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Frequently Asked Questions to Take the Guesswork Out of Your Stay

Welcome to Greybeard Rentals, your gateway to the perfect Asheville, North Carolina, getaway! We understand that planning your vacation should be as relaxing and enjoyable as the trip itself. That's why we've compiled a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions to help streamline your experience. From booking details to check-in procedures and everything in between, we've got you covered. So, whether you're wondering about pet-friendly options or what to bring for your stay, you'll find all the answers here. Let's make your Asheville adventure seamless and unforgettable with Greybeard Rentals!

Bookings and Reservations

DO YOU HAVE A MINIMUM STAY?

All of our homes have at least a two-night minimum stay. All homes have at least a 3-night minimum stay during the summer and October. Some of our homes have a week minimum stay throughout the year. During the summer, our Montreat houses have a week minimum stay, and that reservation must be from Saturday to Saturday. During the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's holidays, all of our houses have a four-night minimum stay. 

DO I HAVE TO PUT DOWN A DEPOSIT TO RESERVE A HOUSE?

Within 5 days of making your reservation, half of the rental charge is due by check or credit card. If we have not received it or been in contact with you by that time, we will assume that you wish to withdraw your reservation. The remaining balance, which includes half of the rental charge, tax, and booking fee is due no less than thirty days before you are scheduled to arrive. If you make your reservation less than thirty days from the time you are scheduled to arrive, you will be required to pay the full amount by credit card. 

WHAT ARE ADDITIONAL TAXES AND FEES FOR THE RENTAL?

In addition to the rental charge, there is a non-refundable booking fee on all reservations, 12.75-13% NC sales, and accommodation tax. If the property is not left in good condition, we will contact you first but will use your credit card to cover all damage costs. Please also note that the majority of our homes have a 3-night minimum. For owners that have agreed to drop down to a 2-night minimum for certain time periods, we charge a 2-night housekeeping fee charge of $100 to cover the cost of housekeeping for some homes (for a 3-night reservation or more, housekeeping is included in the total cost for some of our rentals - there are a few rental unit exceptions that charge a cleaning fee).  

WHAT ARE MY PAYMENT OPTIONS?

You can pay for your rental with cash, check, or Visa/Mastercard. If you make your reservation less than thirty days from the time you are scheduled to arrive, you will be required to pay the full amount at the time you make the reservation by Visa or Mastercard. Please note that the leaseholder's name must align with the name on the credit card in order to be accepted. 

WHAT IS YOUR REFUND/CANCELLATION POLICY?

If you need to cancel your reservation and the property you had reserved re-rents for the time which you had it reserved, you will be refunded all money you had paid minus an $99 cancellation fee. If you cancel and the property does not re-rent for your reserved dates, you will lose all money you have paid to that point. For this reason, we recommend that you purchase trip insurance. Please call 888-228-8008 before making a reservation if you have questions or concerns. 

WHAT IS TRIP INSURANCE AND DOES GREYBEARD RENTALS OFFER IT?

For the protection of our renters, we have recently started offering trip insurance. This will insure your trip in many cases should you need to cancel your reservation. Please note that this is not cancellation insurance, but the purchase of trip insurance can help you to recover the cost of your trip in those cases that are covered by Red Sky travel protection. The charge for trip insurance is 6.95% of the total trip cost. This insurance covers the cost of your rental if your trip is interrupted or canceled due to documented medical illness, death in the family, natural disasters, and for several other reasons. View this link for a brief overview of the benefits and coverage of trip insurance. You can get the full list of coverage and further information about this service at www.redskyinsurance.com or call Red Sky at 866-889-7409. Trip insurance is an optional charge, but if you deny trip insurance and need to cancel your trip for any reason, it is likely that none of your money will be refunded. Please see our cancellation policy above for more specifics. 

DO YOU HAVE AN AGE REQUIREMENT?

Yes. You must be at least 25 years of age to reserve one of our vacation rental homes. 

WHY IS THE OCCUPANCY LIMITED?

The vacation property should not be used or occupied by more than the maximum allowable number of occupants. Some of our mountain homes do not have a central sewage system and have individual septic systems, which are permitted by the Health Department for maximum occupancy. Greybeard Realty and Rentals strictly follows the County Health Department regulations, which assume occupancy of two persons per bedroom. Although additional bedding may be listed, this is for the convenience of providing privacy and adequate bedding for groups that may need to have separate lodging due to gender, age, or marital status. We take this seriously and ask that you abide by the maximum occupancy without exception. If necessary, please rent a second cottage to allow for all the members of your group. 

WHAT ARE MONTHLY FURNISHED RENTALS?

Extended stay homes, or monthly furnished rentals, are available from Greybeard Rentals and come fully equipped with all the appliances, furniture, and amenities you will need for a temporary stay (minimum of a month stay). Monthly allowances apply for utilities (power/water/gas if applicable) for each home. The average utility cost per home can be supplied through our office. Also, when the reservation runs for 90 days or more, no sales tax is collected. A refundable security deposit amount will be determined by management. The rent payment process is the same protocol as vacation rentals in that the balance must be paid in full within 30 days of arrival. 

Preparing for Your Stay

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING FOR THE RENTAL?

All our vacation rental homes are fully furnished. They include furniture, appliances, and a kitchen supplied with at least basic cooking tools. They will have blankets, pillows, and comforters but in some cases do not include sheets and towels. You will need to bring any paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, napkins) that you will need during your stay. You may also need to supply basics like garbage bags and dish soap. In many cases the houses will already have these things, so you may want to wait until you arrive and if necessary, buy them at one of the local grocery stores. 

For the homes that provide linens and towels, there are 2 bath towels and 2 washcloths per guest up to the maximum occupancy of the home. There are 2 hand towels present in each bathroom of the home. 

We also provide an amenity starter kit with trial-size items so that you have some basic items upon your arrival. Please keep in mind that this is only a starter kit, and you will need to bring additional personal items and products as needed. The starter kit includes:

  • 2 trash bags
  • 1 roll of paper towels
  • 1 kitchen sponge
  • 1 trial-size bottle of dishwashing liquid
  • 2 packets of dishwasher detergent (if applicable)
  • 2 packets of laundry detergent (if applicable)
  • 1 roll of toilet paper per bathroom
  • 1 small bar of soap per bathroom
  • 1 trial-size bottle of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion per bathroom.

ARE LINENS INCLUDED IN THE RENTAL?

While all of our houses are stocked with blankets, pillows, comforters, and kitchen linens, many of our houses do not include sheets and towels. If they are included, it will be specified on the house details page. If a house does include linens, the beds will be made when you arrive, with the exception of the top bunk bed (if applicable). Linens will be placed on top of the top bunk if there is one present. If linens are not provided, you can choose to bring them from home or rent them from us for an additional charge. If you do choose to rent linens from us, they will be available at the house in a plastic bin. 

ARE YOUR HOUSES PET-FRIENDLY?

Some of our owners have chosen to allow pets in their homes. These houses will be specified as "pet friendly" on the house detail page. Pets are allowed in these houses only. Unfortunately, due to common allergy problems, we cannot allow cats in any of our vacation rental homes. For the privilege of bringing your dog, there is a minimum charge of $100 nonrefundable fee per pet. A maximum of two dogs are allowed unless you have received special permission from the property manager or homeowner. Any damage that may be caused by your pet during your stay will be paid for out of your security deposit or charged to the credit card we have on file. Please be respectful of those owners who, because of allergies or other personal reasons, have chosen not to allow any pets. If housekeeping notes that a pet was present on a non-pet-friendly property during your visit, you will be charged a minimum of $600 to clean carpets, upholstered furniture, and complete air purification measures. Bringing a pet to a house that is not pet-friendly without owner consent or permission from Greybeard is grounds for termination of the rental agreement without a refund. There is a county-wide leash law in place. When taking your dog outside of a gated area, please ensure that they are on a leash. More info about service animals and the ADA is available here.

WILL THERE BE FIREWOOD AT THE HOUSE? WHEN ARE HOMES WITH GAS LOGS IN OPERATION?

Firewood is not supplied by Greybeard. Some houses will have a small supply of firewood for renter use; however, it is best to purchase your own small bundle of wood or Duraflame pressed logs at the local grocery store. Homes with gas logs are not in operation from May through the end of September due to the warmer summer months. 

Cutting branches, limbs, or trees on the property is strictly prohibited. You can use limbs found on the ground. Absolutely NO fires are permitted outside unless the property is fitted with a fire ring/fire pit. You cannot bring your own portable firepit.

IS WIFI SERVICE INCLUDED WITH MY RENTAL RESERVATION? WILL I HAVE CELL PHONE SERVICE AT MY RENTAL?

Homes that include WiFi service will be noted in the amenity list or web description for that specific property on the website. Please note that Greybeard Rentals does not guarantee internet connectivity or speed. Each individual homeowner contracts directly with an internet service provider, and due to a variety of reasons, Greybeard does not guarantee service. Our Black Mountain and Asheville offices have wifi service available if needed.

Cell phone service is not guaranteed. You may check with your service provider to see if the service is available. 

Check-In/Check-Out Procedures

WHAT ARE CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT TIMES?

Check-in time is 4 pm and check-out time is 10 am. It is important that we adhere to these times because there is a chance that someone else will be checking out/in before or after you and we need sufficient time to ready the house for the next renter. 

WHERE DO WE CHECK IN/PICK UP KEYS?

Many of our rental homes are equipped with keyless entry or a way to access the home via a lockbox located at the home. The check-in letter that you will receive prior to your stay will indicate whether your home is keyless entry, remote check-in via an at-home lockbox, or if you need to come to our main office to pick up your keys. Our main office is located at 204 E. State Street in Black Mountain. If you are staying in the Gateway Mountain subdivision, you will need to first stop at our Old Fort Office, located at 78 Catawba Ave, Old Fort, to pick up your gate card in order to access the subdivision. Your check-in letter will provide instructions for gate card pick-up. 

WHAT IF WE NEED TO CHECK IN AFTER OFFICE HOURS?

Our rental office is open Monday-Friday 9-5 EST. If you need to check in for a rental at a time when our office is not open, there is a check-in center on the front porch of our office (we'll leave the front porch light on for you). 

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO CHECK OUT?

Since cleaning is included in your rental fee for the majority of our homes, when you leave a house, we simply ask that you make sure all of the trash is taken care of, that the dishwasher has been started, and that you have all of your personal possessions. If you have time, please fill out the report card that can be found at your rental. Then please bring your keys to our office. If you are checking out at a time when our office is not open, please put the keys through the mail slot at our front door. 

ARE WE EXPECTED TO CLEAN THE HOUSE BEFORE WE LEAVE?

Cleaning is included in your rental charge for the majority of our rental homes, so you are not expected to clean the house before you leave. We simply ask that you make sure all of the trash is taken care of, that the dishwasher has been started, and that you have cleared the house of your personal possessions. Should you need them during your stay, basic cleaning supplies (mop, broom, cleaning spray) will be at the house. 

CAN I CHECK IN EARLY?

We cannot always grant early check-ins. In situations where we are able to grant an early check-in, there is a fee of $50 and you can arrive at 1 p.m. If we are able to accommodate, early check-in fees are non-refundable. Please contact a vacation planner to inquire about the possibility of an early check-in for your stay. 

DO YOU HAVE A LOST AND FOUND?

Although we cannot be held responsible for items left behind, we do make every effort to locate and return them to you. Contact our office, and items found will be returned to you, and a $35 handling fee plus postage will be charged to you. Unclaimed items will be donated to charities after thirty days. 

During Your Stay

WHAT IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY DURING OUR STAY?

If you are having a medical emergency, dial 911 from the phone in your rental home or cell phone.

We hope that your stay in the area will be relaxing and without incident, but should you need to get in touch with Greybeard, we have someone on call 24 hours a day. Just call our office at 828-669-1072 and select option 1, which will forward to the cell phone of the person on call. Please do not hesitate to call us if something needs immediate attention, but if your question or concern can wait, we ask that you call the office during normal office hours. 

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I HAVE A MAINTENANCE ISSUE OR CONCERN DURING MY STAY? 

While we hope that your stay is without issue or incident, you can always get in touch with us during regular business hours (M-F from 9-5:00 PM) at 828-669-1072 and after regular business hours by selecting option 1 which will forward you to the cell phone of the person on call. We appreciate you reporting maintenance issues during or immediately following your stay so our team can address and resolve them in a timely manner before new guests arrive.

If you discover a housekeeping issue upon arrival, we ask you to contact us so we can remedy the situation during your stay. As outlined in Greybeard's Clean Home Promise, we always want to make it right and make sure you leave happier than when you arrived! 

ARE WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS COMMON? 

Our beautiful mountains are home to a diverse array of wildlife, and catching a glimpse of that wildlife is a common and favorite pastime of many visitors to our area. There is something majestic about seeing a grazing deer or turkey making their way across our breathtaking mountain landscape, and black bear sightings are a particularly exciting occurrence for some travelers. While it is a special treat to see, certain guidelines should be followed to help keep you and our amazing fauna safe.

The most common wildlife in our area includes (but is not limited to) Black Bears, Coyotes, Bobcats, Wolves, Foxes, Bats, Opossums, Deer, Raccoons, Skunks, Turkeys, and Snakes. It might go without saying, but it is important to exercise caution when spending time outdoors, even if you are at a vacation home close to town. We recommend that you educate yourself on the specific types of wildlife in our area so you can recognize them and their distinguishing characteristics.

Some other tips we recommend are to avoid walking in tall grass, keep your distance or back away slowly if you encounter an animal, avoid feeding wildlife, avoid hiking early in the morning or late in the evening (especially when alone), and carry a safety kit and first aid kit in the event you sustain a bite, sting, or injury. Most of the animals in our region are docile and simply in search of food. However, they are fiercely protective of their young, so as cute as it might be to see a baby bear or raccoon, keep in mind that mama is not far behind and keeping a close eye on the situation.

The most important piece of advice we can share is to be aware of your surroundings so you can protect yourself and fully appreciate seeing the awe-inspiring animals that call our region home!

WHEN ARE SECURITY DEPOSITS RETURNED?

For homes that collect a security deposit, after an inspection, security deposits are returned within 30 days of guest departure. 

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