STX East End House for Rent

Hi,
Why do you prefer short term? Is it so the house can be available for you when you are ready to move or when you want to use it? Just wondering because you described the perfect long term tenant, who comes along about once in a lifetime. Finding that multiple times would be pretty much impossible. Do you have a property manager? Also, it is tough to require short term tenants to pay utilities. They are moving in and out on different schedules from WAPA. So someone would have to read the meters prior to and post visit. The house sounds lovely, and you probably have this all worked out, just thought I would throw it out there. Good luck.

Juanita,

Thank you for your questions. Obviously, one month rental I wouldn't worry so much about WAPA, but a six month rental I would. As you probably know, electricity is expensive on the island. WAPA is the only utility the tenant would have to worry about, unless they ran the cistern dry, then they would have to pay for water. I pay the phone and cable bill already.
I had a property manager, who did nothing for 5 months, so I fired them. As my post indicates, for the right situation, I would go longer on the lease. I am extremely flexible when it comes to that, as well as pretty much everything else. But yes, when I come to the island, I want to use my house. I generally come down two or three times in the winter months for long weekends/ weeks, so wouldn't want to pay 1,200.00 per week at a hotel.

If you rented out your home full time you could get more for it and then it might be worth the hotel expense. There are many Hovensa type executives that will pay in the $2500 to $3500 range for something in a safe neighborhood, which Cotton Valley definitely qualifies as. All I know is it's never taken me more then a month to rent my place on the east end for exactly what I want, but I do rent long term. I find the turnover process with short term to be a huge hassle and expensive. And over the coarse of a year the price of short term (being higher rent) and long term (lower rent) evens out when you consider how bad the off season is there.

does this house have a pool?

Even when I had the property managment company, they did not tell me, nor set up anything with Hovensa. Like I said, I am not opposed to long term rental. I could rent a hotel, like you said. If anyone has the name of a good property management company that will actually help renting it out, I could sure use one.

Julie--No, it doesn't have a pool. But several beaches are within 5 minute drive.