Renting on Nantucket

Compass Rose Real Estate has hundreds of vacation homes available in all shapes and sizes from a tiny rose covered cottage to a magnificent estate and everything in between. We handle rentals in virtually every area of the island from Siasconset to Madaket from fabulous to fairly frugal. Our rental agents work hard to find your family a holiday home that suits your needs. The nice people we meet in the course of doing this business are what make it fun and keep it interesting. We look forward to working with you.

THE SEASON : Our season kicks off Memorial Day and runs through June, July, August, September and into October. The high season runs from the last week of June through the first week of September. Of course July and August command the top rates due to the warm weather and school calendars. For families it doesn’t matter if your children are in kindergarten or college their summer vacation usually falls in this window propping up the demand and the price for these 10 weeks.

In the shoulder season it is a different story. A local inn keeper once said to me “the spring and fall is for newlyweds and nearly deads”. I chuckled but, I got his point. In May, June, September and October the crowds are gone due to that school calendar causing the price per week to be more reasonable. Consequently we see a lot of young couples and older couples enjoying the island in the shoulder season. The weather is often beautiful, the restaurants and museums are not crowded, etc. The ocean has had all summer to warm up, the Hydrangeas & beach plumbs are still in bloom and you seem to have the beach to your self. Weddings and honeymoons have become very popular in these shoulder months. I think you will find the quiet beauty of our island really shines through. Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year.

RENTAL RATES IMPORTANT NOTE : All rates vary greatly depending on number of bedrooms, quality of accommodations, superior décor, type of amenities and location. The convenience of good proximity to beach or historic Nantucket town greatly effects the price.

CHECK IN / CHECK OUT TIME : Most rental properties set a 3:00 pm check in time – as they need the house empty and available to cleaning staff prior to your arrival. It would be wise if you plan for that check in time when you buy your tickets. Some arrival times vary, this will be in the body of the lease. Most of our homes require a 10:00 am check out time . This will allow the cleaning people the time they need to get the house ready for the next incoming family. If you have questions about this arrangement be sure to ask your rental agent. In some cases it may be possible to leave your bags in the garage while they clean the house.

SECURITY DEPOSIT : Since each home is privately owned, we will make all arrangements with the homeowner. A lease will be prepared, generally a down payment of 50% will be required with the remainder due at least 30 days before your rental begins. A security deposit, determined by each homeowner, will be due along with your final payment.

Often the security is 10% of the total rent but, depending on the owner and quality of the furnishings it can be more.

CLEANING : Because these homes are owned privately the landlords differ on how much they will cover of your departure turnover cleaning. Most land lords include between 2 and 6 hours of departure cleaning in the price of rent. It is a stated in the body of each lease so you will know what to expect. EXAMPLE: If the cleaning comes to 8 hours and the landlord only covers 4 hours, the remainder will be taken from the security deposit and an accounting will be returned with your security balance.

Because there are only about 5 hours between tenants, landlords expect the tenants to make an effort to clean their way out the door. Take out trash (clear bags only), use recycle bins, wash your dishes, strip the beds and launder as many sheets and towels as you can as you have breakfast and pack the car. Cleaning people charge approx. $25 to $30 an hour so it adds up quickly. Often the very high end rental homes include the final cleaning. If daily maid service is desired we can ask the landlords cleaning crew to handle it or help you find a private service.

PETS : Most homeowners do not allow renters to have pets in their vacation homes for many reasons ranging from pet allergies to the widespread presence of deer ticks (and related serious tick-borne diseases) on Nantucket . You will have greater success finding the perfect vacation rental if you make plans to leave your pets at home.

We do however have a small number of properties which welcome furry friends. These landlords often insist on an additional pet deposit to secure the rental. The local MSPCA has a kennel if you should wish to board your pet on island. Be sure to arrange it in advance.

COMMISSION : Our fee is paid to us by the landlord therefore at no additional expense to the tenant.

We at Compass Rose look forward to helping you plan a memorable Nantucket vacation and many return trips!