Coronavirus News: Tips to enjoy summer rentals amid COVID-19 pandemic

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Tips to enjoy summer rentals amid COVID-19 pandemic

Michelle Charlesworth reports on the summer rentals business picking up.

NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- With summer vacations taking a radical turn away from the conventional kinds of trips -- fewer plane rides but more car trips -- one vacation business is picking up: summer rentals.

But as with everything else during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are big changes for landlords and tenants.

Down the shore and from Cape Cod to Florida, some rental companies are really getting out in front of the cleaning question to reassure people.

DestinVacation.com in Florida says they go beyond what the CDC calls for - and they even have sanitizer dispensers hanging on the walls.

"Any cleaning precautions we can take are certainly being met with positive feedback from the tenants," said David Wyrsch with The Van Dyk Group.

In New Jersey, Wyrsch handles about 600 rental properties in Long Beach Island. He says owners are seeing better business when they sanitize and take out anything that is questionable.

"They are no longer supplying the pillows or the blankets and sheets...,they are encouraging renters to just bring their own," Wyrsch said.

Maria Kirk with Shore Summer Rentals handles about 1,100 properties around North Wildwood. She advises using disinfectants to wipe down counters and hit anything that hands touch -- including around sinks, light switches and doorknobs.

Either way, experts say don't let it ruin your vacation. Bring pillows and blankets, beach towels and disinfectant wipes

It is also a good idea to throw a load on high heat in the dishwasher and another with linens in the washing machine just to be safe.

Make sure to ask what measures are being taken. Kirk says one owner is paying for an electrostatic sanitizing company to come in after the cleaners.

"I had one owner say to me she had a lot of cancellations and now that she's advertising this, she's about all booked up again," Kirk said.

Looks like those who really clean up -- are cleaning up.