Happy Repeat Renter

Guest: Ken (CT)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 12/20/11

I was surprised to read that the only review of this lovely property was a negative one. We have rented this estate for at least the past five years while traveling to the area for an annual two-week horse show in Buzzard's Bay. Not only were the accommodations spacious, but the property was spotless upon each arrival. The home owner always has greeted us with a friendly smile, catching up on the past year, leaving us with a sense of privacy though he shares the property in a separate home, should any problems arise. I have always felt immediately at home here. I have always admired the house's seemingly endless array of antiques, including a Victrola player and a beautiful stained-glass window on the staircase. Our group has spent countless hours on the wrap around porch playing music, barbecuing and enjoying the pricelessly peaceful view of the Bay and private beach. In response to the previous guest's comments I can only say that I have never noticed bugs in the house, only normal bugs outdoors that are to be expected of the summer months. I do not think that the advertised description of the home is in any way misleading. In fact it is difficult to put into words the unique experience this charming old home offers. From the time we began staying there the owner has made several improvements and updates. Cleaning up the home after oneself during the stay and upon departure is to be expected. Anyone who is not willing to put in the effort to leave a rental property in as good if not better condition than they found it should probably consider renting a hotel room instead. As for us, we are exceedingly happy with our experiences at this home and look forward to the summer of 2012.

Recommended for:

pros & cons

Guest: feelingbetrayed (boston)
Date of Stay: 07/16/11 Review Submitted: 08/05/11

First let me start by saying this is a very lovely old historical home with an amazing water view. It is located in a secluded area which offers a private beach to enjoy. Lots of shells on the beach to sort through. The property is large and perfect for large groups. There are two large porches which face the water and you can relax on a rocking chair while watching the humming birds feed near by. If you are lucky you may even see a deer! The not so good part, This home is very old and not so well maintained which leaves you to try and "over look" some things. The house is neatly put together and things are in their place but then you run in to some problems like paint peeling and chips falling from the ceiling. ( I hope this home has been de leaded for the children who have stayed there) Also, Insect infestation, the owner failed to tell us ( knowing we were bringing two infants along) that there is a wood cockroach infestation. We discovered this on our own just days before check out when one was walking along the baby bottles. The traps we saw through out the house was actually not for ants, they were for roaches. The other huge insect problem was spiders. They were in all rooms, in just about every corner, cob & dust webs, spider eggs, spiders. Hire an exterminator and If the problem persists then it is up to the owner to inform the renters especially if they are bringing children. We brought our disturbing finding to the owner's attention the next day, he handled it by giving us more roach traps the following day to place in the house. He knew we would not be returning at that point. In the contract is states that the property must be found in the same condition as they were in, Of course we obeyed all of the rules and cleaned up after ourselves, Cleaned the kitchen, wiped out the refrigerators, put everything back in order, emptied all bathroom buckets (all buckets), swept down the stairway to the second floor, shook rug out from laundry room and placed it back down. We even vacuumed the first floor on 2 occasions while staying there. The owner claims it took he and two hired cleaners 4 & 1/2 hours to clean. He is so full of it and proved to be a crook. If you do your research you will find that this is a common problem with many rental properties, so beware. If this house was maintained better with no bug infestation and the owner did not try to pull a fast one and rip us off, it would have a fabulous vacation spot. Too bad...

Owner response:In response to the Review written by “feeling betrayed:” We have rented our property for more than ten years, long before signing with VRBO in 2005. In all that time, this is the first negative review we have received. The review leaves out a number of important points. 1. This was the second consecutive year this family rented our home. In the fall of 2009 the entire family including the in-laws drove 200 miles to inspect the property. They rented it on the spot for a week in the summer of 2010. After what was an apparent satisfactory stay, they rented again, for a week in the summer 2011. It was the same house, with the same owner in the same location. 2. It is ordinary that a small amount of cleaning is necessary after a rental but their second visit was extraordinary. They apparently didn’t know how to turn on a vacuum or clean a bathroom, and left a fraternity-house mess. They also left excess bags of trash. And they were unwilling to pay for their indiscretions. 3. On the second visit, they packed the house, which ordinarily sleeps as many as 11, with relatives and friends sleeping on couches and blow-up mattresses. And they were an hour late vacating the property. 4. In addition to having a great beach and spectacular ocean access, the house is located in a beautiful, forested area. While we take every reasonable precaution to keep them outside, a few insects will sometimes make their way into any house this close to nature. The house is not infested with insects. We live in this house during the spring and fall and rent solely to help with taxes and property insurance. It is old but clean and sanitary. It is unfair to categorize all rental property owners as crooks or imply that they live in unkempt surroundings. Quite the contrary, most keep their properties because they love the location and share their homes with strangers so that they, the home owners, might be able to spend some time there themselves. It is difficult to refute anonymous claims, but a personal visit to our property or a phone call to me is welcome. See for yourself what a great vacation spot this is.

Recommended for: