Now that stay-at-home orders are beginning to lift, people are starting to plan summer getaways to the Black Hills. But with COVID-19 still a concern, many travelers are looking for accommodation options that limit interactions with other people. Vacation rentals might be a great choice for your trip. But what kinds of rentals are available in Deadwood and the northern Black Hills?

We’ll start with the important news first: the majority of vacation rentals inside Deadwood are illegal. There are a lot of reasons that unauthorized rentals are a problem for the community, but they can also create headaches for you as a traveler:

• They’re not inspected for health and safety. Legal rentals are inspected both by the city and by the South Dakota Department of Health. Unlicensed houses don’t have to prove their cleaning and sanitizing practices to anyone.

• They can be shut down with little warning. The City of Deadwood is beginning to more aggressively enforce its licensing requirements, which means illegal vacation rentals could start disappearing. Existing reservations at these places suddenly would be cancelled. Your booking website would probably make sure you get your money back, but your group would be left without a place to stay.

• They don’t have as much legal protection. While booking sites like VRBO, HomeAway, and AirBnb have traveler protection policies, they’re not perfect. If something goes wrong with your stay at an unlicensed rental, you’ll be doing most of the fighting on your own. But if you have problems with a legitimate operator, you have extra recourse with the city and state governments. In addition, since most licensed vacation rentals are run by businesses, they often have full business insurance policies, which provide travelers with an extra layer of financial protection.

So how do you know if your vacation rental is legit? The best way is to ask before you book. Licensed owners are usually happy to tell you about it! The illegal operators will often ignore your question - or stop corresponding with you altogether. Another good sign: check the taxes they’re collecting. While most booking websites will automatically add the local 6.5% sales tax to your booking, illegal listings typically don’t add the local hospitality or room tax. If your vacation rental has a sales tax rate closer to 8% or 9%, it’s a good sign that it’s probably licensed.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t find a legal short-term rental in the Deadwood area! Although the number of legitimate rentals in town is small, there are several - and they’re fantastic properties with great locations! At the 1899 Inn, we love being right here inside Deadwood. We think it’s the best of both worlds: the neighborhoods here are quiet and private - with great mountain and forest views -but the restaurants, shops, casinos, and bars are only a quick walk away.

But not every group needs to be right here in town, and there are several legal rental options outside Deadwood. If you’re looking for a place that’s further back in the forest, you could consider the Terry Peak area. There are a ton of houses available to rent there. The Terry Peak and Mystic Miner ski areas are close by, and it’s about a 15-25 minute drive to Deadwood from most of the houses on the mountain. Many of the rentals here have been built in the last 25 years or so, and they’re mostly outfitted with high-end furnishings and appliances. Some of them advertise that they can sleep as many as 15 to 20 people, but be sure to double-check the number of bedrooms: many of those houses only have three or four bedrooms and a couple of full bathrooms, which means each room might have three or four beds. If privacy is important to your group, be sure to do a little extra research!

You might also look in Boulder Canyon just east of Deadwood. There are a number of short-term rentals in the canyon, ranging from mid-century cabin homes to newly-built lodges and townhouses. One of the big advantages to this area is location: most vacation rentals here are only about 10 minutes from Deadwood, and about 10 minutes from Sturgis and Interstate 90. The potential downside is privacy: U.S. Highway 14A runs through the canyon, and as one of the major thoroughfares into Deadwood, it can get a fair amount of traffic - particularly in the summer. Because the canyon is narrow in most places, many of the houses in this area are necessarily built close to the highway. If you want to avoid traffic noise during your vacation, look for rentals that are as far back from the road as possible.

And of course, we’d love to host your group here at the 1899 Inn! While most of our guests book individual rooms, we’re happy to rent the entire house to as many as 21 people - though our seven bedrooms and five bathrooms are ideal for parties of 12 to 15. Group rentals include full use of the inn’s facilities, including our new kitchen with granite countertops and stainless appliances, and daily cleaning and meal service can be included for an extra fee if you’d like. If you have a smaller group and don’t want to rent the whole property, you can ask us about reserving the entire second or third floor. That way you have more privacy and less contact with other people than a traditional hotel reservation, but you’ll still have the benefits of housekeeping and breakfast.

And even if you’re just planning a trip for yourself and your immediate family, we hope you’ll consider staying at our bed-and-breakfast. With a small number of guest rooms, there are only a handful of people at the inn at any given time - and with our self-check-in and in-room breakfast options, it’s possible to have a completely contact-free stay.

Interested in more details? Just send us a message or call us at 864-210-1899. We’re happy to help you plan your next Black Hills getaway!