Schoonhoven Rental Policies at BestVacationRentalHomes Schuss Mountain

Schoonhoven Rental Policies

Before your trip:

Terms: A 50% deposit will hold your dates. We accept checks and money orders; sorry, no credit cards accepted.
During peak seasons we receive numerous inquiries; in the event that we receive rental deposits from two or more potential guests for the same time period we will accept only one deposit and immediately inform the other parties of the conflict. Redundant deposits will be returned or reapplied to alternate dates at your discretion.
Rental Deposits and subsequent rental payments are fully refundable as long as we are able to rebook the days you wish to cancel in which case a $100 administrative fee will be charged.
It is your responsibility to send your check for the remainder of payment including 6% Michigan tax, $190 cleaning fee, and a separate $500 security deposit to arrive at least twenty-one days in advance; we will then provide you a with the lock box combination.
Please indicate clearly on all checks that you're renting "Schoonhoven" or "NSV1".
Your Security deposit check will be held until after our cleaners/property manager inspect the unit at the end of your stay (Please don't make us use any of these funds!).
We do our best to provide you with an enjoyable stay. We cannot; however, control Mother Nature. Rent is not refundable for any reason including lack of snow, too much snow, ice, rain, etc. During rain days, ski surfaces are soft; with correct choice of clothing the skiing can be very enjoyable and comfortable as well. (I'm told that golf can also be played in the rain.)
SNOW GUARANTEE: Mother Nature and Schuss Mountain do such a good job making snow that we guarantee the ski hill to be open all days during your stay from Opening Day until Closing Day for the ski season. If the resort closes the hill due to lack of snow we will credit you with as many nights as the ski hill is closed on your next visit (cleaning fee not included).
4WD is HIGHLY recommended, if not required during the ski season (or whenever snow is a possibility - mid-September through late-April); this ski-in, ski-out home is directly on the ski hill: snow and ice are always a possibility. The drive is plowed regularly; however, we can't control when it will snow and when you will arrive. The roads and drive can be very difficult while it's snowing and immediately after. You may want to wait to drive up or down the drive until the plow truck has come through and plowed and sanded the drive. You're coming up for the snow, so please be prepared and happy for it.
When driving up the streets and drive, keep your vehicle in 4WD and maintain momentum. When driving downhill it is best to travel at a walking pace when snow and ice are present.
We reserve the right to substitute a home of similar style and quality.
There is very often melting snow from the roof that falls on the deck at the top of the stairs, and also on the deck walkway to the hot tub, and then re-freezes to a very slippery ice. Please be careful! Your renting this home constitutes your acknowledgment that there will be ice and snow that will be slippery, and you agree by making your rental payment to be fully responsible for your own safety and to not hold liable Richard Schoonover, Josephine Schoonover, our agents and employees for any mishap that may occur during your stay. Please be careful.
There is no phone in the home. AT&T Cellular has the best reception. Verizon is pretty good. T-Mobile, I'm told, also works. And; remember, "friends don't let friends use Nextel" (no coverage outside of major cities!)
Internet Access: Free high-speed wireless Internet is available at the Schuss and Summit Lobbies. If you walk about 100 steps down the ski hill from the Schoonhoven Log Home you will even get a signal.
All bedding, linens, and towels are provided at the home. Feel free to use the bath towels in our outside hot tub. The resort provides towels at the pool, so please don't take our towels down to the resort pool; please use the resort provided towels at the pool.
Check out: Noon; Check in: 6pm
Late checkout (if available) 6pm: $100.00
Early check in (if available) noon: $100.00
Unauthorized Late check out will be charged at $100/hour and the cleaning crew may begin cleaning for the next guest at noon. It takes from four to six hours to thoroughly clean this large log home; please be courteous of our next guest and our cleaning crew
Early check in may be available; contact us during the last week before your trip. We make every effort to have the home prepared for your arrival; however, it's possible that the home may not be 100% complete upon your arrival. In the event of a late check in it is not our policy to refund any monies.
Quiet Enjoyment: Please remember that this is a high-end home in a quiet residential area and you must be courteous of the neighbors by not making excessive noise at any time, and no noise whatsoever after 11 p.m. that could reasonably interfere with the neighbors' quite enjoyment.
Prices and terms are subject to change until confirmed.
Information on this site is deemed accurate, but not guaranteed. If you require some special accommodation you must confirm before making a reservation.
BYO Soap & Shampoo.

At arrival:

Please treat our home like it is your own luxury retreat.

During the ski season first drive a 4WD vehicle to the home to check the road conditions. If the roads are too difficult for 2WD vehicles you should park them in the ski-area parking at the bottom of the hill and use a 4WD vehicle to "run shuttle". The roads and drive are plowed regularly; however, during and immediately after snowfall the roads can be VERY difficult. Please use good judgment. See section below for the snow removal crew phone numbers.
Please no shoes or boots inside: we're directly on the ski hill, the drive is sanded and salted, the snow sometimes mixes with sand, and you won't want to walk all over salt and sand on the floors, and I don't want that mess on my nice wood floors. All of the slate floors are heated, and you will want to experience them barefoot! So please remove your shoes.
Heat: Turn main-level heat and lower-level infloor heat to room temperature. Turn electric heated floors in upper baths to 70-80 degrees. Please don't turn the infloor heat to 90 or 100 degrees; it won't heat up any faster, and anything above 80 is downright uncomfortable (and it will drive up the electric costs which will drive up rental rates).
Please don't open Ceiling Vents in the lower level for heat. They're for summer cooling only and will render lower level in-floor heat inoperative.
If you run the upper level heat above 72 degrees (or at 80+ degrees as some people have done) expect the lower level to be cold. The excess heat from upstairs will not allow the lower level thermostat to turn on the in-floor heat. Please keep the thermostat settings within a few degrees of each other (and the lower level slightly above the upper levels during the heating season) for best results. There will be a $100 deduct from your security deposit if our staff finds the heat set above 72 degrees during your stay.
Air Conditioning: Turn main-level thermostat to room temperature. (Please don't run the infloor electric heated floors and the Air Conditioning during the same visit. The natural stone floors in the bathrooms will get cooled down by the Air Conditioning and then radiate coolness into the room; turning on the electric floor heat just fights the Air Conditioning. Thanks.)
The thermostat in the lower level is for heating only; please do not turn it on in the summer cooling season.
Log Homes do very well storing cool or heat in the log walls. In the summer when it cools down at night the best option is to open up the windows so that the logs can cool on the outside and the inside. Close the windows when it starts to heat up outside and he next day the logs will essentially radiate cool into the house all day!
Plug in lower-level insta-hot under sink; run main level insta-hot until water flows without any air in stream.
PLEASE No skis, bikes, or golf clubs in house (use locked storage units outside; the "no. 1" key opens one locker, and the "no. 2" key opens the other).
Turn hot tub up to 100-104 degrees and verify that it's in the correct mode (see below).
Put 1-2 tsp. of Iso-Chlor (Chlorinated Shock) in the hot tub and run the jets for thirty minutes if the spa does not look or smell totally clean.
NO SMOKING
NO PETS

During your stay:

Quiet Enjoyment: Please remember that this is a high-end home in a quiet residential area and you must be courteous of the neighbors by not making excessive noise at any time, and no noise whatsoever after 11 p.m. that could reasonably interfere with the neighbor's quiet enjoyment of their homes. Enjoying this lovely home is a privilege that comes with certain responsibilities. Please respect the neighbors and their right to enjoy the quite of the area. THANKS.
The $190 cleaning fee you paid covers "normal" cleaning at the end of your stay. Any cleaning charges in excess of $190 (pet hair, excessive dirt, a weeks worth of dishes, etc.) will be passed on to the guest by way of a deduct from your security deposit. Our policy on accidents and your security deposit is that "accidents do happen" and we will not hit you for every little thing as long as the "little things" are isolated cases, are incidents that could happen to anyone, and you let us know of the broken item, small problem, etc. However, if you don't let us know of small problems then we can't fix them on our schedule and they can become big issues. So, tell us of small problems and your security deposit won't be affected; hide the truth from us and you will be charged. We've only had to use a security deposit once in over 450 guest visits... let's keep it that way!
Mid-stay cleaning may be available for a fee; if interested please contact Rick via Email.
No skis, bikes, or golf clubs in house (use locked storage units outside).
Garage door must be kept closed at all times; water pipes can and will freeze and burst if the garage is left open!
Hot Tub: All four plastic latches must be unlatched before opening the cover (two in front, and two in back; or they will break). Please fold open the front half of the cover and then gently lower the entire cover off the back side of the tub while standing on the back side, and holding the cover in the middle. If you just push the cover off the back the support will break (just ask my 16 year-old daughter...). Thanks.
Please no glass in the hot tub; plastic and cans only!
Please be courteous of other guests and shower before use!
Very Important - Hot Tub chemical maintenance: The chemicals are kept in the outdoor ski closet.
If the spa does not look or smell totally clean upon your arrival please add 1-2 tsp. of Iso-Chlor Chlorinated Shock and run the jets for thirty minutes with the cover open and set the temp up to your desired setting. Before you close the cover please give the tub the "sniff test". If you smell any foul at all then add more chlorine and let it run longer with the top up. The tub should have no smell at all or a slight chlorine smell. If it smells too much of chlorine after your treatment then just let it run longer with the cover open as the chlorine will gas off fairly quickly. This will ensure that it's clean for your use.
Please add 2oz of powder Oxy Spa Non-Chlorine Shock at the end of each day that you use the hot tub. After adding the chemicals turn on one of the jet pumps and leave the cover open for 30 minutes. If you've had lots of people in the tub it may be necessary to add more shock (another ounce or two). Just give it the "smell test" a half-hour after you add the initial shock... if there is any foul smell add more shock and let the pumps run another half-hour. (Please don't forget to close the cover after 30 min.) Also add 1-2tsp of Iso-Chlor (granulated chlorine) every three or four days or if the tub looks or smells dirty. If the tub is really dirty add Iso-Chlor (up to five or six tsp if required) and turn on the jets and leave the cover open; It should clean up nicely within an hour or two. The granular chlorine is marked "Shirley Only, 1 TSP per Wk." to keep people that did not read this from putting in too much! If you've read this far feel free to add the chlorine as required.
There also may be spa test-strips by the chemicals; they are used only to monitor the pH. If the test strips are not present please ignore this paragraph. Disregard the free chlorine test (the spa has a special filter that does not require free chlorine in any substantial quantity). Adjust the pH by adding pH Up or pH Down at 7.2 to 7.5. (Total Alkalinity will follow the pH level; no need to be concerned with this one either.) THANKS.
For proper operation the spa must be set to "Standard" Mode. The spa mode is changed by pressing the "Temp" button, then pressing the "Light" button. Repeat this ("Temp" then "Light") sequence until the display reads "St" and you're in "Standard" mode. Then wait 20 seconds before pressing any other buttons.
The spa must also be in six or eight filtration mode. To check the spa this press the "Temp" and then the first "jets" button to the right of the display. Then continue pressing "Temp" until "6" or "8" appears on the screen. Then wait 20 seconds before pressing any other buttons. Six is ok for normal use, eight if the tub looked dirty or if you plan to use it a lot. This is how many hours out of twelve the tub is set to run the filter. THANKS again.
A bit of a "bath tub ring" around the top of the hot tub at about the water level is normal. If this occurs just take a hand towel, run it around the top of the tub and turn on the jets. The filter will quickly remove any scale left in the water.
Please keep the spa full of water. If you put in many people (overflow), or run it for long periods with the cover off (evaporation) the water level will drop. During the colder months there is a hose in the lower level mechanical room attached to the water heater and a screwdriver on top of the water heater to turn on the valve. In warmer months there is also a hose in the garage and a water spigot next to the garage door. Please remove the hose when done and return it to the garage.
Please put the hot tub chemicals back in the ski closet after your use so that they can be found by the next guest.
Fire Safety: there are fire extinguishers under the kitchen sinks on both levels.
Feel free to use food/condiments in fridge & unlocked cabinets.
Please don't play "amateur interior decorator" and move the furniture all around. Thanks!
Futons; Important Operating Instructions: Loft / Upper Level Log Futons: are broken and will only operate as a bed, and not as a couch; please leave it in the "down" position. They are also more comfortable for sleeping since we reinforced the frame with solid wood. Lower Level Log Futon: to lower, lift bottom seat up and pull forward. To raise lift bottom seat until wood blocks lock in place and then push bottom back until unit catches.
Please don't open Ceiling Vents in lower level for heat. They're for summer cooling only and will render lower level in-floor heat inoperative.
Outside Lights: please leave all light switches with a black dot on them in the "on" position; the exterior lights have sensors to turn themselves off. The low-voltage lights on the stairs should turn on around 5pm and stay on until around midnight. If they don't please check the timer to make sure that the actual-time-of-day has not gotten out of whack due to a temporary power outage.
Take a magazine or book or two, or leave yours behind as you wish
Outside Grill: Please remember to shut off propane at tank after EACH use or you may not have propane for your next use
Fireplace: please make sure the flue is open before lighting. To get the fireplace to draft properly please first burn two pieces of crumpled-up newspaper. Then make and start your actual fire. There is a gas fire starter with a valve to the left of the fireplace. Please turn off the starter as soon as you get the firewood burning. There is typically newspaper and kindling in the wicker unit to the left of the fireplace (please use sparingly). If you found the home you've already seen the piles of firewood outside!
North Schuss Mountain Drive and our private Drive will be plowed & sanded as required. If the drive is impassable (with 4WD) you may phone Ron at 231-676-0441 or Kim at 231-676-0442 and indicate that you're guests of Rick Schoonover at 2105 N. Schuss Mountain Dr. Please don't "cry wolf" or they won't come quickly when they're really needed!
The stairs and deck should be shoveled upon your arrival; it's your responsibility to keep stairs clean during your stay; a snow shovel is in the outside ski storage locker; please only use the totally plastic shovel on the stairs and wood deck.
Use sand/salt mixture in the plastic garbage can outside for "emergency drive fix"; please don't put salt on the wood deck unless absolutely necessary. There is also a metal garbage can in the storage room for fireplace ash, which provides excellent traction on snow or ice.
Trash: Garbage may be placed in two large garbage cans in the garage; please don't put trash in the sand/salt mix can. If you run out of room you may place excess trash in the dumpster provided in the parking lot just past Ivan's Bar & Grill at the bottom of the ski hill.
Master Bedroom and Loft doors to the upper deck: to lock turn door lever upward to engage 3-point latches; then turn round knob to throw deadbolt
TV/SAT/VCR/DVD/CD (Main Level):
Set TV to Ch. 3
To turn on TV: use Direct TV Remote: select "TV", hit "Power". Set TV to Ch. 3.
To view Satellite TV (after setting TV to channel 3). Select SAT on Direct TV Remote and use remote to control Satellite box.
To control DVD Player: Remote is lost; please press buttons on player: Use Direct TV Remote and set TV to Video 3 input. Then operate as required (play, fast forward, etc.) On Direct TV Remote select "TV" to control TV volume at any time. Use "master volume" on Pioneer stereo remote or large bottom knob on stereo unit to control volume.
To play radio through Pioneer stereo select "tuner" with Pioneer remote or dial knob on top right hand side of stereo unit. The Fox Classic Rock 92.5 or 94.3. Breeze Easy/Jazz 92.9. WLITE Light Rock 96.3. WTCM Country 103.5. WKHQ Hits 105.9.
To play iPod through the Pioneer stereo attach iPod to input cable hanging on right side of TV and set stereo to "CD" with Pioneer remote or dial knob on top right hand side of stereo unit.
If the SAT TV freezes up or you can only view a few channels just unplug the power from the rear of the Direct TV controller on top of the TV Amour and remove the Card (front left) and count to 30. Reinstall Card and re-apply power to unit. The unit will re-initialize and should now be operating properly.
Board games and VCR Tapes can be found in the cabinet below the main level TV and on the bookshelf in the lower level.
Video Rentals:
Movie Gallery, next to Glen's Mancelona 231-587-1281
Mon-Thurs 10a-10p; Fri, Sat 10a-11p; Sun noon-10p
Sunset Video
110 East State Street, Mancelona, MI 49659
(231) 587-8799
Sunset Video
116 South Bridge Street, Bellaire, MI 49615
(231) 533-5918
Maintenance Problems: For any problems at the home please contact Rick Schoonover at 248-202-5104 (cell). If you have a plumbing emergency (a stopped up toilet is not an emergency... it's cause for you to use a plunger) or a heating emergency and Rick is unreachable please call Dean at D&M Service 231-676-0687(cell) or 231-544-2507(office).
Toilet Etiquette: We are on a septic system; please do not flush antiseptic wipes down the toilet... they do not break down in the septic tank, and can get caught up in the pipes. Also, regardless of what the package says, please do not flush any sort of feminine hygiene products down the toilet. They WILL expand (as they are intended to do) in the drain lines and cause back-up problems. THANKS.
NO SMOKING: If you must smoke, please do so outside and put your buts in one of the provided ashtrays outside. Please don't throw your butts on the ground; they make a big mess and our cleaning crew hates to pick up cigarette butts off the ground! Cigarette butts found on the ground will be charged back to you at $10.00 per butt. Evidence of indoor smoking will result in forfeiture of your entire security deposit.
SORRY, NO PETS

At departure:

Please phone Rick upon departure at 248-202-5104 so that we may start the security deposit return process for you and clean for the next guests.
Please treat our home like it is your own; please don't leave any more mess than you would in your own home. Cleaners will come in after you leave, however; we expect a reasonably well kept home.
Please return the unit keys to the kitchen counter (sorry, but lost keys will be charged $25 against your security deposit).
On your last morning, please don't make up the beds you used so that our cleaning crew knows which beds to strip down and clean for next guests.
Please start the dishwasher when you depart so our cleaning crew can empty & run additional dishes for the next guests
Please make sure that the fireplace is completely out.
Lock all doors with deadbolts then depart the main door and lock the digital deadbolt from the outside.
Please make sure that all lights & ceiling fans are off.
Heating Season: Main level heat to 60°, lower level heated floors to 62°, and heated bathroom floors to "off".
Summer Cooling Season: Thermostat to 80°.
There will be a $100 deduct taken from your security deposit if the thermostat is not set appropriately upon your departure.
Unplug lower-level insta-hot if you used it.
Turn hot tub down to 98°.
Please fill out guest book.

When you get home:

Please send me an email and let me know how you enjoyed the stay...What you liked; what you would like to see different; suggestions, etc. Remember, if you enjoyed your stay, tell a friend; if you didn't, tell me so I can right whatever was wrong. We're constantly striving to improve our Shanty Creek Rental Homes at Schuss Mountain. THANKS Rick

Prices and specifications subject to change. Check back for latest revisions and corrections. Thanks.

Area Dining & Information

Directions