Gertie’s Downtown

BANNERS, BALLOONS & PARTY SIGNS
Please do not afix balloons, banners or other 'party' signs to walls, cabinets or other structures. These will remove the paint. You will be charged for the cost to repair each item damaged. The cost to repaint a wall can easily be $250 alone. 

Beds will be freshly made, towels* laid out and a starter set of amenities like soap, lotion and shampoo are provided too. We also provide a starter set of kitchen paper and toilet paper to get you going as well as some laundry and dish detergent. If you need additional supplies you will need to provide those beyond the starter set. 

*We provide 1 bath towel, 1 hand towel and 1 wash cloth per person. Additional towels are available to rent at an addional charge. Requests must be made more than 24 hours prior to check in. 

We get asked about Palmetto Bugs all the time. They can be pretty big, can fly and will scurry around the floor but they are largely harmless. They do occasionally come inside, especially at night and during or after any storms. Rest assured all of our homes are professionally treated at least quarterly for pests. Any bugs that manage to get inside will die quickly.

According to Eric Benson, Ph.D. professor and extension entomologist at Clemson University “It has nothing to do with cleanliness or the economic conditions of the area,” said Benson. “They could be around the nicest home or the nicest hotel or resort.”

If you leave the doors or windows open, especially at night, you will likely see a few. This is perfectly normal. If you see 20 or 30 all in one place then please let us know. This might mean we have a nest somewhere in the home and we'll need to get pest control out to take care of it. This is extremely rare!  

Please don't worry about bugs, enjoy your vacation. You'll likely not see any while you are here, we just include this note so you understand it's not unusual to see some and it doesn't mean the home isn't well looked after! 

 

We may have more availability than shown on our A i r b n b calendar. Reach out and ask if you are interested in booking one of our properties. 

Most community pools remain open from March through October but this does vary by resort and is subject to maintenance schedules and emergency closures for health reasons. Please contact us to see if the pool will be closed during your fall or winter vacation.

We do not manage any of these community pools and are not responsible for management of them. We do not provide refunds for pool closure. 

DISCLAIMER/LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

The premises, all fixtures thereon and all property on or around the premises is provided to Tenant “as is” without any warranties of any kind.  None of iTrip Vacations, Sea Oats Vacation Property Management, Inc. or the owner of the premises shall be responsible for any direct, indirect, consequential or incidental damages arising out of or relating to this Rental Agreement.  The use of the premises is at Tenant’s own risk.

Many homes have gargabe disposals. Not all food is suitable for disposing of in a garbage disposal.  

Do not put any chemicals, hot oil, grease, coffee grinds, pasta, bones, shells of any kind, oatmeal, nuts, onion skins, eggshells, trash, pumpkins, fibrous vegetables, lettuces, stringy vegetables, potato peel, pits, corn husks down the disposal.  

We check the disposal is working prior to all guest arrivals. In the event the disposal or kitchen sink plumbing is blocked due to material put down the disposal this is the responsibility of the guest.  If a plumber has to be called then the guest will be charged for that visit. 

Please NO PARTIES, EVENTS, PERFORMING ARTISTS OR BANDS ARE ALLOWED AT ANY TIME! These are cause for eviction with no refund and may damage our ability to offer the home for future guests exposing you to liability. This is a quiet residential neighborhood -- please be respectful of the home's neighbors at all times.

Properties may include a noise alert monitoring system and other electronic devices in order to ensure that neighborhood noise and occupancy levels are respected. Do not tamper with amny device. 

Occupancy is limited at all times during your stay - day or night - to the maximum 'sleeps' number stated in the listing. Please do not invite additional people to the home. 

Early Check-in
We work hard to try and allow our guests to get in early. This depends on check out times, cleaning and inspection schedules as well as any maintenance issues. We will text on the day of arrival once we know we can allow an early check in. 

Phone Number
Please make sure your mobile number is up to date in your iTrip account. This will allow us to offer you an early check in!

Travel Agents
Depending on which travel website you book through you may see a separate charge for their booking fee. 

Late Check-Out
We will consider late check out requests on days when we do not have an incoming guests. We really appreciate it you can be checked out by 10am. Please let us know if you do check out earlier, we will start cleaning as soon as we can so the next guest can enjoy an early start to their vacation!

Parking
Please pay attention to parking restrictions. Many homes have limited parking available. We don't want you to get a ticket or towed!

Cancellations
Please contact the travel agent that you used to make your booking if you wish to cancel. They will notfiy us directly. 

Things to Do!
Check out our activities website: Charleston Activities 




 

Our vacation homes are located in quiet residential areas. We generally have great relations with our local neighbors and we want to keep it that way. Please pay particular attention to:

- No loud noises after 9pm. (Includes no Hot Tub use after 9pm)
- Only park in the designated areas (not on the landscaping) 
- Do not roll out trash to the street, trash service will do this
- Do not hang beach towels over railings or leave beach gear outside

- On Kiawah island - Bikes must be in the garage (if there is access) or in a designated bike rack or out of sight of the road after dark. 

- Beach Front Homes - TURTLE SEASON No lights visible from beach (May 1 to Oct 31)

The Cities will issue a ticket and a fine for these items. 
 

LOCAL ORDINANCES

All County & City ordinances during rental occupancy must be followed. Non compliance of any of these ordinances will result in eviction of the property and forfeiture of all monies paid.   Tenant agrees to pay any fines levied by the County, City and Town and further Tenant will be liable to Homeowner and Agent for any and all lost rental revenues from the suspension or removal of their business licenses as a result of Tenants actions.      

These ordinances include but are not limited to:
 
Folly Beach

Isle of Palms

Town of Kiawah Island

Town of Mount Pleasant

City of Charleston

Charleston County

We do not recommend having mail sent to the address. If you must mail an item please make sure you specify that it must be delivered to the door and do so for a day that you will be at the home to recieve the mail.  We do not have access to locked mailboxes. 

We utilize third party professional service companies for the provision of Handyman Services, A/C & Heating Repair, Pest Control, Wildlife Removal, Plumbing Repair, Pool & Hot Tub Service, Electrical Repairs, Appliance Repairs and any other repair or maintenance of a technical or specialist nature.  We only used trusted, reputable professional service companies to assess, repair and replace equipment that needs attention. We will work with them to get the first available service appointment. Given the Post COVID economy it can be a challenge to get fast, timely service. Rest assured we will do our best to resolve issues quickly and our service providers understand our need for fast, reliable care.  Due to the global supply crunch, parts and even replacement units may not be available which can be frustrating. Please be patient as we work hard behind the scenes to make small miracles happen on a daily basis!

No one may perform any maintenance work on the home without our specific permission in writing.  

Our rates automatically adjust for the season as well as to reflect supply and demand. To access the best rate please begin the booking process on the iTrip Vacations Charleston Beaches site (don't worry you won't be charged until you're ready to book). This will present you our current up-to-date rates!

The person who makes the reservation must be over 25 years old and must be present during the entire stay.   A mobile number must be provided where we can contact the primary renter at all times. If code enforcement call us with any issues we need to be able to contact someone onsite with 60 minutes to address any issus or you may be liable for any fines imposed by the local government. 

We recommend adding a second mobile number to your account to make sure we can contact someone at all times. This second number may also be used to receive door codes in the event the first phone dies or is left in the unit. (It happens a lot and we are unable to provide codes to spouses or family members for security reasons). 

We want everyone to have a great stay but we understand that things may break or some items may get overlooked. We'll do our best to get them fixed (please review the “Maintenance House Rule” on what this means). 
 
We do ask that all guests TAKE TIME TO BE KIND.  Common courtesy goes a long way.  Sadly since the pandemic we have all witnessed an increase in aggressive or unacceptable behavior.  Our team has taken a lot of abuse and experienced some very unkind guests.   

Misunderstandings are one of the leading causes of guest complaints. Please make sure you read everything we send to you.  This include the entire rental listing, all of our house rules, all photos, all emails & texts and all the help articles in your iTrip account. This helps avoid misunderstandings in the first place. 
 
For our own safety and security we have a zero tolerance rule with guests who are rude, abusive, discourteous or argumentative.  We do not engage with those guests any more beyond asking them to read our TAKE TIME TO BE KIND policy.  
 
 

Our vacation homes are on a septic tank or a city sewer system. It is important that guests do not put large amounts of toilet paper or any other other products down the toilet.  We flush all toilets prior to a guests arrival to verify that they are working correctly. Any blockages that occur during the guests stay at the home are the responsibility of the guest to unblock. If a plumber is required to unblock a toilet then the guest will be charged $250 for that visit. 

Charleston and suburbs are charming places to stay.  It should be noted that Charleston is also a working Port City and has a large manufacturing base (including Boeing, Mercedes and other major international manufacturers). Since we are both very flat and surrounded my water sound at night can travel very far.  

Train noise, airplane noise, road noise and manufacturing noise may be audible during your stay depending on weather conditions and wind direction.

We do not offer refunds, credits or discounts in the event that you find these to be problem. Light sleepers should bring ear plugs or a white noise machine. Many phones can download a white noise machine too. They work well. 

We're available by text from 8am to 8pm. For urgent issues after 8pm please call this number for our After Hours service. They will alert us for urgent issues or leave a note for us for non-urgent issues. In emergency dial 911.  

Urgent issues include: Being locked out, water leaks. 

Emergency Issues include: Gas leaks. Fire. Life Safety Issues. Call 911. 

Issues that will typically be dealt with the next day include Air Conditioning issues.

Power Outages: These can be frequent on the islands. Power company's are quick to resolve. If it doesn't not appear to be a neighborhood wide outage please contact us. 

Buyer beware! We do not put any of our homes on Craig s list. If you see one of our homes on there it is a scam. Please NEVER send money to anyone posing as a host on Craig s list. If they send you a contract and they don't disclose their name it's an easy way to know that they are scammers. 

Please call or text us if you are not sure that the listing is genuine. 

We don't accept change requests for reservations within 60 days of the check in date. You should cancel and rebook your new dates.  

ENTRY BY OWNER

Owner or owner's agents may enter the premises under the following circumstances: in case of an emergency; to make any necessary or agreed upon repairs, alterations, or improvements; supply necessary or agreed upon services or show the premises to prospective purchasers, renters or contractors. Agent will provide Tenant with at least 24 hours notice of owner's or owner's agent(s) intent to enter the premises (except in the case of an emergency).

HOLD HARMLESS

None of iTrip Vacations, Sea Oats Vacation Property Management, Inc. or the owner of the premises assume  risk, responsibility or any liability for, and the Tenant hereby releases, waives, relinquishes and discharges iTrip Vacations, Sea Oats Vacation Property Management, Inc., the owner of the premises and all directors, officers, employees, agents or other representatives of such parties from, any (i) loss, damage, illness, injury or exposure to COVID-19, other viruses or the flu to persons or their personal property that occurs during their stay on the premises; (ii) any inconveniences, damage, loss or injury arising from any temporary defects or stoppage in supply of water, gas, cable service, internet service, electricity or plumbing or (iii) any inconveniences, damage, loss or injury arising from or due to weather conditions, insects, natural disasters, acts of God, or other reasons beyond their control.

LOST & FOUND

Agent is not responsible and assumes no liability for lost, misplaced, stolen, or damaged valuables or belongings. If you discover that you have left behind something of value to you, please text us immediately and we will try to assist you in locating your lost item. 
 
Agent is not responsible for any item left behind by a guest.  However, any item, with the exception of perishable items, left behind by our guests and found after departure by Housekeeping will be collected, logged in, and kept in a secure location for collection by the owner for up to fourteen (14) days.  For security and privacy reasons we do not notify a guest that an item has found.  Perishable items, underwear, other hazards to health or safety and miscellaneous toiletries are discarded.   
 
We would be happy to return your lost item(s) to you by United States Postal Service or UPS delivery with tracking information.  Your credit card will be charged packaging and postage. (Minimum charge is $35).  iTrip is not responsible for any item lost or misdirected during shipment by the United States Postal Service or UPS.
 
Lost & Found items are held for fourteen (14) days, after this holding period, the unclaimed item(s) are thrown away, given to local organizations, or disposed of accordingly by Agent

MONITORING

Agent may utilize electronic monitoring equipment (including video, noise, motion, temperature, humidity and other means) at the property to ensure that all local ordinances, including noise & occupancy limits, are observed at all timed and that no events or parties are held on the property.

Our homes are subject to strict noise ordinances. In the event that you trigger our noise monitor you will be asked to turn down the volume immediately. Failure to comply will lead to eviction without a refund.  Cities impose large fines and you may be prosecuted.  You agree to reimburse the homeowner and Agent for all lost income resulting from any suspension of their business license arising from you exceeding the noise alert levels.  

PARKING

Parking at the premises is limited to the number of cars listed in your check-in email. No boats, jet skis, trailers or RVs are allowed without prior permission of Agent.

All vehicles are parked at the risk of the owner.  iTrip Vacations shall not assume liability or responsibility for any vehicle, occupants, or contents while operated or parked on the property.  If a vehicle is left on the property after the guest checks out without the written consent of the iTrip Vacations, we reserve the right to have the vehicle towed at the owner’s expense.  No vehicle repairs are to be performed on the property.

Resort parking charges and any associated late fees or inconvenience fees will be charged to the credit card on file and are the responsibility of the tenant.  This includes fees for showing up at the security gate without the relvant QR code, gate pass or other required ID.  Passes not ordered more than 2 weeks prior to check in may be subject to late fees. 

If you book a pet friendly property then the following provisions (included in the rental agreement) apply:

• ALL PETS ARE SUBJECT TO APPROVAL, please let us know what you would like to bring with you. 
• WE ONLY ALLOW DOGS (Canis familiaris). THAT'S IT. 
• We ALLOW 1 small/medium sized dog FREE but additional dogs and large dogs (over 40lbs) are $75 per animal.
• All dogs must be up to date on rabies and other vaccinations. (documentation from an accredited veterinarian must be provided by Guest upon request). 
• All dogs must be treated with a flea and tick repellent at least three days prior to arrival. 
• Guests are responsible for cleaning up all dog waste and disposing of it in a proper trash bin
• Dogs must not be allowed on to furniture or in bedrooms at any time
• Dogs must not make excessive noise
• Dogs must be crated when left in the property and must not be left unattended for any undue length of time
• Guest must observe all local rules, regulations and ordinances regarding pets at all time

If Dogs cause any damage, or the property requires additional cleaning the guest will be charged the cost of any repairs or clean up. If a security deposit has been paid it will be deducted. If there is no security deposit then the guest authorizes their credit card to be charged directly for the repair or clean up cost.  

We do NOT allow any animals other than DOGS, this means NO cats, NO birds (especially NO Parrots), NO livestock or other farm animals (Incuding domesticated pigs), NO insects, NO reptiles, NO Spiders, NO Ponies or other Horses and other 'exotic' pets.  In fact NOTHING OTHER THAN DOGS. (NO we don't allow dog-wolf hybrids either). This clause is dedicated to Airbnb and its guests who can't read or don't understand that parrots are not dogs. 

If you bring a non-approved Pet into the home there is a $500 clean up charge that will be applied to your account for each day the non-approved pet is present. 

Prohibited Breeds of Dogs. Please contact us to discuss your dog if it includes any mix of these breeds:
- Akita;
- Boxer;
- Bull Terrier;
- Bullmastiff;
- Chow Chow;
- Doberman Pinscher;
- German Shepherd;
- Giant Schnauzer
- Mastiff;
- Ovtcharka;
- Presa Canario;
- Pit Bull;
- Rhodesian Ridgeback;
- Rottweiler;
- Neapolitan Mastiff;
- Wolf; or 
- Wolf Hybrid

If you are not sure if your dog is a prohibited breed let us know the type, size and nature of your pet and we'll happily discuss it with you. 

If the vacation home has the option of a heated pool please note that heating of the pool is available for an additional fee and heating is limited to 85F. All of our heated pools use propane which has to be delivered. Sometimes, due to the weather, the gas may run out before the next scheduled delivery. We will contact the gas company to schedule a refill as soon as we can but gas delivery can be difficult to arrange in Charleston. 

We don't recommend heating the pool when the ambient temperature is below 50F. This will drain the gas quickly. We do not provide refunds if the gas is used. If the pool heater isn't used and the gas is not used we can provide a pro rata refund based on days used. 

POOL & PATIO

If the premises include a private or community pool (including hot tubs), then the Tenant hereby acknowledges that the premises they have reserved include a community pool and the undersigned agrees and acknowledges that the community pool and patio/deck can be dangerous areas, that the deck/patio can be slippery when wet, and that injury may occur to anyone who is not careful. With full knowledge of the above facts and warnings, the undersigned Tenant accepts and assumes all risks involved to Tenant and all of Tenant's guests in or related to the use of the private or community pool (including hot tubs) and patio areas.

POOL & HOT TUB SERVICE

 All private pools and hot tubs are serviced weekly and this is NOT always on the day of a guest arrival as check ins occur throughout the week.  

Our team will skim the surface of the pool before your arrival but we cannot vacuum out the pool or hot tub as only the pool service company can do that.  The pool service company will take care of this every week and they also balance the chemicals. We have a lot of storms which may change the appearance of the pool water in our pools - this is normal. The pool service company will be out to take care of it as soon as they can. 

If you are using the hot tub, please rinse off all sunscreen and sand before entering the water. If the hot tub is left in a dirty condition your credit card will be charged $250 charge to have it pumped out, cleaned and rebalanced.  

Must be over 25 years of age to rent any property. 

Person making the reservation must be present during the stay. DO NOT BOOK FOR OTHER PEOPLE.