Our Policies
Reserving a Vacation Home:
You may make a reservation by calling our office at (206) 550 3676, emailing us at reservations@whidbey.com or completing our online reservation form.
After you have chosen the home you would like to rent, check the availability calendar and then contact us with the following information.
Once we have received this information we will set up your reservation in our computer and email you a confirmation/invoice and a Vacation Rental Agreement. The rental agreement will need to be reviewed, signed and sent back to us by mail or email.
Payment of Rental Fees:
For reservations made more than 60 days prior to arrival, a deposit equal to 25% of your total rent along with applicable sales tax is due within 48 hours of the receipt of your reservation paperwork. Final payment is due 60 days prior to arrival.
If your reservation is made within 60 days of arrival full payment will be collected by credit card at the time of making your reservation.
Acceptable forms of payment include personal check (30 or more days prior to arrival), Zelle, Venmo, Visa, MasterCard or Discover Card. There is a $50 fee for all returned checks.
Damage / Security Deposit:
A refundable damage/security deposit will be collected for every rental.This is to protect us from possible damages to our rental homes. The renter may either pay a prepaid damage deposit with a personal check no later than 60 days prior to your arrival or provide us with a credit card number to keep on file until after your departure. The amount of the damage deposit will range from $200 to $1000 depending on the house and the length of stay.
Providing there is no damage or theft to the rental home and all policies and conditions, including check-out instructions, were followed, there will be no security charges applied to your credit card. If paying a prepaid damage deposit, we will refund it to you within 14 business days of check-out. Security charges will only be applied to your credit card if necessary, and you will be notified.
Damages in excess of the collected deposit will become the responsibility of the person signing the rental agreement. Renters are advised to report any damages they find immediately upon arrival. Renters will be notified if there is a situation that results in complete or partial retention of the security deposit.
Cancellations & Trip Cancellation Protection
If the renter cancels 60 or more days prior to arrival, the renter will be subject to a $50 cancellation fee. In case of a cancellation within 60 days of your arrival date, no refund of fees paid will be made unless we are able to rent the premises to another party for the same dates.
Whidbey Getaways recommends that you consider purchasing travel insurance in case of unforeseen circumstances. A few options are www.vacationprotection.com, www.travelguard.com and www.vacationrentalinsurance.com. This is not a service provided by Whidbey Getaways and we are not liable for any claims, disputes, policies, refunds or restrictions related to the travel insurance.
Property Use & Occupancy
Each of the vacation rentals managed by Whidbey Getaways is a private home located in a residential neighborhood. All of our homes are subject to occupancy limits that have been determined so that our properties are safe and enjoyable for your guests. The adults, children and pets that will occupy the vacation rental must be documented on your vacation rental agreement. If any additional guests or pets join your party after the vacation rental agreement was signed and returned to Whidbey Getaways, you must complete a revised vacation rental agreement to include the additional guests and/or pets. This may result in an increase in rental fees.
The number of guests and pets shall not exceed maximum occupancy. If maximum occupancy is exceeded, you will be asked to vacate the property and forfeit any rental payments.
If you plan to have day guests while you are on vacation, please let us know before you make your reservations. Each home has particular guidelines pertaining to guests on the premises that are not on the original vacation rental agreement. Events and unapproved gatherings, are not permitted at any of the homes.
We are not able to rent our homes to students or singles under 25 years of age unless accompanied by an adult guardian or parent for the duration of the rental period. Any violation of these policies will result in the loss of all money paid and you will be required to vacate the property immediately.
Minimum Length of Stay:
We do require a minimum length of stay and it does vary by home and season. Most of our homes have a 2 night minimum stay from October until the end of May. Some of our larger and/or luxury homes require a minimum of 3 nights in that same time period. In the summer season the minimum stay ranges from 3-4 nights during parts of June & September to 4-7 nights during the peak times which is the end of June through the beginning of September.
There a few times when we may be able to make exceptions to this policy. If you see an opening on the calendar of 2 or 3 nights with bookings on either side of it, we may be able to offer a shorter stay. If you want to come up for a weekday stay we can often to a 2 or 3 night stay even in the summer season. We can also be more flexible if you are booking a house just a few days before your arrival date.
Checking In & Out:
The rental period begins at 4:00 p.m. on the day of your arrival. Please do not show up at the rental home earlier than your scheduled arrival. The cleaning staff will be busy preparing the home for your arrival.
It is important that you are fully departed from the premises no later than 11:00am on the day of your departure so that we can prepare the home for the next guests. You will find our check out procedures posted at the rental home. Please be sure to take care of everything on the list.
Sometimes in the quiet season we are able to accommodate an earlier check in or a later check out. All exceptions to the standard times must be approved in advance by Whidbey Getaways so we can arrange our cleaning schedule.
Smoking:
Smoking is not allowed at any of the homes managed by Whidbey Getaways. Any evidence of smoking in the home or on the premises will result in the loss of the full damage deposit. Any necessary cleaning expenses due to smoking will be the responsibility of the guest.
Dog-Friendly Homes:
Whidbey Getaways has a select group of homes that will accommodate your dog. You must notify Whidbey Getaways when you make your reservation that you would like to bring along your dog.
We are not able to accommodate cats or any other type of pet.
There is a non-refundable $75 pet fee per stay. Renters agree to adhere to the following pet polices when they bring their dog along –dogs must be kept on a leash while outside; dogs are not permitted on the furniture or in the bedrooms; guests must pick up all dog waste and dispose of it properly; dogs are not to be left unattended in the home and dogs must be kept off of the neighbors properties.
If you are allergic to pets please be sure to let us know. The fact that a home does not allow guests to bring their pets does not mean that a pet has never stayed at the home.
You can follow this link to see our Dog Friendly Homes.
Guest Information Book:
When you arrive at the home we ask that you take a few minutes to review the Guest Information Book provided by Whidbey Getaways. You will find this located on or nearby the kitchen counter upon your arrival. In addition to a lot of information about dining, shopping, entertainment and activities on Whidbey Island you will find important procedural information pertaining to the house. The information book will include the following information – operating procedures for appliances; directions for hot tubs; checking out procedures; directions for beach access; garbage pickup information; emergency procedures and Whidbey Getaways contact information.