Rental Policies & Process

THE RENTAL PROCESS

GulfSands is a fully licensed Alabama real estate brokerage with an office in the heart of Gulf Shores. Gulfsands handles both Internet-based, call in and walk-in rentals.  Rental Agreements, check in information, directions and helpful reminders (things to remember to bring) will be emailed to you immediately upon receipt of your rental deposit.  Last minute rentals are easily arranged through our office in the heart of downtown Gulf Shores, where we also schedule and dispatch our in-house maintenance and cleaning crews. Each property we manage is individually owned – please treat it as you would expect someone to treat your home! Check ins are all now Contactless too!

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT to refund payments, refuse rental, or to discontinue occupancy if, in our judgment, any occupancy may be detrimental to the property.

PAYMENT

Payment can be made in the form of Personal Check (must be received 30 days or more before check-in), Debit/Credit Cards (VISA/MasterCard/Discover only) or by Postal Money Order. A copy of the Guest’s driver’s license is required as proof of age and identity. There is a $39.00 service fee for returned checks.

  • Final Payment is due 60 days prior to arrival for homes, duplexes, townhomes, and monthly reservations.
  • Final Payment is due 30 days prior to arrival for condos (excluding monthly stays which is due 60 days prior to arrival).

Rental booking deposit is required to reserve your condo, and will be applied as part of your rental payment.  A Damage Waiver Fee of $49-$99 provides coverage for a specific amount of accidental damages.  Intentional, abusive or negligent damages to property or grounds is not covered by this fee. You will be notified of any claims. You MUST report any damage once it occurs – NOT at checkout.

A valid credit card is required to be on file during all stays.  If a valid credit card is not available, a refundable security deposit of $200-$500 will be required for your stay. Amount will be determined by the property (condo – house) and length of stay.  Deposits are refundable approx 2-4 weeks after departure.  A photo copy of the guest’s drivers license and credit card on file will be required before check in occurs.

CHECK IN / CHECK OUT

Check in begins at 4pm, but cleaning crews have until 5pm in season, as outlined in every rental agreement.  We work to get our guests into the units as soon as we can, but please note that no check in packages will be released until the unit is read for check in.  This policy must be respected and is fully enforced.  If we can get you in early, that’s our goal.  Call before you arrive, and we will place you on the early check in request.  If your unit becomes available, we will send your Express Check in Email to get you in!

Check out is at 10am.

DAMAGES / SECURITY DEPOSIT

Guests are responsible for any and all damages that occur to the property or its contents by any guest or any other individual on the premises while you are the registered occupant of the property. Gulfsands requires a credit card be kept on file as a security deposit for damages not covered by the Damage Waiver Fee, such as damages that are unreported or intentionally incurred by the guest. If it is discovered there has been damage to the property or its contents while you are the occupant, Gulfsands will capture an amount from your credit card to cover the estimated cost of repairs. The amount captured will be an estimate only of repair cost. If there is a refund due, it will be returned to the credit card after all repairs have been made. If the cleaning crews detect any evidence of smoking or a pet in the unit, guests will be billed an additional $250 to clean & neutralize the issue.

CANCELLATIONS

CONDOS: Guests may cancel their reservation up to thirty (30) days prior to the first day of your stay and receive a refund less the cancellation fee of $49.00.  All other cancellations will result in the loss of your booking deposit plus any pre-payments. These funds will be held for lost rent unless the rental unit is rebooked for the same rental period & rental amount (and payment of the new rental has cleared), then only loss of booking deposit will occur.  Monthly rental requires 90 days cancellation notice prior to arrival/check-in date.  A $49.00 cancellation fee applies to any cancellation.

HOUSES/DUPLEXES/TOWNHOMES:  Guests may cancel their reservation up to sixty (60) days prior to the first day of their stay for 3+ BR houses, duplex homes & townhomes (except for monthly stays) and receive a refund less the cancellation fee of $49.00. All other cancellations will result in the loss of the booking deposit plus any pre-payments. These funds will be held for lost rent unless the unit is rebooked for the same rental period & rental amount (and payment of the new rental has cleared), then only loss of booking deposit will occur.  Monthly rental requires ninety (90) days cancellation notice prior to arrival/check-in date.  A $49.00 cancellation fee applies to any cancellation.

REFUNDS & HURRICANE POLICY

No refunds are given for early departures, no shows, malfunction or breakdown of appliances, air conditioning or other equipment. However, we will do everything possible to correct the situation. If your unit becomes unavailable through sale, actions by the owner, or other items beyond our control, Gulfsands will do whatever we can to place you in an equivalent unit, or refund your rental and deposit if none available. Unless the area is officially evacuated, there will be no refunds for bad weather or hurricane watches.  We DO REFUND any unused nights in the event of a mandatory evacuation for hurricane conditions, and are one of the only remaining agents in town to do so.  Most others require the purchase of expensive Travel Insurance.  Gulfsands saves you that money!

RATES/LODGING TAXES All rates are plus taxes, and subject to change without notice:Gulf Shores – 16% Orange Beach – 16% Fort Morgan – 6%
ABSOLUTELY NO PETS ALLOWED – ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKING ALLOWED – $250 CHARGE

UNITS FOR SALE

We reserve the right to allow licensed sales agents to show property for sale to qualified buyers.  We will make every effort not to disrupt your vacation.

TELEPHONE SERVICE / LONG-DISTANCE

With the advent of cell phones, very few of the condos and homes are equipped with telephone services at this time.

FURNISHINGS / LINEN SERVICE

We cannot guarantee the condition of deck furniture in some of our rental units. Plan to bring your own beach chairs for the beach. Grills are not generally furnished, even though most properties may have them on their grounds. Grilling from decks and balconies is prohibited by law. If you bring a grill, you must use it on the grounds outside the unit, in designated areas.

GulfSands Rentals, LLC will furnish all linens and towels, except beach towels. We recommend you bring beach towels for swimming on the beach or at the pools.

Please do not move/rearrange the furnishings in the rental property. This causes unnecessary wear and tear and may cause an item to break, in which case, you would be held responsible.  Condos and homes do not generally have screen doors, and screen doors are not replaced if damaged.

OCCUPANCY

The agreement holder must be at least 25 years old and occupying the rental unit for entire length of stay. The person named on the agreement must have the credit card used for payments in their name. They will be responsible for all persons staying in the property. We do not rent to vacationing students.

The maximum number of people allowed in the rental property will be noted on the property’s web listing and also in the rental agreement. Children under 2 years old do not count towards this number. Overloading a property will result in immediate eviction and loss of rental without refund.

Any special requests or accommodations requested for a stay must be indicated at the time of booking to be considered.