Renting a Shore House

Renting a Shore House can be tedious if you try it on your own. Luckilly thew New Jersey Shore has an abundance of shore properties that rent during the season and great Real Estate agents to help you with your search.

Know whom to call when the AC breaks down: Get your host's cellphone number -- and his handyman's. Sure, it's nice if your host leaves behind some ideas of local attractions and restaurants, but chances are you've covered a lot of that ground with your own research. Better that your host -- who probably lives hundreds of miles away -- should leave you some domestic reassurance.  If you know what number to call to reach a relevant human being when the pilot light dies and the dishwasher spews on a Saturday night, you'll be happier. This is a double imperative if renting through a management company, because those arrangements often add one or more players to the game of telephone.

Not every picture is worth a thousand words. If you're looking at photographs on a website, be sure to ask how old they are. What has changed since they were taken? You may want to ask for customer references, and if you have a friend who can do a drive-by, all the better. It's safest to assume that the website running those tempting for-rent-by-owner ads will take no responsibility for its accuracy. (The HomeAway.com website says as much and goes on to implausibly suggest that "potential renters visit properties in advance to confirm all terms of their intended rental.")

Pay with a credit card or beware. Some legitimate owners ask for PayPal ( www.paypal.com) payments or money orders, and some accept personal checks or other types of payment. But one of the best ways to protect yourself from shady operators is to pay by credit card. Even though accepting credit cards costs homeowners a sliver of their revenue (usually 2% to 5%), more have decided it's the best way to assure customers a safe transaction. Homeowners generally ask for an initial deposit (usually 10% to 50%), plus a refundable cleaning deposit, with the balance of the cost due well before you arrive. Get your rental agreement in hand before sending any money, and make sure you understand the cancellation policy.

Ask about linens. Everyone has a different way of handling the sheets-and-towels issue. Never take any broad statement about linens at face value, and pay no attention to any rhapsodies regarding high thread counts. (Given variability of fabric, weave and wear, you might as well go by your host's shoe size.) Call and ask: Do bathroom towels come with the house, and if so, how many per person, and where are the extras kept? What about towels for beach or pool? If somebody is going to sleep on a fold-out couch, where will those sheets be? Extra blankets? Do we need to wash them at the end of our stay or just throw them in a single pile somewhere? And while we're on the subject, ask: When, dear landlord, did you last buy new sheets and furniture or paint the place? With busy rentals, that may need to be done yearly.

MapQuest is your friend. So is Google Earth -- and other sites (such as Zillow.com and Trulia.com ) that show houses in satellite photos. Using those sites, you can see a home's surroundings more thoroughly than a homeowner could ever describe them. How far is the beach? The freeway? Does the guy next door have a collection of Buicks up on blocks?
I learned the beach lesson two years ago, when we rented a vast home in Wildwood, New Jersey.  It sat on a sleepy street within easy view of the ocean and slept eight of us in great comfort and quiet. What we didn't realize until arrival, however, is that at the end of the block, private property blocked our access to the water. To reach the beach, we had to drive, not walk.

Get consensus. Got something specific in mind? Forget it. Very few rental houses look as enticing as a fancy hotel room (and lobby, and restaurant) photographed by a pro. And if you found a house that looked that good, would you trust your children in it? Anyway, you'll never find the one in your mind's eye. Instead, be alert to possibilities you haven't considered.

Get there first. Weekend trip with friends or family? Get there ASAP. If you're not the first one in, you may not get first choice of bedrooms. The difference between the master suite and that fourth bedroom they've added next to the garage can be massive. (And if you're the sort who believes in different prices for different bedrooms, get that said before the front door opens or forever hold your peace.)

Take no devices for granted. Many rental owners have realized that it pays to have a DVD player and at least a modest movie library. But music is a different story. Just last month, I stayed in a splendid home with commanding views and a big television, yet if there was a stereo on the property, I never found it. I wound up using the DVD player to listen to CDs. If music or a big screen makes a difference, you need to ask. The same goes for kitchen gadgets and mixing utensils.

Do not relax about that spill in the living room. The maid isn't coming, not until you leave, and you have a cleaning deposit hanging in the balance. Furthermore, if that stain sets, you won't be sticking it to some faceless corporation; you'll be annoying that nice man or woman who put up with all your phone calls and questions.

There's always next year. In many ways, the best time to browse for next year's rental is while you're on this year's vacation. On beach walks and scenic drives, keep an eye out for cool prospects bearing rental logos or phone numbers.

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