Frequently Asked Questions
You may reserve your property online or by contacting our team at [email protected] or 843.768.4545.
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 (60 or 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 sent via email to [email protected]. 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 — Akers Ellis Rentals has partnered with RentalGuardian to give you access to optional travel protection plans. 1 in 6 travelers hit an unforeseen disruption, but you can book with confidence knowing your whole party is protected under one plan.
Travel protection insures you against unforeseen circumstances that cause trip cancellation, delays, lost baggage, and emergency medical costs — covering you and your vacation investment whether the disruption happens before you leave home or after you arrive.
Covered reasons include: the sudden illness or death of a traveler, family member, or travel companion; a hurricane, tropical storm, or other natural disaster that triggers a mandatory evacuation or makes your destination inaccessible; a job loss, specified legal obligation, or other qualifying unforeseen event; travel delays, missed connections, or lost, damaged, or delayed baggage; or emergency medical expenses incurred while you're away from home.
The plan cost is 7.5% of total booking charges.
Learn more via our Travel Protection page.
Yes! Want more flexibility? Upgrade to Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR)*. The base plan reimburses 100% of covered, prepaid trip costs when a trip is cancelled, interrupted, or delayed for a reason specified in the plan. The CFAR provision adds flexibility beyond that list: if the guest cancels for any reason at all — forecast rain, a cancelled event, a simple change of plans — the CFAR benefit generally reimburses a substantial portion of prepaid, non-refundable trip costs.
The Trip Cancellation Insurance offer is available at 7.5% of total booking charges. Plans with the Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) upgrade — which adds the ability to cancel for reasons not otherwise specified as covered — are available at 11.25% of total booking charges. InsureStays recommends purchasing protection at the time of booking.
*CFAR not available to residents of New York, Quebec or residents of countries outside the US and Canada.
Learn more via our Travel Protection page.
Offers of optional travel protection plans are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company (US residents), with equivalent coverage available for Canadian residents and guests from other approved countries. Coverage for residents outside of the US and Canada is offered by UnitedHealthcare Global through ITA Global Trust Ltd. As Trustee of the Global Solutions Insurance Trust. Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) plans must be purchased within 14 days of booking; no CFAR plan is available within 30 days of your arrival date. Standard travel protection can be purchased at any time up to 30 days prior to check-in — if you're booking within 30 days of arrival, you can still purchase standard travel protection as long as you do so at the time of booking. No plan offered here may be purchased on the day of check-in. Coverage for US residents is subject to a 15-day free-look period; after that review period ends, the cost of the plan is non-refundable.
For full plan details, eligibility, and to purchase, visit InsureStays.com.
Learn more via our Travel Protection page.
We are not responsible for the weather or other Acts of God and there will be no refunds for such events. We encourage you to consider Travel Protection to cover this scenario.
The Limited Rental Damage Waiver (LRDW) is a contractual program offered by Akers Ellis Rentals directly to guests. The LRDW waives Guest's obligation to reimburse Akers Ellis Rentals for specified costs associated with accidental Eligible Damage to the Rental Unit arising during the contracted Stay, subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions, and dollar limits set forth in the LRDW Addendum.
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 emails containing your printable gate pass* and property's access information. Upon arrival to the island, you will go directly to your vacation rental.
*Please note that as of July 2026, Kiawah Island updated its gate access procedures for rental guests. There is a new gate pass design, and all drivers accessing the property must be registered in advance. We will contact you two weeks before arrival to gather this information to help ensure smooth entry through the gate. The gate pass is emailed to you and must be printed before leaving home and displayed in your vehicle's windshield at all times while on the island. Failure to provide driver information in a timely manner may result in vehicles being turned away at the gate.
Please ensure all exterior doors and windows are closed and locked. We'll take care of the rest.
Our property management team is on the island every day; please contact our team at [email protected] or 843.768.4545 for assistance. 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 cottages, homes, and villas offer access to seasonal community pools. Private or community pools are indicated in the property description. Additionally, you may search by the private pool or community pool amenity on our website.
Some homes offer heated private pools and are indicated in the property description. Additionally, you may search by the heated pool amenity on our website.
Our rental guests have access to Kiawah Island Golf Resort’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 approved pets in their vacation properties and are indicated in the property description. Additionally, you may search by the pets considered amenity on our website.
Some private homes and villa buildings have elevators for guest use and are indicated in the property description. Additionally, you may search by the elevator amenity on our website.
We manage several first-floor villas and single-story cottages and homes, as indicated in the property description and images. Additionally, some private homes and villa buildings have elevators for guest use.
Yes, all of our vacation rental properties are non-smoking.
The Village Market by Harris Teeter is the nearest grocery store, which is located in Freshfields Village about two miles outside the island’s main gate. Located in the heart of Night Heron Park, The Nest Market | Café offers fresh-baked goods prepared on site, specialty coffees, gourmet made-to-order sandwiches, a selection of groceries, including beer and wine, and a wide selection of retail items.
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.
Historic downtown Charleston is about a 40-minute drive from the island’s main gate.
Charleston International Airport is about a 45-minute drive from the island’s main gate.
