Have Any Tips or Tricks for Affordable Home Rentals for Commissioning '22

JmeBeMe

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Anyone have any insider tips for getting a great deal (and by great deal I mean, teacher salary broke) on a house rental for Commissioning Week?
No need to be in DTA
Needed:
One home with accommodations for 10 adults
One home, accommodations with 3 bedrooms/4 adults
 
Anyone have any insider tips for getting a great deal (and by great deal I mean, teacher salary broke) on a house rental for Commissioning Week?
No need to be in DTA
Needed:
One home with accommodations for 10 adults
One home, accommodations with 3 bedrooms/4 adults
Look at the usual vendors such as AirBnB for properties outside Annapolis but easily driveable. Anything in and around DTA and Annapolis proper will command premium dollars. List of nearby areas below.
Watch out for private web pages that simply provide a platform for owners and renters to exchange info and reach a private deal. The owners pay less in fees, but there is no oversight or recourse to a company such as AirBnb. We had a rash of posts earlier this year on a thread with renters who were not getting their deposits back through one of these private-deal websites, even when the property owner canceled.

Areas to look at: Odenton, Laurel, Crofton, Gambrills, Millersville, Crownsville, Davidsonville, Riva, Edgewater, Bowie, Severna Park, Severn, Glen Burnie, Pasadena, Arnold. Most of these are Anne Arundel County.
 
I keep wondering if there will be a commissioning week for the class of '22.
Surely by then...!I cant imagine there not being one for '21 but who know with our current chaos!

I've always been one to try to maintain maximum flexibility, and always maintain an exit strategy, but COVID has reinforced the need to fully understand what your options are with respect to cancellation or rescheduling. I have a daughter trying to plan a wedding next summer (after cancelling, it was supposed to be this month) and have trying to get it through to her that nothing is for certain and that she needs to keep flexible and ability to cancel or reschedule

It's tough when dealing with vendors that are finite like housing in Annapolis during Commissioning Week. Alot of those renters rely upon the income, and they will accept the renter with a firm committment over the one with an out clause. I'm not going to go into negotiating strategies, but will leave it at make sure you know what you are getting into and what your options are if circumstances change.
 
Not sure what "affordable" is, but when our '19 graduated it was $4k for a 4 bedroom- 3 bath house. Off West St. and walking distance to the stadium.
 
Paying 2 or 3 months worth of someone else's mortgage payments for a 5-day stay, seems a little steep to me. Boy howdy. ;)
 
Given the local hotels jack up their rates into $$$ as well as often require minimum stays + charging for parking + eating out in expensive and crowded Annapolis 2-3 meals/day with >1100 other multi-member families for a week + plus the party your mid may want to throw with/for friends at a restaurant party room $$$
vs.
renting a house where maybe some other family members chip in + going to grocery store/Sam’s/military Commissary + getting family-style take-out from Adam’s Ribs or Pit Boys + cooking family meals beach house style + using your house’s BBQ grill + having a stocked refrigerator with snacks and beverages and breakfast/lunch supplies + hosting an easy drop-by party for your mid and friends + no dressing up “at home” + having a washer/dryer + having room to spread out and nap or catch up with family or giving Gran a quiet place to read while the almost-grad and buds are hitting the pool out back and playing cornhole —it often evens out.

Or, the core family rents a smaller house as relax/chow/party central, and others rent hotel rooms with minimal amenities, are perhaps not there the full week.

DH still recalls the house his family rented across the Severn back in the 20th c. He said it was like a family reunion without wedding or holiday stress. Everyone just relaxing, catching up, communal meals, no driving after beverages, card games and laughter late into the night, Uncle Ed sound asleep on the chaise lounge and no one cared.
 
To those with experience: will people ‘drop by’ if you choose a place on the outskirts? Such as those listed by CaptMJ? Or is it too far out of their way?
 
To those with experience: will people ‘drop by’ if you choose a place on the outskirts? Such as those listed by CaptMJ? Or is it too far out of their way?
Any of the places I listed are not necessarily on the way to anywhere inside Annapolis city limits, but I’m talking 15-25 minutes. During Comm week, we are usually invited to several parties on the same day over a few days straight (we do ours after the Blue Angels in normal years), we just plot a sensible course and make the rounds. We drive all over the place. It’s easier than finding a parking spot in DTA. Your mid is going to be out playing every night with friends, one last round with one group, then running to join another group. It’s their last time together as an entire class, and the real world is awaiting. They will flock to a house where it’s relaxed, the beer is in tubs, the lounge chairs are out, they can roll in and out.
 
FWIW, my company has rented a house for our last few major reunions and generally anywhere from 6 to 8 will stay there (based on bedrooms) and fund it and the rest will stay elsewhere but come to the house for at least one dinner and for general hangout time. Last time, most of us missed one of the big class events on Friday night because we were having so much fun at the house. We're usually able to get a place near the stadium and also walking distance from Leows which is where my class holds its events other than the actual tailgate for which we have a standing reservation for the N Room at the stadium.
 
Oh how I pray this all comes about in the spring! No just for Mids, but for all of Annapolis 💙
 
will people ‘drop by’ if you choose a place on the outskirts?
> Looking back a long time ago...we certainly drove to wherever the Party was...there is a lot of open time during Commissioning Week, particularly over the weekend, and a recall several parents hosted parties at nice homes they rented.

FWIW, my company has rented a house for our last few major reunions and generally anywhere from 6 to 8 will stay there (based on bedrooms) and fund it and the rest will stay elsewhere but come to the house for at least one dinner and for general hangout time. Last time, most of us missed one of the big class events on Friday night because we were having so much fun at the house.

> A couple of my Companymates had a house rented near the Stadium for our Reunion that was scheduled this year (umm..if I have the dates right, I would be leaving for it Thursday !). Yes, the Company parties are often the best ..we always have something scheduled after the Game. It's great to just chill and catch up over adult beverages.
 
My family stayed outside Annapolis during Commissioning Week. Budget was tight as I had other siblings in college too. They were able to get some reasonable hotel suites about 20 minutes away, it just means more planning for driving. Sure it's less convenient, but not the end of the world. This gave them much needed space to spread out and not kill one another. It's what worked for us. Commissioning Week was crazy for me. As Capt MJ mentioned, there are parties everywhere. Your DD/DS will want to try to attend them, while also balancing moving, commissioning, and playing host to family. Its exhausting. My roommate on top of that was getting married 2 days after we graduated, so I had all of those activities and was a sword bearer in 4 other weddings right after. So as much as one would like to play host and show the family around DC for a day, it's probably not feasible. I still vividly remember Commissioning Week we got to stay out in town as a 1/C, except for the night before graduation. I remember my roommates and I all just sitting there exhausted. We were so happy to be back together for one last time, away from the family drama and just sit around and BS. We all still remember that night even decades later. Do what works for your family and budget, every family is different.
 
Anyone have any insider tips for getting a great deal (and by great deal I mean, teacher salary broke) on a house rental for Commissioning Week?
No need to be in DTA
Needed:
One home with accommodations for 10 adults
One home, accommodations with 3 bedrooms/4 adults
Shady side Md has a few AirBnB. The homes are right on the bay. Nice neighborhood. 30 minutes to the Academy. If you need help let me know. I reside in the neighbor
 
Is it easier to rent near the stadium and try to drive & park for events at USNA? Or rent near USNA, and drive and park at the stadium? (Assuming it's not so crazy expensive that we can afford either one. 🙄) I am just getting started looking for 2023.
 
We found that there were only about 3 times during CW that we were on the Yard for stuff (USMC presentation for those going that route, cocktail party w/ Sup, final parade, family that had not been yet). The house we rented was by stadium so we walked on graduation day. Uber/ Lyft to USNA for the other. YMMV.
 
Is it easier to rent near the stadium and try to drive & park for events at USNA? Or rent near USNA, and drive and park at the stadium? (Assuming it's not so crazy expensive that we can afford either one. 🙄) I am just getting started looking for 2023.
A family from our parent club stayed about 2 blocks from the stadium. They used the shuttle to got to the Yard. Their cars never left the driveway the entire week.

We already rented our place for '23. It's within walking distance of the Yard and the stadium. I get very cranky with traffic and lack-of-parking, so I insisted we got a place with a driveway, and where we didn't need to drive to get to any events.
 
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