House rules, checkout, and good-to-know details
The same rules we publish on Vrbo and Airbnb, in one place, before you book. Three owner-managed homes, family guests, residential neighborhoods: the rules exist so every stay starts calm and ends with a full refund of your peace of mind.
The quick version
| Check-in | After 3:00 PM. Self check-in with electronic door locks, codes arrive before arrival. |
|---|---|
| Check-out | Before 10:00 AM. Later check-out is sometimes possible around the cleaning schedule, just ask. |
| Occupancy | Happy Island Cottage 6 guests, Happy Turtle A 5, Happy Turtle B 4. Firm limits, part of our city licensing. |
| Minimum age to rent | 18, with a government-issued ID at booking. |
| Pets | Dogs welcome at all three homes, up to 2 per stay, pet fee applies (waived for returning direct guests). |
| Minimum stay | 7 nights at Happy Island Cottage (a City of Holmes Beach rule), 3 nights at the Turtles when you book direct. |
| Smoking | No smoking of any kind indoors. |
| Parties | No parties or events. No extra day visitors without asking us first. |
House rules
- No smoking of any kind indoors. This includes vaping and the screened areas.
- No parties or events. These are family vacation homes on quiet residential streets. Day visitors beyond your registered guest count need our OK in advance.
- Occupancy is firm. The listed maximum is both our rule and a city licensing requirement, so there are no exceptions. Larger group? Ask us, the two Turtle units next to each other sleep 9 together.
- Quiet hours: 10 PM to 7 AM. Both Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach enforce nighttime noise ordinances with real fines (up to $500 for a first offense). Pool talk carries at night, so take it inside after 10.
- Air conditioning holds a 72 to 80°F range. The Nest thermostat is not locked: set 72 if you like it cold. If it reads 76, that is Eco mode after the house sat empty, and it resumes your setting on its own.
- Dogs: welcome with a pet fee, up to 2 per stay. Keep them off the furniture, pick up after them, and never leave them unattended on balconies or lanais.
Check-out instructions
Before you head out (by 10:00 AM), please run through this short list. Our cleaning team handles everything else.
- Load and start the dishwasher.
- Gather used towels in one spot.
- Take out the trash and remove leftover food and drinks.
- Clean the grill if you used it.
- Return any furniture you moved to its original place.
- Log out of your streaming accounts on the TVs (they run on Amazon Fire Sticks).
- Turn off the lights and close the doors, the electronic locks secure themselves.
Parking
Happy Island Cottage: 4 on-site spaces in the driveway, plus garage access (that is where the beach toys, loungers, and wagon live). Please do not block neighbors' driveways, Holmes Beach takes that seriously. Happy Turtle A and B: on-site parking beside your unit on Avenue C. Keep the trash bins on each side of the house reachable. Bringing a boat or trailer? Ask us before you book, street rules on the island are strict.
Grills and propane
All three homes have a grill, and there is a propane tank waiting at each one. Give it a quick check before you plan a big cookout: we ask guests to refill the tank after use, and most do, but now and then it slips someone's mind. If it is running low, exchanges take a few minutes at Holmes Beach Ace Hardware, right by the Publix. Please clean the grill after use, per the checkout list above.
The pool at Happy Island Cottage
The pool is private to the home, with pool alarms installed for families with small kids. No glass around the pool, please. Pool heating is available roughly October through April as an add-on, ask before arrival. Kids swim with an adult watching, always.
Beach toys and pool floats
Our official policy: we do not supply beach or pool equipment. Our unofficial policy: the garage and patios have a way of filling up anyway. Guests before you have left boogie boards, buckets, noodles, chairs, umbrellas, and the occasional inflatable flamingo, and all of it is yours to use, free. Think of it as a beach-toy lending library where the librarians are permanently on vacation.
Two small asks: rinse the sand off before putting things back, and if a toy has caught its last wave, retire it to the trash rather than the collection.
Need something specific, like a paddleboard, a bike, or chairs for a whole crew? Beach Bums, AMI Beach Fun, and Just 4 Fun rent nearly everything at fair prices and deliver to the house free. Book ahead for spring break and holiday weeks.
When is trash pickup?
Happy Island Cottage (Holmes Beach): garbage Monday and Friday, recycling Tuesday, yard waste Wednesday. Bins go to the curb no earlier than 5 PM the evening before. Happy Turtle A and B (Bradenton Beach): garbage Monday and Thursday, recycling Wednesday (blue bin). The bins live on each side of the duplex.
Sea turtle season: May 1 to October 31
Anna Maria Island is a loggerhead nesting beach, and hatchlings follow light. During season: turn off balcony and exterior lights facing the beach after 9 PM, close blinds on beach-facing windows at night, skip white flashlights and phone lights on the sand, keep clear of marked nests, and flatten sandcastles and fill holes before you leave the beach. It is the law island-wide, and a genuinely good deed: you may see a nest marked off steps from the Turtles' door.
Hurricanes and emergencies
Hurricane season runs June through November. If a hurricane warning or a mandatory Manatee County evacuation order covers your dates, every direct booking gets a full refund whenever you cancel, and interrupted stays are refunded for unused nights: the full policy is on the booking terms page. If a storm approaches during your stay, follow Manatee County Emergency Management guidance, and we will be in touch immediately. For emergencies dial 911. The nearest hospital is HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton, about 15 minutes from either home.
Wi-Fi details, door codes, and our direct phone line arrive with your booking confirmation. Licensed Florida vacation rentals operated by Happy Island Cottage LLC.
Anything unclear?
Ask before you book. Real answers from the owner, usually the same day.
Email info@happyislandcottage.com More questions and answers