays a Damage Waiver (DW) fee, included in the rental rate, on each reservation. Under the damage waiver you will not be required to pay for accidental damage to the home or the personal property of Owner contained within the premises, up to an aggregate limit of $1,500. Damages exceeding this limit will be the responsibility of Guest. Damages must be reported immediately and prior to check-out for Agent to repair/replace said damages. Exclusions within the DW plan specifically limit Guest’s coverage and do not cover or release Guest from liability for damage due to the following: (a) intentional, willful, reckless, or malicious acts of Guest or others on the premises during the tenancy; (b) damage by pets; (c) theft from the premises of either Owner’s property or property belonging to Guest; (d) gross negligence of Guest or intentional misuse of furnishings, appliances, equipment, or other amenities provided with the home; (e) damage caused while under the influence of alcohol or drugs; (f) damages to real property resulting from operation of any motorized vehicle by Guest; (g) any breach of the lease agreement; (h) Guest not following check-out procedures; and (i) Guests failure to follow the instructions of the Owner, Agent, or any authorized representative of Owner or Agent that results in damage or costs from failing to follow such instructions. The coverage of the DW plan, as well as the exclusions contained therein, provided to guest shall extend to all members of Guest’s party and guests thereof. Agent will have ultimate Administrative Authority in approving or denying DW claims. Denied claims are the financial responsibility of the guest.

What time can I check in?

Standard Check-In begins at 4:00 pm on the day of your arrival. Due to the complexity, size, and locations of our properties, our staff needs every minute to prepare the property for your stay. Please do not interfere with their work or pressure our staff to allow you entry before your check-in time. For your own safety and security and for the safety and security of our vendors and staff, do not park at the property until you have been authorized to check-in. Please do not do any grocery shopping until you have received your keys to avoid spoiled food. Rarely, check-in time may need to be extended beyond 4:00 for repairs, damages, or extra cleaning from the previous tenant. If you desire to check-in before this time, we offer an Early Check-In option which guarantees you a 1:00 pm check-in. The cost for this service is $150.00 plus tax and is non-refundable after it is paid. Only a limited number of early check-ins are available each week and are given out on a first come, first serve basis.

What if I can’t check-in until after your offices close?

If you can’t get here before our offices close, late check-in, be sure to notify us ahead of time so we can make other arrangements. If you are not paid in full, a late check-in will not be possible.

What time is Check-Out?

The standard check-out time is 10:00 am promptly, on the day of your departure.

What do you mean by Maximum Occupancy?

This is the maximum number of people that can be on the property at any given time. Children 4 years of age and older are counted. This has become a very important point in recent years for several reasons. Local, State, and National health regulations, building codes and other laws are becoming stricter. Furthermore the property owners are very concerned about wear and tear in their properties and do not look favorably upon extra bodies bouncing around. Unfortunately, exceeding the Maximum Occupancy at any time, with either overnight guests or day guests will result in eviction without refund. Plan a large enough (occupancy) property for all guests. Also note that maximum occupancy may mean that some of the sleeping spaces are sleeper sofas, cots, lofts overlooking or attached to living spaces, or other sleeping arrangements you may not normally find in a regular residential property. Beds are not indicative of allowed occupancy necessarily, but may provide options or extra bedding for the allowed occupancy.

Where do I check-in?

Your Rental Contract should state which of our 3 Check-In locations you will be checking into. If your contract does not specify a Check-In office, please call us.

What should I do upon checking out?

There will be information included in your check-in packet for check-out procedures.

What do I need to bring?

Brindley Beach Vacations will provide you with one kitchen garbage bag, 2 kitchen towels, 1 roll of paper towels and one roll of toilet paper in each bathroom. You will need to supply any additional paper products (toilet paper, napkins, garbage bags, paper towels, etc.), soaps and detergents, spices, beach supplies, minimal cleaning supplies, sponges or dishcloth and any specialty items you may desire during your stay. Several local grocery stores are available. Most of our properties provide bed and bath linens for your convenience, those that don’t they are available to rent for the week. Please see your property description online to see if they provide linens and towels in advance of your arrival. We can also help you reserve almost anything else you need for your vacation (beach gear, baby equipment, grills, etc.). Visit our preferred vendor’s website at www.justforthebeach.com for their complete inventory, descriptions and more.

What is provided?

Each of our properties are individually furnished and equipped by the property owner. However, all of our properties feature standard items: TV’s, pillows, comforters or bedspreads, microwaves, coffee makers, pots and pans, dishes, utensils and glassware.

Will the property have window screens?

It may or may not. Some property owners have intentionally taken the screens off the windows and doors because they want them left shut for one or more reasons; (they do not want the corrosive salt air in their property to rust appliances and fixtures, some renters tend to leave the windows open and run the air conditioning at the same time; they have been damaged and are continually damaged due to the weather on the coast). For the reasons above we cannot guarantee that your property will have functioning screens on the windows and doors. Thank you for your understanding.

Are there bugs at the beach?

Bugs are a common occurrence in any rural, beach community. Most of our properties have exterminating contracts, but the bugs don’t know that and they will still come into the property from time to time. Please keep the following in mind: 1. It’s not unusual to see bugs in properties in a rural beach environment. 2. Dead bugs mean that the extermination is working and nothing further can be done. 3. Bugs may take from 1 minute to 12 hours to die after they have entered an exterminated property. 4. In some instances, it can be difficult or impossible to completely eradicate the problem. Please call us if you have an ongoing problem and we will send an exterminator out as soon as they can get there.

Grills & Fireplaces

There are several very important things to keep in mind about grills & fireplaces: 1. Not all homeowners allow grills on the decks, please do not relocate grills. 2. As the renter, you are responsible for the cleaning of these items after each use. 3. As the renter you are responsible for any fuel for the charcoal grills or wood fireplace. Please call Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales for any gas needs and we will provide that for you as quickly as possible.

Family Groups Welcome

All rental properties are for family-groups only. No teen or college groups are allowed, even when chaperoned. Should a group misrepresent themselves, or in the opinion of Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales the guest(s) are detrimental to the property, they will be required to vacate the property without refund. No house parties by any group will be permitted at any time. If you have a question about this policy please call ahead to get special permission for your group.

Pets

If you plan to bring a pet, please be sure the property accepts pets and notify our office while making your reservation, a pet fee is required. Dogs are the only pets allowed unless we have granted an exception in writing. Any kind of non-approved pet in any property will result in immediate eviction without refund. Some pet properties restrict the number of pets and/or size of pets. Non-pet properties do not allow pets to be kept outside or on the property at all. Leash and pooper scooper laws are enforced in our area. Please see our website for more information about local laws and services for your dog.

Will I be disturbed during my stay?

During your stay it may be necessary for repairs, exterminating, or other service providers to enter the property. We will attempt to notify you ahead of time. Entry is required for property preservation for you, future tenants, and the owner, and cannot be held off, denied or rescheduled. We regret any inconveniences this may cause but we promise to keep them to a minimum.

Is there Internet access?

Many of our properties provide High Speed Internet access (wired or wireless). Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales does not guarantee Internet connectivity or speed. Each individual homeowner contracts directly with an ISP and due to various reasons, (infrastructure, operating systems, etc.) In the event that your property does not have this feature, you are welcome to come to any of our office lobbies to connect to our secure wireless internet connection during office hours.

How many cars can we bring?

Parking varies greatly between each property. Planning for the least possible number of vehicles is strongly recommended. Most of the condo complexes limit parking to two (2) vehicles per property. Many of our homes only accommodate parking for a few vehicles as well. RV’s, boats and trailers are highly discouraged and are not allowed to park at properties in several communities. We do not have offsite parking for vehicles, RV’s, boats, or trailers.

Can I smoke outside at a nonsmoking property?

Smoking is permitted on decks, balconies, and other outside areas at non-smoking properties. Please be sure not to permit any smoking inside a non-smoking property as the high cost of smoke removal and any lost rentals will be the renter’s responsibility. Guests are expected to properly dispose of cigarette butts and ashes. Cigarette butts in landscape mulch is known to start fires.

What if I leave something behind after my departure?

In the event that you leave behind a personal belonging in the property, please call our offices immediately to report the items you left. We will try to locate the items to the best of our abilities. If you request, items can be returned to you via Fed Ex. This must be paid with a credit card over the phone, unclaimed items are donated to charity after 14 days.

Can you bend your policies for my reservation?

Because we are a real estate company (like all North Carolina Vacation Rental Property Managers), and your reservation is a real estate transaction; we are bound by state laws, our contracts with the property owners, and our lease with you. As much as we might like to bend the rules, we cannot for these reasons. We are not a party to the contract: we don’t own the house or furnishings and we didn’t pay the rent. When comparing a vacation rental to a hotel or motel, you get a lot more for your money with a vacation rental, but there are unbreakable rules and policies that come with it. For these reasons, please be sure to fully read, and understand this brochure and your contract.

Things beyond our control

Our staff works very hard to make sure your stay is happy and comfortable. However, there are things that are out of our control, just as there are things out of your control at your home. Please understand that there will be no refunds or discounts, nor transfers offered or expected for such things. Examples of these types of things that are out of our control include: breakdown of air conditioners, TVs, DVDs, electronics, internet access and appliances, construction nearby, presence of bugs in a treated home, beach accesses unusable due to acts of nature, a home not decorated to your tastes, sand in an oceanfront pool on a windy day, bad weather (including hurricanes), noisy neighbors or beach access location. We will do everything we can to remedy the situation as quickly as possible.