Vacation Rentals by Owner
The Cutest Place on the Cape! [#230453] | View Property
East Falmouth
House, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths (Sleeps 8)
$1500-$1700/wk
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Traveler Reviews (11)
Cute but dirty
Guest: DR
(Butler, NJ)
Date of Stay: 09/03/11
Review Submitted: 10/02/11
Serene location, nice clean lake out back. Shopping and dining was close by, with many good restaurants in the area. The house needs a thorough cleaning, from the fan blades, to the windows & screens, to the baseboards. The basement smells like fuel oil. Previous occupants left 5 sets of wet sheets because the dryer was broken. We discovered it on Tuesday but the owner knew the Saturday before. She told us we could take their sheets to the laundromat, and would we mind waiting for a new dryer to be delivered. When we said we wouldn't be around for dryer delivery, owner told us her maintenance man would come by for dryer delivery. I had to accept delivery of new dryer since maintenance man never showed up. People take vacations to escape that sort of thing. If you have a problem with this house, you're on your own.
Owner response:We have rented this home for over nine years on a weekly basis during the summer and have never had a review like this. The house is thoroughly cleaned each spring before the rental season, including windows and screens. The condition in which the house is to be left is stipulated in each tenant's rental agreement. In addition, a professional cleaning staff comes in immediately after each tenant departs and cleans for the next tenants. However, it is not possible to clean windows and screens or to wash down baseboards in the few hours between departures and same-day arrivals. Unfortunately, the tenants who departed immediately before this renter disregarded their responsibilities under the rental agreement and left the house in poor condition, which put much more of a burden on the cleaning staff. In addition, they broke the dryer by overloading it with wet sheets and then left them in the broken dryer. This occurred on the Labor Day weekend, and we live two and a half hours from the property. It was not possible to arrange for the purchase and delivery of a new dryer immediately because same or next-day delivery was not offered. We were told by the company from which we purchased the new dryer that delivery would be made between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and our maintenance person was at the house during that time to take delivery of the dryer and supervise the installation. We only discovered later--after our maintenance person waited for over two hours-- that the delivery had come much earlier in the day, and the tenant did not bother to tell us. We had no knowledge of this change in schedule and were not notified of it by the delivery company. Contributing to this renter's dissatisfaction may have been the fact that it was a very rainy week. However, neither the weather nor the delivery issues were within our control. This tenant never raised any of these concerns with us before posting this unpleasant and inaccurate review. Had he expressed his dissatisfaction to us, we could have discussed some form of compromise for his inconvenience and would have been happy to do so.
Recommended for:
Great Location. Cute house. In need of a good clean.
Guest: SS
(UK)
Date of Stay: 08/13/11
Review Submitted: 10/15/11
As highly experienced and well travelled renters we had an exasperating time with the owner of this property during and after our 3 week stay. Legitimate grievances regarding cleanliness of the kitchen and bathrooms upon arrival as well as some stained bed clothes and pillows that were brought to the owners attention quickly escalated into unecessarily adversarial exchanges. We were left in no doubt that our expectations were too high, that we were in the wrong and that the owner was contractually in the right. For example on departure day the tumble dryer stopped working as we were drying the house linens as stipulated in the agreement - quite a chore to strip five beds, clean and stow all items by 10am in under 3 hours. Neverthless the owner's response was to later accuse us of overloading the machine, something we strenuously deny. In addition having spent two hours cleaning the property to a higher standard than it was when we initially arrived (the basis of our original complaint) we were later informed that we had left it dirty. We did get our deposit back but it was clear to us that owner begrudgingly made the payment having already generously, by contrast, donated a $100 meal voucher for our earier inconvenience. This was a great shame as the property is very cute and the location quite unique. The neighbourhood is wonderful and the local residents incredibly charming, friendly and hospitable. The numerous irritating and time consuming email exchanges coupled with the owners assertions that we had acted wrongly and/or in breach of contract marred an otherwise pleasant experience.
Owner response:These renters made vague complaints from the first but refused to provide specifics. When pressed, we were told there was “expired food,” (a box of tea bags), “used medication,” (a bottle of Tylenol with the first-aid kit) and “crumbs in the microwave.” Our good, clean quilts were stuffed in plastic bags and thrown into the basement. The renters then bought designer linens and demanded reimbursement, yet refused to tell us what they spent. We provided a $100 gift certificate, bought new quilts on-line and shipped them to the house. We later found the quilts still in the shipping boxes, unused. These renters also asked for a house cleaning mid-stay. While not our policy, we agreed to do so and bear the cost. However, after speaking with the renters, our cleaning staff refused to return. During Hurricane Irene, we spent hours advising them on safety procedures. When they left a week later, there was still tape glued to the windows. Once power was restored, we received immediate complaints that the Internet and cable were not working. Rather than have yet another issue, we arranged for a service call at a time when over 250,000 people in Massachusetts were without electricity. Washing bed linens upon departure was a condition of the signed rental agreement. The dryer “stopped working” because it was overloaded with wet sheets that broke the belt. The renters left the wet laundry in the dryer rather than hanging it up. This occurred on Labor Day weekend, when providing the arriving guests with a new dryer was impossible. The rental agreement also required the house to be left broom clean. The cleaning staff found the house “messy and unvacuumed.” The renters used up all paper towels from a supply closet labeled “Cleaning Staff Only,” and did not replace them. The staff was left with little time and insufficient supplies. We endured their barrage of lengthy, hostile e-mails--even after departure--until it bordered on harassment. We finally had to block their e-mail. This nasty and inaccurate “review” was the result. After six weeks, these vindictive people are still ranting. We spent $100 on a gift certificate, $500 plus shipping for new quilts (which were never used) and $450 for a new dryer, and still returned their security deposit in full. We have rented our home for over nine years, with happy renters, repeat guests, and not one complaint until now. VRBO should have an owners' forum to warn about renters like these.
Recommended for:Families with young children
THE BEST HOLIDAY EVER !
Guest: The Morgans
(Wales UK)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10
Review Submitted: 08/31/10
WE HAD THE MOST WONDERFUL HOLIDAY !!!. THE HOUSE WAS TOTALLY AMAZING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR OUR TWO WEEK STAY AT THE PREFECT DESTINATION.
Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.
Comfortable, lovely home
Guest: Jean M., Seattle, Washington
Date of Stay: 08/22/09
Review Submitted: 10/20/11
My family and I had a wonderful week in Cape Cod and we all enjoyed staying in your comfortable, lovely home. Hopefully, we can return next year.
Recommended for:
Great house
Guest: Ken V, Brooklyn, NY
Date of Stay: 08/15/09
Review Submitted: 10/20/11
Thank you so much for a wonderful vacation. We hardly left the house. Everything we would want was right here--great house, the outdoor swimming, grilling outside...Kids had a blast! Would love to return!
Recommended for:
Dude, this house is awesome!
Guest: Nancy B. and Margot, Danvers, MA
Date of Stay: 09/02/07
Review Submitted: 10/20/11
Thank you, thank you! We love the house and location, and this was our best vacation EVER! P.S., Could we rent it the same week next year? Dude, this house is awesome!--Margot
Recommended for:
A Dream Come True
Guest: The P. family, Massachusetts
Date of Stay: 06/30/07
Review Submitted: 10/20/11
We are so happy to be here this summer. Your house is beautiful and we love it. Being hereis like a dream come true. Love,
Recommended for:
Love, love, love
Guest: Greg and Jeanne B., Atlanta, GA
Date of Stay: 05/24/07
Review Submitted: 10/20/11
Absolutely delightful blend of the treasured old and refreshing new. Love, love, love the windows, hammock, iris and peonies, bed linens, kitchen tile, Charm, charm, charm!
Recommended for: