The dog issue is more complicated, because dogs at Grayton are only allowed with a County permit. To secure a permit, you must show proof of property ownership via tax bills and also submit an application with vaccination confirmation. So if you are renting, your dog could not be issued a permit and there is a hefty fine if you are stopped (not likely, but still). Then the hours that dogs can be on the beach at all are extremely limited, meaning that the dog is either outside on a deck barking or cooped up inside and probably frustrated. The truth is that even well behaved dogs are not a good mix with an ecologically sensitive area. The best dogs will enjoy a three-egg (turtle) omlette, for example.
We do not allow pets at our house because many people are allergic to animal hair and one can never know how well behaved another person's pet will be, especially when left alone in unfamiliar surroundings. On the plus side, even the dumbest dog knows better than to dive off a deck into a swimming pool, a more-than-once occurrence with some of our two-legged renters. We do take our small Havanese puppy with us when we go because he's always on the leash and the Havanese does not shed, so is hypoallergenic. I guess this issue is a bit like smoking vs. non-smoking. Apparently, lots of smokers ask for "no smoking" accommodations and rental autos because they don't like smelling other people's smoke!
(Is there an odorless cigarette?)
As for the bed tax, you are not likely to find a resort or vacation area that does not impose a healthy one and it is almost always added to the base rental price. Ours in the Napa Valley is 12.5 percent and it is often a nasty surprise for European vacationers, who are accustomed to rental rates including all taxes, gratuities, and a great breakfast. This is something we love about European travel and wish it was the same in the U.S. The County folks here surf the Internet all the time looking for owners who rent their properties and do not charge and pay the bed tax. It is actually illegal to rent your property for less than 30 days in this County. Our City recently filed a big lawsuit against a homeowner here for renting for big bucks and not paying the City coffers. I understand from very informed sources that Walton County is also getting very aggressive about collecting the bed tax, using the Web sites as an easy way to identify potential violators.
We do not allow pets at our house because many people are allergic to animal hair and one can never know how well behaved another person's pet will be, especially when left alone in unfamiliar surroundings. On the plus side, even the dumbest dog knows better than to dive off a deck into a swimming pool, a more-than-once occurrence with some of our two-legged renters. We do take our small Havanese puppy with us when we go because he's always on the leash and the Havanese does not shed, so is hypoallergenic. I guess this issue is a bit like smoking vs. non-smoking. Apparently, lots of smokers ask for "no smoking" accommodations and rental autos because they don't like smelling other people's smoke!
(Is there an odorless cigarette?)As for the bed tax, you are not likely to find a resort or vacation area that does not impose a healthy one and it is almost always added to the base rental price. Ours in the Napa Valley is 12.5 percent and it is often a nasty surprise for European vacationers, who are accustomed to rental rates including all taxes, gratuities, and a great breakfast. This is something we love about European travel and wish it was the same in the U.S. The County folks here surf the Internet all the time looking for owners who rent their properties and do not charge and pay the bed tax. It is actually illegal to rent your property for less than 30 days in this County. Our City recently filed a big lawsuit against a homeowner here for renting for big bucks and not paying the City coffers. I understand from very informed sources that Walton County is also getting very aggressive about collecting the bed tax, using the Web sites as an easy way to identify potential violators.
