Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any chance we can get in earlier than the 4:00 pm check-in time?

We have to allow our housekeeping and maintenance staff enough time to prepare for your arrival after the departure of the previous guest that stayed in the rental home. This may take most of the available hours between departure and arrival times that day. However, if we have a mobile phone number on file and finish the home substantially ahead of our goal of 4 pm, we will send an automated call to let you know of the home's earlier availability.

When you rent one of our Platinum Perks select properties, our goal is to have the home ready for an earlier 1:30 pm partial check-in. One bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen will be cleaned by 1:30 pm, and the rest of the house will be completed by 4:00 pm. You can stock your fridge, cool off in the air conditioning, or just change to get a head start on valuable beach time with the family. Check your vacation rental agreement to see if you rented a Platinum Perks Home.

What should I do if I have a maintenance issue upon arrival?

Chances are that your vacation rental home experiences a lot of traffic during the season. We work hard to make sure you experience no issues during your stay. If you find any maintenance or housekeeping issues upon arrival, please let us know as soon as possible. You will find a maintenance form in your welcome packet. Fill it out and return it to our island office and we’ll follow up from there.  If there is an emergency, please give our full-service maintenance department a call at 910-579-8655.

Some common maintenance issues:

*When changing the settings on your refrigerator and stocking groceries; please keep in mind that refrigerators take some time to adjust, and could take up to 24 hours to adequately cool your food and beverages. Settings should be in the middle of the range for both the fridge and freezer sections. Don't expect a cooler fridge immediately, particularly on days that include multiple doors openings due to departure/cleaning/arrival.

*Air conditioning units typically will only cool 15 degrees difference than the outdoor temperature. Do not dramatically change the settings on the thermostat, for this will cause the air conditioner to freeze-up and not work.

What items should I pack for my vacation?

Vacation rental homes operate differently than your typical hotel or resort, so you'll need to bring some necessities with you.  We suggest bringing linens and towels (if they are not provided as part of the rental or you have not rented them through us), paper towels, toilet tissue, kitchen trash bags, dish detergent, bar soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, hair dryer, food wrap, seasonings, board games, books, sun screen, tanning lotion, medicine, boogie boards, beach chairs, and portable grill (if your rental doesn’t advertise a grill).

How do we rent DVD movies through the Sunset Properties Perks Club?

Included in each arrival envelope will be a plastic card and instructions on how to use it with the movie machines located at both of our offices. The Sunset Beach machine sits on the front porch at that office, and is available 24/7. The Ocean Isle machine sits inside our office, and is available during business hours Monday through Saturday.

Each reservation will receive one card, and you may rent one movie at a time for free. When you are finished with the first movie, bring it back to the machine, and you'll be able to rent another one right away.

Enjoy!

I'm staying at a home that has a boat dock, and I'm bringing my boat with me. Where can I put it in the water?

There are boat ramps at each island.

Ocean Isle Beach's ramp is a larger facility, and is located next to the Ocean Isle Fishing Center at the island side-base of the OIB bridge.

Sunset Beach's ramp is at the end of Sunset Blvd North on the mainland. To reach it, take a right off of the island's bridge as you head to the mainland onto Sunset Blvd, and follow that road for two blocks past the Wings store. The ramp is located across from Twin Lakes Restaurant.

Both ramps are available at no charge to the public.

Do vacationers need a fishing license to enjoy the area's top fishing spots?

Anyone fishing off the coast of NC 16 years of age or older must have a NC Coastal Fishing License. This includes those people fishing from the beach and floating docks on the canal, bay, and marsh. If you plan to fish off the public fishing pier at Sunset Beach, they have a commercial license that will cover you. To purchase your license in advance or for more details visit the NC Wildlife Commission website. 

Are fireworks allowed on the beach?

Our community has become particularly sensitive to fireworks-there have been several fires in and around our town over the last few years due to carelessness with these.  No fireworks of any kind are allowed anywhere on our island; any renters found with fireworks will lose their occupancy due to safety concerns, and will be subject to state prosecution (don’t expect any warnings).  Do expect both the local police and residents to be monitoring the use of fireworks closely.

Beach rules can be accessed through our Rental Information tab on this page and can be seen at every public beach access. There are certain town rules that pertain to surfing, beverages on the beach, and beach equipment.

What family activities are there to do in town?

We are located in close proximity to many great area restaurants and amusements. The bright lights and attractions of Myrtle Beach and Wilmington are less than an hour's drive from our island. If that's not for you, our beach is great for a traditional family vacation of relaxing, reading books, family beach games, or board games after the sun goes down.

You can save money at area businesses through our Perks Club.  There are over 25 popular businesses participating in our program this year.  We'll have a program pamphlet in your welcome packet at arrival.

You may want to visit the coastal displays at the Museum of Coastal Carolina at Ocean Isle (910-579-1016), or the updated digital shows at Ingram Planetarium in Sunset Beach (910-575-0033).  Visit the Social Corner section at the top of this page to check out our blog posts on more fun things to do in the local area.  Our website is cell phone compatible and features helpful information for when you’re here on vacation.  Simply type our web address into your cell phone internet browser to access our site.

Got another question that we didn't answer here? Either check our mobile websites or just email us at reservations.sp@atmc.net, or call our staff at 866-701-7795, and we'll try to help you with it.