How do we make a reservation?
Select two or three properties that you like the most and then the dates you would like to vacation. Check the availability of those properties online. If they are available call or e-mail us to book it! We're very quick at responding to e-mails.

When is my first payment due?
A 50% deposit is required to book your property with us as well as a $45 processing fee.. Our rental season in Maine is less than 12 weeks, so we need to be sure you are committed to the time period you want to rent and not miss an opportunity to market the property to someone else if you aren't committed. The balance including the security deposit and Lodging Tax (more below) is due 60 days prior to check-in .   We accept all major credit cards, but of course prefer checks.  If you want to pay by check, please write your property name and dates of stay the front of your check. Mail to: On the Water in Maine Inc. , P.O. Box 100, Rockport, ME 04856.   If you want to pay by credit card, call or e-mail with the card information.  After we receive your payment, a lease will be sent for you to sign.

Once I have paid in full, what should I expect next?
After you have paid in full, we will send you an information package by e-mail in a PDF format. This package will have a driveway view of the property you are renting (so you can identify easily from the road) as well as a map, directions, and access information to your vacation rental property. Within the week before you head to your property, we will contact you by phone or e-mail to ensure you have all your information package details as well as the access code to gain entry to the property. If you don't have your information within 1 week of the stay at your property, please contact our offices so we can re-send it to you.

Where is your office? Will we meet you or your staff during our stay?
Our physical office is located on Route 1 in Rockport near where Route 90 meets Route 1 in the Stonecutters Jewelry Building (205 Commercial Street). Because we are on the road so often servicing our properties and guests, you will find it difficult to catch up with us at our office. However, if you would like to arrange to meet us, we can stop by your vacation property during your stay.

What type of dogs do you allow in the properties that allow dogs?
Some of our properties will accept dogs, but that doesn't mean we allow all dogs. Dogs under 2 years old are never allowed in any of our properties. We do charge a $150 fee for all dogs that stay in our properties. There are sometimes an exception to this. For the most part, the dogs we allow are the types that won't bark a lot. They are also the type that don't shed hair, or that don't like to get wet in the lake or ocean and come back into the property with their wet hair. Yes, this policy narrows excludes a lot of dogs, but we have found we can accommodate about 50% of the dogs that people wish to bring. Please make sure to talk to us up front about your dog before booking a property with us.

What other fees and taxes are involved in renting a property from you and why?
We take pride in not tacking many fees on to our rental property's prices. Cleaning and the use of all the utilities are included in the price of your rental. However, we do have to charge you a 7% Maine State Lodging Tax for any stay less than 28 days. This is Maine State Law. You will pay this 7% tax no matter where you pay to stay in Maine. Whether it is a hotel, resort, motel, bed & breakfast, or a vacation rental property, we all must charge this tax. Maine has the second lowest lodging tax in New England after Massachusetts. New Hampshire charges a 8% Lodging Tax, and Vermont a 9% Lodging Tax. Our only other charge is a pet fee if the property you stay at with us allows dogs. The security deposit is not a fee, since we will give it back to you if you take good care of the property. The only "fee" on top of everything is our $45 processing fee - That's it!

Does our vacation property have air conditioning ?
Maine has "natural" air conditioning. Most of our homes are on the water and have fans. There are very few days a year where you will feel uncomfortably warm in one of our properties. That said, we know some of our southern guests that are used to living in air conditioned houses year-round at 68 degrees may be bothered by having 75 degree days in our rental properties. Again, this is Maine, and this is how it is. Fans can take the edge off - or take a dip in the water on those few hot nights. If air conditioning is a must, we do have a handful of properties that have window units. Ask a reservations agent when you book your property if air conditioning is critical to you having a great vacation.

If our rental property has a fireplace or wood stove, can we use it ?
Unfortunately, probably not. The straight truth why: INSURANCE. The average home owner's insurance policy in Maine runs about $400 per year. The average "casual home rental" insurance policy, that allows our home owner's to rent their homes to you for up to 8 weeks a year runs around $800 per year. The next step up is "commercial rental insurance". These commercial policies are the only policies that cover allowing renters (you) to use indoor wood burning stoves and fireplaces. These polices average $3 to $4 thousand per year. So, as you can imagine, our owner's aren't willing to spend an additional amount of money needed to upgrade to commercial renters insurance to allow our guests to burn wood a few nights each summer. SOLUTION - Some of our properties have outdoor fire pits, or - we rent them. Ask one of our representatives about renting a fire pit.

I have allergies to certain things - should I tell you if I do in advance so I am not surprised when I arrive at my vacation property to find that something that I am allergic to is there ?
We have had guests with allergies to down-pillows, cleaning products, air fresheners, etc arrive and contact us at 10pm on a Saturday night to asking us to address these issues. . Had we known in advance, we could have tried to accommodate them or been able to quickly resolve the issue before their arrival. If you have an allergy, don't assume we will know it - tell us up front. Cats - we never rent to cats - but, some of our owners have cats in the homes during the off-season. If you are allergic to bees, please let us know! We'll be diligint before your arrival to check around the property and ensure no nests are evident. Again - if you have allergies to anything - please tell us when you book the property - we want you to have an allergy-free vacation.

What is expected of me in regards to cleaning of the property after my stay ?
Your property should be cleaned to your satisfaction when you arrive. We have 4 rating scales that we use to ask you about the cleanliness of your property in a survey you can complete at the end of your stay. "Immaculate" is the highest rating, and we hope that you find your property that way when you arrive. In your lease, you will see that we indicate the total number of hours it will take to clean your property on average after your stay. This is included in your rental price. However, should the cleaning of the property exceed the hours expected, you will be charged $25 per hour from your security deposit for any extra time it took to clean the property.

95% of the time, we find that guests have left a property just as they found it minus some basic cleaning when they checked-in, which is expected.  Our cleaners are most likely to disinfect, vacuum, dust, and make beds when a guest departs a property in order to prepare it for the next guest.   Re-emphasizing our membership with the BBB (Better Business Bureau), it is not our goal to generate income off of cleaning, nor do the we or the owner generate income from cleaning charges.  Cleaning is a challenging part of the seasonal vacation rental business. 

It is not expected that cleaners should need to clean up new carpet stains, wash dishes, scrub clean barbecue grills, pick-up excess human or pet hair, and replace furniture to its original location, etc. after a guest departs.  Our cleaners only have a 6 hour window in which to clean multiple properties each turnover day (Saturday).  The last thing we want them to do is spend extra time at a property cleaning it because it was left excessively dirty or displaced as it will set back their schedule.  We only ask that our guests will ensure they will do their best to leave the property as they found it when they arrived. 

We do not review properties with our guests at Check-In to confirm condition of the property, but guests can let us know of any concerns about a property when they Check-In.

In summary, we like you to think of the vacation house you are renting from us as your "Aunt Sylvia's Maine Cottage" and treat it the same way you treat a family members house if they let you go use it for a week.

What time can we check in?
Check in actually occurs by phone after 4pm on the date of your arrival. In order to allow sufficient time to prepare the property for your use, we ask that you do not request early occupancy. Keys will be released after 4 pm. You will receive 1 set of keys to your property. After you have settled in and unpacked the car, we ask that you look around the property and make sure all is to your satisfaction. Then, give us a call and check-in by phone from the property.  

Parking vehicles in the driveway of the property before 4pm could delay your check-in time by interfering with our cleaners and inspectors.

What happens if we arrive late?
You can arrive whenever you want after 4pm on the day of check in but, only if your reservation is paid in full and the lease agreement is signed.

What do we need to bring?
All the food, condiments, and things you need to feel at home.  We take pride that a majority of our properties are fully stocked with all the tools necessary to have a great vacation.  Some of our Bayside properties do not come with towels, linens, or basic cleaning supplies.  We will let you know at the time of booking if you will need these items for your property.  On the Water in Maine Inc. also offers the option to rent your sheets and towels. We have "pump" soap in all the bathrooms and in the kitchen for basic cleaning, so if you want your favorite soap for washing, you'll need to bring that. We provide two rolls of toilet paper and one roll of paper towels in all our properties. Properties with washing machines will have some laundry soap, but we don't guarantee that.

Are there any wild or poisonous animals in Maine that I should be concerned about at our rental property?
Maine is one of the few states with no poisonous snakes or other dangerous animals.   The most common wild animals of concern that you will see on your vacation are raccoons and skunks.  If you don’t keep your trash stored in tight containers, they will come around in the night and make a mess for you to clean-up.  In Maine, you can go lay in the remote woods for hours and the only souvenir you may leave with is some mosquito and black fly bites.

What about making a reservation for 2009 or in 2010?
You can pre-reserve the same property that you stayed in this year or any other home no further than 12 months in advance. Please remember that the current guest has priority.

How do we get more information on Maine?
If you are unable to find the information you need on our website, please call us.  We can arrange to have all the literature on making your vacation in Maine complete sent to you free of charge.

We arrived late at our vacation property and no lights were on - we had a terrible time getting in. Why weren't any lights left on for us?
We promote energy conservation in our properties. Unless you tell us, we assume you are like 99% of our guests and eager to check-in at 4pm on check-in day. If you are planning on arriving late, or get delayed in your trip and think you'll be arriving late - let us know - we'll leave a light on for you.