It’s only spring, but 2020 has already been an interesting year for rentals on Nantucket. The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting different people in different ways. Some tenants have legitimate concerns about traveling at this time and have decided to stay home this year. Others are chomping at the bit to get away after a long winter in isolation. One common thread we are seeing is those who are coming seem to want to stay for longer periods of time. Many tenants who booked one week last fall are looking to extend to two or three weeks. Many others who hadn’t booked yet are looking for rentals of 2 or 3 months, with pools and good Wi-Fi. In a normal year, it would be next to impossible to find a multiple week rental period available this late in the spring, but because some people have decided to stay home this year there may be options available depending on your needs. The governor of Massachusetts recently changed the Stay at Home order to a Safer at Home advisory for those at higher risk. He also moved the state into Phase I of a four phase plan for re-opening the state of Massachusetts. Part of the Stay at Home order and Phase I of the re-opening plan restricts short term rentals to essential workers only. Therefore anyone else wanting to rent a home on island had to lease for 32 days or longer. That restriction is likely to be lifted when Phase II begins, not before June 8th, but it has not been a hurdle for some. Booking for 32 days or longer has the added advantage of exempting a tenant from the 11.7% Massachusetts rental tax. So if you, like many others, are now working from home, consider making Nantucket your home for the summer.