Frequently Asked Questions

You may reserve your property online or by contacting our team at rentals@akersellis.com or 843.768.4545. We will send you the electronic contract which needs to be completed to confirm your reservation.

Please understand that inquiring about a property does not hold it for you and it could be reserved by another guest while you are making a final decision.

Guest reservations of 3 to 21 nights in eligible properties receive a valuable credit to use towards beach gear rentals during your stay! The credit amount varies per property type and is disclosed in the property description. You may use your credit for bicycles, beach chairs and umbrellas, beach carts, and more – the choice is yours! Learn more via our Beach Gear Credit page.

For direct bookings: An initial payment of 35% is due at the time of reservation, and the remaining balance is due 45 days prior to the arrival date (90 days for select properties).

For bookings via third-party channels: The payment schedule is outlined on the listing on that channel.

We accept credit cards (Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express) for all bookings.

State and county taxes are applied to all reservations. Currently, the state tax is 10% and the county tax is 3%.

All cancellations must be in writing via mail to 3730 Bohicket Road, Suite 5, Johns Island, SC 29455 or via email to rentals@akersellis.com. To protect all parties, we have a strictly enforced policy for cancellations.

We are not responsible for the weather or other Acts of God and there will be no refunds for such events. The only way to ensure a refund for such is to purchase travel insurance.

For direct bookings:
For most properties, cancellations received more than 45 days prior to the date of arrival are subject to a full refund, less the service fee plus related tax. Cancellations made within 45 days of the date of arrival will result in the forfeiture of all payments made, unless travel insurance is purchased and the need to cancel is covered under the policy.

For select properties, as disclosed in their respective rental agreements, cancellation and payment terms may vary. 

For bookings via third-party channels: Cancellations must be made via the booking channel, and the cancellation policy is outlined on the listing on that channel.

Yes! Trip Cancellation and Travel Insurance covers you and your vacation investment when many unexpected and unforeseen circumstances occur. In addition to protecting your vacation investment against unforeseen circumstances, such as natural disasters, hurricanes, or an illness or injury to someone in the traveling party, travel insurance has other advantages, including 24/7 emergency services hotline and medical coverage while you are at your destination.

We are proud to offer our guests one of the best vacation rental travel protection policies in the industry, Play Travel Protection Cancel For Any Reason (underwritten by Nationwide). This optional insurance policy must be purchased within 14 days of making your reservation; however, no policy is available to purchase within 30 days of your arrival date. The policy may be cancelled within 10 days of purchase.

Play Travel Protection Cancel For Any Reason covers up to 100% of your trip cancellation or interruption reason if the reason is covered by the policy. If you have to cancel for a reason not covered by the policy, you are still eligible for up to a 60% benefit (the cancel for any reason benefit must be exercised at least 48 hours before arrival date).

The cost for this insurance is 10.8% of your Total Booking Charges.

We recommend you purchase travel insurance at the time of booking. For more information and coverage details on Play Travel Protection CFAR, please visit these websites (available products, Play Travel Protection CFAR) and/or call the number below.

Policy, Coverage & Claims questions:
Within US/Canada: 833.610.0736
Outside US/Canada: 843.494.5909

24/7 Emergency Assistance:
Within US/Canada: 833.425.5099
Outside US/Canada: 603.952.2684

What is your policy regarding hurricanes or other inclement weather?

We are not responsible for the weather or other Acts of God and there will be no refunds for such events. The only way to ensure a refund for such is to purchase travel insurance.

Check-in time is 4:00 PM. Check-out time is 10:00 AM. Requests for early check-ins or late check-outs are honored as available; however, confirmation of this opportunity cannot be granted until 1-2 days prior to your arrival or departure date.

Before your arrival, you will receive two separate emails: one containing your printable gate pass and one containing your property's access instructions. Upon arrival to the island, you will go directly to your vacation rental.

Please ensure all exterior doors and windows are closed and locked. We'll take care of the rest.

Please contact our team at rentals@akersellis.com or 843.768.4545 for assistance. Standard office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. A team member is on call to monitor voicemails and emails received outside of standard office hours and respond accordingly based on the nature of the call.

Bed and bath linens are included, but guests should bring their own beach towels.

The kitchens are equipped with standard items to correspond with the maximum occupancy permitted for the rental property. A starter supply of bath amenities, paper products (toilet paper, paper towels), and other supplies (trash bags, dishwasher and dish soap, laundry detergent) are also placed in the property prior to your arrival.

To make your stay as comfortable as possible, here are a few items you may want to bring:

• Beach/pool towels
• Beach chairs and umbrella*
• Beach/pool toys
• Sports equipment*
• Bicycles*
• Cribs, highchairs, and other baby equipment*
• Sunscreen
• Groceries
• Condiments and spices
• Food storage bags, foil, and/or plastic wrap

Please note that some of the above items may be at the rental property. Some owners provide additional supplies for their guests, and items left behind from previous guests that are in good condition may be left at the property for enjoyment by future guests.

*These items may be rented. Please reference our guest information guide.

Please reference our guest information guide.

The property is cleaned before your arrival and after your departure. Additional housekeeping services are available. Fees for additional housekeeping requests vary based on the property and your specific needs or requests. Typically, a 72-hour notice is needed to arrange housekeeping services during your stay; however, we will make every attempt to coordinate those on shorter notice when possible.

Washers and dryers are included with most properties. Shipwatch Villas offer communal washer and dryer facilities within the building.

High-speed wireless internet is available at no additional fee in most properties. There may also be nearby open networks available for your use.

The estimated walk or bike ride time is indicated in the property description.

Many of our homes feature private pools, and several of our homes and villas offer access to community pools. Private or community pools are indicated in the property description. Additionally, you may search by the pool amenity on our website.

Some homes offer heated private pools and will be indicated in the property description.

Our rental guests have access to Kiawah’s amenities of golf, tennis, spa, dining, and children’s camp. However, access to resort pools is restricted to guests renting properties managed directly through the resort. The resort does not allow guests renting properties not directly managed by them to purchase access to resort pools.

Some property owners allow pets on a case by case basis. You may search by the pet friendly amenity on our website. Additionally, you may contact our team at rentals@akersellis.com or 843.768.4545 for further assistance.

Some private homes and villa buildings have elevators for guest use. You may search by the elevator amenity on our website. Additionally, you may contact our team at rentals@akersellis.com or 843.768.4545 for further assistance.

We manage several first-floor villas and a few single-story homes. Additionally, some private homes and villa buildings have elevators for guest use. Please contact our team at rentals@akersellis.com or 843.768.4545 for further assistance.

All of our properties are non-smoking.

The Village Market is the nearest grocery store, which is located in Freshfields Village about two miles outside the island’s main gate. A small grocery, offering basic necessities, is also located within Kiawah’s East Beach Village.

There is a wide variety of dining options both on and nearby the island as well as historic downtown Charleston. You may reference our guest information guide for additional information.

There are many activities both on and off the island. Please visit the Charleston Area Convention and Visitor Bureau’s website for additional nearby attractions and events. Historic downtown Charleston is about a 40-minute drive from the island’s main gate. You may reference our guest information guide for additional information.

Visit the Town of Kiawah Island’s website for information about the island.

Visit the Charleston Area Convention and Visitor Bureau’s website for information about Charleston and the surrounding area.

Historic downtown Charleston is about 40 minutes from the island’s main gate.

Charleston International Airport is about 45 minutes from the island’s main gate.