Cape Cod rentals filling up fast as people itch for vacation

ORLEANS, Mass. — With the Fourth of July just one week away, many Cape Cod rentals are completely booked for the holiday weekend, with some now booked through the end of summer and into the fall.

Rental property owner Scott Tessier has a home in Nauset Heights, the outermost part of Cape Cod, and he said his property is now booked into October through Airbnb.

“We were surprised it picked up real fast,” he told WFXT-TV.

As of late, travelers have been planning trips beyond the end of the season, property manager Jason Clark told the news station.

“There’s actually a little September surge because I don’t think everyone believes that they’re going back to school immediately in September,” Clark told WFXT-TV.

He noted that homes available for rent have been going fast.

The president of Pretty Picky Properties, a rental company on the Cape, said many people are itching to take a vacation after self-quarantining this spring.

“Right now the appetite is voracious. So people are calling, ‘What do you have left? I’ll take it. Here’s my credit card,’” Blake Decker said.

The rental company represents 160 homes in five different towns on Cape Cod, many of which are also booked into late September.

Decker explained that bookings started picking up in late April before lodging in Massachusetts reopened as a part of the state’s second phase of reopening.

“The beginning of May is when we saw the tide turn when the amount of new bookings superseded cancellations,” he said.

Decker said that at first, people wanted to rent homes for a month, or even for the entire summer to guarantee their stay.

After those homes were gone, he said people went after short-term rentals with pools.

“Private pools, as you can imagine, are a desirable amenity in these conditions. They were so before this, but now it’s just exacerbated that demand to the highest level we’ve ever seen,” Decker said.

While the Fourth of July is now being eyed as a new kickoff to summer, those in the rental business say if people are still interested in vacationing on Cape Cod, the time to make that reservation is now.

“Be proactive and quick at booking. Not a lot of talking about it this year. You’re going to have to probably put the money down and commit,” said Clark.

The Cape will also be put to the test for the holiday weekend with beaches and restaurants at limited capacity.

Cox Media Group