2020 will go down in the books as a summer like no other. The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted everyone in some form or fashion. Our business has been in operation for over 70 years and nothing comes close in that history to these challenges. However, despite all the challenges, our passionate and determined team has been working tirelessly to react, respond, and plan for everything as we reopen for business.
In the last few weeks, restrictions have started to be lifted in our area. Carolina Beach is open for short term rentals and has no covid-19 restrictions on the beach. At noon today, Kure Beach is open for short term rentals and has no restrictions on the beach. Wrightsville Beach, though open for short term rentals, still has some restrictions on the beach utilization until May 20th, but these are expected to be allowed to expire on the 20th.
We at Bryant Real Estate do not know if there will be a second wave, and we do not claim to grasp how this situation has impacted each and every one of our guest and owners. We are in a place though, where we must balance the needs of our owners, our guest, and our staff’s ability to provide for their family. In balancing these needs, we have seen a huge increase in demand, around 2-4x the normal amount of inquiries and interest to travel as the orders around the country have started to expire. While we fully understand the desire, we also realize that some individual situations are still driving the opposite desires.
If you are on the fence about traveling, we have been providing vacation rentals for a very long time and we know the importance of cleaning. With this depth of experience, we have tailored our operations to focus on ensuring you have a safe home that provides natural social distancing and that much needed physical and mental vacation! We have sourced large bulk quantities of CDC approved disinfectant and redid our cleaning procedures to focus on the high touch areas and maximizing time between rentals where possible. Our laundry service is completed off site in a full commercial operation where the linens are sealed in hospitality grade plastic. Bed making, early check ins, and late check outs have all been paused to maximize the time our cleaners have to prep the units while also increasing the time between rentals.
Despite our belief in our product and the service we can provide, no business or individual can state there is zero risk with any activity. Whether you are going to the grocery store, or unpacking your grocery delivery, there is some level of risk. Each traveler or group must decide what is more important for them and make their own decision for their summer vacation.
We are writing to you today to announce an addition to our cancellation policy that will provide a path for those that are not comfortable traveling. This option does not eliminate the current cancellation policy, it just provides a different path. Below are the criteria to qualify for this offer, and what the offer is:
Qualification:
1) You have a reservation that was made before April 6th, that was scheduled to arrive between May 8th and August 31st, 2020.
2) The reservation must be canceled in writing by May 25th, 2020.
3) If you have already canceled, or wish to cancel over the next week, you must opt into this program in writing, a confirmation will be sent with your base reservation number.
4) If you previously canceled, it had to be a result of covid-19
Offer:
1) You can reschedule your vacation from September 15, 2020, through May 15th, 2021, at the same home, with no change fees.
2) You must rebook your new dates by June 25th, 2020
3) No refunds will be provided, if the rent for your new dates is less, you can allocate it as follows:
- To a longer stay length
- Add travel insurance (highly recommended for September and October rentals especially)
- You can use up to $113 towards securing an advance booking for 2021 of your same summer weeks only.
4) Once you accept this offer, you will no longer have access to the old cancellation policy of a refund if your original stay dates are rebooked.
5) Once you accept this offer, the new dates can no longer be moved (with the exception of a second wave and governmental orders baring short term rentals). The only protection from hurricane evacuation orders will continue to be travel insurance.
Lastly – below are some answers to questions that are likely to be raised:
1) Why can’t I rebook for next summer instead of this off season? This was a long discussion with owners, managers, and other companies to benchmark offerings. We ultimately fell on this approach as the best balance between guest’s wants, owner’s needs, and staff’s abilities. Some companies are not offering anything, and our state’s Real Estate Commission ruled that property owner’s do not have to provide refunds if there are no bans on short term rentals.
2) The home I rented is blocked through the off season, how am I supposed to reschedule? If this is the case, please contact our office. Owners have indicated they will consider opening some dates in the off season for these reschedules that are normally blocked. Ultimately, this may limit how good of a fit this offer is for you. Please review the calendar for your unit on our website: www.bryantre.com
3) Why do I have to cancel and reschedule so quickly, can’t I wait longer? We want you to cancel as soon as you know you will not travel. This will allow us to maximize our ability to remarket the property for our owners and capture rentals from guest who want to come. We are providing over a month to coordinate and reschedule with you and your group. We feel this is more than sufficient and there is a large cost on our side with these transactions even though we are not charging any change fees etc.
4) If I can’t take a vacation during the off season, what are my options? If you can’t come in the off season and you still don’t want to travel this summer due to COVID-19, your best option would to be cancel as soon as you can. We are seeing increased demand for summer rentals and there is a good chance someone else will book your week. If this happens you would receive a refund in accordance with the contract cancellation policy after your stay dates pass.