St-Martin-Vacation Frequently Asked Questions for Dream Beaches Vacation Property Rentals

What I always wanted to ask, but never dared to ... FAQ

These are the most common questions we were asked when renting a property through us on the Caribbean jewel of St. Martin & St. Maarten. If you have additional questions, contact us. If you are looking for general island information, such as 'Activities', 'Restaurants', 'Rental Cars', select one of our Internet Information Portals, click for the website menu

Frequently Asked Questions

Rental Property Questions

Island Questions, click here!

How to contact us by email: contact@st-martin-vacation.com

Why should we rent at all?

It gives you more freedom, privacy, and space at better rates than what a hotel with comparable comfort would charge. Away from home, and you still enjoy the comfort and convenience, you are used at home. Guests with ambitions to cook, have an additional cost saving resource at a rental place. More, click:

Why should we rent Through Dream Beaches / St-Martin-Vacation.com ?

We know St. Martin/St. Martin for over 10 years, and are in the rental business on the island for some 4 years. We know each owner and partner respresented on our website in person and every property displayed on our websites has been personally visited by us.

Who owns the properties?

The properties are owned by individual proprietors. Some of them live in their properties at some periods of the year. Other owners live permanently on island at their own villa, apartment or boat. Their motivation to rent is mostly driven by reducing the maintenance cost of the property, and to recover some of the investment. Some owners let property management companies take care for the property. Dream Beaches is their marketing partner for promoting the properties through its Internet resources.

Are you the property manager for your rental pool?

No. A part of the properties displayed on our website are REMAX affiliated company, see here.

Is it an option to rent from the owner directly?

Yes, it is. We created a new section in early 2007 dedicated to owner managed properties, see "Rent-by-Owner".

Why do prices vary so much?

Prices vary by season, and by property location, and features. Peak season is considered to be between mid December to early January, high season from early January to mid April, and low season from mid April to mid December. Peak season prices can easily be triple the low season prices. If you are on a budget, plan accordingly. Location, location ... the old saying in real estate! This is true for rental properties, too. Beach properties, which are rare on this island, are much higher priced, than some yards inwards. See the Rates Overview.

What taxes do apply?

Some properties include tax and service charge, some charge them separately. If charged separately, they are mostly between 5%- 9%. Please, see our price table at each property.

Can we rent for less than 5 nights?

Rental properties and pricing are set up to work fine for weekly rentals. Some property owners accept 5 night rentals, but do not necessarily pro rate the price as some of the cost occur regardless of the length of stay. Thorough cleaning, when tenants change, greeting services, administrative cost, all need to be covered regardless of the time spent. Therefore, short time vacationers have a hard time to find any rental property, and might be better advised to look for a hotel room.

How do we pay ?

Rental properties are commonly paid in advance, first a 25% - 50% deposit to secure the booking, the full payment is usually due several weeks before arrival. Only a few owners can accept credit cards. Common payment methods otherwise are checks, traveler checks or wire transfers. Keep in mind, for check payment long processing time for clearance at the local bank occur (up to 4 weeks and more), subsquently have to be submitted very well in advance of planed arrival day.

What is the security deposit for?

Most property owners expect guests to provide some kind of security deposit for covering potential damage, keys, phone charges, Internet usage, more people using the property than booked for etc. If a property management company is involved, it might be possible to provide the security in form of a credit card, more often, it is asked as a cash deposit on arrival. Typical requested amounts are $ 500 - $ 1,000, which are returned on departure, if no cost and damage occurred. See more

How can I trust that my prepayment doesn't disappear?

This legitimate concern is an issue, which you can check on several levels. Cclear paper trails, such as written confirmations, are an important benchmark.

What currency is charged?

Although the Dutch part has Netherlands Antilles Guilders, and the French part has the Euro as their official currency, most vacation rentals are priced in US-$. Some are quoted in EURO, see our currency converter for conversion. The exchange rate as of the day of the individual payment is applied.

Who assists us, when we arrive?

Most properties assign a greeting person, who waits for you at the Princess Juliana Int'l airport, or at the car rental agent office. This person guides you with your rental car or taxi to the property, and introduces you to the property features. This service is included and free with most villa properties. The greeter does not transport you for licensing and insurance reasons. This service is not included in budget rental categories for obvious reasons.

Do I need a rental car?

Yes, you should have one as this allows you more freedom and let you access many places, you may not see with public transportation or taxis. Taxis are priced similar to the US price level.

Which rental car company should I rent from?

We provide advice in our documentation, which you receive after you booked and transferred the deposit. There are plenty of rental car companies. The big franchise operations tend to be more expensive without necessarily having better cars. There are some local, reliable and price competitive suppliers, which we relate to you individually. Prices start at $ 20 a day, but $ 30 - 35 is a better investment in view of the poor road quality. Our websites also list many car rental agencies, see here or here without endorsing those list companies. We mainly cooperate with 'Best For Less' as it turned out to be a very reliable operation. In contrast to most other agencies, our recommendations are not sponsored by specific car rental operations. Our advice is independent.

Can I use the pool of the property au naturel?

This island has a very liberal lifestyle. Some properties grant full privacy being shielded against any outside views. You are free to use the property "clothing optional".

If we don't rent the entire villa, do we have to share?

No, if you get a reduced rate as displayed with some villas, when using only one or two bedrooms, you don't have to be afraid that somebody else will be around. There is only one exception on our website, which is Villa Casa Boco, who also rents 2 studios separately to the villa, but on the same compound as the villa.

What kind of beds are available?

The luxurious villas have king size beds in most bedrooms. Our descriptions contain this information. Budget oriented apartments may have queen-, twin-, and full size beds. More about standard sizes, click

How to cancel my booking?

Cancellations of individual properties are more difficult than hotel bookings. There is no continuous reservation flow to offset the owners for their lost business, and especially short term last minute bookings are very unlikely. Please, consult your individually agreed terms. Travel insurance and careful planning are important.

Frequently Asked Questions

St. Maarten and St. Martin Related Subjects

Which part is better, the Dutch or French?

There are no big differences, it depends on your preferences. Both sides have pro's and con's. The Dutch side is more busy and better adapted to American way of living. The French side is more quiet, and has its own style of French Creole "Laissez-faire"!

I don't feel comfortable in a French speaking environment!

The share of English speaking people in the French part is very high, even at public offices, like the Postal service, they communicate more in English than in French. And most tourism related people speak several languages.

Is crime a problem on the island?

The "Friendly Island" of St. Maarten/St. Martin has more crime than we wish, but by far not as much as many other islands, or some larger American cities do! Be careful, never leave valuables in your car, always lock your car, and your rental property when you leave. Don't carry large amount of cash with you.

When is hurricane season?

Highest risk is in September. Please, see our weather pages with links to weather forecasts and probabilities!

When is the best time to visit the island?

The most common misconception about the Caribbean and St. Maarten is that it must be much hotter in summer than it is during the rest of the year. In fact, the average monthly temperature remains remarkably stable, varying by only a few degrees through the year. This stability can be attributed to the continuously blowing trade winds. Although, the summer months have more rain and therefore a somewhat higher humidity. Subsequently, visit any time, and off season is even better, less traffic, lower prices, ...

Who do I call, when something goes wrong ?

Call the person in charge, either the owner or his property manager. This information should have been provided to you prior to your arrival. If you don't succeed, in case of emergency, contact us!

Can I use my cell phone on the island ?

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. A tri-band GSM phone with roaming capability does work everywhere on the island. The US digital cell phones (CDMA/TDMA) may not work. You may have to buy a prepaid card at one of the local providers in the Dutch part. See more info and a link to the provider supporting US standards here!