Post Prom/Post Grad Beach Rentals??

[Chelsea090]

I am 17 years old and my prom is in June. Being from New Jersey, I agree that it is sort of a "right of passage" to rent a shore house in the summer. I do not drink, I do not do drugs, and I do not take my clothes off everytime some dude walks in the room. I find it incredibly rude that so many of you are on here saying "teens can not be trusted" and catagorizing all of us as if we are a pack of wild animals. Some kids party and do drugs, but guess what? So do some adults! So teenagers are responsible and trustworthy people and I resent the fact that I am being denied housing by people who judge me based upon my age. If I were to rent a house down the shore it would, without a doubt, be left in the condition that my friends and I had found it. Teenagers are just like adults...some can be trusted and others can not. We are not all just one creature who does the same exact robotic thing as the other.

[yankeemom]

Well, I just saw that this thread was resurrected. My original intent was open the discussion to the responsibilities/liabilities of renting to teens. Believe it or not, there is scientific evidence that states that the portion of the brain that controls reason and judgement is not fully developed until the mid 20's. Also there is much evidence that the actions in a "group" or "herd" mentality are vastly different than the actions a single responsible teen may undertake.

I was only asking parents to consider the owners when agreeing to sign a lease (or put one over on the owner). How many of you parents would open your own home to a group of teens you don't know, give them the keys and leave? Even assuming (big assumption and if you deny this your foolish) there will be no drugs or alcohol, how about simple liability if someone gets hurt fooling around, falls off the deck?
How about cigarette burns in carpet or upholstery? What if someone knocks over my flat screen TV tossing a football?

And the argument they are leaving soon anyway, well most college dorms also have housing rules as well, and at least a modicum of supervision; and if they are moving out and getting their own place, without a rental history in place as a "good" tenant, they often have to get mom and dad to co-sign and assume some liability as well.

[VeradoDan]

Originally Posted by jy_2007

i got shore houses in my teens and throughout college. There was lots of booze, music and above all, FUN. Like i said in an earlier post - i think it's rite of passage in NJ. You folks have to realize that experimenting with alcohol (amongst other things) is part of being a teenager. I'll never forget my first night of college (as looong ago as it was...). I went to a party and saw people completely out of control acting like absolute morons - because they had never been out of their parents grip and didn't know how to handle it. I remember calling all my buddies up and they said the same thing about their colleges.

Didn't you guys party and live it up in your teens?

I agree. While I wouldn't rent my house to a bunch of teenagers having a party and open myself up to all of the modern liabilities that go with it, when I have kids they'll party after their proms and have a fun time doing it, just like I did. I'm in my 20s now, so it's not TOO far in the past, and I remember all of those great times. We did, however, go to a friend's house and NOT a rental. Most young people do respect peoples' property and don't go around breaking lamps and trashing the place.

Granted, I grew up at the Shore year-round, so partying was part of our "lifestyle" so to speak, but even I went (20 minutes away) to Seaside and partied it up. These days you can find me at Patio Bar in Pt. Pleasant and Leggetts in Manasquan with many of the same people I grew up partying with. It's Jersey, it's what we all did, and I'll have no issues with my kids doing the same thing within reason.

[VeradoDan]

And just a note to all our teen readers: I live "down the shore" year round and own a home here in Ocean County. It's not like the "good old days." There are a good number of year round residents who will call the cops at the slightest sound of raised voices or loud music - and enjoy doing it. The LBI towns are VERY noteworthy for a strict approach as well as Lavallette and some of the other peninsula towns in Ocean County.

When/if you party down here, just keep the doors/windows shut and air conditioning on and don't do anything stupid to attract attention! Be cool, have fun and you'll be just fine.

[GiantRutgersfan]

These kids are 17 and 18 years old. they are not children. Is it really a big deal if they drink some beers down at the beach?

stop babying them. they arent even your kids. simply dont rent out to anyone under 21 if you really care so much

[STrapani1105]

I am 17 years old as well. I'm going to two proms, so that means twice the partying for me. Am I going down the shore? Probably not, I don't have my own place down there and no one is crazy enough to let me rent there place. of course there's gonna be beer and tons of wild stuff. instead, i think I'm going to be sleeping over at one of the local mansions.

the guy above me is right. don't baby us, but then again don't give us too much freedom. you gotta achieve that perfect balance. that's what parents have too decide, what is too much freedom and what is too little. personally, I think my paretns give me too little. any parents out there who want to know what not enough freedom is, jsut ask me. I'd be happy to fill you in with some details. right now, there's too many to list and I'd be here all day.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by STrapani1105

I am 17 years old as well. I'm going to two proms, so that means twice the partying for me. Am I going down the shore? Probably not, I don't have my own place down there and no one is crazy enough to let me rent there place. of course there's gonna be beer and tons of wild stuff. instead, i think I'm going to be sleeping over at one of the local mansions.

the guy above me is right. don't baby us, but then again don't give us too much freedom. you gotta achieve that perfect balance. that's what parents have too decide, what is too much freedom and what is too little. personally, I think my paretns give me too little. any parents out there who want to know what not enough freedom is, jsut ask me. I'd be happy to fill you in with some details. right now, there's too many to list and I'd be here all day.

Why are you TROLLING AROUND and wasting people's time on other forums with nonsense such as this if you are only 17 years old:

i looked Muttontown, I don't think I saw a house that was less than a million dollars. def out of my budget. I'd have to set the mark at 700k, if such places even exist on Long Island.

DREAM ON but please dream alone for now. Post like this in a decade or two (perhaps it will happen, perhaps it will not) when you can actually afford a $700K home. Thank you for your consideration of other people's time and efforts.

[mbfly98]

As a lifelong resident of nj i can tell you that i did the prom weekend even way back in the 70's (for us it was a hotel room not a house rental)and had a great time without getting arrested or trashing anything. Based on that, I allowed my older son the same taste of freedom after his graduation also with good results. My younger son went after going to the sr prom in his junior year with a group of kids i knew well (and knew their parents). One of the girls parents signed that rental agreement and not only got all of the security back but also a complement from the owner on how nice the place looked afterward and that none of the neighbors had any complaints about the kids in the house. Im not saying things may not have happened that wouldnt have if a parent were there but they all looked out for each other and kept things in check. If I had a unit to rent I would rather it go to a bunch of kids trying to prove their responsibility than a bunch of adults who feel entitled while on vacation to drink themselves into a stupor nightly and leave the place a mess.