Vacation Rental FAQ's

The owners of each property set the age requirements for individual vacation rental properties. For most of our properties, the primary renter must be 25 years or older. Anyone under 25 must have a responsible adult staying in the unit and available at all times during your stay. Failure to honor this requirement will result in removal from the property and no refund of unused days or deposit. Check the description of the property you are interested in for specific age requirements.

All of our vacation rentals provide free Wi-Fi. The network name and password will be sent to you in your Check-in Instructions once the final booking payment is made. Also, this information is posted on a blue magnet on the refrigerator in the kitchen. If there are any issues with the internet during your stay, please contact us during normal business hours. We will do everything in our power to resolve any issues, but, due to the wide variety of devices using Wi-Fi these days, we are unable to guarantee service or offer tech support on your personal device. Please understand that on rare occasions, due to problems with internet providers that outages may occur that are beyond our control. No refunds are given for issues with Wi-Fi.

All reservations pay a Limited Accidental Damage Waiver Fee of $50.00. The Limited Accidental Damage Waiver Fee covers accidental, reported damages up to $1000.00. Any repair or replacement costs that are in excess of $1000.00 will be charged to the credit card on file. Any end of stay cleaning over and above normal will be billed automatically to your credit card on file. In order for damages to be covered by the Limited Accidental Damaged Waiver, they must be reported to the Property Manager within 12 hours of the damage occurrence and prior to check out.

Full payment is due 30 days prior to arrival. We will remind you periodically that payment is due. If you fail to pay your final payment by 30 days prior to your arrival date, your reservation will be cancelled and any payments made less amounts due to us will be refunded by the payment method on file.

The first step in booking your vacation rental with Emerald Beach Properties is to request a quote for the specific property you want to rent. Just let us know how many are in your party and the dates you would like to stay. Once the reservation is made, a Rental Agreement is sent to you. To book the vacation rental you have chosen, the Rental Agreement and down payment must be received within 24 hours of booking. The Rental Agreement will include booking instructions and different options for payment.

Emerald Beach Properties offers several pet friendly rentals. While most owners and condo associations don’t allow pets for rental guests, we do have a few that do. You can see our pet friendly offerings under the pet friendly tabs on the home page or you can search www.PetFriendlyPCB.com to see what we have to offer if you want to bring your furry friends on vacation.

Due to the inability to guarantee beach chair availability during certain times of year, Emerald Beach Properties does not offer beach chairs in most cases. Beach chairs can be purchased from the local representative stationed near the chairs. Note that some individual owners do pay for annual beach chairs for their guests, please see individual listings for availability.

Cancellations may be made up to 30 days prior to your arrival date. A $70.00 cancellation fee will be deducted from your down payment for cancellations made at least 30 days prior to your arrival. The remainder of the down payment will be returned to you, by the same method you used to pay originally. A cancellation made 30-15 days prior to your arrival date will result in the forfeiture of $300.00 of your down payment. Cancellations made 14-0 days prior to your arrival will result in the forfeiture of all monies paid. Cancellations or early departures do not warrant a refund, with the exception of a mandatory evacuation. At the time you book your reservation, you have the opportunity to purchase trip insurance. This is offered during checkout for your booking and you will need to pay the insurance portion as part of your initial payment. If you are booking through a 3rd party site, you can also purchase trip insurance from that company. If there are closures ordered by the Federal Government, the State of Florida or the Local Governments that prohibit vacation rentals, you will be allowed to reschedule your stay for a later date. If this results in increased charges, these will be due at the time of re-scheduling. Keep in mind that Travel Insurance is available at the time of booking to cover the possibility of such closures that prevent you from traveling.

Your complete check-in instructions will be emailed to you once full payment is received. We try to make check-in as easy and touch-free as possible! We want you to enjoy every second of your vacation! In most cases, you will be issued a door code and will go straight to your vacation rental upon arrival.

Remember, check-in is 5:00pm or later. The door code provided in your check-in instructions is programmed to work beginning at 5:00pm so that our housekeepers have time to complete the cleaning of your vacation rental. If you are a few minutes early, please re-try after 5pm. If you would like an earlier check-in, please coordinate with us before your arrival. Note that early check-ins and late check outs will incur additional charges and may not be available for all dates. Remember to place your parking passes in any vehicles you bring as soon as you check in to avoid being towed.

Please place all of your garbage in plastic bags and dispose of in the trash disposal chute that is located on the same floor as your unit or in the outdoor receptacles provided in the complex. Load the dishwasher and turn it on before you go. Remove sheets from the sleeper sofa, if it has been used. Set thermostat on 73 degrees for a/c, and 68 degrees for heat and please switch on the HVAC unit’s fan so that air will circulate. Also, please leave the ceiling fans on medium speed in all rooms. This allows air to circulate within the property prior to the arrival of the housekeepers. Leave the living room TV, DVD & VCR, remotes on the coffee table and leave the bedroom remotes on the dressers. Make sure the sliding glass doors and windows are closed and secured and close the drapes. It’s that easy! Completely hassle-free check-out!

Leaving the vacation rental in excessively messy or dirty condition, evidence of pets or smoking inside the property will result in extra housekeeping charges to your method of payment on file with us.

Emerald Beach Properties uses an advanced lock system that provides each guest a unique code that is set to be active only during their stay. This system also allows control of access to your unit by housekeeping and maintenance personnel. The locks can be audited to determine if housekeeping, maintenance, pest control, etc. entered your rental at any given time.

Most of our properties have on-site security systems in place. These systems use video surveillance in common areas. All properties have full time security personnel on staff and most have access controlled gates or parking lot patrols. Phone numbers for Association Security are posted in each property. If there is an emergency, dial 911. Some of our properties have “Ring” doorbells that record all door activity.

It is the guest’s responsibility to keep door codes private and to keep doors and windows properly secured during their stay. Emerald Beach Properties is not liable for loss, damage to, or theft of property left inside the condo. Please be sure to secure your valuables.

Emerald Beach Properties Main Office: (850) 234-0997, e-mail rez@emeraldbeachproperties.com

**For medical, fire, smoke, and any other serious emergencies, please immediately call 9-1-1.

If a non-emergency maintenance issue arises during your stay, please contact our main office number during normal business hours by phone or e-mail. Normal business hours are Monday through Friday 8:00am–5:00pm. If there is no answer, please leave a message or send us an e-mail. This number is monitored after hours for emergency calls only. Please refrain from reporting non-emergency maintenance issues after hours if they can wait until the next day.

If we must enter your rental for maintenance during your stay, we will make every effort to contact you in advance to arrange for a convenient time for you. However, Emerald Beach Properties reserves the right to enter the premises as needed to handle maintenance issues and to inspect the property as needed.

Maintenance requests are handled by the level of urgency, and then by the order that they were received. During certain times of the year, maintenance may not be able to be dispatched to your rental immediately. Rest assured, we will handle your requests as soon as possible.

After-Hours Emergencies

If a maintenance issue occurs after hours, please call us at (850) 234-0997. Please leave a message if there is no answer. We have staff on call after-hours to handle emergency maintenance issues only.

Maintenance emergency situations are: leaks, non-working toilet (if it is the only one in the property), air conditioning (if it is above 80 degrees outside), as well as other serious issues. Wi-Fi issues, cable TV issues, etc. are not considered emergencies and can’t be handled after-hours due to the unavailability of customer service from Comcast, WOW, etc. during these times.

**For medical, fire, smoke, and any other serious emergencies, please immediately call 9-1-1.

Emerald Beach Properties Main Office: (850) 234-0997, e-mail rez@emeraldbeachproperties.com

Please call if your vacation rental has not been cleaned by 5:00 p.m. check in time, or you find any issues with the cleanliness of your rental upon check in. All of the properties we manage are professionally cleaned and inspected. Please report all housekeeping issues within 12 hours of arrival so that we can send someone to take care of them. We will correct any housekeeping issues after you call and we do not give refunds for housekeeping issues. Housekeeping is on-call during regular business hours. Emerald Beach Properties strives for the cleanest properties in Panama City Beach, we want to make sure that you receive the highest level of housekeeping service!

Trip insurance is never required as a prerequisite to book a vacation rental but, you may wish to consider it if you are concerned that your plans may change. At the time you book your reservation, you have the opportunity to purchase trip insurance for stays at least 30 days from the booking date. This is offered during checkout for your booking and you will need to pay the trip insurance premium as part of your initial payment if you decide to purchase. Trip insurance must be purchased within a few days of your booking. You may receive a reminder from our Travel Insurance partner offering trip insurance after you book. If you are booking through a 3rd party site, you can also purchase trip insurance from that company. Please be sure to read carefully the terms and conditions for all trip insurance you are considering purchasing prior to purchase.

Since Emerald Beach Properties, Inc. does not provide baby gear for guests, we recommend that you contact a baby equipment rental company to arrange for them to provide high quality, inspected and disinfected baby gear for your vacation. 

Traveling Timmy Baby Rentals
www.travelingtimmybabyrentals.com
(317) 363-5580

Babys Away
www.babysaway.com or call 1(800) 693-0727.  

When appropriate precautions are taken, cases of "flesh eating" bacteria are very rare.  Please read the following information and follow the recommendations for preventing this issue while you vacation at the beach.

What Is Vibrio Vulnificus (Flesh Eating Bacteria)?

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium, which is often labeled "flesh-eating" for its ability to cause severe and sometimes fatal tissue damage.

Around 150 to 200 Vibrio vulnificus infections are reported to the CDC each year, with about one in five cases being fatal. In 2024, Florida welcomed approximately 143 Million vacation visitors.  As you can see, the odds of encountering this problem are very, very small. 

Vibrio bacteria live in coastal waters, including salt water and brackish water, a mixture of salt water and fresh water. Most infections occur by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, others  may be infected when an open wound is exposed to salt water or brackish water containing Vibrio Vulnificus.

Vibrio vulnificus infections are rare.

Symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus infections after eating raw or undercooked shellfish include fever, dangerously low blood pressure and blistering.

Symptoms of Vibrio vulnificus wound infections include redness, swelling, fever and others.

Vibrio vulnificus infections, while rare, can lead to serious and life-threatening complications, so, if you suspect an infection, you should immediately go to the emergency room.

How to Protect Yourself from Vibrio Vulnificus Infections

In order to protect yourself from infection with the bacteria, follow these suggestions:

1. Thoroughly cook all shellfish. Do Not Eat Raw Oysters or undercooked shellfish.

2. Avoid contact with salt or brackish water if you have open wounds.

3. Use waterproof bandages on wounds if exposure is a concern.

4.  Shower and wash with soap and water after swimming in coastal waters.

5.  Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw seafood.

6.   If you have weakened immune systems, chronic liver, kidney, or heart disease, cancer, or diabetes, or fresh wounds you should avoid swimming in coastal waters and eating raw shellfish.

Cases of Vibrio Vulnificus Infections in the US 2025 Through July

There  were  60 confirmed cases of the infection caused by the bacteria in the U.S. from January through July of 2025.

Alabama (three cases)
Arizona (one case)
Florida (16 cases, four deaths)
Georgia (two cases)
Louisiana (17 cases, four deaths)
Massachusetts (one case)
Mississippi (one case)
North Carolina (seven cases)
South Carolina (one case)
Texas (five cases)
Virginia (six cases)