INFORMATION FOR INDIVIDUALS SEEKING RENTAL PROPERTY WITHIN SPANISH WELLS

So you've heard about Spanish Wells!  Perhaps you have friends or relatives who live here, or maybe you've owned property here yourself at sometime in the past, and you're thinking about visiting again.  Whatever the reason, we know that, if you plan well, your upcoming visit to Spanish Wells will be a memorable one. 

With the addition of over 100 new condos and villas in Spanish Wells in the course of the last year or so, many of these are investor owned, and will be available as rentals in the years ahead.  In addition, there are numerous others who own homes, villas, or condos in Spanish Wells, and want to rent them at least for some portion of the year.  What you will pay for a rental in Spanish Wells may vary greatly, depending on whether you are renting annually, or if you are looking for a seasonal or even shorter term rental. 

Seasonal rentals in Spanish Wells are very popular, and often include golf and country club transfers, which mean that visitors can utilize all the club facilities, just as if they were the owner, though some of the fees may be slightly higher than what the owners would pay.  There is a one time fee to be paid to transfer a membership, and it is the same whether the time period involved is 6 weeks or 6 months.  Visitors are issued their own account numbers at the club during their stay in the area.  Obviously, not all owners have club memberships, so if the owner of the unit you are renting is not a club member, then club privileges cannot be made available to you.

Most of the condo communities have pools associated with them, but not all!  Coming to Florida and then not having a pool accessible to you may not seem to be your idea of a vacation, so be sure to ask.  There is a pool associated with the Spanish Wells Golf and Country Club, but in order to make use of that, you'd have to have the property owner's membership transferred to you, and doing so requires payment of a fee to the club.

All of the condo associations in Spanish Wells require an application to be filed in advance of any rental, and some require as much as 30 days advance approval.  A fee is typically charged as well, so be sure to get this taken care of on a timely basis.  Otherwise, you may be denied access to the community upon your arrival, which is certainly not what you want to happen.

Entrance into Spanish Wells is strictly controlled with a gatehouse which is manned 24 hours every day.  Gatehouse personnel should be given advance notice of your arrival.  Be sure to inquire from the individual handling your rental what arrangements they have made for you to enter the community.  Once here, if you will be staying for the season, you may want to arrange to get a barcode sticker for the window of your vehicle, to gain you automatic access to the community anytime day or night.  Check with the guard at the gatehouse for instructions on obtaining this.

Florida law requires that for rentals of less than six months, sales and tourist taxes must be paid on rentals.  Make sure you know in advance exactly what your costs are going to be, and what is included in the quoted rental amounts.  Also, be sure to find out what you are responsible for once you arrive.  Are utility bills to be reimbursed by you, and will phone service be available?  Will you be able to make long distance calls if necessary?  If not, you may want to pick up an inexpensive phone card, like the ones issued by Sam's Club, prior to your arrival.  Will you be charged for cleaning fees after you vacate, and if so, how much?  What about damages?  If something is accidentally broken, how will it be handled? 

Should you need assistance with finding a rental agent who can assist you in your quest for that "perfect property" for your next vacation... or should you need assistance with something once you arrive, don't hesitate to contact us.  We're here for you and hope that maybe we'll be able to help you out in some small way.  Spanish Wells is where we live and work, and we look forward to any opportunity to assist our neighbors!

This Website has been designed and maintained by Spanish Wells resident

Marti Timple ~ John R. Wood Inc., REALTORS ~  (239) 405-1608

Email me at: TheTimples@InsideSpanishWells.com