Hi Everyone,
We visited OCNJ last year %26amp; we loved it %26amp; are planning on coming back this summer.
Last year we stayed at a hotel but we are thinking of staying a week at a condo this year. Last year we stayed at Ocean 7 %26amp; it was ok (the location was perfect) but the room was so small that stuff was piled everywhere :(
A few questions on condo rentals.....
How do you get the keys, are they mailed to you or do you go somewhere in town to pick them up, also, when you leave what do you do with the keys?
What do you need to bring that you wouldn%26#39;t normally need at a hotel? Sheets, towels?
Do you need to clean it before you leave?
Any condos have nice pools? (I know most of them have no pool in OC)
Any suggestions on where to stay? We would prefer not to have to cross any major streets to get to the beach. It will be me %26amp; my wife and our two girls ages 3 and 6.
Thanks everyone.
Condo Rental Help
I think you will love staying in a condo and will really feel like you are a part of OC that way.
You can ether rent directly from an owner through a site like Shore Summer Rentals(http://www.shoresummerrentals.com) or from a real estate firm like Fox (http://www.foxocnj.com/). If you rent from a real estate, then at about 2PM on the first Saturday of the rental you go to the local office and pick up the keys and drop them off again when your rental is over @ 10AM the following Saturday. If you rent directly from an owner some may just have you go to the condo and you will find it open with the keys on the kitchen table. What we do with our direct rentals is mail the keys to the renters about 2 weeks before their rental starts and then include a postage paid return mailer and ask that they drop the keys at the post office on the way out of town.
As to cleaning...we always cleaned up any mess we%26#39;d made before we left, but most places will have cleaning figured in between rentals to hit the bathrooms and the kitchens and the like.
As to what to bring, every rental is different but the basics, sheets, towels and the like are pretty standard. You will need to check the rental as to things like specific pots and pans, CD players or the like, other kitchen equipment and of course things you may want like special pillows, etc. Some rentals include beach items or even bikes to use, so check this out when you are looking for a rental. Don%26#39;t be afraid to open cabinets and closets and see what is included.
Most ';house'; type condo rentals will not have pools but there are a few apartment condo rentals that may have use of a pool.
We love the North End of town and think it is a great location. Easy access to the boardwalk and town center without driving. We also rented for a number of years in the deep south end of own (50th street) and loved that too. Each area of Ocean City has different things and I%26#39;d suggest you decide on what is best for you. If you liked the Ocean 7 location then you might look from say 7th street to 1st Street in the North End say from Atlantic to the Boardwalk. That will give you easy beach and boardwalk access (Wonderland pier is at 6th street and although the boardwalk runs till 1st street, that is the end of the commercial part of the boardwalk)and the beach will be just a couple of minute walk away from your rental.
Whatever you decide, have a great vacation but also act fast...most good rentals for the prime weeks are gone already!
Condo Rental Help
You could also check out www.vrbo and www.homeaway.com for more ';by owner'; sites.
It is common at the Jersey shore to not have sheets/towels provided, but ask. Sometimes there are linen rental that you can arrange as well.
Key procedure will also vary by owner and should be spelled out prior to arrival. (I tell where to find the key to let themselves in, and ask that doors be locked and keys left on kitchen counter at check out).
Cleaning procedure varies from %26#39;Leave it as you found it'; i.e. fully clean to ';broom clean'; i.e. tidied, swept, gargbage out but full clean to be done after check out. Some rentals charge a separate cleaning fee, some do not.
Also ask if there are any beach badges included in the rental. That will help you compare actual costs from unit to unit.
I grew up in Philly so am very familiar with OCNJ. Now that we live in CA, but one daughter lives in NJ, we fly back and rent a 4 bdrm place each summer for a week. So much fun and so much better than a hotel. Lots of room to spread out, plus you can eat bkft and lunch at home at least. Since we have two grandsons under 5, we usually eat dinner at home too, except if we are up at the boardwalk. We pick up the keys at the realtors. We usually stay on either Central (south end) or Wesley around 20th. It%26#39;s great to face right onto the beach but pricey. This summer we have to cross one street to reach the beach. Some places provide sheets but most don%26#39;t. No pool. We tidy up before we leave, but no major cleaning. Go online with the realtors like Grace or Prudential Fox and browse the listings. Good luck!
The website www.oceancitynj.com contains listings for most of the major realtors in OC under one search engine. If you have never rented a condo before in OC, it might be better to go with a realtor. Its been my experience that you don%26#39;t save much (if anything) by using vrbo or the like and this way you can ask the realtor all your questions. The realtor will also be there for you during your stay if anything goes wrong (as it did with us w/ one of our rentals last summer- its rare but it does happen). Most of the major realtor are very knowledgeable about locations and the like. I have seen some listings on the private sites that are very misleading about location (again, some people are very honest too). You might also want to take a day and visit available properties. If the units are unrented (go soon), you can go in and visit the properties and see what would best suit your needs. Even if they are rented, you can check out the street, see if there is construction nearby, evaluate traffic, etc... All realtors are not created equal either. I have found Coastal, Berger, Marr and Gold Coast to be the best and most honest to deal with as a renter. Others may have had different experiences.
As for location, if you want to be near the boardwalk, but not in the heart of the tourist area, I would agree with Frank that the North End would be a good area for you. Good luck.
I forgot a couple things:
You do need to clean up. I%26#39;m not saying scrub toilets, but wipe everything down, empty the fridge, even run the vacum.
Bring linens, towels, soap, detergent, etc... Pretty much everything. There is usually a couple rolls of toilet paper and a roll of paper towels to get you started. But, generally you will need a couple dish towels, hand towels, dish soap, hand soap, tissues, etc...
If you are willing to rent a condo in a high rise building, a pool is definitely possible. There are several really nice buildings, one at 17th and boardwalk comes to mind. Ask the realtor. There are a few houses with pools but these are usually larger properties.
One more question. Are the posted rates what you will pay for the condo rental or do you have to pay all kinds of extra taxes like you do with a hotel?
Thanks everyone.
If you are talking about Ocean City, there are no additional taxes you pay. If you rent through a broker you will have to pay some kind of fee to the broker (paperwork or something like that) and either direct rentals or broker rentals will add on a couple of hundred dollar security deposit.
If you are using a rental (real estate) agent and looking at their websites, you will see the fees listed. We%26#39;ve rented from Fox for years and I don%26#39;t think they have an administrative(processing)fee. They have lots of rentals in the area you mentioned. Some like Monihan list it with their fees, where Berger puts it at the top of the page. I would ask to be sure. Seems to be 45 - 50.00. Personally I don%26#39;t like it. The security deposit amount varies, but you get it back unless .... enjoy :)
Just so you know, the owner of the property will pay the agent between 10 and 15% of your rent as a fee for renting the property. That%26#39;s why many owners will give you a price break for renting directly from them.
Thanks everyone for the help.
I%26#39;ve asked about 2 condos that were marked as available only to have the agent call me back later and tell me that the owner messed up and the condo isn%26#39;t available.
So if any owners on here are looking to rent out their place for the week beginning 7/18 please let me know... family of 4, looking for less than $1k for a week, no more than 1 major street from the ocean.
Thanks!
