Had good time while at lake and rented boat from homeowner. But...
Upon arrival, I noticed there weren’t any fire alarms (only CO detectors) in the home. When I asked owner, he couldn’t tell me where they were. We purchased battery operated fire alarms for use in Rome City.
On July 22, over one month after we departed, the homeowner emailed me that boat owner had to replace the propeller on the boat, accusing me of the damage. The homeowner stated that the boat owner “takes photos before and after of the prop”, and the homeowner said he'd forward them to me. In the interim, the homeowner deducted 37% from my boat deposit.
On July 27, I responded that we didn’t damage the propeller and respectfully requested pre and post rental date-stamped pictures of the propeller to prove this damage allegation. The homeowner responded that the pontoon owner “inspects the boat after each rental”. As of September 1, homeowner still has not sent any promised before pictures of the propeller.
The owner finally sent 3 pictures ~44 days after rental. The 3 pictures are of a damaged propeller, no indication where the propeller came from or when the pictures were taken. When I questioned the pictures, the owner stated it's “easy to damage props without knowing it” and he could get “copies of the bill...”. The owner has never provided this bill as of September 1.
In a August 8 email, the owner adds new things to damage claim: “flag was broken and no [deposit] deduction was taken…there were stains in the…rug in the LR which…were not deducted for.” In a August 30, owner mentions “large blue stains…on the towel in the laundry room.”
I had VRBO delete my original feedback since it didn’t represent my full rental experience. Of note, the homeowner fully refunded my house deposit. The homeowner replied to my original feedback stating "...thank you for taking such good care of our home!". A testament to how we left the house June 20.
As of September 1, homeowner has provided no receipts, no proof of propeller condition before me, no pictures of rug, and no pictures of towel. In August 9 email said “I would rather not tarnish my 100% 5 star reviews…I will refund you [all deposit] out of my own pocket…IF you agree to not post any review...”.
I still don't have my full boat deposit back. Lastly, be proactive. Check for working fire alarms. Photograph pre-rental conditions of everything to avoid a repeat of my experience.