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Rental Policies and Procedures

General Policies:

1. Minimum stay in summer months is 1 week, running Saturday to Saturday

2.  Minimum stay in non-summer months is 2 nights, except holiday periods when minimum stay is 3 nights

3.  No prom groups or 'senior week' groups are allowed.

4.  Reservations are confirmed on the basis of the date received (not date postmarked).  

5.  It is up to the lessee to keep track of payment due dates.  If a payment due date is missed, the lease can be cancelled without notice.  (we are happy to work with you on payment schedules as much as possible but you must contact the lessor prior to a due date to make any changes to the payment schedule).

6.  Smoking is not permitted inside any of the properties (smoking on decks and on the grounds surrounding the properties is allowed).

7.  Pets are not permitted during the peak summer months.  We are happy to accommodate well-behaved dogs as our guests during non-peak periods.  Permission to bring a pet is required at the time the lease is executed  (the standard lease does not allow pets).  Ask for details.

How Reservations are Made:

1.  Once you request a booking, I will hold your reservation for 10 days and send you a lease (via email, regular mail or fax, your choice).  During that 10 days, you review the lease, sign it, and send it back to me with your deposit.  Deposit requirements are as follows:

• If the rental date is 2 months away (or less), then the full amount plus security deposit are due with the signed lease
• If the rental date is more than 2 months, but less than 3 months away, then 1/2 of the rental amount is due with the signed lease.
• If the rental date is more than 3 months away, then 1/3 of the rental amount is due with the signed lease.

2.  Once I receive your signed lease and deposit, I will sign and send a copy of the lease to you for your records, along with a receipt for your deposit.  (I will not send receipts for the remaining payments since I assume that your bank records provide proof of payment).

3.  The party signing the lease must be 27 years of age or older.  No groups with members under the age of 21 without a parent or legal guardian are allowed.  Sorry, no senior week or prom groups.  

4.  If a signed lease and deposit are not received by me by the due date, as stated in the lease, the reservation is cancelled and the property is made available again.  (extensions can sometimes be made if you contact me prior to the due date).

5.  Once I get your signed lease and deposit, I will sign the lease and send you a signed copy along with a receipt.  The lease will have the payment schedule in it and you are responsible for keeping track of the due dates.  A missed payment is cause for cancellation without notice.

Please note that no reservation hold is placed until you receive a lease from me.  No reservation is guaranteed until you receive an executed copy of the lease (signed by me).

Payment Options

Personal checks can be accepted until one month prior to your rental dates.  After that, payments must be made with bank checks, money orders or cash.  No credit cards are accepted (but the checks that credit card companies send you can be used in lieu of personal checks).

Security Deposits

Every rental requires a fully-refundable security deposit to cover damage, excessive cleaning and long-distance telephone charges.  Security deposits may be paid in the same way as rental fees.  Please note that if you pay by check, your check will be cashed and then a new check will be sent to you with your refund within 30 days of your departure. Standard deposits range from $300 to $500, depending upon the property, and are fully refundable.  In the unlikely event that any portion of the security deposit is to be withheld without the prior consent of the leasee, the leasor will inform the leasee of this intent within 7 days of the end of the lease period.

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel a confirmed reservation, the earlier you do it the better because the amount of money you risk losing is related to the amount of money you have paid at the time of cancellation.  If the property is re-rented without loss of income to the owner, then you are charged a fee of 10% of whatever deposit money was in hand at the time of the cancellation.  If the property is not re-rented for the full amount of your rental, you forfeit your entire deposit (up to the full rental fee).   If the property is re-rented, but must be rented at a discount or for a lesser period (resulting in lower income for the owner), you will be charged the difference between your rental amount and the newly-rented amount.  In all cases, if you have paid your security deposit at the time of cancellation, that will be refunded.  Unfortunately, we cannot, under any circumstances, offer a refund outside of this policy.  We have gathered information about a variety of Travel Insurance Providers in case you want to purchase travel insurance.  Please see our Travel Insurance Providers page for more information.

Tenant Care and Issue Resolution

When you arrive, there is a personalized 'welcome' note with details about the services you have requested and with other important details about your stay.  There is also an Information Book with house rules, instructions for use of appliances, and information about services (e.g. trash collection, cleaning, etc.).  Both the welcome note and the Information Book offer contact information for either the property manager or the owner.  Support and issue resolution are available 7 days a week, during extended day and evening hours.  It is our goal to address any question, problem or any unacceptable aspect of the property right away so that you can fully enjoy your stay.

In the unlikely even that an issue cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the tenant, the property owner and property manager reserve the right to limit any complaint filings, responses, and/or litigation to the jurisdiction of the Cape May County, NJ courts, alone.  Any dispute arising out of or relating to the lease agreement shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the AAA Rules and that arbitration shall be conducted in Cape May, NJ. (see 'dispute resolution' below.)

Governing Law

The lease agreement shall be governed by the laws of the state of New Jersey.

Dispute Resolution

Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the lease agreement and/or relating to the use of the property described in the lease agreement shall be governed in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph.

All disputes shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the AAA Rules.  The arbitration shall be final, conclusive and binding upon the parties, their successors and assigns.  The arbitration shall be conducted in Cape May, NJ by one arbitrator selected by agreement of the parties, or, failing such agreement, appointed pursuant to the AAA Rules.  If an arbitrator so selected becomes unable to serve, his or her successor shall be similarly selected or appointed.  The Panel shall act by majority vote.  The arbitration award shall be in writing and shall specify the factual and legal basis for the award.  The arbitrator shall apportion all costs and expenses of arbitration, including the arbitrator’s fees and expenses and fees and expenses of experts, between the prevailing and non-prevailing parties as the Panel deems fair and reasonable.  In no event may the panel award exemplary or punitive damages.  Any arbitration award shall be binding and enforceable against the parties hereto and judgment may be entered thereon in any court of competent jurisdiction.