I have never left a negative review on VRBO, I have had all great experiences using VRBO and hope to have the same in the future. However, I do rely heavily on reviews when choosing rentals for myself and our employees, so I felt it important to be honest.
There was no privacy whatsoever in this home, with the homeowner coming in at will, moving food, moving belongings, turning off lights, unlocking bedroom doors, etc. This homeowner has many antique items that she is very very protective of that have no place in a rental. You can not put certain foods on the table runner, you can not put anything on the rugs. (None of this is specified in the agreement). When asked about the multiple visits, she said it was in our contract, and proceeded to send me a contract with an added paragraph. When I provided her with the original contract, she brushed it off as if it is her right to make changes and not notify or inform us of them. When I asked her if she would be willing to simply text us and let us know that she had dropped by the house, so that our guys would not be surprised when they got home, she flatly refused. She said she didn't have time for that.
We were charged hundreds for damage to "antique cane chairs". These were the only chairs provided for sitting at the dining room table. In her email detailing the damage, she told me "I do not think this is purposeful mistreatment" and also "this is likely caused by someone leaning forward in the chair to get something, or some other way that is not normal use for an antique chair." So even though she felt we were not purposefully mistreating the chairs, and the damage could have been caused by leaning forward (maybe to get some butter for your toast?) we were still charged hundreds to repair them. She has now replaced the chairs with something more sensible, but I felt I should let people know that there will be extreme scrutiny, and the antiques are very valuable and must be treated very carefully. In the photos she sent I could not even see the damage. The scrutiny, at least for my group, was intense.
This is not a dedicated rental, it is Meg's home, and as such she is very attached and I understand that. However, the listing said ''This rental is for your PRIVATE stay at the retreat, absolutely unshared ... without the owner onsite. " I felt it only fair to let people know, there was nothing private about our stay. The house was great and so was the location, but we'll never rent from Meg again.