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Vacationer Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to WeNeedaVacation.com, where vacationers go for vacation rental properties on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. Our 21st century technology allows you to quickly and easily find vacation rentals that match your requirements, budget, and dates. You'll save time by not having to wade through listing after listing to find what you want.

Search for a vacation rental

Hear what other vacationers have told us.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use the website?

How does the Power Search work?

What is MyVacations and how does it work?

What general advice do you have for renters?

How can I provide feedback to you on my vacation at one of your rentals?

How can I contact you?

How do I use the website?


There are two methods of finding vacation rentals.

  1. The majority of visitors to our website use our time-saving Power Search, our internal search engine that allows you to specify where you want to vacation, the number in your party, maximum price, required bedrooms, and many key amenities. You can also specify up to four starting dates for your vacation and request that only properties available for your specified dates be returned from your search. The Power Search finds only those properties that suit those particular criteria. See below for how it works. To use the search method, select the "Power Search" button on the home page, or click here. We think you'll find WeNeedaVacation.com's Power Search outperforms any other means of finding vacation rentals offered on the Internet!

    Once you have performed your search, you can save both your requirements and the results by using MyVacations. Please see below for information on how this feature works, or click here.

  2. Visitors who prefer to "browse" the listings can find properties listed by location in our "property directory." To use this method, select the "Browse all rentals" link found under the cape cod & island rentals tab on any page, and you can then select your destination. The rentals for your chosen destination are listed by occupancy, high to low, within each town. Brief descriptions, along with one picture, for all rentals in your selected destination will be displayed in the directory, and you can then select the properties for which you would like to see more detailed information and pictures. Please be aware that you will not be using our search capability or have the ability to specify your criteria when using the Browse All method of viewing the listings. You can find the availability and exact price for any week by checking the listing's calendar, indicated by a symbol. Some owners choose not to post a calendar and should be contacted about availability and pricing for desired dates.

    Visitors seeking rentals of one month or longer can browse suitable vacation rental listings in our Long Term Rental Directory. A link to this directory is found under the cape cod & island rentals tab on any page. As with our Property Directory ("Browse all rentals"), this list includes description and one photo of the offered rentals and a link to the full listing web page.

    A specific property can be found by its unique ID number by selecting the "Find by Property ID" option on the home page. This is helpful if you have previously visited the site and kept a record of the property IDs of rentals, or if a friend or family member has found a rental they wish you to view.

    If you have previously visited WeNeedaVacation.com and saved your search results into MyVacations, you need only click on the MyVacations link to view all your saved searches and results. Please see below for information on how this feature works, or How does the Power Search work?

    The website's design allows you to indicate your rental property preferences, including your vacation time frame, number of bedrooms, maximum price, proximity to beach, and key amenities. As to location, be as specific or as vague as you wish; you might select a specific location, an entire region, or even a combination of towns. Using your criteria, the website will return a list of all properties that meet your particular needs. The search results will be presented as a list of suitable properties according to price; you can choose to view them "from most expensive" or "from least expensive." The property list gives a brief description, a photo of each property, and a link to a detailed individual web page. Each property page has a full description and pictures.

    Most of our properties have an availability calendar, indicated by the Calendar symbol. You will select a rental term (daily, weekly, or monthly); the season; and the length of your vacation. For weekly rentals, you can choose to search for as many as four starting dates.

    See our sample property and its calendar.

    When you find a rental you are interested in, you can phone or email the rental's contact person. The contact information is displayed at the top and bottom of the picture page, as well as on the calendar. To email, click on the hyperlink "email." This will bring you to a form to complete; this form will be sent directly to the rental's contact person. In a given session, you need to input your information only once; you can then send email to the lister of as many properties as you wish. You will be able to email all listers a general comment about the composition of your party, etc.; you will also be able to send a message to individual listers if you have specific questions about their property.

    If you would like us to, we will even remember your search criteria, results, and your contact information. This will save you time when you return to the site. You just provide your email address and an optional password, and your search criteria and results will be saved into MyVacations.

    What is MyVacations and how does it work?

    MyVacations is a powerful tool that enables you to keep track of everything you do as you plan your vacation and look for the perfect rental. It enables you to indicate the search criteria of your ideal rental, which we will save for you. We will also remember the rentals you find; when you return, you can rerun your search and add to your existing list of favorites. In addition, you can take notes about the rentals and even rate them. You can share your list with family and friends, and they too can record notes and rate them.

    In order to use MyVacations, you must register. You can do this either before or after performing the Power Search. Once registered, when you return to WeNeedaVacation.com, you will choose the MyVacations link on the home page. Log in and you can either review previously set up "vacations" or start a new one by performing a Power Search. Learn more...

    What general advice do you have for renters?

    On the Cape and Islands, summer rentals require a minimum stay of one week. Generally, rentals run from Saturday to Saturday, although particularly on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, rentals sometimes begin on another day of the week, when it is easier to get car ferry tickets. Some homeowners prefer a minimum two-week stay. Off-season stays are generally more flexible, with many homes available to rent for long weekends.

    Generally, check-in time is early to mid-afternoon, and check-out time is mid to late morning.

    Most homeowners and realtors require a security deposit for a rental home. Check with the homeowner or realtor for details.

    Although "in season " generally refers to the weeks in July and August, some homeowners interpret the term differently and have a range of prices for in-season, shoulder season, and off-season. Check with the homeowner or realtor for details.

    Because of the tremendous popularity of the Cape and Islands as a vacation destination, we encourage you to begin your search for a rental property early to avoid disappointment. It is not unusual for rental homes to be nearly completely booked for the summer weeks by the end of February. This is particularly the case with waterfront and water view properties.

    Visitors to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in particular are advised to make precise rental and travel plans well in advance. If you intend to take a car to the islands, make ferry reservations early in the year through the Steamship Authority at 508-771-4000. For Island ferry info.

    Unless otherwise noted, all rental homes supply kitchen utensils, dishes, and cleaning supplies. Tenants are expected to supply their own linens and towels, unless the listing specifies that the owner will supply them via "linens included" in the amenities section. There are linen rental companies, several of which will even deliver the linens.

    Regarding pets: In your search, you can indicate that you would like to be shown only those homes whose owners will consider a pet. Many homeowners ask for an additional deposit for a pet. Please be aware, however, that many of the Cape and Island beaches prohibit dogs beginning as early as late May and continuing until after Labor Day.

    All of the information found on the individual property pages has been provided by the property owner or listing agent. WeNeedaVacation.com is not responsible for the accuracy of the content provided.

    We maintain a file on each homeowner and will be happy to share with you comments about specific properties. It is in your best interest, as well as in the best interest of the homeowner, to have a signed lease that spells out the details of your tenancy, including information about the security deposit, schedule for payment, and the cancellation policy. Many homeowners and listing agents require a security deposit and at least half of the rent due at the time of lease signing, with the remainder of the rent due a month or so prior to tenancy. Generally the deposit is returned two weeks to a month after tenancy. Most short-term rentals include all utility costs, with the exception of the phone costs. It is not unusual for homeowners to put a phone block on the home's phone, in which case a credit card must be used for long-distance calls.

    Before you set out for your vacation home, be sure you have precise directions; a key (or arrangements for picking up the key) to the home; and the phone number of the homeowner, listing agent, or property manager, in case you need to contact someone when you arrive at the property or during your tenancy there. A common concern we hear is difficulty in contacting homeowners right before tenancy; many owners travel, so do not wait until the last minute. If anything is amiss at the home when you arrive, contact the owners or their agent immediately. We are happy to say that we have had very few reports of this type of situation.

    Click here for information on the Cape and Islands individual towns. To see actual properties, use our Power Search or our "Browse all rentals".

    How can I provide feedback to you on my vacation at one of your rentals?

    We welcome your feedback on your experience with our vacation rental homes. While we do not have a formal method of leaving feedback, email us about your experience.

    In the unlikely event that your experience is unduly negative, let us know in detail. We will follow up with you and the homeowner to seek resolution. In most cases, we do find that the disagreements are due to mis-set expectations: Questions answered vaguely or not asked. So be sure that you take the time to verify that the home you select meets your needs. Substantiated and serious complaints have led to removal from the site of homeowners that we do not deem responsible. We have a three strike policy: If a homeowner receives repeated complaints, we will remove their listing. We have had to remove an average of one listing per year since our founding in 1997.

    How can I contact you?

    Address any questions or concerns to us. (See contact info below.) Remember that we do not book the properties; we help the owners advertise them and they do all bookings. Also, all the information that we have is on the website, so if you email us about specific needs, we will usually refer you to the website.

    If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can make our website easier for you to use, please let us know!

    Joan and Jeff Talmadge, Owners
    Kathy Jones, Florida Coordinator
    WeNeedaVacation.com
    The premier website for vacation rentals on the Cape and Islands and all Florida destinations
    from All Seasons Vacation Rentals, LLC
    (781) 239-1469 (Cape & Islands)
    (239) 283-7857 (Florida)
    (781) 239-0474 (fax)
    E-mail: info@weneedavacation.com