Frequently Asked Questions
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Adults age 25 and above may rent a vacation rental property from Gold Star Vacation Rentals. Under NO circumstances will a property be rented to vacationing students under age 25 who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian. The individual checking in must be the parent or guardian who is renting the unit and must be present for the entire stay.
Any reservations obtained under false pretense may be subject to eviction from the property and loss of rental payments, taxes and fees.
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YES, 50% of the reservation total is due at the time of booking. The remaining 50% is due no later than 30 days prior to your check-in date (60 days for houses and long-term stays). For reservations made within 30 days of arrival, 100% of the balance is due at the time of the booking.
The 12% booking fee is included in the initial payment of your reservation. This fee is nonrefundable upon cancelation with a minimum of $100.
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No, but each reservation is charged a $25 per day Damage Waiver Fee that covers up to $300 of accidental damage and must be reported to Gold Star Vacation Rentals via phone or email prior to the guest departure. The guest will be fully responsible for all damage amounts above the $300. At the time of booking each renter has the option to purchase an additional non-refundable Accidental Damage Insurance policy issued by a 3rd party company for $50 that covers up to $1,500 for any additional accidental damage that occurs to the property during the rental period as long as it is reported to Gold Star Vacation Rentals prior to check-out.
To learn more about the Damage Insurance, please visit our Insurance page.
If no additional accidental damage insurance is purchased each guest will be financially responsible for all damage done to the property beyond normal wear and tear. Additionally any items reported missing by our inspection staff from the property will be the full responsibility of the person placing the reservation. These items include all property of the owner and any missing or damaged Towels or Bed Linens.
If excessive cleaning is required after your stay, the person placing the reservation will additionally be billed at a rate of $75 per hour.
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Gold Star Vacation Rentals is not responsible for any items left behind.
We will offer to look for the items and if found, we can mail them to you for the cost of shipping.
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YES, If purchasing this optional travel insurance, payment for the insurance is also required at the time of booking. This is optional and extra fees apply.
Please visit our Insurance page to learn more.
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A 2-night minimum stay is required on all reservations unless otherwise noted.
Some condos or houses may have a 5 or 7-night minimum stay.
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50% of the reservation total and any optional travel or accidental damage insurance is due at the time of booking. The remaining balance is due 30 days prior to your arrival date for condos and 60 days prior for houses and long-term stays.
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YES, Gold Star Vacation Rentals offers a 24+ HR reservation hold. All “HOLDS” will expire at Mid Night the following day if payment is not made.
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YES, You will receive a confirmation letter by e-mail after Gold Star Vacation Rentals has confirmed your reservation. Please take time to verify the arrival/departure dates, reserved property, and reservation total.
Please contact us immediately if you find a discrepancy otherwise, we will assume all information is correct. Receipt of your signed rental agreement and Welcome email will serve as your confirmation letter.
Check all email inboxes (including your Junk or Spam folders) for communications from Gold Star Vacation Rentals.
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We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express cards.
We also accept checks which must include a copy of your ID.
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While we hope to never move you to a different property, situations may arise that make the property unavailable. Gold Star Vacation Rentals reserves the right to substitute comparable accommodations without notice or liability should the reserved unit become unavailable for any reason.
If comparable accommodations are not available you will have the option of selecting from available properties for other dates or receiving a complete refund.
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Reservations must be canceled 30 days prior to your arrival date for condo rentals or 60 days for houses and long-term monthly rentals to be eligible for a refund.
If the reservation is canceled within the specified number of days before arrival all payments are refundable except the 12% rental fee with a minimum of $100. Rentals canceled less than the specified number of days before arrival will not be eligible for a refund.
We do offer travel insurance through a 3rd party company for additional coverage in the event of an emergency. Travel insurance must be purchased at the time of booking the reservation.
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YES, If the cancellation is at least 2 weeks before your initial reservation check-in date and another date is available you may rebook the same or another unit managed by Gold Star Vacation Rentals within 30 days of the original rental date to receive full credit to be applied to the new rental. The new rental will require a $100 processing fee to be paid for a new booking.
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NO, There are no refunds for early departures unless a mandatory evacuation order is mandated by the Governor of Alabama.
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Check-in begins at 4:00 p.m. CST on your scheduled arrival date.
Check-out is 10:00 a.m. CST on your scheduled day of departure.
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YES, Only if your rental unit has been cleaned, disinfected and is ready to be occupied. We will notify you by email or text message when the unit is ready.
We will never guarantee an early check-in before the day of arrival.
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YES, A late check-out can be requested. A late check-out will only be allowed on days that do not have another guest checking in.
A fee $100 fee will be charged for any checkout after 10:00 am. It is important that our housekeeping staff have adequate time to clean and prepare the unit for the next guest arrival.
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No problem, you will be given all access codes to access the unit via email or text message.
If you need to stop by our office for any reason please let us know before 4:00 PM and arrangements will be made.
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Each of our condos and houses are equipped with standard household furniture and a full kitchen. Appliances include coffee maker, microwave, toaster, TV, etc.
Each owner has different décor and color schemes. Furnishings will vary for each property.
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Most properties are available with free Internet service. If Internet service is a must, please verify with Gold Star Vacation Rentals prior to booking your vacation rental property.
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The cleaning fee is charged to each guest to provide that the unit is cleaned and sanitized to the highest standards of a White Glove treatment. This includes cleaning all bed coverings and high-grade bath towels, wash cloths and make-up removal cloths for the next guest’s arrival.
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We provide: High Quality Bed linens, blankets, pillows, dishes, glassware, pots, pans, utensils, initial supply of bath towels based upon the accommodation size of the unit.
We also start you off with the following items.
- 1 roll of paper towels
- 1 roll of toilet tissue per bathroom
- 1 trash bag per can
- 2 dishwashing packets
- 2 laundry detergent packets
- 1 travel-size dishwashing liquid
- 1 bar soap per bathroom
- 1 travel-size lotion per bathroom
- 1 travel size shampoo per bathroom
- 1 travel-size conditioner per bathroom
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Extra laundry and dishwashing detergent, bathroom tissue, paper towels, napkins, garbage bags, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, zip lock bags, bath soap, condiments, coffee filters, beach towels, beach chairs, bikes, fishing poles, turtle-friendly flashlight, sand toys, sunscreen, beach umbrella, sunglasses, large brimmed hat, and sunburn relief lotion. The sun’s rays are more direct in the south.
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Parking Passes are required at most condo complexes. Many provide a maximum of two per condo. 1-bedroom condos are generally only provided one parking pass. Parking passes are usually included in the cost of the reservation however, some complexes require them to be purchased onsite. Depending on the complex, trailer and boat parking are not allowed.
Please verify with your Gold Star reservation specialist to confirm the policy of a particular property.
Each complex is different and we will help to provide as much information as possible but Gold Star Vacation Rentals is not responsible for unexpected policy changes by the condominium complex.
All Phoenix condo buildings require parking passes to be purchased directly from them at the front desk. Pricing is subject to change.
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YES, the maximum number of people is based on the amount each property comfortably sleeps. Each property will have the occupancy number listed in the description. Children under 2 do not count towards the occupancy limit.
For questions, please speak with a Reservation Specialist.
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Although we only offer rentals, our staff is local and can recommend rental services that provide beach chairs & umbrellas, great restaurants, and other fun activities.
Please call a local Gold Star Reservation Specialist to ask about any recommendations.
We also have a fantastic Real Estate Sales Team in our office if you’d like to make your vacation more permanent!
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Dogs are allowed only in properties listed as Dog Friendly. No cats or other pets are allowed!!!
A non-refundable pet fee is required and varies from property to property. A pet or evidence of a pet found on the premises at any non-pet-friendly property will cause immediate eviction and forfeiture of your entire reservation.
Local boarding kennels are available should you require this service.
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You are responsible for cleaning up after any accidents that your pet has. This must be an immediate and thorough cleaning of the area. In addition to this cleaning you are required to report this incident to Gold Star Vacation Rentals immediately so that we can schedule a thorough disinfecting of the area.
The dog must be attended to at all times. If you have to leave the dog for a period of time be sure they are securely locked in a kennel that you provide.
There should not be excess hair from your pet in the home. You are responsible for cleaning any such hair before you depart. Any excessive pet hair may require additional cleaning at the expense of the guest.
It is your responsibility to report and pay for any damage caused by your pet. Please remember that it is your financial obligation to pay for any repairs or damages for the next guest.
Please use identified areas for your dog to go to relieve itself and you must pick up any waste and dispose of it. BE COURTEOUS TO OTHER VACATIONERS…
Under no circumstance and for no duration of time can your pet be allowed to harass or impose on another guest visiting. If Gold Star Vacation Rentals receives a complaint that your pet is causing a disturbance you will receive one warning and if the issue is not resolved you will be asked to find another location to house your pet for the duration of your stay. If you are not able to control your pet or find other accommodations, you will be evicted without compensation or any refund of unused rental days.
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NO, Fireworks are prohibited at all rental properties.
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NO, Telephones are furnished in most vacation properties for local calls ONLY. Long distance and directory assistance calls must be made collect, charged to your personal phone number or paid by credit card.
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Condominium Association rules prohibit the use of grills on MOST balconies. Grills can never be used under decks or under raised beach houses and duplexes. Most condo buildings, duplexes, and houses have designated areas for BBQ grilling.
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This is handled on a case by case basis as determined by public officials in regard to human safety. Refunds are available through optional third party Trip Insurance, if the trip insurance was purchased at time of the initial reservation. See our Trip Insurance page for more details.
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We ask that you do a light clean-up before you leave the unit.
Remove all food and beverage items from the refrigerator and freezer. Please bag and dispose of all trash in outside waste receptacles. Please wash all dishes or start the dishwasher before departure. Remove bed linens and place in the laundry room along with the towels. Set the thermostat to 75 degrees and make sure all windows and doors are closed and locked.
NOTE: The door lock combination will become inactive at 10:00 am unless a late checkout was arranged and paid for.