CRA Rental Agreement Terms and Conditions

Guest & Cottage Add On’s

  • Two (2) bike rentals
  • One (1) complimentary bottle of wine or sparkling water at check in
  • Welcome Gift

Cottage Identity and Dates- Your reservation is for a particular cottage. Please review the vacation dates and information about the cottage carefully. 

Availability- Occasionally, a cottage which has been reserved will not be available for reasons beyond our control. When that happens, CRA will substitute comparable accommodations. If comparable accommodations are not available, you will have the option of selecting from available properties at the published rate or receiving a complete refund of your reservation deposit. 

Minimum Night Stay- Select properties may require a minimum night stay. Confirm minimum night/seasonal restrictions with a CRA Vacation Planning Agent. 

Age Restriction- A person in the party must be at least 25 years of age to check-in. 

Advance Deposit and Payment- An advance deposit of 50% of the total rent will be required at time of reservation. CRA accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover. Personal checks cannot be accepted within 45 days of your arrival date. Payment of the remaining 50% is due 45 days prior to arrival and may be paid by credit card. Personal checks can only be accepted if the entire amount is prepaid at least 45 business days prior to the arrival date. 

Reservation Fee- The Reservation Fee will appear as an additional, separate charge. For one bedroom cottages – $56.00, two bedroom cottages and larger – $84.00. This is a standard non-refundable fee required at the time of booking. 

Cancellation Policy- CRA requires a 45-day notice of cancellation for a full refund of your deposit. If you cancel your reservation or shorten the length of your stay within the 45-day cancellation period, you will be charged 50% of the rate for the cancelled days of your originally scheduled reservation. If a cancellation occurs within 14 days of your arrival date, the entire balance of your stay will be non-refundable and non-transferable. For reservations made within 30 days of arrival, cancellation or changes may be made without penalty no later than 24 hours after making the reservation. A transfer to another cottage is considered a cancellation. If your stay is longer than 21 days, you will have up to 60 days to make changes or cancel prior to arrival. No-show (failure to check-in) or early departure is charged 100% of the rate and fees of your original scheduled reservation. You must have your cancellation number as proof you canceled your reservation per the terms of the Cancellation Policy to avoid the no show charge. 

Book with Confidence – Hurricane Evacuation – If there is a named storm with a projected path to the Florida Panhandle and a mandatory evacuation is issued by the governing bodies for the South Walton County (specifically, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida or Seaside, Florida) during the dates of your stay, you can cancel and receive a full refund of your deposit or you can choose to relocate your vacation to a future date. Refunds are not given due to inclement weather. The named hurricane or tropical storm must make landfall during your stay. Stays after landfall are not eligible. In the event of a mandatory evacuation, only the unused portion of your stay will be refunded. No refunds will be issued for voluntary evacuations. 

Rental/Front Desk Office- The Cottage Rental Agency Front Desk office is located beside Beach Ready Spa at 27 Quincy Circle, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459. The telephone number is (850) 231-2222 extension 2. 

Check-in Time- Check-in time begins at 4 p.m. (CST). Due to CRA’s high quality standards and high business levels on holiday and peak seasons weekends. Due to high occupancy and cottage turn over, early check-in time is highly unlikely. It is possible we may need additional time to get your cottage ready, if CRA is still preparing your home at 4 p.m., rest assured you can still check in and use community amenities. We will give you a call when your home is ready. 

Departure- Check-out time is at 10 a.m. at the Front Desk. There will be a fee charged for late departures. There are no refunds for early departures. It is imperative that guests check out no later than 10 a.m. on their day of departure in order for us to have proper time needed to get the cottage ready for the next guest. Here are a few things asked of all guests before departure: (1) ensure sure all garbage is placed in outside trash cans, (2) place dishes in dishwasher, (3) lock all doors and windows, and (4)inform the Front Desk that you are checking out. 

Pets- No pets are allowed as a rule in our rental cottages. Apart from our pet friendly homes, our cottages are all privately owned, and our homeowners insist that their homes remain pet free. If you need to bring a pet along, we can assist you in finding a kennel. Should we discover a pet in any of the no-pet accommodations, you will be charged a fee for pest control, a deep clean, and an additional day’s rent which, when combined, usually amounts to $500 or more. In addition, you will need to board your pet at a local kennel or leave the accommodation. 

Housekeeping- Your cottage will be cleaned and include fresh linens and start-up supplies before your arrival. This service is automatic and appears within your first night charges. 

Startup supplies: CRA will provide you with basic amenities to get your vacation off to a great start; a typical two (2)-day supply  includes coffee, filters, creamers, sugar, dish soap, sponge, paper towels, trash bags, toilet paper, facial tissue, bath and facial soap, shampoo, conditioner and hand lotion. After your initial complimentary two (2)-day supply, you will need to purchase needed items from a local store or bring those items with you. 

Keys- CRA will gladly give you a maximum of four (4) keys per accommodation if needed. All keys must be returned to the CRA Rental/Front Desk office upon departure. There will be a $15 charge for each set of keys not returned upon departure. 

Beach Access:  Seaside Town Council mandates beach access through specified entry points. Based on your Seaside cottage location, beach access for your stay will either be via public beach access located at Town Center or through one of the private street pavilion access points. Properties outside of Seaside will have their own designated and/or public beach access points as well (Watercolor Beach, Public Beach Access for Seagrove and Nature Walk, etc.) 

Automobiles/Parking- The Seaside community is designed for the pleasure of people. Automobiles are welcome, but the roads belong to pedestrians first. Once you’re here, you’ll find that the beach, pool, restaurants, and shops are all a pleasant stroll away. Please call prior to arrival for assistance with RV, trailer, and boat parking as they are not allowed on property. No Golf Carts (street legal) are allowed in the town of Seaside. Most properties have parking for one (1) automobile and a maximum of two (2) parking passes may be issued per Seaside Town Council. You may be referred to overflow parking for some cottages and for additional vehicles. 

Condition of Cottage & Refund Policy- CRA has described all cottages and their furnishings as accurately as possible based upon the information received from the homeowner. However, sometimes an owner will remodel or redecorate a cottage after the information has been published, therefore, there may be some discrepancies. CRA staff makes every effort to keep each property and its equipment in good working order and to make repairs as soon as possible when notified of a problem. No refunds or rate adjustment whatsoever will be made for mechanical failures, such as air conditioning, heating, television, or appliances that occur during your stay. CRA is not responsible for intrusion of pests including insects, rodents, flies, or other pests, as well as weather conditions, road conditions, power outages, acts of God, beach closures or any other activity, event, construction, or condition beyond its control. 

Maximum Refund: If upon check-in and within the first two (2) hours of occupancy, you discover and report an item found to be not working such as an air conditioner, heater, appliance, major plumbing, electrical, Internet services, cable TV service, fireplace, or other common household items, we will make arrangements to have the item fixed and a maximum one (1)-time refund of $50 will be credited to your stay for the inconvenience.   

Construction- Seaside is still growing as a town. Occasionally, there may be some noise if your cottage is near a construction site. All construction crews are well mannered, and work is allowed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Saturday with no noise outside until 8 a.m. No outside work is allowed on Sundays, ONLY interior as long as it does not disrupt surrounding guests. If vendor vehicles become an issue with guest parking etc., they will be asked to leave/move. If you have problems, please let us know and we will ask the contractors to be more considerate. Unfortunately, Cottage Rental Agency cannot offer refunds or cottage moves due to construction noise. 

Observation Towers- Many homeowners have built roof decks or observation towers to catch a view of the Gulf.  These towers are what make the town skylines so distinctive. Because they are up so high, accessing decks, towers, lofts or even second stories may also entail climbing ladders or narrow or winding steps. We hope you will enjoy these special places; however, by staying in the cottage, you have assumed the risk of these architectural features. If you have children or others in your party who need assistance, please supervise them. 

Telephones/Internet/TV – Your cottage may or may not be equipped with a telephone and Internet services. Outgoing long-distance telephone calls may be blocked but may be made by calling collect or using a calling card. Please note that Cottage Rental Agency is not responsible for and cannot guarantee the quality of Internet, telephone, or TV service in any of the cottages.  Service may be limited or disrupted due to conditions beyond our control and some devices may not work properly while using the Internet. Should you experience a problem please contact the front desk and we will contact the service provider for repairs. See Cottage Condition & Refunds for further information.  Guests are always welcome to use our business center computers with Internet access located at the front desk during normal business hours as needed. 

Mail Only Deliveries- You will not be able to mail directly to a particular cottage’s address.  Please send mail to the CRA Front Desk at 27 Quincy Circle, 32459, P.O. Box 4896, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459. You must include the guest’s name and the cottage name. 

Deliveries Other Than Mail- Package deliveries must be arranged in advance with CRA Receiving. All items must be marked with the cottage name, guest name and arrival date, as well as item number (i.e., item 1 of 2; item 2 of 2). Due to limited storage space, no shipments will be accepted any earlier than 3 days prior to arrival. Shipments will not be accepted on Saturday and Sunday. CRA does not accept any liability for items that arrive unmarked, damaged or fail to arrive at CRA. Please ship to: CRA Receiving, 27 Quincy Circle, P.O. Box 4896, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459 / Point of Contact: 850-231-2245. (Delivery companies do not deliver in the AM or on Saturdays in the Seaside area.) 

Maximum Occupancy- Your Vacation Planner has noted the number of adults and children in your party as they pertain to the maximum occupancy of your accommodation. Should it be discovered that you are over occupying your accommodation, you will be charged an additional fee of $50 per person per night due to the additional cleaning costs and any potential damages. Eviction is possible in cases where safety or fire code could be an issue. 

Smoking- All of our cottages are designated as non-smoking accommodations. No smoking is permitted anywhere on a non-smoking property, including decks, porches, or within the fenced area around the cottage. There is an additional fee of $500 for cleaning and damages for those guests found to be smoking in or around a non-smoking cottage. 

Damage Policy – Guests are responsible for the cottage, its contents, and themselves during occupancy. Guests must lock windows and doors securely when not in the premises. Rearranging the furniture or removing any items from the cottage is prohibited. After Check-Out, we will inspect for damage, missing items, and abnormally dirty appearance. If we determine that damage is present, items are missing, or the unit is abnormally dirty, we will repair the damage, replace the missing items, and/or perform a deep clean at Renter’s expense. Renter authorizes us to charge the credit card on file under such circumstances. 

Security of Personal Property – Cottage Rental Agency assumes no responsibility for any acts of theft or vandalism, or other damages to any personal property. This includes personal items left behind in the cottage at departure. However, CRA will put forth every effort to recover such items for you at your request. 

Damage Waiver- The non-refundable damage waiver is a charge which covers any accidental damage to the cottage you are renting or any of its furnishings during your visit. The waiver does NOT cover – and you remain responsible for – intentional acts of destruction, theft, or gross negligence; damage caused by smoking in non-smoking cottages (including smoking on decks, porches, or fenced areas around a non-smoking cottage); or damage caused by a pet or other animal brought onto the premises by a guest. Pets are not allowed in any CRA rental cottages, unless it is designated pet friendly. 

Curfew- There is a curfew from midnight until 6:00 a.m. for persons under the age of 18 years, not accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Rates- Rates and policies are subject to change without notice. Rates are subject to applicable sales tax and an optional local Arts and Entertainment Fee. 

Arts and Entertainment Fee- An optional two percent (2%) charge is added to your bill; this goes towards an A&E fund that provides cultural, educational and entertainment activities for the community. 

Sandestin Foundation for Kids- Reservation total includes a $1 donation to Sandestin Foundation for Kids for each night. The option to opt out is available at Front Desk at time of check in. 

COVID-19- We continue to follow protocols as recommended by the CDC:

  • We are reinforcing the recommended measures on appropriate hygiene standards across all homes.
  • Our staff has been trained on the latest safety recommendations, and we have increased the frequency of disinfecting all public areas of our operations with recommended sanitizing products.
  • Paying special attention to all our equipment, vehicles, and public areas, we have increased the frequency of and enhanced the techniques used to disinfect all areas.
  • We are looking after the health and well-being of our team members, recommending they remain home and consult their healthcare provider if they feel ill.  We are also urging all employees to be vigilant about frequent hand washing.