Owning and running a short-term rental in A Pocono Country Place
Buying a short-term rental anywhere is an overwhelming process. It gets even more insane when you consider the dynamics of buying in the Poconos. You’ll have state laws, township ordinances, and HOA regulations and permits to contend with. Depending on what stage in the process you're in, there's lots of helpful information on township regulations, but in this post, we will take a deep dive into permitting and running a short-term rental in A Pocono Country Place (APCP).
Overview:
After you purchase your home, regardless of whether you are using it as a rental or to live in, the HOA will send out an initial inspector to ensure that the house is in compliance and require you to make the necessary changes. Typically, they find things like inadequate fences around propane tanks or the door needs to be the right color. They're looking for HOA violations, not building code stuff.
After that, you'll need to start the permitting process with Coulbaugh Township. That process deserves a separate post, which we'll get to later. Long story short, you'll need that permit before APCP approves your HOA permit. The application for the permit from APCP is available on the HOA's website, apcppoa.com, and costs $200. You'll need to reapply for both permits every year. You should be good to go after you pay as long as you already have your permit from the township.
Once you have all your permits in order, you're ready to start renting! Below, I'm going to list several FAQs. Remember, there are many ways to do this; depending on who you talk to, they may do it differently. Below is how we've done it, considering what's required from APCP and how to make it as efficient as possible. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have other questions!
FAQs
How do we register guests who book our home in APCP?
Right after we get a booking, the first message we send them thanks them for booking and gives them some details, but then has a link where we ask them to fill out a Signnow form that will take them to the form the HOA provides. Here's the language we use.
"The house is located within a gated community and requires that all guests fill out an HOA guest registration form. We'll need the form completed by 5 PM three days before your stay, or there will be a $75 expedited processing fee from the HOA. Please click on this link to fill out the form: (Insert Link Here)"
Typically, guests are good at filling it out, but sometimes it takes a few reminders. After they fill it out, we email the PDF to tenants@apcppoa.com, and they send back a confirmation email that our guests are registered. The standard registration fee is $50, but if it's submitted to the HOA later than 72 hours before the stay, PCP charges an additional $75, making the total registration fee $125!
What do I tell the guests about checking in?
On the day of their arrival, there are a few different things that your guests will need to know before they even get to the home. The single most important thing for them to know. PCP will not let any cars through the gate that don't have a licensed driver with a hard paper copy of their registration. It seems nuts, I know, but if the drivers of each vehicle will need 3 things to get in, they need to be on the registration form, have a valid driver's license, and a paper copy of their registration, or they WILL NOT be given access to the community. As long as they have those three things and you have confirmation that the HOA registration form was received, you have a 70% chance that they'll get past the gate. (The other 30% of the time they don't get in is because PCP loses paperwork or doesn't actually put it in; it happens all the time and drives us and the guests nuts.)
So, to recap, the registration form is in at this point, and the guests have been told they need their license and registration. Now what? Depending on the section they're in, you'll need to give them some direction on where to go and what their gate check-in process will look like.
PCP is broken up into 11 different sections: A-L. (Here's a link so you can visually see them all; from what I can see, section "i" doesn't exist lol.) 3 different gates will give them access to the different sections: Gate 1 for Sections A-H, Gate 2 for Section J, and Gate 3 for Sections K & L.
Gate 1 123 Country Pl Dr, Tobyhanna, PA 18466: If your home is in sections A-H, your guests will enter through gate 1, which is also where the main HOA headquarters is (Instert Star Wars joke here). This gate requires guests to park their cars and go to the building to check-in. The HOA asks that only the driver go in to check in; they'll need to bring their driver's license and the vehicle registration. They'll talk with one of the administration receptionists and get a pass for their vehicle. After getting their pass, they can return to their car and drive to the gate. They'll flash the pass to the camera at the gate, and they're in!
Gates 2 & 3 are located at 9002 Idlewood Dr, Tobyhanna, PA 18466 & 1000 Knollwood Dr, Tobyhanna, PA 18466. For all homes in J & K section, this one is for you. The advantage of gates 2 & 3 is the guests can stay in their cars. At these gates, they can drive right up, furnish their driver's license and registration, and receive their passes to go through directly at the gate.
How do contractors and friends get past the gate?
The best way to call in contractors is by calling the welcome center at 570.894.4031. They'll ask you for your lot and pin number, so have those handy.
Can short-term rental guests use the amenities?
Yes! Well, kind of... As an owner in APCP, you can buy up to 5 amenities passes for your guests. Each pass is $50 and is valid for the whole season that year, Memorial Day through Labor Day. It gets the person using that pass access to the swimming beach, all 4 pools, mini-golf, and boat rental. If you have more than 5 guests hoping to use an amenity simultaneously, they'll have to pay $12 per person daily. Some homeowners don't bother providing passes and tell guests that everyone in their group should be ready to pay $12 per person if they want to use the pool or other amenities. Up to you!
How do I deal with getting garbage out to the curb?
Depending on the section you're in, APCP requires that you bring the bin they provide from the side of your house curbside at most 24 hours before garbage day and take it back to the side of your house no more than 24 hours after. If you need some help getting this taken care of, let us know, and we typically can take care of it at your house for $50 per month.
Overall, A Pocono Country Place is a great place to own and run a short-term rental. It can have its quirks, but if there's anything we can help with, or you need some help navigating some of the complicated aspects of it, make sure to reach out and let us know!