Got trashed during spring break- to sue or not?

[Unplugged]

The key for us has been the arrangement we have with our management company, which allows us to share the booking responsibilities on a 1st come/ 1st served basis. They always handle Check-in/ Check-out; Cleaning; Maintenance; Linens; etc, etc.

This enables us to stay personally involved to larger degree, and thus screen a good number of the guests...

 

[Mango]

goin' coastal...like Darlene, your post made me so sad. I could just feel your pain of making a place for others to enjoy only to have not just bad renters ruin it, but your own management company as well! Was this a bad Spring Break rental? I hope you have found a better company to deal with. Once again, I must add that most renters treat homes as if they are their own (or in my case when we rented...even better!) It's such a pleasure to read about all the great times our guests have had when down here.


;-) ...I would be happy to be your "bad" sister!!! Join in the funn...it's that first post that's the hardest.

I renovated my 2 townhomes this year, new carpet, painted again, art, exterior,you name it. So far my guests (renters) have left the place immaculate. There is a lot of truth to the nicer you keep the home, they will be easier on your home. It just takes that one bad apple here and there to break your spirit (slightly) I rent the house on my own, and cash my deposit checks upon receipt. My housekeeper has done a fair job of updating me on any issues. From some of the stories I hear about rental agencies, even though the rentals take quite a bit of my time, it has been worth the effort.

Last week one of my renters left cake makeup on 6 towels, 6 hand clothes, and 6 wash clothes. The were not able to clean them. I called my guest and he said it must have been his teenage daughter and and her friend, and was overly apologetic offering to overnight replacement towels to my housekeeper. If it was one towel, ok, no problem, but 18 pieces of linens warranted replacement. On the whole though, even though this is really my second season, most people treat my homes with respect, and send e-mail and cards of thanks. Next year though, I am definitely only renting to families during spring break, and will have my neighbor living there next door full time, and any rentals during spring break will be made aware of that. :shock:
Donna a/ka Mango

 

[Sandcastle]

Goin? Coastal:

I?m sorry if my post about our rental problems at Cape San Blas might have made you feel worse. They weren?t that bad ? really! Our insurance company paid for the damages and we were able to incorporate some minor upgrades. We even received a check for lost rental income.

Eventually, we sold our house on the Cape and built in Old Seagrove. It was just too boring out there. We own Martini Time on Forest Street close to Seaside. We?re there just about every weekend and we love it. Please stop and say ?hello? when you?re at the beach.

Your location in Old Seagrove is wonderful and it?s getting better by the day. Also, Seacrest is becoming more upscale all of the time. That?s our second favorite spot on 30-A.

You might want to change management companies, but you own some prime and very unique Florida real estate ? it?s not Enron. Please try to feel better .

John

 

[goin' coastal]

Sandcastle, no your post did not make me feel worse. Thanks for the warm invitation, we would love to say hello sometime. Will look for your house. Love Forest street--there are some flowers (look like morning glories) that grow there in the spring . Oh My , it is breath taking.

Due to illness and my husbands work schedule we do not come down very often. Wish we could be there more.

No, it is not Enron, but right now Paradise is for sale and nobody is buying it.I never thought I would see 30A like this. I really want it to change for the folks who bought so recently and now their property is worth less than they paid a year ago. We are lucky to have not only second homes but A home. We just had terrible tornadoes in our area and so many folks lost homes. Sure hope the hurricane season is kinder to the gulf coast this year.

 

[dusty]

First..sorry to read of Mango's and other's problems with bad renters. It spoils it for the honest, caring ones.

Next:

I just have to share my limited experience with vacation rentals. I can?t resist.

We owned a home on Cape San Blas for eleven years. One summer we decided to turn it over to a rental management company ? that was the first and last time.

The management company rented it to two middle age women who wanted to spend a nice quiet weekend walking the beach. No spring breakers, no wild kids. Sounds safe enough, doesn?t it? WRONG!!!

The ?girls? must have stopped in Port St. Joe for Butler?s buffet the night they arrived. The next morning one of them took a humongous cr** in the upstairs bathroom. Instead of waiting to see if our water-efficient toilet could handle the load, she just flushed and walked out of the door. Of course; the load was too large, but the toilet kept trying all day long.

Sorry to read of this headache, too.

Just passing along a suggestion to the owners: please, please, put a plunger in every bathroom! You never know when you'll need it and the renters will appreciate it. Most places we have stayed have had maybe one in the whole place.

 

[Sheila]

Just passing along a suggestion to the owners: please, please, put a plunger in every bathroom! You never know when you'll need it and the renters will appreciate it. Most places we have stayed have had maybe one in the whole place.

Thanks dusty that is a good idea. Now, if I could just figure out where they all go! We come down find one if we're lucky. Go buy extras to make sure we have one in each bathroom. Come back......find one if we're lucky. This may come under the heading, "Not sure I want to know what happens to them!"

 

[Miss Kitty]

Just passing along a suggestion to the owners: please, please, put a plunger in every bathroom! You never know when you'll need it and the renters will appreciate it. Most places we have stayed have had maybe one in the whole place.

Thanks dusty that is a good idea. Now, if I could just figure out where they all go! We come down find done if we're lucky. Go buy extras to make sure we have one in each bathroom. Come back......find one if we're lucky. This may come under the heading, "Not sure I want to know what happens to them!"

They make excellent microphones!!!!

 

[Sheila]

Just passing along a suggestion to the owners: please, please, put a plunger in every bathroom! You never know when you'll need it and the renters will appreciate it. Most places we have stayed have had maybe one in the whole place.

They make excellent microphones!!!!

yeah right! :funn::rofl:

 

[Sandcastle]

Plungers in every bathroom are an excellent idea. We do have those at the beach. We even have one in every guest bathroom at home.

Another thing to consider is whether you really want an icemaker in your beach house. We decided to buy a refrigerator without one. Ice cube trays work just fine ? you only need three or four cubes for a martini on the rocks .

I?m calling attention to this because we just had an icemaker leak at home in Tallahassee. Luckily, we were there when it happened. If it had been at our beach house it could have caused major damage in the week or two it might have taken us to discover it. We did have two icemaker leaks in our beach house on Cape San Blas. Again, the drywall didn?t fare very well!

 

[Paula]

Plungers in every bathroom are an excellent idea. We do have those at the beach. We even have one in every guest bathroom at home.

Another thing to consider is whether you really want an icemaker in your beach house. We decided to buy a refrigerator without one. Ice cube trays work just fine ? you only need three or four cubes for a martini on the rocks .

I?m calling attention to this because we just had an icemaker leak at home in Tallahassee. Luckily, we were there when it happened. If it had been at our beach house it could have caused major damage in the week or two it might have taken us to discover it. We did have two icemaker leaks in our beach house on Cape San Blas. Again, the drywall didn?t fare very well!

Sancastle:

I think it's a great idea not to have ice-makers. People really don't need them for short-term stays for sure and it would same some headaches every time there's a power outage or storm for those of us who live far away. Good idea, as was the idea about having extra plungers available mentioned earlier on this thread.