Island Life

As Island Redevelops, Homeowners and Visitors Turning to ‘Local’ Airbnb-Type Services

by
Daniel Nee
August 20, 2024

A rental offered by Breezy Beach Stays in Seaside Heights. (Photo: Breezy Beach Stays)

What was once an island filled with bungalows stacked with bunk beds and no air conditioning units to be found has turned into a dreamland for creative architects and builders who have tapped into broader national and global trends sought by vacationers. But increasingly, in an age where many traditional real estate brokers have been supplanted by digital services such as Airbnb and VRBO, local alternatives are helping to maintain a personal touch to renting “down the Shore.”

Shorebeat recently spoke with the owner of Breezy Beach Stays, a new sponsor, about how the business is one of the first of its kind in the local area, and was born out of a history of love for the barrier island – especially Seaside Heights.

“I grew up lifeguarding and I always loved the area, so as you get older you want to hang onto it forever,” said co-owner Jason Tarabokija. “Even though I live in Point Pleasant, I bought vacation house – a rental – and I realized how hospitality-focused Airbnb was in making the guest experience. One of my longtime friends bought one after me, and we thought that nobody was really managing properties locally with that hospitality-focus.”

With two of their own properties to start, the company was born around Christmas time last year. By this summer, Breezy Beach Stays was representing nearly two-dozen homeowners and a season’s worth of visitors looking for some fun in the sun. While Breezy Beach Stays’ properties may be listed on some of the national rental sites, the company promotes its own website and mobile app, and caters to both owners and tenants who are looking for a “no work” vacation with amenities and a local, personal connection.

“Some owners are tired of dealing with the cleaning and maintenance, and others have found that the traditional Saturday-to-Saturday rental market has changed, and they want to take advantage of that,” said Tarabokija. “A lot of people may want to come down for a wedding, or they can’t take the time off to come for a full week. Accommodating those schedules takes a lot of attention to detail and a lot more care – for the average person who owns a rental unit, it would be a part-time job.”

Breezy Beach Stays offers a team of cleaners, a laundry service, a maintenance person and an employee who coordinates all the check-ins. The goal is to leave visitors with no questions as to what comes with a rental and what amenities they’ll find when they arrive.

The Seaside Heights boardwalk, Oct. 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

“We try to provide amenities that most places don’t do,” Tarabokija said. “The way we look at it is that the Ritz Carlton, let’s say, has a national brand and people know what to expect. When you stay at a Hilton, you’re confident about where you’re going to stay. Locally, we’ve noticed that with Shore rentals, sometimes you’re getting no linens on beds and you have to bring your own, and sometimes it’s provided. We were really looking to bring a hotel or hospitality-focused approach to managing other people’s rentals.”

All of the service’s homes, for example, provide linens, sheets, towels, kitchen products, K-Cups, silverware, paper products, beach chairs, carts and umbrellas, among other items.

“All of that is stocked, and the idea is guests don’t have to bring anything,” he said. “It’s all there for you, and that is something we think separates us from a lot of other properties.”

Indeed, even the owners of rental units use the service to book their own homes for a week or two and enjoy the amenities themselves.

One of the benefits of a local property management company, Tarabokija said, is the confidence owners and visitors experience by having someone close by.

“With a lot of the national companies, there’s no one to reach out to for random things that might come up – say the Wifi disconnects or there’s some minor maintenance problem, it can be a guessing game,” he said. “Just from going on vacation myself, you’re not sure what happens if there’s an issue and you’re not sure what, exactly, comes with the house. If they message us – whether it’s an Airbnb booking or from our site – there’s a phone number you can call and you can send us a message from an app.”

Breezy Beach Stays even publishes a guide with personal recommendations for restaurants, water parks, and dog-friendly areas.

Renderings of the homes building built at 61 Hiering Avenue, Seaside Heights, N.J. (Courtesy: Mike Loundy)

While some lament the disappearance of the old-style shore bungalow, larger homes have their benefits, said Tarabokija, especially when it comes to families who want to vacation together. The market for such rentals has never been stronger.

“We see a big switch in people wanting to come down and have their own house. It’s multi-generational with four or five-bedroom houses,” he said. “Everyone from grandparents to grandkids can vacation together, and price-wise it’s much more accessible.”

While Breezy Beach Stays is representing properties in numerous communities, Seaside Heights is seen as one of the prime opportunities for growth given the borough’s redevelopment efforts.

“It’s cool to watch,” Tarabokija said of the town’s transformation. “In my family, we find ourselves going to Seaside more often. The development is going the right way, the boardwalk is great, and there’s something for everyone now.”