Perfect Beach Cottage

Guest: Kevin (Burke Va)
Date of Stay: 05/13/11 Review Submitted: 09/13/11

This was our 3rd year in a row renting this lovely home, and hopefully will return next year. Kitchen amenities were more than adequate, outdoor grilling was also an option. Linens were provided,making packing much easier!! The location was convenient for shopping, restaurants,and just a short walk to the beach. Owner was very gracious in sharing his home and we lacked for nothing.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, tourists without a car, pet owners, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

Relaxed escape

Guest: RB Retreat (Flourtown, PA)
Date of Stay: 06/11/11 Review Submitted: 09/13/11

This house is open and airy, very comfortable. There are a number of French doors that open to a deck that nearly surrounds the house in a well landscaped, shaded property. The breeze flows through the house which is relaxed and well appointed. On Tuesdays there is a Farmer's Market only 2-3 blocks from the house. It is also only 2 blocks from the main street in Rehoboth Beach with restaurants, bars, mini markets, liquour store, and coffee houses. We found that we walked most places when we ate out, which was very convenient. Bring a bike as Rehoboth Beach is very bike friendly. We also drove down to the beach with our chairs and umbrella. Parking for 1 car is available on the property, in addition you can get a parking pass for an additional vehicle to park in front of the house as well. Outlet shopping is just a 5-10 minute drive away. Central air conditioning is available for warm nights. There is wireless internet and cable tv available. The neighborhood is quiet. We brought our two small dogs and they loved the place, especially being able to go out on the deck and sleep during the day. It is a very nice area to take them on walks during the summer evenings.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, pet owners, age 55+, families with young children.

We Stayed Here Two Years Running

Guest: Ess (Washington, DC)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11 Review Submitted: 09/13/11

Key West is a great property in a great location and we stayed here two summers in a row. You may leave your vehicle parked for the week and walk or bicyle to everything in town. We appreciated the personal furnishings and personal touches at this property as it was more like staying in someone's well-appointed house than staying at a run-of-the-mill vacation rental property. We especially liked the outdoor shower and the privacy afforded by the numerous decks. Key West is pet-friendly and we enjoyed having the family dog along with us on our family vacation. This is a unique property and we liked perusing and borrowing books from the owner's stacks. We elected to clean up on moving out day and our deposit was refunded promptly. We recommend Key West and look forward to staying again in future summers.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, pet owners, girls getaway.

Harrassed

Guest: Mryka (Boulder, Colorado, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 09/12/11

The listing description was very accurate and the pictures accurately reflected the property. When we arrived there was information we needed in order to operate the internet and also questions regarding the cleanliness of the property; especially the outside decks and chairs. The owner did not respond in a timely manner; nor was he polite. I had given the owner detailed information on who was staying there and when. He accused us of having 4 children staying! We had one grandchild who stayed with us. The house is filled with the owner's personal things; photographs, books, knickknacks etc. We moved some of these things in order to protect them but also to have more space. He accused us of theft! He is very difficult to deal with! I have rented from VRBO before and all my interactions have been positive. This was a very negative experience. He with held our deposit based upon smears on the walls and windows without documentation. If they were there it only takes a magic sponge. We paid to have it cleaned afterward! So maybe his cleaners did not clean! The owner was not helpful nor has he acted ethically and according to the codes of Rehoboth Beach! I would not recommend that anyone rents this property.

Owner response:This tenant contacted me within an hour of checking in to obtain log-in information for the internet connection, leaving an angry voice mail. I responded within an hour and calmly provided instructions over the shouting of the tenant. Shortly thereafter I received repeated angry voice mails about the cleanliness of the house. Since I was present when the house was cleaned and saw that it was in clean condition I was therefore surprised, but sent another person to respond, who was told that the complaints were about 1) leaves on the decking, 2)crumbs in one kitchen cabinet, 3) cobwebs in two locations, and 4) a "dirty" kitchen floor. The person I sent in response washed the kitchen floor and reported to me that the water from that was clean. He swept the leaves off the decking, which are commonplace because the lot is heavily wooded, and removed the crumbs. He also reported that the house was occupied by more than eight people, in violation of the contract. After the tenants left and before my cleaning crew arrived I visited the house and found numerous items missing, other items broken, and smear stains on walls, windows and doors. I provided a list of missing items to the tenant and they did not respond with any information about the whereabouts of the missing items. The value of the items and the damage to the house far exceeded the security deposit. As to the statement that I did not act ethically and "according to the codes of Rehoboth Beach" I have no idea what the tenant is referring to. The house is fully compliant with all city and state codes and is licensed by the city for rental purposes. In four years I have withheld a security deposit only five times, including this instance.

Recommended for:

Not for families | Don't expect to keep your security deposit

Guest: Jeff (Alexandria, VA)
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 08/20/11

We've rented from VRBO nearly a dozen times, and this has been our only negative experience. Highlights: -it’s a nice house, with a decent location. Several nice (but buggy) porch spaces, Lowlights: -A/C: the main area of the house has a good A/C system. The extension of the house (with 2 bedrooms) is poorly served by the core A/C. We could sleep well enough in the loft room, but the heat was bad during the day. The owner has placed a large window by the staircase to the loft, but has neglected to provide any shades/blinds that would help mitigate this issue. -limited kitchen appliances/utensils: (there were as many hardware tools as there were cooking implements in the kitchen) -House was cluttered: This house isn't well geared for the rental market in several ways. Upon arrival, we spent a good bit of time removing the personal items that occupied many of the surface areas in the house. If you don't have kids, this probably wouldn't be an issue, but we had a toddler with us, and we felt that the 2-3 dozen photos on top of the TV console would end up attracting his attention. -Unrealistic Expectations: This owner's check-out instructions were more onerous than anything we'd seen before. For example, this owner expects the renter to vacuum the house, and wash/dry/fold all towels/linens. Normally, you just need to broom-clean the surfaces and strip the beds. This extra activity was unwelcome on our hectic moving out day. -Security Deposit: We emailed the owner to let them know that a coffee pot had been cracked and should be deducted from the security deposit. The owner responded with a litany of items counting against the deposit. While it’s debatable as to whether we caused most of these items, we couldn’t figure out how the owner decided that they totaled enough to consume the entire security deposit. We were disappointed, but we just decided to absorb the cost between our two families. So, if you’re not vacationing with a family, and you aren’t interested in recovering your security deposit, this is a perfectly lovely house with a few key defects. Otherwise, we can’t recommend this property.

Owner response:The house is surrounded by decking, and the yard is nicely wooded for privacy, but there are no porches. Bugs are common in Rehoboth in the summer, and I've not gotten any complaints about them. The central HVAC system was installed four years ago and I have never received any complaints about it. I have never received any complaints about the kitchen contents. At my risk, I do leave decorative items throughout the house to make it feel more like a home and less like a "rental". My tenants have thanked me for that, and have told me they prefer that to a stripped down cottage. I have two vacuums in the house and one is an electric broom. I ask tenants to use either before they leave. As a courtesy to tenants, I also provide linens free of charge. I only ask that they wash and fold them before they leave. Tenants have thanked me for this courtesy. I only withhold my $500 security deposits when there has been damage that exceeds that amount. In four years I have withheld deposits only four times. Most of my first time tenants have told me, unprompted, that they were surprisingly delighted with the house and found it much more accomodating and charming than they had hoped. Many of them have become return visitors.

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