Frequently Asked Questions

Sandestin® Rental Owners have all the Resort amenities that are extended to Sandestin® rental guests and more! Owners will be issued a Rental Owner ID card to take advantage of these great amenities and discounts. These exclusive benefits include discounts at Sandestin® managed outlets including retail, golf [Links, Baytowne, Raven, & Burnt Pine], tennis, activities, food and beverage, preferred beach parking, preferred golf cart parking, transportation access, preferred front row beach seating, free bike rentals, kayaks, canoes, and boogie boards.  We have on-site Rental Managers and a Rental Office in the Welcome Center.  The Resort has a Manager on Duty (MOD), 24/7 to handle emergencies.  We also have on-site housekeeping and engineering.

The Rental Owner Relations Office is staffed with customer service professionals who have access to facilities and resources specifically designed to cater to the need of our rental owners. You will be assigned a dedicated rental manager that is an expert in the area your property is located. The Rental Owner Relations Office serves as a liaison with the various Sandestin® departments involved in the rental management, cleaning, and upkeep of properties on behalf of the homeowners.  Please contact our office with any questions: 850-267-7565.

Ensuring security and privacy for our guests is paramount. If an owner wishes to access their property when they do not have a reservation, the Rental Owner Relations Office is always happy to assist by issuing a temporary key, providing the property is unoccupied.

The rental agreement outlines guidelines for unit furnishings.  Choices on furniture, fixtures, and décor are ultimately up to the owner, but our team is here to offer input from our rental experience.  We do encourage the removal of sentimental décor items and family photos. If you would like to have these types of personal items or even your own linen/bedding when occupying your unit, please feel free to store them in your owner’s closet for your visits. Prior to your departure, please store these items in your owner's closet for their safety and to avoid the potential disposal of items during departure cleaning.  Please call your Rental Manager if you have any questions regarding this policy.

Let us do the work to maximize your revenue! The Sandestin® Rental Agreement does not allow for owners to rent their units themselves while participating on the Rental Program. However, Rental Owners can elect to add an individual property listing with professional photography (at their own expense) for additional exposure to be created and managed by Sandestin®. Sandestin® Rental Management retains the role of exclusive rental manager under the terms of the Agreement

We are a large rental management company and part of our success comes from operating a dynamic reservations system. Our on-site Revenue Management team strictly focuses on maximizing revenue and increasing occupancy levels.  This team also works with the Marketing team to determine promotional or group rates.  Year after year, Sandestin® continues to drive the highest average daily rate in the panhandle by offering exceptional amenities to the guests that book through Sandestin®.

Sandestin® strictly adheres to a non-smoking policy within all rental units. Occupancy restrictions are based on bedding accommodations and any Association regulations. Rates and nightly rental minimums are determined and set by our Revenue Management Team.  Owners have the option to designate their unit to be available for extended stay or hybrid program.

Owners can designate their unit to be "Pet Friendly," however, you'll need to confirm with your individual Association to see if your building is "pet friendly" or not. In most high-rise buildings the Association allows owners to have pets in their units, but not rental guests. The exception, of course, is for pets that assist individuals with disabilities. Please note that if an owner chooses to bring a pet during their stay and any additional cleaning, beyond the standard check-out clean is required, that owner will be charged accordingly.

As far as Sandestin® is concerned, the Owner can use the unit as much as he/she wants so long as owner use and maintenance do not exceed 6 months of the year total and/or 5 weeks of the peak season (Memorial Day through Labor Day). There is a very detailed explanation of Owner use in our Rental Management Agreement. We suggest at least 30 days' notice prior to booking an owner reservation to request dates and suggest a 3-month notice for Holidays and Special events/occasions since the booking window on these specialty dates is much longer. That being said, we are very flexible and will strive to accommodate owner requests.  If your property is available up to 72 hours before you want to visit, we would certainly welcome you!

Simply book your reservation on the owner’s portal and/or fill out the request for owner or friend of owner reservation on the owner’s website.  Contact our administration staff at 850.267.7565 or [email protected] for assistance. Please be prepared to provide account details to confirm identity. We will do our best to fulfill an owner request, however, if there is an unmovable reservation we will not be able to accommodate your use of the property. You must understand owner-occupancy reduces the overall opportunity for revenue and is even more dramatic during peak occupancy periods. This should be considered whenever contemplating personal use of the property.

When a guest calls or books online and has no request, our sophisticated property management system, distributes rentals on a fair and equitable basis utilizing property rating and current recognized gross rental revenue (we call it a rotation system). If a guest requests a particular location, neighborhood/building, feature, view, or type of unit, we will do everything possible to fulfill our guest's needs as best we can.

We can provide rental analysis based on historical data from similar properties that have been, and continue to be, on the Sandestin® Rental Program. The efforts in marketing and sales to meeting planners, tour operators, travel wholesalers, and travel groups support our goal to help drive occupancy by actively marketing to group business, winter guests, and golf/tennis groups that are an excellent source of "shoulder season" bookings. Thus, rounding out occupancy throughout the year, especially during the quieter periods. Call us today to find out how your property could be performing on the Sandestin Rental Program at 850-267-4389 or email [email protected].

Our proposed rate structure is determined annually each year. In order to achieve the highest occupancy percentages, average daily rates, and to secure the best overall rentals, a variety of pricing options are available to transient, wholesale, travel agents, corporate and leisure travel groups, and other guests. A group of resort sales professionals review the current market trends and adjust pricing to be competitive as needed. Sandestin® uses Dynamic Pricing software to adjust rates to meet demand and maximize revenue.

Renting your property through Sandestin® Rental Management offers significant competitive advantages. We are the exclusive in-resort rental manager at Sandestin® Golf and Beach Resort with access to group, conference, wholesale, and travel business via our multi-million dollar strategic marketing programs. Our Reservations Department has systems in place linking it directly to a central call center ensuring 24-hour reservations coverage all year long. We have exclusive control of more than 68,000 square feet of conference, function and meeting facilities attracting year-round business to Sandestin®. Because Sandestin® is the resort operator, we can offer comprehensive packages and services to guests in addition to their accommodations.

Please contact your Rental Manager to advise them of your renovation plans. They will block your property from renting during the specific time frame and assist with coordinating vendor access to the property.  When the maintenance block has expired, the property will be cleaned and prepared for the next reservation. These blocks do not prevent any future reservations from being accepted.

In most cases, yes. Many owners would like to access their units at various times to inspect them, change décor or retrieve items from their owner's closet. Also, homeowners often would like outside contractors or vendors to access their units. To gain access to your unit when you do not have a reservation, simply contact the Rental Owner Relations Office or your Rental Manager to see if your unit is occupied. Our policy is not to disturb guests whenever possible. If your unit is unoccupied, a Rental Representative will be happy to issue a temporary key, which will provide access to your unit for a specific time period. However, if your contractors or vendors need a significant amount of time in the unit, please contact your Rental Manager to schedule a maintenance block in order to accommodate the work needed.

Simply log in to the secure owner’s portal to check your rental calendar. Through this website, you will be able to make owner reservations, download your monthly statements, view property inspections, and much more! You can also check availability by contacting our administrative staff at 850-267-7565 or [email protected].

The management fee varies by area, typically 25-35%, and may be subject to unit condition. Please contact the Rental Management team to find out more at 850-267-8205 or [email protected]  to find out more.

Management fee includes: Front Desk with a fully uniformed staff, 24 hours a day and daytime Guest Services staff providing concierge and bell service to our guests. Also includes On-site Rental Management, Revenue Management, Reservation Call Center, Housekeeping, and Maintenance Staff. Our in-house Group Sales, Marketing and Public Relations team work to drive occupancy in our rental units, in addition to visibility on Online Travel Agency (OTA) Sites like Expedia, Travelocity, etc.  

As an owner, you will be responsible for all utilities unless included in your Home Owner Association dues (condo building associations typically include utilities except for power/electric). Basic Cable is provided through your Sandestin Owner Association (SOA) dues (this is for all properties). Wireless internet is required and an account will need to be set up with a provider if Wi-Fi is not included in your HOA dues. You are also responsible for all your Association Dues, which includes your neighborhood/building HOA, your Sandestin Owner's Association (SOA), and, in some areas, the Baytowne Wharf Neighborhood Association (BWNA). Owners are responsible for furniture and appliance replacement, housekeeping fees for owner stays only, content/liability insurance, non-routine maintenance, mortgage payments, normal wear, and tear items, interior upgrades, painting, upholstery cleaning, routine carpet or tile cleaning, property taxes, etc.

The Rental Management Company (Sandestin®) has absolutely no control or relationship with the individual Home Owner Associations for each neighborhood/building. The annual budget and levels of service are decided on by the HOA at regular and annual meetings. All homeowners are responsible to pay their fair share of these fees, which represent the overall costs of operating and maintaining your neighborhood or building, whether they are participating in a rental program or not. HOA fees vary with what is included and you should refer to the association manager for your neighborhood/building to find out specifics on rules, regulations, and coverage. A detailed account and list of these items can be found in your neighborhood documents.

The SOA (Sandestin® Owner's Association) is a third-party organization independent of Sandestin® Golf and Beach Resort, maintaining the security, roadways, landscaping, and lakes on behalf of Sandestin® property owners. The monies collected do not revert back to the operation of the resort. In fact, Sandestin® Golf and Beach Resort is the second largest contributor to the SOA based on assessments for commercial space, golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, and the undeveloped company-owned parcels and lots.

Our Accounting Department is responsible for recording reservations, income, and expenses for each property. An itemized rental statement will be posted on our rental owner website by the 15th of each month for the previous month. For example, January's statement will be posted by the 15th of February. Direct deposit is required for all units on the rental program.

Direct deposits are made on the 15th of each month for the previous month’s statement. If the 15th falls on a weekend, you will receive your deposit the preceding Friday. If you do not receive your direct deposit by the 15th or have any questions regarding your statement please call or email our Owner Accounting representative, at 850.267.6805 or [email protected].

For your unit, liability insurance is needed and content insurance is strongly recommended. In the Sandestin® Rental Agreement, there are specific instructions and minimum amounts described. Sandestin® asks that owners maintain a broad form of comprehensive public liability insurance of no less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) on their property. Sandestin® also recommends that owners maintain personal property insurance covering the contents of their unit.

Since housekeeping and maintenance of the units are such an integral part of the guest (and owner) experience, we devote substantial management time to quality control. We perform inspections by trained supervisors to ensure that the quality of cleaning and property presentation meets the highest service level standards. Departure cleans for paid reservations are charged to the rental guest.  If housekeeping services are not typically provided during an owner's stay, you can request service for a fee. 

Sandestin® has developed a housekeeping inspection process to protect your assets. After room attendants clean, trained housekeeping inspectors ensure cleaning standards are met and check for any damages. If any damage should occur within a unit, Sandestin® will attempt to determine who caused said damage, and charge them accordingly. If the damage cannot be charged to a specific guest, Sandestin® will accept responsibility for up to $750 of damage per rental.

We only rent properties inside the gates of Sandestin® and 100% of our Marketing and Rental efforts go towards Guests Booking and Staying at Sandestin®!

For information and to sign up for the Sandestin® Rental Program, please contact our team at 850-267-8205 or [email protected]