Issues++ & owner unresponsive, unhelpful & unfriendly. Severely shocked and disappointed in the owners lack of care for the security/ safety of her tenants.
Upon arrival, the rear entry point (sliding door) to the property was open & unable to be moved. The owner contacted us via VRBO to advise that she left this open so we could access the deck. This was an alarming security risk - given that this door is directly adjacent to the beach, in full view to the public.
We immediately attempted to contact the owner via the Vrbo provided email, multiple times, she was unresponsive until later the next day. With the issue remaining stagnant with the owner for yet another day - my husband went out himself to find a local handyman and put him in touch with the owner to approve the repair so we could get a prompt action. As it was a 2-man-job to repair, my husband worked with the handyman to get the door to a lockable stage. However, it was still (physically) very difficult to lock/ unlock the door and only my husband was able to do this. The door is still not completely fixed for the next guests.
There was a window next to the broken sliding door that didn’t have a latch to keep the window closed and secure. My husband temporarily fixed this with a rope to keep in place.
Accuracy of online listing
The property appeared very charming in the VRBO listing however upon arrival we discovered multiple features of the property which are broken & unusable to guests.
1) Outdoor shower has been broken for years.
2) TV remote didn’t work.
3) Back awning on the deck was broken which would usually keep the deck covered from rain or provide shade in the heat of the day. It rained every single day throughout the 6 days we rented the property which meant we couldn’t use the deck to enjoy the beach view (which was the only reason we rented this exact property).
4) Sliding door to back deck was broken (as above).
Cleanliness/ Upkeep of property
The property had very poor hygiene with filthy plates/ cutlery caked with old food particles and chopping boards not even fit for a bait board. The cleanliness was equally as bad throughout the property - especially in the bedroom with mould on the skirting and filth under the bed.
The side of the house had concrete stairs which were covered in overgrown shrubs and mould which was very slippery and dangerous. I almost slipped, caught myself before I did however hurt my back in the process.