The Salty Dude-Gulf House Private Boardwalk, Cape San Blas, Florida Vacation Rental by Owner

The Salty Dude is a hidden gem on a private road which accesses only three homes. The north end of the Cape is considered the quiet area and is known for its glamorous white sand beaches and aqua water. The secluded beach is not busy even during high volume times. This tier 1 gulf side home is only steps from the boardwalk and the ocean front property. The boardwalk (25 feet away from the house) is for only three homes and the other two are not rentals. You are sure to relax at this piece of paradise! Questions welcome.

This home has been renovated and there is modern furniture throughout for your beach vacation. The bright & sunny open living space of the family room, dining room and kitchen is a great space to entertain or relax. It contains a 55" smart TV with Dish Network as the provider. The kitchen is fully stocked and the dining area has a large table that seats six comfortably. There are three full size bedrooms, a pullout queen sofa sleeper with memory foam mattress, and two full bathrooms with one containing a community 84” double bowl vanity which makes the home feel like it has three bathrooms. A full size washer & dryer is located in the spacious utility room for convenience during your stay. There is parking space for two vehicles with one being covered. Also, lots of room for your belongings which can be stored under the house out of the weather, as well.
We have multiple repeat customers because the property is 25 feet to the boardwalk and an approximate 150 feet walk down the boardwalk to the beach without having to pay the ocean front nightly rates. The beach is beautiful with access to miles of white sand beaches and blue water. This house is ideally situated on the Cape near the entrance to the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park and the untouched beauty of “Old Florida”. This is an excellent location to rent a canoe, paddle-board, kayak, boat, or bicycle and explore. There is a bicycle path the entire length of the Cape allowing connectivity between the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park and Salinas Park. Bonfires and vehicles are allowed on the beach. Please visit the Gulf County Florida website for details on obtaining permits for vehicles and rules for bonfires.

RENTAL POLICIES & RULES 
-Check-In/Check-Out Times: Check-in is after 4:00 P.M. Eastern Time. Due to our high standards for cleanliness, we cannot get the house ready before 4:00, especially during peak season. Your patience is appreciated. Check out is 10:00 A.M. Eastern Time. Please leave on time so that the unit may be prepared for our next guests.
 -Age Requirements: No rental, without owner approval, will be made to vacationing students or singles under the age of twenty five (25) unless accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. Any reservation made under false pretenses will be subject to forfeiture of advance payment, deposit and/or rental money. Violators may be evicted by the sheriff's department if necessary.
 -Minimum Stay Requirements: All seasonal rentals require weekly reservations running Saturday-to-Saturday. If you require a shorter stay, please contact us for availability and rates.
 -Maximum Occupancy: The maximum number of guests is 8 and is based on the individual unit’s ability to comfortably and safely accommodate our guests. If maximum occupancy is exceeded, you will may asked to vacate the property and forfeit all rental payments. If you need additional short term allowances, or have visitors that cause the capacity to be exceeded, please discuss with us for potential approval.
 -Rental Payment: A minimum of 50% of the total rental charge and the deposit is due at the time a reservation is booked. The total includes the daily rate, cleaning fee, and 12% tax (7% Florida Sales Tax and 5% Gulf County Tourist Development Tax) plus the $500 deposit. We accept Venmo, Zelle, and/or Personal Check. The payment method will be arranged during booking.
-Reservations Canceled/Reservations Changed: If Guest wishes to cancel the reservation, the payment shall be refunded as follows:  100% if cancelled 60-days prior to the Check-in Date and zero within 60-days. Changes in a reservation will be treated as a canceled reservation. In the event the property does not re-rent for the same time period and at the same rate, all monies paid to us will be forfeited as we will lose money by not renting to other potential guests during your booked time period. There is a high probability we can re-rent the property with sufficient notice but not a guarantee.
 -Damage Deposit: A $500 damage deposit is required and should be sent as a separate payment labeled deposit. This payment will be electronically refunded, through Zelle or Venmo, within 5 business days of departure, providing there is no damage or theft to the unit and all policies and procedures were followed.
 -Monthly Rental (28 Days): Reservations for one month or longer will be given priority during the winter season. Cancellation/Changes must be made ninety (90) days prior to your scheduled arrival.
 -Pets: Pets are not permitted on the premises. No exceptions will be made. Guests found with a pet will be asked to leave immediately with no refund of rent or security deposit. Additional charges may apply for house cleaning, carpet cleaning and other damages. Please be considerate as some people have extreme allergies.
 -Sight Unseen: We have had over one hundred positive reviews of this property. We try to under-sell and over-deliver our property; however, your ideas and ours may not agree. We will not give refunds or adjustments because a property does not meet your expectations. We are great people that manage a clean property that is furnished stylish. In the event of a breakdown, we strive to make repairs as soon as possible. We will not be obligated to provide replacements or give refunds for failure or absence of any item. We do not live full-time in the area but have a maintenance team, friends and neighbors that help us take care of our home.
 -Utilities: No compensation will be given for temporary outage of water, electricity, satellite, cellular, propane or internet services. Outages will be reported immediately and efforts will be made to have services restored as soon as possible. The operation and maintenance of these utilities is out of our control. Please put your trash in the plastic trash bins at the end of the drive and do not roll them to the house and leave overnight as this may invite unwanted wildlife to the property.
 -Non-Smoking Unit: Smoking of any sort is strictly prohibited inside. Your damage deposit will be forfeited and you will incur additional charges for cleaning, deodorizing, and/or painting if any evidence of smoking is found in your non-smoking unit. Please be courteous.
 -Gas Grills and Solo Stoves: A gas grill is available. Do not remove it from the deck. Also, do not have the grill running too close to the house, deck furniture, or deck railing as it may be damaged or catch on fire. Please turn off the gas at the tank and control knob and cover the grill. If a propane tank exchange is necessary during your stay please go to The Tradin’ Post (2.8 miles away) and we will reimburse you upon presentation of a valid legible receipt. Do not put Solo Stoves on the deck as it will damage the deck floor and is a serious fire hazard.
 -Parking: Please park in designated areas only. There is room for three vehicles comfortably and a maximum of four if necessary. Public boat and trailer parking is available about 1/2 mile south on Cape San Blas Road.
 -Locked Closets: The hall closet, downstairs locked doors and the outside shed contain personal items. Do not enter these areas. These areas are private and are not to be opened by tenants or guests under any circumstances.
-Linens: An initial linen supply (one set of towels including one bath towel, one hand towel, and one wash cloth per number of persons the property sleeps and one set of sheets per bed) will be provided. All beds will be made with the exception of the sleeper sofa. Kitchen linens include one dish towel and one dish cloth/sponge. Any lost or damaged linens are the responsibility of the guest and are subject to a replacement cost of the supplier's fee for the item.
-Items You Need to Bring: Toilet tissue, bath soap, paper towels, detergent, dishwasher soap, garbage bags, foil, sharp knives, any special cooking utensils we may not have provided, coffee filters, beach towels, beach chairs/items, etc. One washing machine pod, dishwashwer pod, toilet tissue roll, and paper towel roll will be provided.
-Indemnity: The owner cannot be liable for injuries resulting from any accident that may occur in or on the premises during guest occupancy. Owners are not liable for acts of theft, vandalism or damages to any guests’ personal property, or for items left in rental units, as well as no liability for errors or omissions. Renting and occupying this property is at your own risk.
-Quiet hours are 10pm - 7am; please respect the neighbors who live here full-time as well as other guests
-No shoes in the house or dirty feet on the furniture; use outside shower to rinse off sand
-Do not prepare your seafood in the house as it does not contain adequate cooking ventilation for a restaurant style kitchen; please do extensive grilling or deep frying outside 
-Use protection under deep fryers or grills to keep grease from getting on the concrete or deck
-Do not leave doors and windows open while A/C is on; owner will set minimums and maximums on wifi controlled thermostat; the heating and cooling system is a few years old, if the AC freezes up you will be charged for costs associated with the repair
-Beach towels not provided; do not remove bath towels from home
-No household items should be taken to the beach
-No trash, bonfire leftovers, etc. left on the beach overnight
-Fireplace has no chimney; do not use; for aesthetics only
-No parties; this area is a family atmosphere; respect the neighbors that do not rent their homes; if police are called you may be asked to leave without refund if policies have been broken
-Use a flashlight outside after dark for your safety
-Lock doors when you leave; unlock using the door code or key provided to you by the owner
-Do not adjust refrigerator settings to cool faster; changing the setting will cause the unit to freeze up; you may be responsible for any service calls or costs to repair
-Only use appliances for their intended purposes
-Do not flush anything other than toilet paper in the toilet; feminine products should go in the trash; you may be charged for repairs to clogged toilets if your party is responsible
-The exterior of the property is montiored with surveillance cameras. Do not tamper with the cameras or you may be asked to leave.
-Do the following prior to checkout: 
Take all trash to the bins. 
Rinse dishes and load the dishwasher. 
Sweep excess sand. 
Place dirty towels in the bathtub and shower. 
Arrange items back to original locations if they were moved.

Local Information...
With 10 miles of sugar white sand, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park is a top rated beach in the United States. Sunbathing, shelling, snorkeling, swimming, bicycling and fishing are popular activities. A boat ramp which accommodates most trailered vessels is located at Eagle Harbor. There is also boat ramp in Port St. Joe. You should go online or call the Florida state parks visitor information center to locate the best location for you to launch.

Some of the highest dunes in the nation are found here as well as some of the last remaining habitat of coastal sand pine scrub. The park has an abundance of wildlife and provides excellent opportunities for bird watching and wildlife viewing. The park is extremely popular during scallop season (July 1 - Labor Day weekend).

Other local spots...
There are two restaurants within walking distance.
Two General Stores contain everything you need, with one being only less than three miles away, and Kayak & Bike Rentals are available on the Cape.
If you prefer to get out for the day Port St. Joe and Apalachicola are both nice for day trips.