Owners! What goes in that closet?

[Mermaid]

For nearly two decades my husband and I have been hauling the kids down to the beach. We've come across our fair share of locked closets with the label: "OWNERS CLOSET - PRIVATE."

Now that we've crossed the great divide into ownership ourselves, what the heck are in those closets? I've never been privy to what lurks behind the closed door. The curiosity is almost killing me. We're getting a brand new hefty mortgage this Friday...and keys.....

What do you keep in your OWNERS CLOSET?

[RiverOtter]

Mostly staples. Garbage bags, paper goods, spices, fishing gear, golf gear, booze. The stuff you take down every time and would not spoil if you left it there.

[Beach Runner]

My Peacock Alley linens (not that I want to deprive my guests, but the rental companies require that you use their linen pool)
Thick, thick bath towels
Beach towels
Expensive down pillows
Embroidered linen hand towels
My nice napkins
Expensive candles
Sterling napkin rings
Off-season décor (fall/winter items or spring/summer items)
Wustof knives (in the $100 per knife category)
My George Foreman (don’t trust anyone else to clean it properly)
Refrigerator with staples like ketchup, mayonnaise so we don’t have to buy these items every time we’re there
Other staples like salt, pepper, aluminum foil, Cokes, beer, wine, alcohol, non-perishables, etc.
The expensive pool toys (like the Frontgate $125 floats)
Swimsuits, beach clothes, shoes so if we wanted to drive down and not pack, we could
Pre-cut plywood, ladders, and screws for boarding up
Paint and caulk for unboarding
Tools for repairing items damaged by our guests
Light bulbs
Lawn equipment and RoundUp for doing landscape maintenance
An extra set of pool equipment since every summer at least one guest breaks the ones we leave by the pool (I guess they let the kids play with it)
Our beach chairs
Etc., etc.

[kurt]

My Peacock Alley linens (not that I want to deprive my guests, but the rental companies require that you use their linen pool)
Thick, thick bath towels
Beach towels
Expensive down pillows
Embroidered linen hand towels
My nice napkins
Expensive candles
Sterling napkin rings
Off-season décor (fall/winter items or spring/summer items)
Wustof knives (in the $100 per knife category)
My George Foreman (don’t trust anyone else to clean it properly)
Refrigerator with staples like ketchup, mayonnaise so we don’t have to buy these items every time we’re there
Other staples like salt, pepper, aluminum foil, Cokes, beer, wine, alcohol, non-perishables, etc.
The expensive pool toys (like the Frontgate $125 floats)
Swimsuits, beach clothes, shoes so if we wanted to drive down and not pack, we could
Pre-cut plywood, ladders, and screws for boarding up
Paint and caulk for unboarding
Tools for repairing items damaged by our guests
Light bulbs
Lawn equipment and RoundUp for doing landscape maintenance
An extra set of pool equipment since every summer at least one guest breaks the ones we leave by the pool (I guess they let the kids play with it)
Our beach chairs
Etc., etc.

Sounds like an owners CARRIAGE house.

[luvthebeach]

For nearly two decades my husband and I have been hauling the kids down to the beach. We've come across our fair share of locked closets with the label: "OWNERS CLOSET - PRIVATE."

Now that we've crossed the great divide into ownership ourselves, what the heck are in those closets? I've never been privy to what lurks behind the closed door. The curiosity is almost killing me. We're getting a brand new hefty mortgage this Friday...and keys.....

What do you keep in your OWNERS CLOSET?

That's too funny, Mermaid! :laughing1 I remember wondering the exact same thing before we got our place a few years ago! Now the answer is all clear....we basically keep anything we don't feel like dragging back and forth, i.e., our bicycles, beach chairs, umbrellas (we keep another set of each in another "open" closet for our guests). Also, shampoos, soaps, toiletries, cleaning products, etc. so we don't have to shop each time we come down.

Have fun in your new place....and filling that closet!

[Kimmifunn]

I know ours is filled with half-full shampoo and conditioner bottles, old coffee, old chips, anything food-wise that you can look at and wonder when you left it in there... Usually you can't figure it out so you just put it back and it's there for another season.

My dad hides Malibu Rum in there (he doesn't like people to know he drinks it!) and we keep a hairdyer...because we always forget one. It's always a mystery when you open it up. It's like Christmas!

[Beach Runner]

I know ours is filled with half-full shampoo and conditioner bottles, old coffee, old chips, anything food-wise that you can look at and wonder when you left it in there... Usually you can't figure it out so you just put it back and it's there for another season.

My dad hides Malibu Rum in there (he doesn't like people to know he drinks it!) and we keep a hairdyer...because we always forget one. It's always a mystery when you open it up. It's like Christmas!

Too funny! That's why I label everything with the date I opened it because it's hard to remember when you haven't been there for a while. I mean, even ketchup goes bad!

[Kimmifunn]

That's so smart! We always hear someone reach for something in the closet then spit it out! Classic.

[Mermaid]

I'm beginning to think it's a good thing those closet doors are locked!

[kurt]

I always thought that's where the 2nd-home skeletons were.

[SlowMovin]

The extra linens and bath towels. The cleaners need them when they are doing a change-over between renters. If they are not locked up, the renters wind up using them all and then the cleaners are stuck having to either launder them on the spot or scrounge them up from another property.

And of course, as everyone has mentioned above, your own personal stuff you don't want others to use.

[Paula]

We leave beach towels, some extra clothes for when we're there so we can just take carry-on bags when we fly there, our personal items (extra contact lenses, glasses, etc.), some extra trash bags, laundry detergent, some food in jars, tools for small maintenance jobs, some extra beach stuff to replace if some is missing for guests, and other "essentials" that we don't want to buy every time we're there.

We use the same linens, sheets, kitchen stuff as the renters use. This way, we get the same experience as the renters and so far that's been a very fine experience! And if there's a problem with the quality of the sheets or towels, we'll tell the rental agency that they need to be updated (for example, you only know if the sheets aren't fitting the beds right and come off at night if you sleep on them).

[JB]

I usually just pick the lock and help myself.

[kathydwells]

Sounds like an owners CARRIAGE house.

That is what I was thinking...the closet is bigger than the house I live in now.

[Miss Kitty]

That closet list was amazing! So much for simplifying...guess whatever floats your boat!

I have left MAKEUP and VELCRO HAIR ROLLERS in mine....what am I thinking? I hardly wear makeup here in Dallas and almost NEVER wear it in FL. Think I'll be cleaning my closet out in OCTOBER!

[Landlocked]

Mostly staples. Garbage bags, paper goods, spices, fishing gear, golf gear, booze. The stuff you take down every time and would not spoil if you left it there.

And a big, green fishing cart.

And cheezeitz of course....

[luvthebeach]

and we keep a hairdyer...because we always forget one. :

That just reminded me....when I was shopping at our local Linens & Things, I ran across one of those "mount-on-the wall" hair dryers. It's a Conair..and only $25.00! Several of our guests have commented how much they appreciated it!

[Beach Runner]

I always keep a hairdryer out for my guests and also a lighted makeup mirror with magnification. Actually I need to put a hairdryer in every bathroom like they do at most of the houses at Rosemary that we rented while building.

Hey, don't give me a hard time about my stuff! I know I'm obsessive about my linens (I like the comforts of home) and knives! :oops: Once you use a Wustof knife, anything else is like using a takeout plastic knife. I hide those away because they shouldn't be put in the dishwasher, and I can't depend on my guests knowing that.

I do leave all the rest of my nice cookware, dishes, flatware, etc. out for my guests to enjoy. I bought some cheap stuff, but I just couldn't deal with it. And I knew that my guests wouldn't either. So I gave it all to Goodwill and bought Williams-Sonoma stuff for my guests to use. Once you get used to their cookie sheets, you can't bake cookies on anything else!

[katie blue]

Linens, a box full of assorted tools and hardware, cleaning supplies, TP & paper towels, assorted spices...and a bottle of Malibu coconut rum.

[Paula]

Ok, I'll admit it. We leave some tequila and gin in our closet as well. ANd make-up but I never use it when on vacation -- I even forget to put in earrings most of the time. We do shower though, so not to worry...

I'm afraid if we start using the top, top line sheets at home or keep some in the owners closet at the cottages we'll never be able to tolerate the regular sheets. So, that's another reason we stay away from it. We do use very nice 100% cotton quilts and duvets on the beds at the cottages, though, and those are great (and easily washed by us, cleaning service, or guests).

Our stuff isn't Williams Sonoma -- that sounds wonderful -- but it's good stuff. Guests really like good quality plates, lots of specialty glassware, and cookware. We had some unbreakable corning ware dishes a few years ago, but some guests suggested we should get something nicer so we did.

We leave hairdryers but they're not the wall-kind. We just keep them under the cabinets in the bathroom. Magnifying mirrors would certainly be useful.

[Donna]

I keep extras of all toiletries and my beach clothes in there, also some items that we like to have out that have special meaning to our family. I also keep a set of watercolor paints and sketch paper and my special plates, etc. Generally, I don't keep anything in the house that couldn't be replaced or lost without angst. But it is so nice to get on the plane with just a purse and the dog. We also keep things like sunblock, moisturizer, a first-aide kit, etc. in there. These are things that would tend to disappear over the course of a busy summer. Same with hairdryers. People pack them and they disappear, so we stopped providing them. I don't think people really mean to filch such items, but they get mixed up with other stuff and packing occurs quickly prior to a 10:00 a.m. checkout.

Basically, there is nothing in an owner's closet that would make picking the lock worth a renter's time and effort. We have never had that happen, to our knowledge.

[Beach Runner]

Basically, there is nothing in an owner's closet that would make picking the lock worth a renter's time and effort. We have never had that happen, to our knowledge.

One of our neighbors in GA who also owns on 30-A had his owner's closet robbed by the cleaning service. What I have can't exactly be pawned - I mean, how could anyone frequenting a pawn shop know the value of Peacock Alley? So I don't worry about it. I just want my stuff there and undamaged when I want to use it.

[katie blue]

Basically, there is nothing in an owner's closet that would make picking the lock worth a renter's time and effort. We have never had that happen, to our knowledge.

Sigh...sadly, it happens. Happened to us this spring. Some woman rented our house (illegally) for about a dozen 17-year olds, who proceeded to trash the house with a food fight, (resulting in a dozen holes in the wall, mustard stains everywhere, spaghetti stuck to the ceiling, just for starters.) They jimmied into our owner's lockout, drinking all the liquor, and smashing our bikes to smithereens. They took our rubbermaid storage units and filled them to the brim with leftover burgers and brats, which we found in the backyard, left out in the sun and rain for 2 weeks...mhmm, good times.

Luckily all was fixed, and we got new bikes out of it. And I'm certain there's one woman who will never sign over her credit card for her son's friends again! So moral of the story--yes, it can happen. I just wouldn't leave anything in there that's irreplaceable.

[Landlocked]

The worst damage I ever did to anyone's condo was to walk into the closed sliding glass door.

That was just a LITTLE embarassing.

The only thing broken was my dignity.

[luvthebeach]

Sigh...sadly, it happens. Happened to us this spring. So moral of the story--yes, it can happen. I just wouldn't leave anything in there that's irreplaceable.

Ohmygosh...how awful! I can only imagine how terrible it must have been to walk into that mess after they left! Can't believe anyone would be so inconsiderate (and dumb!) to rent a house for a group of unsupervised 17 year olds. She's lucky none of them were injured (or worse!)

[katie blue]

Suffice it to say there were 3 single-spaced pages of itemized damages incurred in that incident. We were horrified for what the neighbors must have gone through. ( (I wonder if my neighbor Camp Creek Kid heard all the commotion.)

The worst thing was the "meat" debacle...there was no dumping those full RUbbermaid bins...my poor husband just had to roll up his sleeves and pull out all the rotten food by hand. Plus, you won't believe the stuff that 17-year olds drink these days. A dumpster full of empty bottles of sweet high-octane alcoholic garbage with names like Watermelon Zap, Ice Rush Stinger, Mad Dog, what have you.

Oh, and another thing to beware: they turned our water heater up to 160 degrees...burning out the heating unit and potentially burning down the house. Horrified doesn't even come close to what we felt that weekend.

[Paula]

I think anyone who sees or has a hunch that this is happening in a rental property should contact the rental agency if possible (usually the name of the agency is posted). That happened a few times in our community and people were asked to leave the rental and I believe they lost their money (since they lied about their ages and chaperone being there -- too young, no chaperone).

So, let's all look out for each other's properties. It's pretty easy to spot excessive partiers and under-agers.

Someone took a bag of clothes that I had clearly labeled as my clothes and put high up on the shelf. Don't know if it was cleaning people or guests, but now I lock a few things up and won't miss them too much if they're gone.

[kathydwells]

The worst damage I ever did to anyone's condo was to walk into the closed sliding glass door.

That was just a LITTLE embarassing.

The only thing broken was my dignity.

Was that after the fifth of Tequila?

[kathydwells]

Katie,
That is awful what you had to go through. I hope the kids had to pay for the damage!!!!

[katie blue]

Katie,
That is awful what you had to go through. I hope the kids had to pay for the damage!!!!

Well, the mom got the bill. I can only hope she's making them flip one heckuva lot of burgers this summer paying her back. Let's hope it was a lesson to all of them, mom included.

[Landlocked]

Was that after the fifth of Tequila?

No, this was in the morning. After the first round of screwdrivers.

[Beach Runner]

Sigh...sadly, it happens. Happened to us this spring. Some woman rented our house (illegally) for about a dozen 17-year olds, who proceeded to trash the house with a food fight, (resulting in a dozen holes in the wall, mustard stains everywhere, spaghetti stuck to the ceiling, just for starters.) They jimmied into our owner's lockout, drinking all the liquor, and smashing our bikes to smithereens. They took our rubbermaid storage units and filled them to the brim with leftover burgers and brats, which we found in the backyard, left out in the sun and rain for 2 weeks...mhmm, good times.

Luckily all was fixed, and we got new bikes out of it. And I'm certain there's one woman who will never sign over her credit card for her son's friends again! So moral of the story--yes, it can happen. I just wouldn't leave anything in there that's irreplaceable.

I'm not sure our rental company would have noticed it. We are the only ones who have ever discovered damage. We have to pay for it all out of our own pockets, so damage deposits mean nothing. I recently sent them an email on this very topic. Scares me. The rental company never knows which guest did the damage because their excuse is that they can't check everything in-between rentals in the busy summer season.

[Landlocked]

Well, the mom got the bill. I can only hope she's making them flip one heckuva lot of burgers this summer paying her back. Let's hope it was a lesson to all of them, mom included.

Really stinks they had to choose your piece of paradise to ransack. Maybe next time they'll go to Daytona

[Kim Smith]

You know, it would be nice to have somewhere on this site a designated thread that owners can use to warn other owners of certain guests, somewhat like a black list. We had some college students who tried to rent our home this past Spring Break that rented my friends home in the same neighborhood the previous year. They destroyed her home. Luckly I was familiar with the name because of everything that happend and I emailed him and told him I did not think it was a very good idea for him to try and rent in our neighborhood because the owners have been warned.

[katie blue]

I'm not sure our rental company would have noticed it. We are the only ones who have ever discovered damage.

Us too. In fact, our neighbor said the maids spent all day cleaning up (even though it was still filthy when we arrived, our new berber rug soaked, stained and ruined...) Adn the maids never alerted the company to the mess. The holes in the walls were all "disguised" by someone (maids or guests?) who had renailed all our paintings and mirrors over the holes. The rental company never would have mentioned this to us had we not caught it ourselves. Thank goodness we did. It's scary to think.

[Mermaid]

Wow. I used to be innocent before I discovered this forum! It's been a real eye-opener to see life on the "other" side. We've always been so respectful of the places we've stayed at and it honestly never occurred to me that other people would not be the same. It's a pity that 98% of the guests who visit 30-A are the kind you love...and the others...arrggg!

We have friends who have a condo in Sanibel and they said they keep a bottle of good scotch in their closet because after an 18-hour drive from Indianapolis, they need it! We have other friends who are retired and they snowbird it in the Carribbean and their closet has all their kitchen utensils, like the good knives and all the KitchenAid stuff. I'm thinking that's what we'll probably keep in ours--I enjoy cooking and am very particular about my kitchen gadgets. They'll probably stay private. And good towels, too, are nice and my knit sheets. Anything else, I don't think I'm bothered about. Although keeping the extra sunscreen and miscellaneous toiletries is a super idea!

[Paula]

I sure am thankful I haven't had such problems yet, but I'm sure my day will come. We're ready for just about anything, except serious damage to floors, walls, and furniture. Most of our stuff is washable and replaceable. We leave all of our kitchen stuff out for guests to use (including good appliances). But we don't have $200 appliances at home either (except for our fantastic blender we keep at home).

We advertise our places and our community as family-friendly which means we do tend to get families and people who want to party don't really want to party with a lot of toddlers /families around. I should make sure to say "Barney videos" in the advertisement to make the point even more powerful!

Frankly, our cottages and community work very well for adults travelling together as well, but our advertisement clearly says they must be 25 or older to rent. I think I'll add that their rental money will be forfeited if they are asked to leave because they are under 25. It just won't be worth the risk.

I did have a group of young men stay at the cottages about 2 years ago and they were wonderful. The young man who contacted me convinced me that he was a good guy, gave me references (including his youth pastor), and told me he and his friends would assure me that the cottages would be in even better shape when they left than when they arrived. I was impressed with him and gave him a reference for the following year when he wanted one for another place he was staying.

And I tell our children that when they're old enough to stay at the cottages (or anywhere) without adult supervision, I fully expect that they'll "uphold the family reputation" and that the other owners will be watching them and won't hesitate to call us. They'll learn to be good citizens for sure (and I expect nothing less)!

[Beach Runner]

You know, it would be nice to have somewhere on this site a designated thread that owners can use to warn other owners of certain guests, somewhat like a black list. We had some college students who tried to rent our home this past Spring Break that rented my friends home in the same neighborhood the previous year. They destroyed her home. Luckly I was familiar with the name because of everything that happend and I emailed him and told him I did not think it was a very good idea for him to try and rent in our neighborhood because the owners have been warned.

But the thing is, we typically have several guests between when we are last at our home and when we discover the damage. So which guest do you blame? There's no accountability!!!!!

[Kim Smith]

But the thing is, we typically have several guests between when we are last at our home and when we discover the damage. So which guest do you blame? There's no accountability!!!!!

It would really be good for those owners who do most of their own renting. My housekeeper keeps a log of the condition of the home when she inspects before the cleaning crew comes in so I have and idea of what the condition is and I keep a log of who is in there.

[Shutters]

We are very lucky to have 3 owners closets and one garage, in which we have a small refrigerator. We have a rule that you never leave without making sure there's at least 3 beers, one bottle of wine, and a mornings worth of coffee in the frige. When we've traveled for 8 hours and get in at midnight it's great to know we can have a drink, go to bed, and have coffee in the morning.

[SlowMovin]

You know, it would be nice to have somewhere on this site a designated thread that owners can use to warn other owners of certain guests, somewhat like a black list.

I like that idea A LOT. It will require agreement from all (or most) of the management companies in order to work, though.

Are there any attorneys on board who can comment on the legal issues of such a blacklist?

[Landlocked]

The house we rent in Dune Allen is usually overgrown with grass and weeds whenever we show up. I'm not sure about the guy they have hired to keep the place up, but he's not very punctual with his groundskeeping.

This year, I actually brought my weedeater and trimmed around the walkways so we could maybe catch a glimpse of the snakes before they bit us.

The lawn guy showed up the third day we were there and stood there looking out at the yard while scratching his head.

[RiverOtter]

The lawn guy showed up the third day we were there and stood there looking out at the yard while scratching his head.

And picking his bum :laughing1

[Landlocked]

And picking his bum :laughing1

This guy was a real work of art. Nice fella, but strange. He showed up in a beat up van full of god knows what.

He had what appeared to be an entire can of brill cream in his hair, and he smoked a big cigar the whole time he worked, in the 95 degree heat, no less.