What amenities are renters looking for in a summer/fall rental?

[jayp603]

We have been renting for 15 years, most important thing to me is a nice dock. Come up here to use my boat, and relax. 2 full bathrooms would be nice. You can't have to many windows. Parking for guests, trailer, bikes, etc. A nice mattress might no stand out, but a bad one will.

[Lucky1]

As a small child, my parents rented on the lake in front of what is now Suissvale. I learned from my parents who cleaned the entire cottage before we left. My parents had friends who owned a small cottage there and we all had a wonderful time. When I married I rented the same cottage and then a different one in the same area for many years. Again, I would clean the entire cottage to leave it spotless and ALSO rake the beach.

They did have checkers etc (I recommend Catch Phrase!) Also playing cards. We always brought our own floatation devices though they did leave a row boat. I guess I would have them rent any floatation device if they wanted one and you are not on the lake anyway. Good mattresses ( they don't have to be expensive) would be great, but make sure there is some sort of a protective liner I would think. It was never an issue when I rented. Have a crib that is new and maybe not the drop down side type. I agree that cable and internet are necessary though they were not necessary way back in the dark ages when I was renting. I have both now though.

I think making a number of people who can stay is a good idea though a kid can have a friend with a sleeping bag pretty easily. What you may not want is a family moving in for the week and then having two families with the rental family so some restrictions have to be made if the cottage is large. The ones I rented were three bedrooms and one was small so that was self limiting in itself. Are there other neighbors around who would rent as that would be ideal if friends could suggest a place to their friends. I never had a family stay overnight when I rented, but did have a gal with two kids come once when our husbands were working. They stayed overnight for three nights. My dad often came and was a huge help. I would not buy expensive furniture but would get sturdy things. In all the years, the only thing that happened was a small rowboat went missing. Don't ask me how? It was gone one morning. The owner said to forget it. It was always a wonderful experience for both the owner and for us.

A screened porch is wonderful for both owner and renter. If it is large enough it can be used for eating in good weather. It might have a day bed that could be used for seating during the day and sleeping as needed? A grill has been mentioned over and over. You definitely need rules for use of anything such as the toilets if you have a septic etc. Make sure there are a couple of fire extinguishers. Have a list of emergency numbers on a wall beside the telephone.

All of the above said, I have a simple home on the water now, and when I am not there have not rented it. I might at some point. Now would be ideal as the carpet is old and the mattresses are old as well. However I USE IT! I LOVE THE LAKE.

Screening and REFERENCES WOULD BE GREAT. Meet the people if possible and set rules that are fair and the ones that you follow when you are in the cottage. One cottage we rented had a bedroom with two sets of bunks. The other bedrooms had a larger sized bed and a single bed in the same room. Older couples sometimes do not share a room or a bed. Young children can all bunk in together if they are about 6 and up. The most important thing is to have references and hopefully people who have rented at the lake before. If you are building, maybe build a garage where you can store things of your own when you are not there. Is there a service or do you have a friend or neighbor who could stop by a couple of times a week to make sure all was going well? I agree that having a pair of eyes near to the property would be great. Good luck. I would build for myself and furnish for renters. Hope it works for you.

I might even allow pets. Not sure. Pet owners are usually good people especially if they bring their pets on vacation

[kauriel]

We recently bought a former rental condo and it was in pretty good shape aside for the carpet. We are currently having carpet ripped up and replaced with durable laminate in the hopes it will hold up better to spills.

I believe the unit was used primarily as a seasonal rental for many years but it still came with what appear to be original fridge, range, etc. so I am guessing it didn't take too much abuse!

It came furnished and I was disappointed that the couch didn't fold out so our 2br unit only sleeps 4 - 5 adults with 1 full bed and 2 twin beds with 1 sofa and 1 small love seat. I want to add full bunk to 2nd bedroom for when we have my in-laws (party of 7 including us) but realize that might attract more partiers/larger groups because it seems limited sleeping quarters produced minimal wear and tear on the unit.

[songkrai]

I think some are confusing regular rentals and leases with short time seasonal rentals.

Most seasonal rentals are done by the week. And it is nearly impossible for the homeowner to advertise, screen, and schedule the rental season. So that is why there are rental agencies in the Lakes Region that just do rentals - and mostly seasonal rentals.

If this new home is going to be a seasonal rental. And if only Summer. That potentially means up to 16 different groups of people moving in and moving out. Some of that group of 16 may be wonderful quiet responsible people as some have mentioned above. But some of those potential renters may not be and that is where the problems arise. Yes, there are deposits, rules, mechanisms to remove those that might violate any rules that apply. But how much time does it take for word to get back that a renter is causing noise issues, damage issues, or too many people issues.

Note that some owners rent weekly and have no issues. And have been doing so for years. But others do have issues. And no matter how many written "rules" you put in place your new home could be destroyed in one week. It is one thing to rent a used home that shows some signs of wear and another to rent a new home with new expensive appliances, fixtures, doors, etc.

[DickR]

Back in the 70s, in a different spot on the lake, I was a short walk down the road from a place my sister and her husband owned. Their taking ownership occurred some time in the spring, and they had to rent it out for most of the summer to pay the mortgage and taxes. Due to their late start in marketing it as a rental, they got mainly single week rentals, folks not planning their vacations well in advance.

I agreed to walk down the road Saturday mornings to check the place after rentals left, to save my sister a long drive. There were a few who treated the place with respect, and a few who did not. He later took one party to court over damage done.

They since sold the place, but retain ownership of another they had. For a while that, too, was rented for much of the summer. He said that in his experience it is much better to rent out a place for a two-week minimum stay. His experience was that people who planned well in advance and had the money to afford two weeks at a whack tended to be much more likely responsible parties than the plan-late, go-and-party types. The multi-week rental parties also are more likely to be repeat renters. Some things may have changed over the last few decades, but human nature is still basically the same.

[garysanfran]

We have handled our lakefront rental ourselves for many years and have been 100% successfull. We always get a large security deposit. It creates a psychology of not wanting to damage anything because that deposit looms in one's mind. We feel that even if the damage were to exceed the deposit, the renter is still out a lot of money that they were expecting back.

Also get a good application and know who your renters are.

[cillovely]

OK I do understand about horror stories with renting, but I do take a slight offense to the theme that if your in your 50s or 60s, then you become a better renter. My family and I (in our 40's with a 3 year old boy) rented a place at lake Winni for the first time last summer. The owner emailed me after I left thanking me for leaving it so clean and just like it was when I arrived.

We have a place in Florida that gets rented out by "snowbirds" from January to March. Naturally most of these renters are over 50, the damage some of these people have done. Walls all marked up, things stolen, grill grease on the lanai floor. You should see what they put in the garbarge disposal! I know some of this damage comes from grandkids, but still.

So it's not always your age that determines the good renters, it's your morals. I treated the place like I would want my own treated.

I love a place with all the amenities of home. Dishwasher, washer/dryer, tv's wifi, dvd players. And parking is huge! We go up there to use our boat and if they have a parking spot for the trailer after the boat is in the water for a waterfront rental is a deal breaker for me. In your case, room for a boat and trailer at the end of the day.

Good luck!

[WakeboardMom]

A few more questions for renters...

How do you feel about salt, pepper, sugar left in the cottage? Would you use it? What about mustard, mayo, ketchup in the fridge?

What has been your experience with bed linens being provided? I was told it was about 50/50...provided with rental vs. bring your own. Same question about towels?

Thanks again for your input.

[Janet]

Originally Posted by WakeboardMom

A few more questions for renters...

How do you feel about salt, pepper, sugar left in the cottage? Would you use it? What about mustard, mayo, ketchup in the fridge?

What has been your experience with bed linens being provided? I was told it was about 50/50...provided with rental vs. bring your own. Same question about towels?

Thanks again for your input.

Wakeboard Mom - as a renter from Texas it's nice when linens are provided. Unless we're driving up, hard to get sheets, towels etc on the plane.

We generally buy all our condiments when we get there even if they were left by owner or previous renters. Not sure how long they have been sitting there or what creatures might have invaded.

We have been renting from the same owner for the past several years and have developed a nice relationship with him and have gotten to know the neighbors. We rent the cottage for 4-5 weeks each summer so I'm sure we're a benefit to both the owner and the neighbors. We've been known to do yard work, minor repairs in the cottage, clean his swimming area of rocks and leaves, and just take care of the cottage as if it were our own. We love the lake and want to preserve the area and our relationship with the owner and neighbors. We're all excited about our visit this year and renewing our friendships.

[alisphunt]

I agree with Janet's comments. Most of my family comes up from Florida and if it were not for my Sister and Aunt being able to provide the sheets and towels it would be very difficult for us to bring them.

As for the condiments we do use the salt, pepper and spices but tend not to use other condiments. There is no telling how long something like mayo has been left in the fridge and also no telling how many people have used it and how sanitary the contents are if you know what I mean.

[WakeboardMom]

Originally Posted by alisphunt

I agree with Janet's comments. Most of my family comes up from Florida and if it were not for my Sister and Aunt being able to provide the sheets and towels it would be very difficult for us to bring them.

As for the condiments we do use the salt, pepper and spices but tend not to use other condiments. There is no telling how long something like mayo has been left in the fridge and also no telling how many people have used it and how sanitary the contents are if you know what I mean.

Thank you. I decided to compromise. I have put some towels in the cottage; sheets are provided for $30. (There is a washer and dryer in the cottage, so they can be laundered by the tenant as necessary during the length of the rental.)

I wondered about condiments for the same reason. If you go to the grocery store on the way to your vacation, are you going to want to cart that stuff home? Which leads me to one amenity that I haven't seen mentioned "Trash pick-up." We have a dumpster on-site. : )

[alisphunt]

I forgot to say in my previous post that my Sister and Aunt live in Massachusetts so that is why we get them to bring linens! I think the comprimise is good..provide towels and chg for the sheets.

We do give them any condiments they want to take home, again because they live close by. Having said that if we didn't have them with us and we were on our own coming from Florida I would still stop and by condiments. It's a waste of money sure but i'd rather not take the chance of getting sick.

[Waterbaby]

Originally Posted by WakeboardMom

A few more questions for renters...

How do you feel about salt, pepper, sugar left in the cottage? Would you use it? What about mustard, mayo, ketchup in the fridge?

What has been your experience with bed linens being provided? I was told it was about 50/50...provided with rental vs. bring your own. Same question about towels?

Thanks again for your input.

Salt, pepper, sugar - I'd use. Refrigerated/open/previously used condiments - no thank you. Linens - good to have; some places offer with or without linens, adding a charge if you are going to use the linens. Some people just plain prefer their own sheets/blankets.

Always good to find dish detergent and dish towels and sponges in a rental.....

I have a whole lot of suggestions about what to outfit a kitchen with, lol. Want me to PM you with that one?

[dykg]

Now that summer is coming to an end, I am curious to know how forum members made out with their summer rentals and if there was any addtional recommendations based tenants requests/feedback. Was it a good year for summer rentals?


thanks,
DYKG

[This'nThat]

Weirs Beach area?? Are you kidding??? Some posters suggest renting to older people. Not sure many of those are heading to Weirs Beach. How about young couples with well-behaved children. No luck there, either.

What kind of renters will Weirs Beach attract? I think that's the first question. Stretched out over 3 summer months, I don't think you are going to attract the demographic that you want. Instead, I'd bet Weirs Beach weekly renters are looking for the following "amenities":

1. Lots of towels. Or not. For messy cleanups.
2. Good, loud entertainment centers. 500 watts, minimum.
3. Beer coasters. Or not. Lots of them. For lots of beers.
4. Neighbors who tolerate a lot of noisy homecomings at 2:00, 3:00 in the morning.
5. Front porches that can handle 50-100 people.
6. Large refrigerators. See item 3 above.
7. A dumpster (not trashcans). For the clean, neat, pick-up-after-yourself type of renter. Rare, but possible.

[dykg]

C'mon, it can't be that bad. I would think with all the new development/construction going on, the area's reputation should be improving & demographics would be changing. No?