Summer rentals at the Jersey Shore are filling up fast - from a full day on the beach to relaxing under a bayfront sunset.
“Warm days like this they’re thinking ‘Hey! I didn’t book that summer rental yet I have to get started,’” said Duane Watlington, founder of Vacation Rentals LBI. “We are off to a good start this year. Our availability is about the same as it was last year.”
Christine Falconi’s duplex can sleep up to 16 on the Barnegat Bay.
“I actually enjoy watching other families their grandchildren, children, friends and have a blast,” she said. “I have some availability in July and August.”
If you come across a rental that seems way out of your price range, look for weeks available in September. Another bayside home that sleeps up to 12 only costs a couple hundred dollars per person.
“They’re not spending as much money and really enjoying themselves and really getting the same experience just a little less crowded,” said Kara Steele, a short-term rental owner.
Politics may play a role in extra availabilities this summer further south in towns like Wildwood.
“Our search on our website since Christmas is down about 60% from families from Canada so that shows you right there, if there are less families searching, there will be a lot less Canadians coming to Wildwood this year,” said Watlington.
He says the bottom line is to expect to pay more during peak summer, and less during June and September.
“You kind of get the beach to yourself, you still get the pool and the bay and the boating so there are really great weeks," he says.