Yes, You must be over the age of 25 to book a reservation. A party member over the age of 25 must be present at all times during the reservation. 

Lewis Realty accepts all major Credit Cards and Debit Card brands for payment.

We do not charge any additional processing fees for credit card payments.

We do not accept cash payments. 

There are several fees, in addition to the rental price, that make up the reservation total. Below is an example of the price quote you may receive from our rentals department. Not all fees will apply to your reservation, please see below for an explanation of our fees: 

SAMPLE QUOTE:

• Rent $4,194.00
• Pet Fee per pet (Optional) $175.00
• Reservation Fee $115.00
• Waivo Damage Waiver Fee $59.00
• Taxes $571.70
• Total $5,114.70
• Travel Insurance (optional) $358.03

< Reservation Fee (required):

This fee is applied to all reservations and is taxable. This fee covers the administrative costs associated with the reservation and expenses related to servicing the property during your stay.

< Pet Fee (Optional):  

This fee automatically applies to all reservations at pet-friendly properties. If you do not intend to bring a pet the fee can be removed from the reservation. 

Pet fees are charged per pet accompanying you. If you have more than one pet please let our rental staff know. Pet Fees are non-refundable and are taxable. Not all properties are pet-friendly, please check the property description to clarify.

< Damage Protection Fee (required):

Each reservation is protected against accidental damages that may occur during your stay up to $5000. The cost of this protection is automatically added and listed as a line item on your reservation. Damage protection is required for all reservations and Lewis Realty does not collect any additional funds for refundable Security Deposits on vacation rental reservations. 

< Rental items (optional):

Items like Beach gear, Baby equipment, and Bikes are not provided with many of our rental properties but can be added to your reservation. Pricing for all rental items can be found on our Rental Items page. 

PLEASE NOTE: Lewis Realty is not responsible for any additional fees charged by 3rd party sites such as Homeaway.com or VRBO. These sites charge their separate service fee for booking your reservation through their site. 

No! Each reservation total includes the cost of an after stay cleaning.

We do ask that guests perform a few minor tasks, such as taking out the trash and putting away dishes, before they check out but our team will take care of the rest!

No!

We do not charge a Security Deposit for our vacation rental reservations. Instead, each reservation includes a damage protection policy so guests are covered against accidental damages during their stay. 

No amount for a Security Deposit will be refunded to you after your stay.

• When you are ready to make your reservation, there are 3 ways to do so:

• Call our office and provide your information over the phone (910-328-5211).

• Book online through our website: www.VacationsOnTopsail.com.

• Correspond via email to provide all necessary information. 

Pay By Credit Card: Roughly half of your balance will be due at the time of booking. This is true if you book online through our website, through a 3rd party site, or over the phone with a member of our reservation team. The remaining balance after receiving this advance will be due 30 days before your arrival date.

We can accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or Amex payments.

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

Most of our homes WILL NOT be ready for check-in prior to our designated check-in time. Please make sure to gauge your travel time accordingly. Lewis Realty Associates now offers contactless access to all properties starting in 2022.

Please refer to the Property Description for details about your type of access. Detailed information will be emailed to all guests before arrival with house-specific check-in information.

If you arrive early, please do not visit the property before it has been deemed check-in ready!!

Our cleaners and inspectors need the time prior to 4 pm to complete their tasks properly. Cleaners and inspectors will not stop at the property if a vehicle is in the driveway, which may delay your check-in time so please share with all members of your party to not park at the property until it is ready.

Feel free to call the office to see if the property is available, and if it is, we will gladly give you the keys early.If you would like to view the property before making a reservation, please call the office to see if/when it can be arranged and we will be happy to let you view one or more properties. 

Please be patient with our staff if you arrive early and your house is not yet ready. Repeated phone calls and/or being aggressive with staff members to speed along check in will not help us get the properties ready for you any faster.

Check Out is at 10 AM on your check out day.

Our cleaning and inspection crews are scheduled in advance and will begin cleaning homes promptly at 10 am.  We do ask that you plan accordingly in order to vacate your rental on time. 

• We do not offer the option for Early Check-in or Late check-out. 
  
  

Yes!

We accept “Token Hold” reservations which allow guests to reserve weeks for next year prior to the rates being posted. Guests booked for the current year have priority booking rights over next years dates through Wednesday of their current years reservation. If they have not placed a hold on next years dates by Thursday morning of this years reservation, the dates will be open to the public for “Token Hold”.

There is a $40+tax non-refundable fee to place a “Token Hold. This fee is added to the grand total of your reservation.

Once next year’s rates are locked in by the owners, we will send you an updated confirmation showing the updated balance for your reservation. These confirmation emails are typically EMAILED to guests within the first 2 weeks of November. Once received, you will have the option to cancel or continue with your reservation.  

If you wish to continue with your reservation, a confirming payment of $500 will be due within two weeks of receiving your updated confirmation email. If your payment is not received in that time frame, the reservation will be flagged for cancellation. 

The remainder of the first half of your total balance will be due by February 1st. 

Beach equipment may or may not be at the property, but most of our owners do not supply these items for guest use. If previous guests have left behind items our cleaners will leave these for you to enjoy as well but that is not guaranteed.  We do offer a variety of rentable beach items that can be added to your reservation.

Please see our rental items page or contact our office for more information. Items added in advance to your reservation will be delivered to your rental property no later than 8pm on your check in day. 

Beach equipment cannot be left on the beach overnight. There are ordinances prohibiting such equipment being left on the beach in each township on Topsail Island. Main concerns regarding excess equipment being left on the beach include damage and debris caused by high tides washing away equipment, and equipment hindering turtle nesting and/or injuring sea turtles attempting to nest.

The number of guests staying and /or visiting the property cannot exceed the advertised maximum occupancy of the unit. This is true even if the property offers more sleeping arrangements than the listed occupancy. These occupancy limits are set in accordance with town and safety ordinances for your own protection as well as the protection of the property. Exceeding the Maximum Occupancy at any time may result in eviction from the property

No parties are permitted in any of our vacation rental units. All vacation units are to be rented to family groups only. No teen or college groups are allowed, even if they are chaperoned by adults. 

If you are staying at a pet friendly property, you may bring your pet with the addition of a pet fee to your reservation. All pet friendly properties will accept dogs, but we may need to receive permission from the homeowner of a requested property for other pets.

Travel Insurance (Optional but HIGHLY RECOMMENDED):

Lewis Realty has partnered with InsureStays to help safeguard your entire booking deposit and other prepaid non-refundable payments related to planned travel. Travel Insurance covers risks incidental to planned travel such as sickness, accidental injury, or death of you or a family member (or of a traveling companion), weather delays, natural disasters, unexpected changes in your employment, and many more specific reasons. 

See below for policy coverage information. For policy-related questions please call Insurestays Customer Service at 833-610-0736. 

Guests can also visit the link below for additional coverage information. Please note all plans listed on the website are available for guests' purchase and some plans, such as the damage protection are already included with your reservation. Please ask your reservationist for more details: 

 https://topsailarea.rentalguardian.com/

Guests opting not to purchase travel insurance should be aware that our standard cancellation policy will apply to all reservations per the terms and conditions of our rental agreement, therefore, your entire booking payment could be at risk in the event you do not purchase travel insurance protection. 

NOTE: The NC Vacation Rental Act states that if travel insurance is offered, whether purchased or declined, the rental agency is under no obligation to make any refund due to a weather event or mandatory evacuation. 

Per our vacation rental agreement, no refund will be issued by Lewis Realty, and guests who purchase travel insurance will need to work with the insurance company directly to file a claim for reimbursement.  

> Option # 1 - Play Travel Protection - Standard 

Standard Travel insurance can be added to your reservation total up to 30 days before check-in, or before you make your final payment on the reservation, whichever comes first. 

Guests who are booking within 30 days from check-in will need to add this plan at the time of booking for it to protect their reservation. 

The cost of the Standard Travel Insurance plan is 7% of your total reservation invoice amount. The premium charged for travel insurance is non-refundable after 10 days of coverage purchase. 

> Option # 2 - Play Travel Protection - with Cancel for Any Reason Benefit

In addition to the standard travel insurance option listed above, guests have the option to purchase a deluxe travel insurance policy which includes the Cancel For Any Reason benefit. The CFAR policy protects guests in the event of cancellations that are not covered by the standard insurance plan. The CFAR will pay up to 60% of pre-paid non-refundable charges should your cancellation reason not be covered by the standard travel insurance. The cost of the standard travel insurance coverage with CFAR benefits is 10.8% of your total reservation invoice amount. The premium charged for travel insurance is non-refundable after 10 days of coverage purchase. 

**This benefit plan is not available for guests who are booking within 30 days from check-in. If you are booking within 31 to 45 days from check-in, this plan must be added at the time of booking.**

If you are booking a reservation that is more than 45 days out from check-in, this benefit plan must be added to your reservation within 15 days of booking. After 15 days from booking, it will no longer be available but you can still purchase the standard travel insurance plan.

**CFAR benefit plans are NOT available to residents of New York, New Hampshire, or Washington.

CANCELLATIONS 

In the event of a cancellation by the Tenant, the agent will implement the cancellation policy that corresponds with the reservation type/channel where the reservation was booked, see below. Whether the Premises are re-rented, the Tenant, rather than the Agent, shall be responsible for seeking reimbursement of any fees paid by the Tenant to Agent for goods, services, or benefits procured by Agent from third parties for the benefit of Tenant that may have been paid out before Tenant’s cancellation. All requests to change dates of stay or premises after a reservation has been made are treated as cancellations.

An emailed request for cancellation can be sent to Pm@topsailarea.com to begin the cancellation process. A detailed explanation of the cancellation process will be provided upon receipt of your cancellation request.

1. Direct Booked Guests (Most Guests): 

1. Guests Booked BEFORE 3/7/2026: Tenant shall receive a refund of all payments made, less a $200 cancellation fee if the Premises are re-rented on the terms set forth herein. If the Premises are not re-rented on the terms set forth herein, the Tenant will not be entitled to a refund of any rent payment made hereunder.
   
   

2. Guests Booked AFTER 3/7/2026: 

1. Guests who request cancellation more than 14 days before check-in will receive a full refund, minus the cost of any Travel insurance premiums.
   
   

2. Guests who request cancellation between 14 and 7 days before check-in will receive a 50% refund, minus the cost of any Travel insurance premiums.
   
   

3. Guests who request cancellation less than 7 days before check-in will not be eligible for a refund unless the property is re-rented before the scheduled check-in date.
   
   

2. Airbnb or VRBO Guests:
   Guests shall be entitled to a refund based on the listed policy for each OTA listing. These policies will be similar to the Cancellation Policy listed above for Direct Booked Guests, but may have slight variations based on the OTA cancellation policy terms. Please review your original confirmation from Airbnb or VRBO for specific cancellation details.

Guests are still strongly encouraged to purchase travel insurance to protect their reservation due to cancellation outside of our flexible cancellation terms.