Policies

Vacation Rental Costs and Fees

Basic Costs
There are 4 simple fixed costs applying to every rental

    • Base Rents: As listed
    • Reservation Processing Fee: $100.00 per week
    • Security Insurance: Damage waiver insurance policy: $39.00 per reservation.
    • Tax: 12.75 % of the base rents + the processing fee. The Security Insurance is not taxed unless there is a security deduction.

Optional Fees:
There are only 2 optional fees that you could choose to add to your reservation

  • Pet Fee: $150 for the first pet + tax ( $169.12 total). Additional pets are $75 each ($84.56 with tax), Maximum of 3 most properties.
  • Vacation Insurance: The Cost of vacation insurance is 6.95% of the total costs of the reservation except costs for vacation insurance and security package. Fees paid for cancelled vacations are not refundable. Vacation Insurance provides the most complete protection for your vacation investment.

Credit Card Payments
There is a 3% processing fee for all credit and debit card payments.

Payments by Check
We accept payments by check.  If you make a last-minute reservation we cannot accept payments by check within 14 days of an arrival date.

Vacation Insurance

Valuable Protection for Before, During and After Your Vacation:

When looking forward to your vacation the last thing you want to do is think about something going wrong. Still, even the best-planned trips can be impacted by an unexpected illness, medical emergency, natural disaster, adverse weather, delayed flights, road closures or lost or damaged luggage. These troubles can occur when least expected, forcing you to cancel or interrupt your trip, lose your non-refundable vacation costs and incur unplanned expenses.

Generali Global Assistance’s Guest Protect plan is specially designed to help protect you and others staying at your reservation from specific covered events. With this valuable protection plan, you get:

  • Trip Cancellation coverage for a variety of unforeseen circumstances, including mandatory evacuations and sickness and injury of yourself, a traveling companion or family member.
  • A wide range of post-departure coverages, including Trip Interruption, Travel Delay, Medical and Dental, Emergency Assistance and Transportation, Baggage, Rental Car Damage and more. Note Rental Car Damage is not available to residents of Texas.
  • Coverage for Pre-Existing Medical Conditions when you purchase your plan prior to or within 24 hours of final payment and are medically able to travel when you buy your plan.
  • Valuable assistance services including 24/7/365 emergency assistance, concierge services, on demand medical care— including no-out-of-pocket medical expenses— identity theft resolution and roadside assistance.
  • A 10-day free look to review your plan and decide if it’s right for you. If you wish to cancel your plan within 10 days of purchase and have not yet left on your trip or filed a claim you can do so and receive a full refund of your plan cost.

Anticipating the unexpected and covering it with travel insurance will help protect you and your traveling companions from surprise expenses. To learn more about travel insurance, reach out to Generali Global Assistance directly at 866-999-4018 or review a sample Description of Coverage/Policy.

Definition of Terms
Base Rent: The rental rate for the property without  taxes, processing fee, security deposit/damage waiver, pet fee or vacation insurance

Taxes: The base rent, the processing fee, ($100.00) and the pet fee ($150.00 for 1 pet) are taxed at 12.75%. Vacation insurance is not taxed. The security deposit/damage waiver is not taxed, however; any deductions from the security deposit due to damages or extra expenses as detailed below will be treated as rents and taxed at the current rate.

Advance Payment: Equals 1/2 the base rent + the processing fee ($100.00 per week) + the vacation insurance. The advance payment is due within 5 business days of making your reservation. The full Lease is available for review below. When the advance payment is received we will send a copy(s) of the lease. The lease is a vacation rental agreement under the North Carolina Vacation Rental Act. The rights and obligations of the parties to this agreement are defined by law and include unique provisions permitting the disbursement of rent prior to Tenancy and the Expedited Eviction of tenants. Your signature on this agreement, or payment of money, or taking possession of the property after receipt of this agreement, is evidence of your acceptance of the agreement and your intent to use the property for a Vacation Rental.

Final Payment: Equals the second 1/2 of the base rent +  taxes (current rate: 12.75%) +  security deposit / damage waiver  +  pet fee. This payment is due no later than 30 days before check-in.

Multiple Payments: Are not permitted.

Security Deposits: Are returned within 45 days of check-out.

Damage Waiver Insurance: The  $39.00 for damage waiver insurance listed above secures a no-fault insurance policy issued by CSA Travel Protection covering accidental damages occurring to your vacation property during your stay. This includes breakages, tears, stains, pet damage and etc. It is no-fault!  Please report any  damages that may occur during your stay by filling out the form found in the cottage notebook; and help us keep your vacation property in good condition!

Cancellations and Alterations: All cancellations must be in writing and must be received on or before the rental check-in date for valid vacation insurance claims. There is a $100.00 fee for Cancellations (and associated refunds) and/or transfers when permitted. There is a $40.00 fee for changes or alterations to a lease requested by a tenant, re-issuing leases or copying leases to different addresses or other unusual procedures requested or necessitated by changes to the original lease made by tenants. The Full lease is available for review below. There is a $40.00 fee for the cancellation or refund of Pet Fee(s). Vacation Insurance premiums cannot be refunded. All fees incur the applicable tax .

Clause #7 of our lease agreement which is the standard North Carolina Vacation Rental Agreement written jointly by the NC Bar Association and NC Real Estate Commission:

7. Cancellation. In the event of a cancellation by Tenant, Tenant shall receive a refund of all payments made by Tenant, less an administrative fee of $100 and the reservation fee plus tax if the Premises are re-rented on the terms set forth herein. If the premises are not re-rented on the terms set forth herein, Tenant will not be entitled to a refund of any rent payment made hereunder. Whether or not the Premises are re-rented, Tenant, rather than Agent, shall be responsible for seeking reimbursement of any fees paid by Tenant to Agent for goods, services, or benefits procured by Agent from third parties for the benefit of Tenant that may have been paid out prior to Tenant’s cancellation.

GROUP TYPE: Non- Family Groups: Properties will not be rented to non-family groups made up of unmarried young adults, high school students, college students or any other group-type situation not comprised of responsible adults at least 25 years of age. Cola Vaughan Realty has a legal right and contractual obligation to have premises immediately vacated that have been reserved by non-family groups without refund of rents and associated fees and to further impose ( as permitted by Article 6, Chapter 42 of the North Carolina General Statutes Residential Tenant Security Deposit Act. ), appropriate penalties. NC Gen. Stat. 14-100 makes it a crime to obtain any rental unit under false pretenses.

Things to Remember
KITCHEN – EQUIPMENT: Kitchens are thoroughly equipped.

LINENS: Sheets, towels and pillow-cases) are not provided. Cool Season rentals might want to bring extra blankets/quilts, as these cottages are not necessarily equipped with heavier bed covers for cold weather. Linens can also be rented from Ocean Atlantic Rentals (252) 441-7823 or (800) 635-9559. Ocean Atlantic www.oar-nc.com also rents all types of useful equipment like cribs, playpens, electronics and every conceivable type of “beach” gear (umbrellas……etc) Paper products, toilet items, detergents, trash bags, and condiments are also not provided.

REMEMBER: Bring or rent linens, Other items not supplied include paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.), laundry soaps and dishwasher detergent, personal toiletries (shampoo etc.) and Condiments (like sugar, salt & pepper, etc.) We recommend you purchase these after arrival.

What to do When You Arrive
CHECK-IN: Pre-Paid groups check-in directly at the cottage after 4:00 PM. Please do not leave a vehicle, trailer or other items or in any way occupy the premises before 4:00 PM without express written permission.

On rare occasions, we need extra time for maintenance and / or cleaning which can result in a delayed check-in (sometimes as late as 6:00 pm). We appreciate your understanding in advance.

CHECK-OUT: BEFORE 10:00 AM on your scheduled check-out date.

GROUP SIZE: May not exceed the occupancy limits as described in the lease agreement.

SMOKING: Smoking is not permitted inside any of our properties.

During Your Visit
ERRORS, OMISSIONS & TYPOGRAPHICAL MISTAKES: While every effort has been made by Cola Vaughan Realty, errors and changes in prices and descriptions may occur in our listings. We can not be responsible for posting errors or changes made by owners after their information is posted.

EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS: We try hard to insure that the equipment in our rental cottages is in good working order. When items fail, we encourage our owners to arrange repairs or replacements as soon as possible. Please let us know immediately when you encounter a problem. We cannot guarantee against equipment failure, utility interruptions, maintenance problems, inclement weather or early departure. Unnecessary service calls can result in a charge for the guest.

EVACUATION: Per the terms of your lease agreement, evacuation orders from Dare County Emergency Management or any other appropriate group must be complied with promptly.

MESSAGES: We cannot accept or deliver messages. We will gladly assist in making communication arrangements in advance of your vacation.

LOCK-OUTS: There will be a $50.00 charge to re-open cottages during business hours. For after hours lock-outs, call a locksmith. We strongly recommend that you keep a key in the lock-box on the premises.

LOST ITEM RETRIEVAL: We make every effort to return missing items, it usually takes several days. We require an email request for the missing item and there is a $20 minimum charge (plus postage if necessary) for retrieving items left/lost at any of our vacation rentals.

Check-Out Procedures
We cannot provide clean, comfortable cottages for your enjoyment without a certain level of tenant cooperation. Please make every effort to keep your cottage clean. Please report any damages or maintenance issues as soon as they are discovered.

· You must vacate the premises by 10:00 am. Late Check-Outs will be charged Security Deposit Deductions!

· Vacuum and/or sweep floors.

· Keep your pets off the furniture & beds and out of un-occupied bedrooms. Pet hair on furniture and beds is the #2 reason for Security Deposit Deductions. You might consider bringing an old sheet or spread to cover the furniture/sofas if your pet likes to share that space with you.

· Please empty refrigerators and cabinets of all spoilable or used items.

· Empty all trashcans and roll trash carts to the street. Extra trash beyond the capacity of the cart must be disposed of by the renter or you will be subject to Security Deposit Deductions.

· Put mattress pads, comforters and all pillows back on beds the way they were found.

· Close and lock all windows and blinds. Not closing & locking windows can result in Security Deposit deductions! It is not necessary to return the keys to our office.

· Re-Set thermostat to 76 degrees in hot summer weather, 55 degrees in cool wintry weather, or off in mild spring or fall weather where freezing or 80+ degree weather is unlikely.

· No Smoking is permitted inside any of our properties.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Pets
We go out of our way to encourage our cottage owners to allow you to vacation on the Outer Banks with your pets. Please help us continue our efforts to offer clean, comfortable pet friendly cottages, by carefully observing the following practices.

Do not leave your pet unattended. Your pet will be in an unfamiliar situation and may behave differently. We strongly recommend pet crates for situations when pets are alone. Pets left tied outside on decks etc. tend to howl and chew & are evidently extremely nervous. If you must leave your pet un-attended; a confined, darkened location like a utility room seems to be more comforting. Don’t try the bathroom! The chewing/scratching behavior of nervous, un-attended pets can be very expensive to repair.

Keep your pets off the furniture & beds and out of un-occupied bedrooms. Keep those bedroom doors closed.
You might consider bringing an old sheet or spread to cover the furniture/sofas if your pet likes to share that space with you.

Pools
For the 2021 rental season, all pools open in mid-May (either 5/14, 5/15 or 5/16) and close in mid-October (10/15, 10/16 or 10/17) unless otherwise noted on an individual property page. Exceptions will be considered for an additional fee for two weeks before and after scheduled opening and closing dates.

Practical Advice
We recommend your pets be treated with a systemic pest medication. Because of the many parks, wildlife refuges and other natural areas on the Outer Banks wildlife like deer and  rabbits are plentiful which means we have a robust population of ticks, fleas and chiggers out there “in the bush”. Be prepared!
Our warm climate and sandy terrain seems to keep ticks, fleas and chiggers alive year ‘round. Again be prepared!

Click here to download and print the Lease Agreement

Contact

Cola Vaughan Realty
PO Box 1375
Nags Head, NC 27959

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