It's not too late yet to
book a week or two at the beach, but get ready to pay more -- the rental market
is booming at the Jersey Shore.
It’s a supply-and-demand issue. Demand is so high
and supply is so limited that prices are up at least 20% for shore
rentals.
Realtors say the staycation is back this summer due to rising gas
prices and quarantine restrictions -- all creating a perfect storm for a
Jersey Shore rental boom.
“We were booked out before December this year for
the whole summer, including June, which we never book out,” says
landlord Alisa Berrios.
Berrios is now in her fifth year renting out a
Seaside Park home, and she says she's never seen demand like this.
“People are trying to do staycations more,
and it's a really good vacation and a safe vacation,” says Berrios. “They
really don't want to get hotels. They want their own little domicile."
Her VRBO listing attracted renters this season
from as far away as Nevada. Realtor James Ward says it's all due to
a combination of factors. Last year's COVID-19
cancellations, rebookings, ongoing restrictions and a
snowy winter all created a demand outpacing supply.
“People are being sick of cooped up in general,” says Ward, with
Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living. “The weather certainly added to that. What
we are seeing is that the first hint of warm weather, people start thinking
about the beach, where they might want to go. Rising gas prices, issues
if you leave the state and quarantine when you come back. People are opting for
homes for themselves and their families and friends.”
Berrios says she
kept her rates the same on her Seaside Park home because she understands the
struggles many families still face who simply want to get away.