At Gail's Island Realty, we love questions because it tells us you are genuinely interested in the details about your vacation rental and it also reminds us that we enjoy a unique way of life and geography that many folks aren’t used to. So we’ve put together these frequently asked questions in hopes it will answer most if not all of your questions about our services and our rentals here in the Florida Keys. Most of these questions have been asked many times in one form or another and no, we didn’t’ make any of these up, but we did add some hints of sarcasm or attempts at humor in order to keep this page both informative as well as mildly entertaining. If you have a question that isn’t listed here, feel free to email us at rentals@gailsislandrealty.com with your question and we’ll be sure to answer it for you and maybe even add it to our FAQ page for posterity.

Where are your rentals located?

Our island vacation rentals are located in Key Colony Beach & Marathon , FL, US 1 Mile Marker 53.5, about 125 miles south of Miami using US-1 south. This is a 2 & 4-lane highway that travels through all the different islands all the way from Key Largo to Key West. It usually takes about 2 hours from Miami to arrive here. Here is a Google map showing the relative locations of each of our vacation homes. Gail's Island Realty - rental location map

How old do you have to be to rent?

25 years old with a major credit card in your name.

What are your rental policies?

This link will take you to the page that lists all the details about our Rental Policies. You effectively agree to the terms in this agreement when booking a reservation with Gail's Island Realty. Gail's Island Realty Rental Agreement and Policies

How much are your rentals? Do you have any other mandatory fees or charges?

Price depends on a variety of factors. Weekly rents range from $950 to $2,500 depending on the house, the season, and if you qualify for any discounts. We clearly itemize our mandatory charges in the ‘Book it Now’ section of each listing. Our mandatory charges consist of lodging tax (mandated by the County and State), departure cleaning (necessary so the rental looks and smells gorgeous and is prepared for your arrival even if it is immediately after another reservation), $75 booking fee which also includes the consumeable starter / welcome basket, a $500 refundable security deposit, and our departure cleaning fee is $150.00. Lodging taxes are 12.5% of the rental rate.

Are there any hidden or unnecessary charges? What other fees can I expect?

No, we clearly itemize every charge required for each rental property on the ‘Book it Now’ page of the listing and document that the rental rate does not include tax, departure cleaning, or other optional services and charges. All other charges are optional based on your wants or needs such as a pet cleaning fee for when you bring pets, mid-stay cleanings for longer stays, concierge services, etc. You can review the exact fees required and any options or discounts available for each cabin by clicking the ‘Book it Now’ button on any rental listing and using the reservations options screen to calculate totals. Of course you can always call us if you have specific questions.

What stuff is included in the vacation rental?

All our vacation rentals are fully furnished and include the following unless specifically stated otherwise in the listing: Fully equipped kitchen with oven, stove, refrigerator, microwave, toaster and coffee pot, dish and flatware, full complement of cooking pots and utensils, washer and dryer, towels and linens for each bed and bath, dressers or closets for storing your clothing, central heating and air, vacuums or brooms and mops, cable or satellite TV, telephones with local service and patio furniture. Vacation rentals are stocked with startup supply of toilet paper and garbage bags. Extra supplies may be purchased online. Check the Concierge Services page to see what additional options are available with your reservations or call our office to inquire.

What should we bring that’s not in the vacation rental?

Our recommendation is to bring any personal or preferential items not listed above that you think you would like to have while on vacation. Remember that there are major commercial and retail outlets all around the area such as Publix Grocery, CVS, Walgreens, Office Depot and many convenience stores that sell just about anything you forget to bring.

Where are the nearest grocery stores? Should we buy all our groceries before we check in?

The nearest grocery store is Publix located at mile marker __ For a $50.00 charge we can have food, drinks and other items in your unit for your arrival. Include an extra $150.00 to your final payment, and we will shop your grocery list up to $100.00, providing  the receipt and change.  You can either email or fax us a list with specifics one week prior to arrival upon advance payment in full. In the subject portion of your email please specify URGENT GROCERIES LIST. Guests may shop on line @ the local Publix grocery store by clicking here http://www.publix.com/MyGroceryList.doto make a grocery wish list and email it to rentals@gailsislandrealty.com. Prior to your arrival the items will be purchased and delivered to the rental unit. The local info for Publix is 5407 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050-2710; Main: (305) 289-2920; Pharmacy: (305) 289-3192.  

What is your cancellation policy?

You may cancel your reservation for a full refund minus a $100 cancellation fee up to 30 days before your arrival date. There are no refunds for cancellations within 30 days of your arrival date. To avoid losing your money due to an unplanned cancelation, consider purchasing travel insurance. This can protect your entire investment and even get you additional travel benefits for unforeseen events. Its well worth the 6.5% of the total reservation cost AND you can review it for 10 days with a money back guarantee. Visit this website to read all the juicy details about Travel Insurance. You can opt to purchase the Travel Insurance with your reservation online.

What does travel insurance do and why should I purchase it?

Travel Insurance protects you for all the things that could happen to prevent, interrupt or delay you from taking your vacation. If you have to cancel your reservation for any reason it will cost you. Even the best-planned travel can be impacted by the unexpected. Illness...medical emergencies...severe weather...mechanical breakdown…..delayed flights…lost passports or luggage and even financial default. Troubles can occur when you least anticipate them forcing you to cancel or interrupt your trip, lose your vacation investment, and incur additional expenses. And when you're away from home, things like medical emergencies and illness are even more difficult to manage. Travel Insurance can give you the peace of mind that the unexpected is covered. The cost is only 6.5% of the entire reservation cost and you have 10 days to decide if you want to keep it or get your money back. Visit this website to read all the details about Travel Insurance. You can opt to purchase the Travel Insurance with your reservation online.

Why do you charge a non-refundable Accidental Damage Protection fee instead of a refundable Security Deposit?

Simple: Convenience, cost and risk. Just like automotive and medical insurance, you pay a company to protect you financially against the ‘what if’ scenario’s of life. It’s cheaper, more convenient and less risky for you to pay a small premium (compared to potential out of pocket costs) to be insured from large expenses in the event of accidents or unplanned medical emergencies. Similarly, with our vacation home rentals, it’s cheaper, more convenient and less risky for you to pay a small Protection Waiver that caps any accidental damage payout versus us holding your money on your credit line, and then deducting any actual damage costs from your credit card should any accidental damages occur. Our Accidental Damage Protection Fee is only $50, is non-refundable and covers you up to 10 times that amount in accidental damages. We recognize that accidents are inevitable and unplanned so why worry about losing hundreds of dollars on your security deposit for repairs or replacements when you can pay $50 and be covered.

Do you have any pet friendly homes?

Yes, our pet friendly vacation rental homes are denoted in the ‘Accomodation’ link of our website as well as the listing details. On the Accommodations listing page, look for the label, “Pets: Yes”

Do you charge extra for pets?

Yes, we charge a $150 non-refundable pet fee per pet so we can thoroughly clean the extra amount needed to ensure the house, furniture and property is extraordinarily fresh and clean for the next guests, who may be allergic to animal dander.

Do you have cribs?

Some of our homes may have cribs. Our listing will specify if they do. If not, we can arrange to deliver a crib to your vacation rental for your stay for an additional charge. Please inquire with the reservations office for details.

Can we fish at the home?

You may fish at any home that has water access. Fishing on public waters requires a State fishing license, which can be purchased on the internet, Walmart or any of the outdoor sporting businesses around town. Click here for the Florida fishing and wildlife rules and regulations http://myfwc.com/RULESANDREGS/index.htm

What time can we check-in/out? Why is check-in/out so late/early? Can we have a late check-out/early check-in?

Check-in time is 3pm and Check-out time is 9am. We require at least 6 hours between check-outs and check-ins in order to properly clean and prepare our vacation homes for the next guest arrival. Therefore, we start our cleaning at 9am which gives the departing guests enough time to leave and our housekeeping team enough time to finish by 3pm. You can guarantee an early check-in or late check-out by paying a $100 priority cleaning schedule fee that will reschedule our housekeeping teams to be able to properly prepare your vacation home for the next guests based on your check-in/check-out time. Early check-in can be guaranteed as early as 10am and late check-out can be guaranteed as late as 4pm.

What if we are going to arrive after your office hours? How do we check in?

We are set up to where you drive directly to the vacation rental using the detailed directions we email you. The directions we email you contain the combination code for the key lock box if one is provided with the home that you have chosen to rent, so you don’t need to drive all the way to our office in Marathon just to pick up keys. Once you arrive at the vacation home, you will need to follow the specific instructions on how to check-in remotely which will be emailed to you upon final payment.

What happens if we have an emergency or a serious situation after hours like the power goes out or I can’t find the ball game on the cable channel line-up?

For life threatening emergencies, always dial 911 first. During normal business hours, you can always call our office for assistance. If it’s after normal business hours, there are instructions and contact numbers in each vacation home for what to do/who to call in the event of outages or other urgent situations. In the case of finding ball games on channels the house doesn’t receive, leaves not changing colors in fall, rain ruining your weekend or your ipod battery charger being lost somewhere between the home’s bathroom and central Florida, we cannot control these events and they are not considered urgent enough to dispatch afterhours response services to your rental home.

I accidentally left something behind at the rental and I’m too far away to turn back and get it? Will you go get it and ship it back to me?

We will be happy to ship any of your left behind personal items for the cost of the packaging and shipping plus a $25 processing fee.

I want to book a vacation home during peak season but I have to check with my other 7 friends to see what dates everyone wants to come so can you hold it for a few weeks until I find out for sure?

Sorry, but we don’t take our vacation rentals off the market until we have received the down payment, just the same as airlines don’t give up seats until they’ve been paid for. We recommend planning well in advance for a vacation home rental so you can have enough time to secure your guests commitments and pick the dates and rental you want. We can (and often do) take reservations a year in advance. Remember you can always cancel your reservation no later than 21 days prior to your arrival date for $100 cancellation fee or purchase travel insurance to protect your purchase in case of unforeseen events that cancel or delay your vacation.

Rental homes that are fully equipped, safe and loaded with amenities are a much better deal than a hotel room!

Our Florida Keys vacation rentals are fully equipped vacation homes and are completely furnished with modern appliances, complete kitchenware, full sets of linens, washers and dryers, bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms and dining rooms and even garages and lots of convenient extras to make your vacation or weekend getaway comfortable and memorable - all for less money than flying to a destination and staying in a comparable hotel.

In addition, many of our luxury rentals are located in safe and secure communities with pools, tennis courts, basketball courts, fitness centers, and picnic pavilions. Many of our Florida Keys vacation rentals are also pet-friendly rentals and have propane gas grills, large outdoor decks overlooking the water, therapeutic hot tubs and spas, high speed wireless internet, and full-size pool tables or other game tables. Most of our luxury Florida Keys vacation rentals have water views, canal views or ocean views and are easily accessible.

So isn't this a lot better than staying in a cramped hotel room! Come and stay a weekend or a few months in any of our Key Colony Beach vacation Rentals rentals and see why the Florida Keys and Key Colony Beach, FL is a wonderfully exciting, affordable and convenient getaway.