07 — The Fine Print

Good to know

The fine print, plainly.

Everything we'd want to know before booking a stranger's beach house — distances, rules, taxes, cancellation, and the honest caveats.

Check-in 4:00 PM
Check-out 10:00 AM
Up to 10 guests
25+ to book
No pets
No smoking

Front porch with navy rocking chairs looking out over the neighborhood

01 — Practical

Check-in and check-out

Check-in from 4:00 PM, check-out by 10:00 AM, smart-lock self check-in — your door code arrives before you do.

Check-in is any time after 4:00 PM. Check-out is by 10:00 AM. Those hours are what our cleaning team needs to turn the house over to the standard you saw in the photos, so please plan around them.

There is no key exchange. The front door has a smart lock; your personal code is sent to you before arrival and stops working at check-out. Just code in and relax.

Early check-in or late check-out? Ask. If the house is ready early we will happily send your code sooner, and if nobody arrives the day you leave we can often stretch the morning. We cannot promise either until the day before, because it depends on the booking either side of yours.

Before you leave, start the dishwasher, bag the trash and drop it in the bins under the exterior steps, and pull the door closed behind you. That is the whole checklist — linens and towels stay where they are. Trash and recycling are collected every Tuesday morning by roll-out service, so there is nothing to wheel to the curb.

Blue Crab Beach House from the drive: raised blue cottage with a wraparound porch, a palm by the stairs, and parking underneath — Parking for six underneath — bring the whole crew.

02 — House policy

House rules

Ten guests max, no smoking or vaping, no pets, no parties, quiet hours 10 PM to 8 AM — the neighbors live here year-round.

Blue Crab is a family home in a residential neighborhood, not a hotel. The rules are the ones we would want our own house treated by.

Maximum occupancy is 10 guests, counting everyone who sleeps over. Daytime visitors for a meal or a beach afternoon are welcome; overnight guests beyond your booking are not.
Quiet hours are 10 PM to 8 AM. Voices carry across the yards here, and our neighbors live on this street all year.
No smoking, vaping, or e-cigarettes anywhere on the property, inside or out.
No pets. See the pets section below for service animals.
No parties, gatherings, or events. A big family dinner is what the house is for; a guest list is not.
No food or drink in the bedrooms, and no glass containers on the rocks in the backyard — bare feet and the fire pit live there.
Hammock chairs hold 250 lb. One person per hammock, please.
The owner’s closet is off limits. Everything else in the house is yours to use.
The thermostat is set to a 67–74 °F range. If the house is not comfortable, message us and we will sort it out.
Exterior security cameras cover the driveway and entrances for everyone’s safety. There are no cameras inside the house.
The primary renter must be 25 or older and stay at the house for the whole reservation.
Tell us about anything broken or not working right away. We are not on site, but we are quick, and a problem we know about is a problem we can fix.

Breaking these rules can end a stay early without refund, and any damage or extra cleaning they cause is charged to the card on file — see the rental agreement summary below.

03 — Practical

Getting to the beach

The 55th Street and 58th Street accesses are about three minutes by golf cart or car, ten to fifteen on foot. Use 58th — it has the stoplight. The house is not oceanfront.

Blue Crab is a beach house, not an oceanfront house. It sits on the quiet, Intracoastal side of Oak Island’s grid, which is why the neighborhood is calm and why parking is never a problem. The two closest public beach accesses are at 55th Street and 58th Street — about a three-minute ride in the golf cart or the car, or a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk down the numbered streets.

Cross at 58th Street. To reach either access you cross Oak Island Drive, the island’s main road. The 58th Street crossing has a stoplight; 55th does not. With kids, bikes, or the golf cart, go to 58th, wait for the light, and cross there — it is the one we use.

Load the cart and go. The shed holds six beach chairs, four body boards, a pop-up Shibumi shade, sand toys, and a beach cart to haul it all. Beach towels are the one thing you bring yourself.

Parking at the beach. The golf cart comes with a beach parking pass, so it parks at the accesses without a paid visitor pass — one reason guests keep mentioning it. Cars need a visitor pass from the town’s parking app in season.

Sea turtles. Loggerheads nest on Oak Island from May through August and hatch through October. Keep lights off on the beach after dark, fill in any holes you dig, and give marked nests a wide berth. The volunteers who walk the beach at dawn will thank you.

Boats. The municipal boat ramp on the Intracoastal Waterway is about a minute from the house, with trailer parking. Ask us for directions and the local tips.

Drone view over Oak Island showing the tree-lined streets between the house and the ocean — Three minutes to the sand, from above.

04 — Practical

The golf cart

A six-seat cart is included with every stay. Licensed drivers only, town rules apply, and it goes back on the charger at night.

Yes, the golf cart is included. Six seats, room for the beach cart in the back, keys on the hook by the door. It is the fastest way to the beach, the pier, and the ice-cream run, and it comes with a beach parking pass so it parks at the accesses.

A few rules keep it that way:

Licensed drivers only. North Carolina treats a golf cart on a public street like a car: you need a valid driver’s license to operate it. No exceptions for teenagers with a permit.
Stay on 35 mph streets. Oak Island allows carts on roads posted 35 mph or lower and at marked crossings. Cross Oak Island Drive at the 58th Street stoplight on the way to the beach. Do not take it onto Highway 133 or the bridges.
Everyone seated, no standing, no riding on the back. Six seats means six people. Small children ride with an adult beside them.
Daylight and lit streets only. The cart has lights, but please have it home and on the charger by dark.
No alcohol behind the wheel. Same law as a car, same consequences.
Plug it in when you park it for the night. The charger is under the house next to where it lives. A cart that is not charged is a cart that does not make it back from the beach.
You are responsible for the cart while it is in your care. Damage, tickets, or loss during your stay are charged to the card on file, the same as anything else in the house.

If the cart has a problem, message us before you try to fix it. We will get someone out or arrange a replacement.

Six-seat golf cart parked under the house beside the stairs, American flag on the porch above — Six-seat golf cart — included with your stay.

05 — Practical

Parking

Room for six vehicles under and beside the house, free. Boat trailers go to the municipal ramp a minute away.

Six vehicles fit under the raised house and in the driveway, all free and all on the property. Bring the whole extended family or two families in convoy — everyone gets a spot.

Park on the gravel and concrete, not the grass. The yard is where the fire pit, hammocks, and cornhole live.

Boat trailers. The municipal boat ramp on the Intracoastal Waterway is about one minute away with designated trailer parking, so leave the trailer there rather than in the driveway.

RVs and campers cannot be parked or slept in on the property.

Street parking is limited on our block and our neighbors appreciate a clear street, so keep everything in the driveway.

06 — Practical

What to bring — and what not to

Beach towels, toiletries, and sunscreen. Everything else, from bikes to the Pack ’n Play to the coffee pods, is already here.

Bring: beach towels, your own toiletries, sunscreen, and groceries (Publix and Food Lion are two minutes away, so a first-morning run is easy).

Already here:

Fresh linens on every bed, bath towels, and a starter supply of toilet paper, paper towels, soap, shampoo, conditioner, dish tablets, and trash bags. The starter supply is meant to get you through the first day or two of a longer stay, not the whole week.
Six beach chairs, four body boards, a pop-up Shibumi shade, sand toys, and the beach cart.
Four bikes — two adult, two kids — in the shed.
A fully equipped kitchen: Keurig and drip coffee makers with pods to start you off, dishwasher, blender, toaster, baking sheets, wine glasses, and every tool you would reach for.
For little ones: Pack ’n Play, high chair, children’s dinnerware, books, board games, toys, and outdoor ring toss.
Washer and dryer, iron, hair dryers, hangers, and a first-aid kit.
Restaurant menus, s’mores skewers, and the bottle opener live in the drawer above the trash can.

Leave at home: anything with a flame besides the fire pit (no candles or fireworks), pets, and inflatable pools.

Garage with kids' and adult bikes, beach chairs, body boards, and a beach cart — Bikes, chairs, boards, cart — all included.

07 — House policy

Pets and smoking

No pets and no smoking or vaping, inside or out. Trained service animals are welcome — just let us know before you arrive.

Pets. Blue Crab is a pet-free house so that guests with allergies can breathe easy and so the new furniture stays new. That includes visiting pets and “just for the afternoon.” An unapproved animal is charged a deep-cleaning fee and can end the stay.

Service animals. A trained service animal that performs a task for a person with a disability is not a pet under federal and North Carolina law and is welcome. Please tell us before you arrive so the cleaning team can plan, and note that emotional-support animals are not covered by that definition.

Smoking. No smoking, vaping, or e-cigarettes anywhere on the property, including the porches, the backyard, and the golf cart. Evidence of smoking is charged a remediation fee to cover the deodorizing and laundering it takes to put right.

08 — Practical

Accessibility

A raised coastal house — one flight of exterior stairs up, then everything on a single level, with a walk-in shower in the master.

We want you to know exactly what you are walking into, so here is the honest layout.

The house is raised on piers, as most on Oak Island are, so there is one flight of exterior stairs from the driveway to the front porch. There is no elevator or lift.
Once you are up, everything is on one level — bedrooms, both baths, kitchen, living room, arcade room, and the screened porch. No interior steps.
The king master’s en-suite has a walk-in glass shower with a low threshold and a double vanity. The second full bath has a tub-shower.
Bed heights are standard; the bunk room’s lower bunks are close to the floor for small kids.
Doorways are standard residential width.
Parking is directly under the house with a short, level walk to the stairs.
Room-darkening shades in the bedrooms, ceiling fans throughout, and a locked-range thermostat (67–74 °F) keep the house predictable for light-sensitive sleepers.
Outdoors: pea gravel around the fire pit and a paved patio under the pergola; the outdoor shower is at ground level beside the house.

If a mobility, sensory, or medical need would change whether the house works for your group, message us before you book and we will answer specifically — measurements, photos, whatever helps.

Front of the raised blue beach cottage with white trim, a wide porch, and palms out front — Built new in 2023, three minutes from the sand.

09 — Practical

The honest bits

Not oceanfront, one flight of stairs, real neighbors, no daily housekeeping — the things we would want to know before renting a stranger's house.

Every listing site leads with the best photo. Here is the rest.

It is not oceanfront. The beach is a three-minute golf-cart ride or a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk. You will not hear the waves from the porch; you will hear birds and, occasionally, a neighbor’s lawnmower.
There are stairs. One exterior flight up to the porch, then everything is on one level. Pack accordingly if someone in your group finds stairs hard.
The neighbors live here year-round. That is what keeps the street quiet and safe, and it is why we hold to quiet hours and a firm no-party rule.
There is no daily housekeeping. The house is cleaned to a hotel standard before you arrive, and we leave you a starter supply of paper goods and soap. For a longer stay you will buy more, run the dishwasher, and use the washer and dryer like you would at home. Mid-stay cleaning can be arranged for a fee — ask us.
We are not on site. Nobody lives at the house, and there is no front desk. We are, however, very reachable and very fast, and our cleaners and handyman are local.
Exterior security cameras watch the driveway and entrances. None inside, ever.
The thermostat has a range. 67–74 °F. Coastal humidity punishes an air conditioner set to 62, so we lock it. If you are uncomfortable, tell us.
Summer is turtle season. Beach lights off after dark, holes filled in, nests respected. The island takes it seriously and so do we.
The fire pit is smokeless, not fireproof. Adults run it, kids sit back, and nothing but wood and marshmallows goes in.

10 — The legal part

Cancellation policy

The same terms as our Airbnb listing — full refund 30 or more days before check-in, half the nightly rate up to 7 days before, none inside 7 days. Cleaning fee always comes back.

This policy applies to stays booked here, on bluecraboki.com, and mirrors the cancellation policy on our Airbnb listing so nobody is better or worse off for booking direct. If you booked on Airbnb or Vrbo, cancellations go through that site under the terms you accepted at their checkout.

Within 48 hours of booking — if your check-in is still at least 14 days away, you can cancel for a full refund, no questions asked.

30 or more days before check-in — full refund of everything you paid.

7 to 29 days before check-in — refund of half the nightly rate, plus the full cleaning fee and all taxes.

Fewer than 7 days before check-in, arriving late, leaving early, or not arriving at all — the nightly rate is not refunded. The cleaning fee and taxes are still returned in full.

Need to move your dates instead? Ask us. If the new dates are open we will move the booking at the rate that applies to them, and the cancellation clock does not restart against you.

Hurricanes and mandatory evacuations. North Carolina’s Vacation Rental Act (G.S. 42A-36) sets the rule and we follow it exactly: if state or local authorities order a mandatory evacuation that covers Oak Island during your stay, you are entitled to a refund of the rent for every night you are not able to occupy the house because of the order — unless you were offered trip insurance covering evacuation losses at booking and declined it, or you bought such insurance and can claim under it. We do not sell or offer trip insurance, so for every booking made here the refund applies. A voluntary evacuation notice, rough surf, rain, or a closed pier is not a mandatory evacuation order and does not trigger it; we recommend buying your own trip insurance for those.

How refunds work. Refunds go back to the card you paid with, usually within five to ten business days of our confirming the cancellation by email. To cancel, reply to your confirmation email or write to us — the date we receive your message is the date that counts.

If we have to cancel — because the house becomes unavailable through no fault of yours — you receive a full refund plus our help finding somewhere else, and that is the extent of our liability.

11 — The legal part

Rental agreement, in plain English

Booking direct means accepting a short North Carolina vacation rental agreement. Here is what it says, without the legal typeface.

When you book here you tick a box accepting our vacation rental agreement, which North Carolina’s Vacation Rental Act requires for every stay under 90 days. The full agreement is sent with your confirmation email. The short version:

Who is renting. The person booking must be 25 or older, must stay at the house for the whole reservation, and is responsible for everyone in the group. The names and count of guests you give us are the guests who may sleep at the house, up to the maximum of 10.

What you are paying. The nightly rate, a flat cleaning fee, and North Carolina and Brunswick County taxes, all shown before you pay. The full amount is charged at booking. Your payment is held in a North Carolina trust account until your stay begins, as the Act requires.

Damage. There is no security deposit and nothing to buy. Instead, the card you pay with stays on file as the guarantee for your stay, and you authorize us to charge it for damage beyond normal wear and tear, missing items, extra cleaning caused by breaking the house rules, or lost keys and fobs. Accidents happen — a broken wine glass or a chipped plate is on us. Anything more is handled like this: we document it with photos, send you an itemized notice with the repair or replacement cost within seven days of your check-out, and charge the card only for the documented, actual cost — never a flat penalty — after you have had 48 hours to respond. Charges are capped at the cost of repair or replacement plus any cleaning it takes to put the house right for the next guest. If we cannot agree, the dispute is handled under North Carolina law, and you keep every right your card issuer gives you.

Your side. Keep the house reasonably clean, follow the house rules, use the appliances and the golf cart as intended, report problems promptly, and leave at check-out time. Do not sublet or hand your reservation to someone else.

Our side. The house is ready, clean, and as described when you arrive, with everything listed working. If something fails during your stay we fix it quickly; if we cannot, we make it right in proportion to what you lost.

Ending a stay early. Under the Act we can end a tenancy through expedited eviction if a guest stays past check-out, materially breaks the agreement or house rules, fails to pay, or booked under false pretenses. We have never had to, and would far rather send a message first.

If the house changes hands. If we sell Blue Crab, any booking within 180 days of the sale must be honored by the new owner, and you would be told in writing.

Cameras and privacy. Exterior security cameras record the driveway and entrances. We never install cameras or listening devices inside. We keep your contact details only to run your booking and never sell them.

Everything else — the cancellation terms above, the taxes and fees below, the house rules — is part of the agreement, and North Carolina law governs it. Questions before you sign? Ask us; we would rather explain than surprise.

12 — The legal part

Taxes and fees

The quote you see is the total you pay — nightly rate, one cleaning fee, and the state, county and town taxes as their own lines. No service fee when you book direct.

Every line of a direct booking is shown before you type a card number, and nothing is added at the last step.

Nightly rate. Set by us, the same rate the listing sites start from before they add their fee. Rates vary by season and minimum stays apply on holiday weeks.

Cleaning fee. One flat fee per stay, shown in your quote. It pays the local team that turns the house over and launders every sheet and towel — we do not mark it up.

Taxes. Short-term rentals in Oak Island are subject to North Carolina and Brunswick County sales tax (currently 6.75%), the Town of Oak Island accommodations tax, and the Brunswick County room occupancy tax. We collect these at booking and remit them to the state, the county, and the town; the exact amounts appear as their own lines in your quote, so you never have to do the math.

No platform or service fee. Booking here saves you the service fee the listing sites add on top of the same rate — typically around 14%. That is the whole reason this site exists.

What is not charged. No booking fee, no linen fee, no damage deposit, no golf-cart fee, no resort fee. If a charge appears that is not on this page, ask us and we will explain or remove it.

Refunds follow the cancellation policy above; taxes and the cleaning fee are refunded in full whenever a booking is cancelled.

Questions we get

Ask away.

Straight answers, updated whenever the house or the rules change.

Why book direct instead of on Airbnb?

Same house, same calendar, same turnover — without the platform service fee, which typically runs around 14%. You also get us directly, not a help-center queue, and the total you see in the quote is the total you pay.

How far is the beach, really?

About three minutes in the golf cart or the car, ten to fifteen minutes on foot, to the 55th Street or 58th Street access. Use 58th — it has the stoplight for crossing Oak Island Drive. The house is on the quiet Intracoastal side of the island and is not oceanfront. Load the beach cart we provide and go.

When are check-in and check-out?

Check-in is any time after 4:00 PM and check-out is by 10:00 AM. The front door has a smart lock — your personal code arrives before you do, so there is no key exchange. Early check-in is often possible; ask the day before.

How many people can stay?

Ten, across three bedrooms — a king master with its own bath, a queen room, and a bunk room with two twin-over-full bunks that sleep three each. There is also a queen sleeper sofa in the living room for splitting the group up differently, but ten is the maximum. Occupancy is firm; it keeps the house nice for the next family. Children under two do not count toward the ten.

Is the golf cart really included?

Yes. A six-seat golf cart comes with every stay at no extra charge, with a beach parking pass so it parks at the accesses. Licensed drivers only, town rules apply, and it goes back on the charger at night.

What are the house rules?

No smoking or vaping, no pets, no parties or events, and quiet hours from 10 PM to 8 AM — the neighbors live here year-round. Ten guests maximum, primary renter 25 or older. The full list is in the house rules section above.

What should we bring?

Beach towels, toiletries, and sunscreen. We provide fresh linens and bath towels, all the beach gear, four bikes, the golf cart, a stocked kitchen, and a starter supply of paper products and soap.

Are taxes and fees included in the price?

Yes. When you book direct, the quote shows the nightly rate, the cleaning fee, and North Carolina and Brunswick County taxes as separate lines before you pay. Nothing is added at the last step and there is no service fee.

What if we need to cancel?

Same terms as our Airbnb listing. Cancel 30 or more days before check-in for a full refund, 7 to 29 days out for half the nightly rate back, and inside 7 days the nightly rate is not refunded. The cleaning fee and taxes always come back, and you have 48 hours after booking to change your mind if check-in is at least two weeks away. A mandatory evacuation order covering your stay refunds every night you cannot use, as North Carolina law requires. Details are in the cancellation policy above.

Is there a minimum stay?

Usually two or three nights, longer over the summer and holiday weeks. The calendar on the booking page only lets you pick date ranges that meet the minimum for those dates, so if it lets you select it, it is bookable.

Can friends or family visit during our stay?

Daytime visitors for a meal, a beach afternoon, or a round of cornhole are welcome. Overnight guests beyond the ten on your booking are not, and the house is not available for parties or events.

How do we reach you during the stay?

Message us the same way you booked — email for direct bookings, the app for Airbnb or Vrbo. We are not on site, but we usually reply within the hour, and our cleaners and handyman are local. For anything urgent, the number to text is in your check-in message.

Still wondering?

Just ask us.

We usually reply within the hour. Or head straight to the calendar.

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The porch light will be on. The blue crabs will be waiting.

58th Street beach access · Oak Island · NC