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A popular alternative to staying in a hotel,
a vacation rental is a house or condominium owned by an individual
but rented, usually through a property-management company, to
visitors for a certain amount of time, typically a week. A vacation
rental serves as the home base for the duration of your vacation.
The vacation rental is by a long-shot the
most popular choice for accommodations on the Outer Banks. There
are approximately 11,000 vacation rentals, including homes,
timeshares and condominiums, in Dare and Currituck counties!
Compare this to only about 3,000 hotel rooms.
Vacation rentals carry a bit more responsibility
– you have to sign a contract, be careful not to damage
the home, bring a bit more stuff – but the advantages
definitely outweigh those added responsibilities. Just a few
of the advantages of renting a house include:
Privacy
You won’t have to share your oceanfront balcony or swimming
pool with strangers. Plus, there’s much more privacy within
your own family because everyone can have their own bedrooms.
Freedom
Sit on the porch in your bathrobe. Walk around in your undies.
Turn up the TV as loud as you want.
Cooking
A full kitchen means that you don’t have to eat every
meal out, a real money-saver. Some homes have gourmet kitchens
for people who like to cook.
Common
Areas A house has common areas, such as family rooms,
kitchens, porches, dining rooms and game rooms, where family
groups can be together in comfort.
Space
A single room can feel cramped with more than two people, but
a house offers enough room for everyone.
Gatherings and
Celebrations
Vacation rentals are perfect for uniting groups for events such
as family reunions, weddings and retreats. Many of the vacation
rentals on the Outer Banks were built specifically to handle
large groups; they have super-sized common areas, extra-long
dining tables, kitchens with two refrigerators and two stoves,
and other amenities to comfortably outfit a crowd. Of course,
if a week with your in-laws sounds a little unnerving, or if
your group is too large for one house, you can always rent several
houses side by side. Rental companies are used to this request.
(Keep in mind that most all of the companies have strict rules
prohibiting house parties and groups like fraternities and sororities,
high-school graduation celebrants and the like.)
Many of the Outer Banks rental companies now
have concierge services or event planners on staff to help work
out the details of planning reunions, weddings and retreats.
These people can help you find a home specifically suited to
a group’s needs. Corporate retreat planners can find a
house equipped with fax machines, wireless internet access,
plenty of tables and desk space. Family groups can find lots
of houses equipped with game rooms, home theaters, play rooms,
swimming pools and baby gear.
A popular use for oceanfront rental homes
is small weddings. Couples rent a magnificent oceanfront home
with an open floor plan, have their wedding on the beach and
their reception in the rental house or around the pool. Rental
houses are also used for wedding accommodations, even if the
wedding is not on site. It’s easy to find a large house
for the whole wedding party or several houses close together.
Not all rental companies allow events such as weddings in their
homes, and most require an additional security deposit if you
are planning a wedding in the house.
Amenities
With 11,000 rental homes on the Outer Banks, it’s a sure
bet that everyone can find the perfect house! The homes of the
Outer Banks offer an incredible variety of amenities, all of
which are well-advertised to attract renters. You can expect
the basics -- ac/heat, cable TV, stereos, telephones, washer/dryers,
all kitchen appliances, standard indoor furniture and outdoor
furniture, cooking utensils and equipment, blankets, comforters
and pillows, and equipment for normal housekeeping. Most homes
offer outdoor showers, beach equipment and grills as well. You
might find a few rustic cottages with no air-conditioning, TV
or phones, but those are very few and far between.
As more and more rental houses come on the
market, owners are adding more and more amenities to attract
renters. What used to be considered luxury is now almost standard
– hot tubs, private pools, whirlpool tubs, DVD libraries,
CD players, fireplaces and game rooms. Other amenities you can
find include home theaters, whole-house audio systems, media
centers, gourmet kitchens, home gyms or fitness equipment, internet
service, elevators, outdoor play sets for kids, pet accommodations
and more.
What to Bring
Groceries, including condiments and spices, toiletries, paper
products, cleaning products, linens and towels (unless you choose
to rent these) and your personal items. Some homes have cribs
and high chairs, computers, bicycles, volleyball courts and
other offerings, and those amenities are usually listed in brochure
or website.
If the house doesn’t have all the items
you need, you don’t necessarily have to bring everything
from home. Many of the rental agencies now rent linens and towels.
Plus there are several equipment rental companies on the Outer
Banks that offer linens, baby equipment, bicycles and strollers,
all sorts of beach gear, sports equipment, stereos, grills and
just about anything else you could want.
Choosing a Vacation
Rental
As you would expect, there is an enormous variety in price,
location and amenities of Outer Banks rental cottages. Locations
span across the islands, from the ocean to the sound and everywhere
in between, and individual ownership means that properties vary
widely in décor, design and amenities. Price varies depending
on both of these factors. The main factors to consider when
looking for a rental house are location, occupancy, amenities
and price, in whatever order is most important to you.
Choose Your
Outer Banks Locale
One of the first things you need to decide is which area you
would like to stay in. The areas of the Outer Banks are very
different, so do a little research and pick a location where
you and your party will be the happiest. What follows is a very
brief synopsis of the main locations of the beach communities
on the Outer Banks, listed from north to south.
Four-Wheel-Drive Area/Carova If
the thought of an off-road adventure is appealing, this area
north of Corolla is for you. There are no paved roads, and
you have to drive on the beach to get to your rental house.
So, of course, only those with a four-wheel-drive vehicle
can rent up here. This is the end of the line on the Outer
Banks, it’s remote and rugged and quiet. There are no
hotels or commercial businesses, just rental homes, the beach,
the marsh and sound, and the famous Corolla wild horses roaming
about. While you might suspect only little cabins for rent
up here in the boondocks, that isn’t so. The rentals
in this area range from rustic to luxurious, with all the
same amenities you’d find anywhere else.
Corolla Corolla, on the northern
end of the Outer Banks, has a modern resort feeling. Most
of the rental homes available in this area are part of one
of many planned communities and therefore offer added features
like community pools, tennis courts, beach shuttles, beach
accesses and more. Pine Island and Palmer’s Island,
on the south end of Corolla, have the largest, most swanky
oceanfront rental homes. Corolla has several shopping/ dining/
recreation areas, including two major grocery stores and a
movie theater, plus some great historic attractions and the
small Corolla Village area.
Duck & Sanderling Duck is south
of Corolla. People often ask “What’s the difference
between Corolla and Duck?” Duck has a tightly packed
little village center with shops and restaurants, while Corolla’s
amenities are a bit more spread out. Both Duck and Corolla
offer numerous vacation rentals, and Duck also has many planned
communities with some great on-site features for guests. Duck
also has a large timeshare community. The Sanderling area,
just north of Duck, is a quiet residential area with many
rental homes.
Southern Shores Southern Shores
is mainly a residential community. There are a few commercial
establishments, including a grocery store on the south end
of town, but mostly this is a place to rent a home and enjoy
the beach.
Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head
These three towns are very similar when it comes to vacationing.
They offer tons of vacation rentals, ranging from older small
cottages to mega-houses, plus a very lively beach-town atmosphere.
You’ll find lots of restaurants, shopping centers, souvenir
stores, fishing piers, go-cart tracks and more. Those who
like to be in the thick of things like to stay in these areas.
South Nags Head, which has no commercial establishments, offers
a more peaceful atmosphere on the central beaches.
Hatteras Island Hatteras Island
is a little more remote than the northern beaches, and that
affords it a simpler, more laid-back status. There are seven
villages on Hatteras – Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon,
Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras Village – but the vast majority
of the island is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore
and undeveloped. Nature lovers, anglers, outdoor recreation
enthusiasts and people who love peace and quiet like Hatteras
Island. There are no chain stores (except for the Food Lion
grocery store) and no big shopping malls. Hatteras Island
does offer a wide range of rental accommodations, from cozy
cottages to princely palaces. If you haven’t been here
in a while, you’ll be surprised at the upscale offerings
there are here today.
Ocracoke Ocracoke is the Outer
Banks’s most isolated island, and you can get here only
by ferry. There are no oceanfront rentals because the beachfront
is undeveloped. But you can find a rental on the sound, on
Silver Lake, on a canal, in the historic village or overlooking
the marsh. The undeveloped beachfront, quaint village atmosphere
and very quiet lifestyle are the top draws on Ocracoke.
Choose a Location
Now you need to choose a location within your preferred locale.
Do you choose the ocean or the sound or in between? For some
people, this decision is driven by price. Obviously, waterfront
properties command the most expensive rental rates, with those
on the oceanfront the highest. Take a look at some of your general
options. Keep in mind that these are not the only designations
rental companies use, and there may be other designations depending
on the location options.
Oceanfront Directly on the beach.
The benefits are many: convenience for beach-going, incredible
views, private walkways.
Semi-oceanfront This is the next
best thing to oceanfront. Semi-oceanfront denotes that the
house is one row or house back from the ocean. Not all areas
have more than one house on an oceanfront lot, so this is
not available in all areas.
Oceanside This means that the
property is not directly on the oceanfront, but it’s
on the east side of N.C. 12 and therefore you don’t
have to cross a major road to get to the ocean. You do not
have direct access to the ocean and will have to use a public
access.
Between the Highways This designation
applies mainly to the properties in Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil
Hills and Nags Head. The property is between the Beach Road
(N.C. Highway 12) and the Bypass (U.S. Highway 158). Typically
it is not a long walk to the beach, but you will have to cross
N.C. 12 to get there.
Westside These properties are
on the west side of the island, west of N.C. 12 or U.S. 158.
In the wider areas of the islands, it may not necessarily
be close to the sound. If you’re looking for a good
deal, something very affordable and usually nice and quiet,
Westside is a good option.
Soundside On the soundside of
the island, but not soundfront. These properties often have
great views of the marsh and sunsets.
Soundfront Directly on the sound,
with great views and usually some sort of access to the sound.
The soundside of the island is much more tranquil, so even
if you can afford oceanfront you might want to consider soundfront.
Kiteboarders, kayakers and windsurfers can enjoy sound access.
Golf Course Many vacation rentals
are available overlooking one of the Outer Banks’ four
golf courses.
Canalfront A home on a canal usually
offers a boat dock, which is very convenient for vacationers
who bring their own boats.
Occupancy
Plan well for the number of people you will need to accommodate
and the configurations in which they will sleep. The rental
company jargon is that a home “sleeps” a certain
number. Typically, a house sleeps two people per bedroom, so
a four-bedroom home would sleep eight people. But sometimes
a home has a pull-out sofa or extra beds in the rooms, so it
sleeps more than you think for the number of bedrooms it has.
Each house has a maximum occupancy, so pay attention to this
before you book. Respecting a home’s occupancy limits
is very important, as most Outer Banks homes are on septic systems
instead of sewers. The occupancy limits are also set based on
the amount of parking that is available.
Price Range
As we said before, the price of a rental home varies widely
according to season, location, amenities and size. Property
management companies’ websites allow you to search for
properties according to price, so you can set a budget and then
find a property that falls within it. An important note: The
base price you see on the house listing is not the final price.
The price is always higher because of added taxes, security
deposit, trip insurance and processing fees. All vacation rentals
are subject to the North Carolina sales tax (7 percent) and
the county occupancy tax (at this writing Dare County was 5
percent; Currituck County, 6 percent; Hyde County, 3 percent;
but this is subject to change). So expect to pay from 10 to
13 percent in taxes. At least one company that we know of now
includes all the fees, taxes and deposits in the base price
of the house. This is a new trend, so read the rental literature
of the company you’re working with closely.
Seasons
The price of rental accommodations varies greatly according
to the seasons. All of the different rental companies have their
own systems of dates, terminology and rates for the rental seasons,
but in general they all revolve around the prime or peak, shoulder
and off-season schedule. The most popular seasons for vacations
are the most expensive times to rent. The prime season, i.e.,
most expensive season, is summer, from mid-June through August.
Early June and late August are sometimes a little less expensive.
The shoulder seasons of September and October and April and
May are less expensive than the summer. In the off-season, or
winter, typically November through March, prices drop even more.
Seasonal prices for each house are clearly listed on websites
and in catalogs.
The Rental Week
Do you want to rent from Saturday to Saturday or from a Sunday
to a Sunday? If this matters to you, be sure to talk to a rental
agent. Some companies now offer Friday to Friday rentals, which
means that you come and go outside of the busiest rental changeover
days on Saturday and Sunday. Friday to Friday rentals are also
nice for those planning a weekend wedding.
Length of Stay
In the prime season (June, July and August) most companies have
a one-week minimum rental. But some companies offer last-minute,
partial-week rentals for any properties that are not already
booked. They usually won’t make reservations for these
until two weeks before, or the week of, the rental. In the off-season
partial-week rentals are more readily available. You’ll
also hear the term “mini-vacations,” which allow
you to rent a home for three or four days instead of a full
week. Not all properties are available for partial weeks. If
you’re looking at the last minute in the off-season you
can typically find a place. Policy varies on how the rate for
a partial week is determined.
Book It!
There are nearly 60 property management companies/rental agencies
offering vacation rentals on the Outer Banks, and that’s
not including the cottages offered by cottage courts, motels
and private individuals. With so much competition, you can bet
the companies work hard to earn your business. You don’t
have to work with any company whose service is less than exceptional.
All of the companies offer websites and color rental brochures
detailing their properties. Do-it-yourselfers can search properties
online, using a variety of criteria, and even book the property
online. If you prefer speaking to a person, all of the companies
have booking agents who can help you find just the right property.
Once you have booked your property, you will
be required to pay a deposit, usually half of the booking fee,
plus a security deposit, administrative fee (if applicable)
and trip insurance if you choose to buy it. Once you have paid
your deposit, the company will send you a lease agreement to
sign and return. The balance of the fee is due within 30 days
of your visit.
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