Ave Maria Rental FAQ
Straight answers to the twenty-five questions people actually ask before renting this house — minimum stay, rates, pets, utilities, HOA approval and life in the town.
Terms & eligibility
Can I rent this house for a weekend or a week?
No. Maple Ridge sets a thirty-night minimum, and this home can be leased to a maximum of two households in any twelve-month period. That rules out weekends, weeks, graduation stays and event stays. If you need a few nights, Naples is about thirty minutes away and has hotels — and we’d genuinely rather tell you that now than waste your time.
What lease lengths are available?
Three shapes work best: a twelve-month lease at $3,995 a month; a May–December furnished term at $4,995; and a January–April winter season at $5,995 taxes included. We can flex around those — a four-month bridge, an August–May academic year — as long as it’s at least three months and fits within two leases a year.
Why only two leases a year?
It’s the Maple Ridge HOA rule, not our preference. The practical effect is good for you: no weekend turnover, no rotating strangers next door, and a street where the people around you actually live there.
Is this an Airbnb?
No. It’s a private home leased directly by its owner on a written Florida lease, on the Association’s approved form. You get a tenancy, not a reservation — which matters if your closing slips, your project extends, or you simply want the rights a lease carries.
Do I have to be approved by the HOA?
Yes. Maple Ridge screens and approves every tenant and every lease. It’s a standard credit and background screen, it usually takes one to three weeks, and we prepare the paperwork with you so it goes through the first time. Everyone on your street went through it.
What if approval is denied?
It’s uncommon, and we’d rather find out early than late — so we’ll talk you through what the Association looks at before you apply. If it happens, no lease is signed and nothing is owed beyond the Association’s own application fee.
Money
What does it cost?
$3,995/month on a twelve-month lease. $4,995/month for a May–December furnished term. $5,995/month for January–April, taxes included. All are base rents quoted directly by the owner — no platform fees, no booking fees, no service charges.
Why is the winter rate so much higher?
Because January through April is Southwest Florida’s peak season and demand for a furnished four-bedroom pool home in that window is several times what it is in July. The upside is that the other eight months are priced well below it.
What's the 11% tax and do I pay it?
Florida charges 6% state sales tax and Collier County adds 5% tourist development tax on rentals of six months or less. It’s a tenant-paid tax that we collect and remit to the state — we don’t keep any of it. Any lease longer than six months is fully exempt. These two taxes are already included on the prices.
Is a twelve-month lease really cheaper overall?
Substantially. At $3,995 with no rental tax, against $5,995 for four months and $4,995 for eight, the annual lease is the best value per month available on this house — and the exemption alone is worth roughly $4,750 over the year.
What deposit do you take?
A refundable security deposit of $1,000, plus a pet deposit of $500 / pet if you’re bringing dogs. The Association charges its own application fee for screening. Everything is stated in writing before you commit to anything.
Who pays the utilities?
On monthly and seasonal terms, we do — electricity, water and sewer, WiFi, pool service, landscaping, pest control and both HOA dues. On a twelve-month lease, electricity and water go into your name.
Are there any other fees?
There is only a cleaning fee of $300. There is no booking fee, no platform fee, no service charge, no admin fee. Renter’s insurance is your responsibility, as it would be anywhere. If anything else ever applies, it’s in the lease before you sign it.
The house
Is it actually furnished, or just “furnished”?
Actually furnished. All four bedrooms are made up, the kitchen has cookware, bakeware, knives and a full set of dishes and glasses, there’s a full-size washer and dryer, a large smart TV, desks in the bedrooms, towels, and the things you’d otherwise spend your first week buying. Tenants arrive with clothes and groceries.
How many people does it sleep?
Up to eight, across four bedrooms and three full bathrooms, in 2,875 square feet on a single level.
Is the pool private or shared?
Private. It’s in your own screened lanai, a few steps from the kitchen, and it’s serviced weekly at our cost. You also get access to the Maple Ridge Clubhouse resort pool and the Ave Maria Fitness Center — but you won’t need to book a slot to swim.
Are there stairs?
None. The entire house is on one level, inside and out, with an open layout through the living, dining and kitchen space. If mobility matters for anyone in your household, tell us what you need measured and we’ll measure it and show you on video.
Can I work from here?
Yes, and people do. High-speed WiFi throughout, desks in the bedrooms so two people can take calls simultaneously, and a quiet street. The master also has fitness equipment, which is the difference between planning to exercise and doing it.
Can I bring my dog?
Up to two dogs. The yard is fenced, there are sidewalks in every direction and trails around the lake. A pet deposit applies. This is one of very few furnished four-bedroom rentals in Ave Maria where the answer is simply yes.
Can I see it before I commit?
Yes. In person if you’re nearby, and if you’re not — most tenants aren’t — we’ll do a live video walkthrough and go wherever you want: inside the closets, under the sinks, the view from bedroom three, the street outside. Fifteen minutes, no obligation.
Location & life
How far is the walk to Town Center, the Parish and Publix?
All of them are roughly half a mile — about ten minutes at an ordinary pace. Ave Maria University’s main gate is about six-tenths of a mile, and Donahue Academy is a little further. Most Ave Maria rentals sit in golf communities a mile or two out; this one is in the walkable middle of the town.
What's Ave Maria actually like to live in?
Small, young, growing quickly, and built around a walkable Town Center and a university. It’s grown from about 4,100 people in 2020 to roughly 8,400 today. It’s very good for families and for anyone who wants Florida without a highway between them and a coffee. It is not a beach town, and Naples is about half an hour away.
What is the summer really like?
Hot, humid, and wet — afternoon storms most days from June through September, with hurricane season in the background. We’d rather say so plainly. It’s also when a private pool and a screened lanai stop being a nice feature and start being the reason the summer is genuinely pleasant.
Is the neighborhood safe and quiet?
Yes. Maple Ridge is a gated-community-style master-planned neighbourhood with screened residents, a thirty-night minimum on rentals, and no short-term turnover. Roma Street is used for a handful of town events each year, which most residents consider a benefit — you walk out of the front door and you’re at the festival.
Process
How do I actually secure it, and how long does it take?
Send us your dates through the form or call. We reply the same day with honest availability and the exact rate for your term. If it works, we’ll show you the house properly, agree the terms directly with you, and then submit the Association application — which takes one to three weeks. Then we sign a written lease and you arrive with a suitcase. Start earlier than feels necessary: for a January arrival, that means talking to us in August or September