Rules & Regulations

Agency Disclosure: Ward Realty Corporation is employed by and represents the interests of the property Owner.

Property Description: Every rental property is privately owned and their furnishings reflect the idividual owner's tastes & desires and therefore vary from property to property. It is the responsibility of the Guest to ensure that the property they select meets their requirements for space, accommodations, physical conditions and amenities. Ward Realty cannot guarantee the presence of any listed equipment or furnishings because they are beyond the control of Ward Realty.

Rental Periods: During the Value, Summer and Prime seasons, reservations are for full weeks only, Saturday to Saturday. There are two properties that are Sunday to Sunday. Since Memorial Day and Labor Day fall into Value season, most properties will allow a partial stay. During the Spring/Fall and Off seasons, partial stays are also allowed.

Maximum Occupancy: The maximum occupancy allowed in the rental property is as stated in the property description and shall not be exceeded at any time. Occupancy counts include children of all ages and guests of the renter.

Houseparties: Tenancy is for family groups only. Non-family groups include, but are not limited to, groups of high school and college age people. Houseparties organized to celebrate graduation, proms, fraternity, sorority or other school functions are specifically not allowed. Houseparties will be evicted immediately without refund. Any group renting this property under false pretenses shall be immediately evicted without any refund. Identification shall be presented if requested. Guest signing this Agreement shall be 21 or more years old and actually take possession of the property.

Pets: If you want to bring a pet, please be sure to pick a property that permits pets. For those properties that permit pets, there is a $100 per pet, non-refundable pet fee unless noted in property description. Properties listed as "No Pets" & "Pet Free" means absolutely no pets of any kind anywhere on the premises. Guests found with a pet on the premises of a property that does not allow pets will be subject to immediate eviction. Pets found on properties that allow pets but where the pet is undeclared and the pet fee is unpaid, shall be charged $150 per pet. Ward Realty reserves the right to refuse certain breeds of dogs such as Rotweillers, Pit Bulls, etc., and/or pets deemed harmful or vicious.

Confirmation of Reservation: To confirm a reservation, an advance rent of 50% of the base rent plus the administration fee, insurance premium, if elected, and Property Protection Plan, if elected, must accompany the signed rental agreement within 14 days of making the reservation. Written confirmations will be sent only on request.

Trust Account: Guest agrees that all payments, including the damage deposit will be placed in an insured interest bearing trust account with Bank of America, 204 Roland Drive, Surf City, NC with the interest accrued to the credit of Ward Realty.

Payments & Third Party Fees: Initial reservation deposits may be made by cash, personal check or credit card(Mastercard or Visa). A $25 fee will be charged on all returned checks. Guest is responsible for sales and occupancy taxes calculated as of the date of occupancy. Taxes shall be disbursed upon termination of occupancy or material breech of this Agreement. Guest authorizes Agent to disburse prior to Guest's occupancy of the Premises any fees owed to third parties to pay for any goods, services or benefits procured by Agent for the benefit of Guest, including but not limited to any fees set forth herein payable to Agent for reservation, transfer or cancellation of Guest's tenancy.

Balance Payment: is due thirty days before your arrival date. We will not send a reminder notice, so please mark your calendar. No personal checks will be accepted after this deadline. Payments made after this deadline must be made by certified check, cash or traveler's checks. A $25 fee will be charged on all returned checks. Guest is responsible for sales and occupancy taxes calculated as of the date of occupancy. Taxes shall be disbursed upon termination of occupancy or material breech of this Agreement.

Administration fee: All reservations have a $40.00 administration fee.

Damage Deposit: The Damage Deposit may be applied toward actual damages and other deductions as permitted by the N.C. Security Deposit Act. A refundable damage deposit is charged on all rentals unless the Property Protection Plan is chosen. The amount varies with each property. The damage deposit will be returned only to the person reserving the rental unit within forty-five days of departure.

1 - 2 BR - $300

Property Protection Plan: In lieu of a Security Deposit, you may choose to accept the Property Protection Plan for your vacation. This plan covers up to $3,000 of accidental damages. Click on the following link for more information:

Taxes: All rentals are subject to the 7.75% NC Sales Tax and an additional 6% local accommodations tax for a total of 13.75%. There are a few properties that are subject to both Surf City and Onslow County accommodation tax and that would amount to a 9% charge for a total of 16.75%.

Cancellations: If you cancel your reservation, no refund will be made until the property is re-rented and confirmed for the same time period. All cancellations must be in writing. Fax or e-mail will suffice. A $100 cancellation fee, $40 administration fee, and the travel insurance(if chosen) will be charged for any cancelled or changed reservation. For cancellation purposes, each week of a multiple week reservation is considered separately. WRC will make every effort to re-rent the property to minimize Guest's loss. If the property is re-rented for only a portion of the original rental period, the only refund due the cancelling Guest are the funds in excess of the original rental amount less the cancellation fee. In the event Guest cancels this reservation and the property is not re-rented for the entire occupancy period shown on the front, then all payments made are forfeited. Any refunds will be paid to the Guest within 30 days after the subsequent re-rental payment has cleared our accounts. Guest understands he may purchase travel insurance to guard against the loss of payments tendered. Guest shall not assign this Agreement nor sublet the property.

Vacation Investment Insurance/Travel Insurance: Trip insurance is offered through CSA Travel Protection, covering loss of rent payments made because of unforeseen circumstances, illnesses and injuries. It includes coverage for mandatory hurricane evacuations. The cost of this insurance is 6.95% and is automatically added and due with the Guest's advance rent payment. Details outlining benefits, exclusions, and limitations are in the CSA brochure included with the Agreement as an addendum. You can also view this brochure at http://www.vacationrentalinsurance.com/. If Guest does not want this coverage, he may delete the charge by initialing where indicated on the Agreement. Guest's premium payment is distributed to the insurance company by WRC in advance of the Guest check-in and is not refundable. WRC as agent for the insurance company, receives a commission on this insurance program.

Hurricane Policy: There will be NO REFUNDS GIVEN BECAUSE OF MANDATORY EVACUATIONS RELATED TO HURRICANES. You are encouraged to purchase travel insurance to cover this possibility. If state or local authorities order a mandatory evacuation of an area that includes the Premises, Guest must comply with that order. Guest shall not be entitled to any refunds if they did not purchase vacation investment insurance. Guest that purchased insurance shall file a claim with that company for reimbursement.

Check-in Time is between 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM on the day of arrival. Do not go to the property prior to checking in at the WRC office. Doing so will delay your check-in. Cleaners and inspectors do not go to a property if there are people or cars at the house. Please make sure everyone understands this. You may have hit it lucky with an early check-in in the past, however, we cannot guarantee anything prior to 3 pm so please plan your day accordingly. Every effort is made to insure that all properties are clean & ready for occupancy, however in some instances it is necessary to delay occupancy until the property is ready. There are no rebates for such late occupancy. If you want to arrive early and will be comfortable hanging out on the beach all day, biking, shopping or visiting the sites, then it may make your first day more fun. However, if you have infants, elderly members, pets or anyone requiring special needs, you need to plan for a later arrival. Late arrival arrangements can be made if your rental agreement is signed and the reservation is paid in full.

Check-out: All properties must be vacated by 10:00 AM on day of departure. Please return your 2 sets of keys, any parking & pool passes and rental items to our office. Do not go back to the property once you have turned your keys in. Guest is responsible for completion of the items on the WRC check-out procedures list issued to Guest at check-in. Guest should leave the property basically as they found it upon check-in. If you plan to leave earlier that 8:30 am, please leave the keys & parking/pool passes in the drop box to the right of the rental office door and rental items in this same area. A $15 charge will be assessed for any keys or passes lost or not returned and any rented items not brought back to our office.

Inoperative Equipment: Appliances, air conditioners, elevators, tvs, dvd players, hot tubs, etc. are not guaranteed to be operational nor will refunds be given in the event of failure. WRC will make every good faith effort to have any inoperative equipment repaired as quickly as possible. Replacements are not provided. Swimming pools, hot tubs, etc., if offered, may not be available during the Spring, Fall, or Off Seasons. No refunds will be made if these amenities are shut down for the season or for maintenance.

No Smoking & Smoke Free Properties: Use of cigarettes, pipes and cigars is prohibited inside properties listed as "NO SMOKING" or "SMOKE FREE." Failure to observe this prohibition shall result in forfeiture of damage deposit &/or immediate eviction.

Linens: are not provided in any property. It is the tenant's responsibility to bring bed linens & bath linens, such as fitted & flat sheets, pillow cases, bath towels, wash cloths, beach towels, blankets and kitchen towels & dish cloths. We have a limited supply of linens available for rent if you do not wish to bring your own. Please make reservations for these items as early as possible.

Rented Items: Ward Realty has a limited supply of beach umbrellas and linens available for rent. Items will be delivered and picked up by Ward Realty.Click for prices and more information on our vacation rental items. Guest is responsible for making sure umbrellas are in working order upon checking out.

Cleaning: Guest is resposible for completion of the items on the WRC check-out procedures list issued to Guest at check-in, including but not limited to, washing all dishes (even without a dishwasher), making beds, emptying and discarding all food from regrigerator & cabinets, closing and locking windows and doors. Guest shall place all trash inside trash cart and roll it to the street within 2 steps of pavement prior to departure. Guest understands that WRC will charge Guest for failure to do the above items and also for picking up any garbage left by the trash service.

Items in Units: If you are renting both sides of a duplex or multiple houses, please refrain from moving items from side to side or from house to house(especially kitchen items). If we find items out of place, there will be a $25 service charge for putting items back where they belong.

Articles left behind: Finding your forgotten items is often difficult. If you forget something, please call us immediately. We will do our best to find your item(s), but cannot guarantee this. We are not responsible for anything left in the rental unit. A minimum of $10 plus postage will be charged to ship any items left behind. Any unclaimed items left over 3 months will be given to charity.

Telephones: Most of our properties have telephones. The property phone number is printed on your rental agreement. The telephone in your rental property is not connected to a switchboard. Any long distance calls should be charged to your calling card or credit card. You may wish to bring your cell phone or a prepaid calling card with you. If a toll call appears on the owner's bill for the dates you were in the property, you will be billed a $5 per call service charge in addition to the amount of the calls. Local calls include Topsail Island, Sneads Ferry, Holly Ridge, Wilmington and Jacksonville, NC.

Parking: Space is limited at some of our rental properties. Please consult with us prior to bringing boats, trailers, campers, motor homes, etc. Town ordinances restrict the hookup of any camper, motor home, etc. to a rental property's utilities.

Grills: Grilling is not permitted on wooden decks or walkways, inside screened porches, garages or carport areas. Please use the driveway area for grilling out. Neither Ward Realty nor the property owner is responsible for filling empty LP gas tanks for gas grills. If a grill is furnished, please be sure to clean the grill and dump cooled ashes before you leave so the next guest finds it ready to use. Some condominium developments have designated areas in the parking lots for grilling. There is a hefty fine for grills being used within 20 feet of a condominium structure. Grills are not guaranteed to be available, nor functioning due to our harsh, corrosive environment, even though they may be listed as an amenity for the property.

Sand Dunes: Please do not walk, play or litter on our sand dunes. The dunes are our only line of protection to our island. There are fines and ordinances against dune destruction in Surf City, Topsail Beach and North Topsail Beach. If we find trash, oyster shells, etc., on our sand dunes, there will be a $25 fine for cleaning it up.

Lock-Out Service: During business hours we can provide assistance to you free of charge. However, after hours there are charges for Ward Realty personnel to come unlock the door - $25 before 10:00 pm and $50 after 10:00 pm. Fee is payable in cash at time service is rendered to the responding rental agent.

Thermostats for heating and cooling shall not be set below 72 nor above 75 degrees. The refrigerator temperature dial shall not be set to anything other than mid range. The cost of unnecessary repairman service calls shall be charged to Guest.

Routine Maintenance: It may be necessary to enter the property during reasonable hours to service equipment or make repairs. No courtesy calls are given.

Property for Sale: Ward Realty reserves the right to show the rental property to potential buyers if the unit has been placed on the market for sale. We will make every effort to schedule the showing at a convenient time and interrupt your vacation as little as possible. Your cooperation will be appreciated.

Construction: Topsail Island is still growing so construction in progress is inevitable. Unfortunately, we have no control as to when and where construction occurs. We ask that you please be tolerant and remember why you are here - to enjoy your family at the beach! Construction begins at 7 am and ends around 6 pm per local ordianances. No refunds or property transfers will be made.

Additional Regulations: Most condominiums and may properties have additional rules & helpful information posted by the condominium association or the homeowner. These rules, regulations and helpful tips must be observed.

Property Transfer: In the event the Owner transfers this Property prior to occupancy by Guest, Guest has the right to enforce this Agreement if the rental is to end 180 days or less after the transfer of ownership. If more than the above 180 days, Guest has no enforcement rights unless the Grantee agrees to honor this rental, however, Guest has a right to a refund of all monies paid less any insurance and reservation fees. WRC will promptly notify Guest if Property is transferred.

Guest agrees to comply with all obligations imposed by the Vacation Rental Act on Guest with respect to maintenance of the Premises, including but not limited to, keeping the Premises clean and safe as conditions permit and causing no unsafe or unsanitary conditions in the common areas and the remainder of the Premises that the Guest uses. Guest agrees not to use the Premises for any activity or purpose that violates any criminal law or governmental regulation. Guest's breach of any duty contained in this paragraph shall be considered material, and shall result in the termination of tenancy. Guest shall report any existing damages found within 24 hours of his arrival or be subject to being charged for said damages.

Expedited Eviction: If the tenancy created hereunder is for 30 days or less, the expedited eviction procedures set forth in the Vacation Rental Act will apply. Tenant may be evicted under such procedures if Tenant (1) holds over in possession after Tenant's tenancy has expired; (2) commits a material breach of any provision of this Agreement(including any addendum hereto); (3) fails to pay rent as required by this Agreement; or (4) has obtained possession of the Premises by fraud or misrepresentation. Events that would constitute material breach of this Agreement by Guest and terminate tenancy immediately include: damage to the Premises, pets in a non-pet Property, smoking in a non-smoking Property, houseparties, exceeding maximum occupancy.

Owner Closets: The Premises may contain a locked owner's closet for the Owner's personal use and is not a part of this rental.

2010 Reservations Policy: Ward Realty loves repeat renters. We accept tentative reservations for 2010 with a $50 non-refundable deposit for each week desired. This year's guest has priority for the same property for the corresponding week next year. You must make your reservation by Wednesday of your stay or it is released to the general public on Thursday morning. This tentative reservation gives you the "first right of refusal" after the property owner's decisions about the rental schedule of his property. Rental prices & seasons are subject to change for the following year. Full reservation deposits will be required in January. Due to heavy check-in volume on Saturdays during the Summer & Prime seasons, we ask that you make tentative reservations Sunday through Friday only. Credit cards are not accepted for this fee. This policy applies to week only reservations.

Idemnity: Guest agrees to release, indemnify and hold harmless WRC and Owner from and against all liability for injury to the person of the Guest, to any member of his party or any guest of Guest resulting from any cause unless caused by Owner's or WRC negligence. This indemnification specifically includes use of any spas, swimming pools, hot tubs and whirlpools if on Premises.

Limitation or Remedies:At the beginning of occupancy, if Owner cannot provide the Premises in a fit and habitable condition or substitute a reasonably similar property, Guest hereby agrees that WRC and Owner's sole liability as a result of this condition is a full refund of all monies previously tendered by Guest under this Rental Agreement. Guest expressly acknowledges that in no event shall WRC or the Owner be held liable for consequential or secondary damages, including but not limited to, any expense incurred as a result of travel or re-renting,etc. Guest shall not be entitled to a refund due to unfavorable weather conditions, hurricane evacuation, failure of a major appliance or air conditioning system, or disruption of utility services including cable TV. Guest shall not hold WRC or Owner liable for acts of theft or vandalism or other damage to Guest's personal property. Provisions of this Agreement shall be construed according to North Carolina law in the event of a dispute. In the event of a dispute, both parties agrees that any legal action may only be instituted in the county where this Property is located.

Errors and Omissions: We have tried to provide accurate information in our listings, but we cannot be held responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made by the property owner.