When is the best time to book your Summer rental?
Fire Island lovers who are looking now to book their Summer rental are certainly not looking too early! The sooner you look & book, the more available inventory there is to choose from, so we recommend you start looking into your summer rental plans now!
Fire Island Sales & Rentals does a very large volume of rental bookings, with 22% of rentals booked before year’s end for the following summer, and 38% of rentals booked between January and March. December is the perfect time to secure your rental in the home that is perfect for your group's needs, before the bulk of the inventory gets scooped up in January, February and March.
As the winter season goes on, more and more available homes get booked up, so right now is the best time to rent because you can get your pick of the most houses. This is especially important if you have very specific dates or if you are looking for a home with specific requirements such as a pool, an oceanfront property, or a pet friendly home. Because inventory of these home types is more limited, it is all the more important to start your search early on in the year. At this point, almost all of our homeowners have figured out their availability for next Summer and are ready to start booking. If you’re looking for a house with a pool, water views, traveling with pets or large groups it is very important to start booking earlier or you will likely have to make significant compromises if you wait to book until closer to the Summer season.
If I wait until the last minute to book, can I score a great deal?
Some clients intentionally wait until the last minute to book their rentals in the hopes that they will find a deeply discounted rate if a home is still available close to their desired travel dates. This strategy can work well, but only if you are very flexible with your needs. If you are looking for a waterfront/water view home, a home with a pool, or a home with a very large sleeping capacity, we would not recommend this strategy, as those houses are in such high demand that they tend to book up completely before we even hit the Spring time. There is a big risk that waiting until the last minute will backfire, as it is not uncommon for the island to book up completely with no available inventory left come June. If you’re okay with taking a chance, you can sometimes find a good deal by holding out until the last minute to book, but there are no guarantees a home that fits your needs will still be available by the time Summer rolls around.
Rental season is just around the corner! If you’re a homeowner who takes advantage of the lucrative rental market on Fire Island, we’ve put together a list of some tips to get your home rental ready for a successful summer.
- Cleaning: Give the whole space a deep clean before the rental season begins!
- Routine Maintenance of AC & Appliances: To avoid having to make maintenance calls while renters are at your home, it’s worth checking to make sure the AC’s work and if any air filters need to be replaced before your first rental checks in. This is also a good time to clean the grill and replace any grill brushes from last season.
- Check Kitchen Items: Since most people are renting for at least a week at a time, we can assume that they’ll be cooking a lot of their meals at the house as opposed to going out to eat every night. We recommend taking inventory every year of everything and making sure you have a full set of dishes, pots and pans, and utensils. These items will experience a lot of wear and tear since they will most likely be used the most in the house!
- Bike & Beach Items: Take inventory of bikes, beach chairs, and beach umbrellas and see if any need to be replaced and/or fixed and if you just feel you need more!
- Wagons: Note where the wagon can be picked up and where it should be left off when your renters’ stay is over. It may be a good idea to have renters take pictures of the bikes once they arrive and once they leave.
- Permits: Make sure rental permits and the BBQ permit are filed
- Touch ups & repairs: A fresh coat of paint goes a long way to brighten up your space! Make sure all door handles are working, windows and doors are opening and closing properly, etc.
- Linen Inventory & Replacement: Good quality sheets and towels are important to renters. Since these items tend to get worn out the quickest, it’s a good idea to inspect them and see what needs to be replaced.
- Pool Maintenance: If your home has a pool, have it cleaned and make sure the filtration is working properly and the shock treatments are done.
- Welcome Packet: Putting a packet together for your renters with information like the bike lock codes, wifi, how to access the TV channels/streaming, etc. can go a long way. A list of the local shops, restaurants, and bars are always appreciated by the renters too as they love recommendations of the locals’ favorites.
These are just some punch list items to get you started before summer officially begins. We wish everyone a successful summer rental season!
Looking to escape to Fire Island? We've put together a list of available rentals we have to offer for this summer*. Check out the list below and we hope you decide to book your Fire Island stay with us!
Seaview Home Close to the Beach
Bed: 4
Bath: 2.5
Available: July or August
Asking: July $25,000
August $30,000
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/sv-46r
Ocean Bay Park Home with Ocean Views!
Bed: 4
Bath: 2
Available: August 3 - September 8
Asking: $35,000
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/obp-29r
Ocean Bay Park Bayfront Bungalow
Bed: 3
Bath: 1
Available: August 1 - September 8
Asking: $24,000
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/obp-3r
Renovated Seaview Home With Sunny Outdoor Deck
Bed: 4
Bath: 2
Sleeps: 8
Available: June, July 1-26, August 3-23
Asking: $6,000/week
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/sv-27
Charming Seaview Home With Spacious Decks & Bay Views
Bed: 4
Bath: 1 Full, 2 Half
Sleeps: 9
Available: June, July 1-18, July 27-31, August 1-23
Asking: $4,500/week
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/sv-4r
Ocean Bay Park Home With Sunny West Facing Deck
Bed: 3
Bath: 1.5
Available: June, July, August
Asking: June $20,000
July $25,000
August $25,000
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/obp-4r
Gorgeous, Modern Oceanfront Ocean Bay Park Home
Bed: 4
Bath: 2.5
Available: July 1 through September 8
Asking: $112,000
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/obp-37sr
Fully Equipped Ocean Beach Home with Spacious Deck
Bed: 4
Bath: 2
Available: June, July & August
Asking: May 31 - September 8 $38,000
June $10,000
July $16,000
August $18,000
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-440
Ocean Beach Home Just a 1 Min. Walk From The Beach
Bed: 3
Bath: 2
Available: June & July
Asking: June $15,000
July $20,000
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-224r
Updated Ocean Beach Home W/ Great Outdoor Area
Bed: 3
Bath: 1.5
Sleeps: 8
Available: August 10-16, 24-30, and August 31-September 7
Rate: $5,500/wk.
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-192
Charming Ocean Beach Cottage Just a Minute Walk to the Beach!
Bed: 3
Bath: 2
Sleeps: 6
Available: June1-7, 8-14, 15-21, August 17-23, 24-30, and August 31-September 7.
Rates: $3,500-$5,000/wk.
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-230r
Completely Updated Ocean Beach Home W/ Pool & Steps From The Beach!
Bed: 4
Bath: 2.5
Sleeps: 10
Available: June 8-15, June 22-28, June 29-July 5, July 20-July 26
Rates: $6,500-$10,500
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-109r
Extremely Spacious Ocean Beach Home W/ a Pool
Bed: 4
Bath: 3
Sleeps: 8
Available: June 29-July 5, August 17-23, August 24-30, August 31-September 7
Rates: $10,450-$13,750
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-748
Seaview Home Close to the Beach W/ 3 Decks!
Bed: 3
Bath: 2
Sleeps: 9
Available: June 1-7, 8-14, July 20-26, August 17-23
Rates: $5,750-$6,250
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/sv-38r
Charming and Centrally Located Ocean Beach Home
Bed: 3
Bath: 2.5
Sleeps: 8
Available: All of June. August 17-23, August 24-30, August 31-September 7.
Rates: $3,250-$4,500
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-35r
Seaview Home Just a Steps From The Beach!
Bed: 4
Bath: 1.5
Sleeps: 9
Available: August 10-16 & August 17-23
Rates: $5,500/week
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/sv-49r
Newly Updated Seaview Home Near Ocean Beach
Bed: 3
Bath: 2
Sleeps: 6
Available: June 1-21, June 29-July 12, July 20-August 16, August 24-Sept 13
Rates: $4,600
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/sv-stu
Luxury Oceanfront Home in Ocean Bay Park
Bed: 5
Bath: 2.5
Sleeps: 12-14
Available: July 3-9, July 17-August 6
Rates: $11,000-$12,500
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/obp-37r
Modern Ocean Bay Park Home W/ Ocean Views
Bed: 4
Bath: 2.5
Sleeps: 10
Available: June, August 3-9, August 17-30
Rates: $8,000-$10,500
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/obp-33o
Large Ocean Beach Home W/ Pool & Just 1 House Back From The Beach!
Bed: 4
Bath: 2.5
Sleeps: 10
Available: July 10 - 31
Rates: $12,500/week
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-560r
Bay & Ocean View Seaview Home
Bed: 4
Bath: 3
Sleeps: 8
Available May 23-June 13, June 28-July 18
Rates: $8,000-$9,000
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/sv-55r
Just Like New Ocean Beach Home W/ Large Deck
Bed: 4
Bath: 2
Sleeps: 6
Available July 5-12, July 19-26, August 9-23, August 30-Sept 7
Rates: $4,500/wk.
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-155r
Expansive Ocean Beach Home With Tons of Outdoor Space & Hot Tub
Bed: 3
Bath: 2
Sleeps: 6
Available: July & August
Rates: $6,000/wk.
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-969r
Ocean Beach Home W/ Lots of Outdoor Space & Close to the Beach
Bed: 4
Bath: 2
Sleeps: 8
Available: June 28-July 31
Rates: $6,000-$6,500/wk.
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-976r
Oceanfront Ocean Bay Park Home W/ Pool
Bed: 4
Bath: 4
Sleeps: 14
Available: July 10-16, July 31-August 6, August 24-Sept 3
Rates: $14,025/wk.
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/obp-36r
Completely Redone Ocean Bay Park Home
Bed: 4
Bath: 2
Sleeps: 9
Available: June 1-21, July 20-26, & August 17-23
Rates: $4,500-$5,000/wk.
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-507
Beautifully Renovated & Centrally Located Ocean Beach Home
Bed: 4
Bath: 2
Sleeps: 10
Available August
Rates: $5,900/wk.
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-761r
Huge Bayfront Seaview Home W/ Sauna & Separate Gym
Bed: 5
Bath: 4.5
Sleeps: 10
Available: May 29-June12
Rates: $18,000
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/sv-24
Well Maintained Ocean Bay Park W/ Guest Cottage
Bed: 3
Bath: 2
Sleeps: 8-10
Available: June
Rates: $8,900
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/obp-74r
Oceanfront Lonelyville Bungalow W/ Incredible Ocean Views
Bed: 3
Bath: 1.5
Sleeps: 6
Available: July & August
Rates: $28,000-$30,000
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/lly-70r
Renovated Ocean Beach Home W/ Pool & Hot Tub
Bed: 4
Bath: 2
Sleeps: 10
Available: June 29-July 5, July 13-26, August 17-Labor Day
Rates: $9,000-$14,000
www.fireislandrealestate.com/property/ob-119r
Please feel free to reach out to our Rental Agents, Alyssa & Dylan, for any questions or concerns you may have. Be sure to check out more rentals here!
*Available dates are always changing. We will update these dates when the information becomes available to us.
