One time too many

[toofargone]

Greeting everyone. My group of 16 have just returned from our trip to Seagrove. You are blessed to have such a beautiful area to call home or a second home.

Everything was perfect, except for one aspect of our trip.

We rented a place right on the beach, as you can expect rather pricey (private pool, 6br, all the perks). We have not rented from this owner before but have stayed in the area on four previous occasions. He called the individual we rented from the last couple of years and did not even require a security deposit ($1000) because of the great feedback.

Well, during our week, the homeowner stopped by at least twice a day! A couple of times to check the mail, other times for various maintenance issues, a few time to get something out of the garage, etc. It was always something.

We felt he was just checking up on us, and as you might imagine this became increasingly frustrating for us and in a way dampened our enjoyment of this wonderful home. We are three brothers, married with children. What was he worried about?

Do you feel I am overreacting?

Flame away!

[John R]

not by venting here. how you address this with the homeowner could lead to overreacting. if you like the house enough to want to go back, you need to tell the homeowner that his coming by seemed to be like he was checking on you and therefore intrusive. if you wanted to hang with homeowners, you could have stayed at a b&b. he need to keep his distance.

[Mango]

No, you are not over-reacting. We have 2 places in the same development in Sowal, and when one house has guests, we don't usually tell them we are there. We do occasionally need to go in our sheds which are outside the units ( do not have to go through the house) and we wait until we see our guests are not around before we go into it to get tools or supplies.
Once or twice we have been seen, but we try not to invade their space while they are there. If seen, most people say hello and converstaion usually goes towards - need anything? and give some suggestions for funn things to do etc., but we keep it short and sweet, and they don't see us again.
We are not close enough for them to see us, so they don't know we are on grounds. I want people to feel like it's their house.

We rent homes for vacation in other areas, and we have had similar experiences with owners snooping around. We didn't like it, and I wouldn't do it to my guests.

[aquaticbiology]

sounds to me like he was regretting the waiving of the security deposit - if you had paid it he could have just withdrawn the money and stroked it

of course that guy might have used it to install hidden video cameras!

[toofargone]

By the end of the week we had already decided we will never rent from them again. There are plenty of rentals available that will treat us better with more respect of our privacy.

[Beach Runner]

As the owner of a beach house that is on the rental market, I think what the owner did was a terrible no-no. Not to say that I wouldn't like to have a webcam to spy on my guests after some of the severe damage they've inflicted on our home recently (like paint everywhere, as was the case when we arrived last Monday, that was not noticed by the rental management company's inspector ). But you just have to resist the urge. It's a severe invasion of privacy. If you're such a control freak that you feel the need to do more than stop by once, welcome your guests, yet not enter the property, you shouldn't rent out your property. The only alternative I see is providing daily maid service as a deterrent to house abuse.

[kurt]

Your information is interesting and hopefully helpful. As nice as the owner might be, you should have let him know as soon as it became a problem, even at the risk of offending. If he is a nice guy he would have appreciated the feedback.

You are not overreacting if that's the way you feel. Sounds like the guy lives close by and is used to keeping a close eye on his property. Maybe he needs more to do. It should be an unusual occurrence to ever see an owner.

Please let us know some of the things you enjoyed.

[goin' coastal]

I do not think you are over reacting at all. In the past we rented a large house in Seaside in the off season for half price since we only used one bedroom(just 2 of us). The agency always sent someone over to check for something????? To make sure it was only 2 of us. I knew what they were doing --we had nothing to hide. It would have felt better if they had just been honest and told us it was a requirement.

More than once would have felt invasive. We were recently in the area in a home we are trying to sell. There were guests in our rental home and we dropped a new dvd player I promised. I wanted so badly to get in the owners closet for things to spruce up the other house. I would not ask as I felt it was a violation and they had paid for this week and privacy. After they phoned and ask about extending the stay , I did ask could we get in for a few minute . Our owners closet is right inside the door and I did not need to walk through the house.

After the damage I had last spring not reported by the agency I can understand why homeowners are nervous, but this is way beyond reasonable. I see why you would not want to rent this home again. It is better to take a deposit and leave folks alone.

[goin' coastal]

As the owner of a beach house that is on the rental market, I think what the owner did was a terrible no-no. Not to say that I wouldn't like to have a webcam to spy on my guests after some of the severe damage they've inflicted on our home recently (like paint everywhere, as was the case when we arrived last Monday, that was not noticed by the rental management company's inspector ). But you just have to resist the urge. It's a severe invasion of privacy. If you're such a control freak that you feel the need to do more than stop by once, welcome your guests, yet not enter the property, you shouldn't rent out your property. The only alternative I see is providing daily maid service as a deterrent to house abuse.

Sorry, to hear about your damage--it feels really bad! Hard to understand why housekeeping does not report it?????? The daily housekeepers( or at least 2Xweek) is not a bad idea if affordable!

[Beach Runner]

Sorry, to hear about your damage--it feels really bad! Hard to understand why housekeeping does not report it?????? The daily housekeepers( or at least 2Xweek) is not a bad idea if affordable!

Thanks. I literally threw up because it upset me so badly. I just might look into maid service.

[Miss Kitty]

toofargone...I agree with you. What an invasion of privacy!

[toofargone]

Thanks for all of your input.

We did have a wonderful time at the beach. Did a lot of biking, eating, relaxing, shopping, even took a charter in Destin and caught some nice spanish and trout.


Can't wait until next year, just a different house. If anyone has a house on the beach with private pool, let me know. We may look to rent a smaller one on the beach and one just off the beach.
Thanks, enjoy the rest of the summer. Happy 4th.

[skippertoo]

Happened to us one time too. We rented a place in Old Florida Cottages and the owner stopped in to bring things by THREE TIMES. Really creeped out my wife and we would never stay there again.

[SHELLY]

You have every right to be pizzed--you're also doing the right thing by putting your money in someone else's pocket. If this happens again, charge the owner rent for using "your" vacation home.

[Lady D]

The owners we rent from are not usually at their other beach house when we come in September but they were last year because of coming down earlier to take care of hurricane damage. We usually get a one time phone call from them around 7:00 to make sure we got in, but that is all. But last year, since they were right across the street, they called about two or three times. And of course, they could see us coming and going, and visa versa. But they are nice people, they lived here in Memphis until 1997, supposedly one daughter and her family still live here. So, if they came in any, or got in their storage room under the carport, I wouldn't have cared! We have nothing to hide either! But several times a day everyday is like you are not being trusted! We are talking adults with family!

[Santa Rosa Pete]

Reading these posts reinforces our decision not to rent our SRB house. Instinctively, I don't like the idea of strangers in my home (and most renters are, of course, strangers) but imagining that people would abuse your home just turns my stomach. Would be nice to have the rental income but I'd probably spend it all on Prilosec!

[goin' coastal]

Reading these posts reinforces our decision not to rent our SRB house. Instinctively, I don't like the idea of strangers in my home (and most renters are, of course, strangers) but imagining that people would abuse your home just turns my stomach. Would be nice to have the rental income but I'd probably spend it all on Prilosec!

Hindsight is always better---but if we had it to do over would have built a 2BR( or 1BR) carriage house and never rented. At the time we were holding our breath just to make that dream a reality. It does make you sick, after all it is YOUR HOME.
Don't get me wrong I worked really hard to make it beautiful for guests with fine linens and gift baskets and loved it. It is not an elaborate home like so many in the area. I wanted the stacks of white Ralph Lauren towels and the softest white sheets. For the first few years OVERALL I had wonderful guests who sent thank you notes. There is always something broken now--dining room chairs???? Will not go into the upsetting stories.
Know after you walk out (having spent your entire vacation repairing the damage and deep cleaning)---- leaving it sparkling clean, stacks of fresh white linen, guests soaps etc that is the last time it will look that way. You have no control. Now use a linen service when all my linens were LOST. I cannot even leave a throw rug in the bathrooms--they are never washed by the agency and become so filthy if I was guest I would not step on them. Please know I offered to pay extra for this service to wash the rugs. I imagine the agencies have problems finding people?? who do a good job too??? You would be surprised how little money is made after all the bills are paid. Sorry, I am RANTING. I AM grateful for the extra income to help with bills, taxes, and insurance. If it is not necessary to rent it---enjoy walking in with no surprises.
Even with fear of damage I would not drop in on guests.

[Rocco]

You are probably right about the owners invading your privacy, but I do know that a lot of owners are handling their own landscaping, pool and all other maintenance issues so you will see them a lot more at their properties than you use too. I don't think they are "snooping" on you, but you should say something to the owner if you are bothered by it.

[Beach Runner]

This is unbelievable to me. I followed the advice of many of the posters on this board from last summer and decided to make a phone call to each guest to welcome them to our home. My phone call goes like this: "Hello, this is [my name], and I'd like to welcome you to our home at which you are a guest." They always respond by saying thanks and saying something positive about our home. Then I tell them that I hope they have an enjoyable stay, good weather, and if they have any problems, please email me at [my email address]. We provide a computer and high-speed wireless Internet at our home for our guests.

I got a call from the rental management company this week. The guests were offended by my call and said they felt as if they were being spied upon.

So I'm pretty down on "guests" right now. The paint spilled all over our home from our last renters still hasn't been removed. They are not answering the calls from the rental management company regarding forfeiting the damage deposit. Frankly, I don't think we'll ever get the damage deposit. I think the rental company doesn't want to offend a customer. I think that we'll be paying to re-do our pool deck.Unfortunately, thanks to escalating taxes and insurance premiums, we're not in a position to not rent, as was the case two years ago. So we're stuck having our home raped every week during the summer (the pool guy tells us the horror stories, and he never sees what goes on inside, like the chipped granite, broken bookshelves, broken beds, broken faucets, paint on the dining room rug, etc.). Thank goodness the rental season only lasts from May to mid-August, after which we can rescue our beloved home from its abuse.

It's really sad to me that people have so little respect for other people's property.

BTW, goin' coastal, I agree with you.

Addendum:
Just so I don't appear to be disparaging all of our guests, I'd like to point out that we've had some delightful guests. For example, one even gave me her home phone number and invited my husband and me to visit her and her husband at their home. How sweet is that?!

It's just takes some venting to get over the unnecessary damage, as goin' coastal has communicated. It only took a few rentals for me to realize that I had to put away the Peacock Alley linens, the Wustof knives, the $125 Frontgate pool floats, the expensive pool furniture, etc. Our home was abused from day 1 of rentals. I'd love to provide the luxury experience for our guests that I had dreamed of. But because of a few bad apples, all of our guests will be denied the experience I had planned.

So, now I've vented, and I feel somewhat better.

[Jdarg]

This is unbelievable to me. I followed the advice of many of the posters on this board from last summer and decided to make a phone call to each guest to welcome them to our home. My phone call goes like this: "Hello, this is [my name], and I'd like to welcome you to our home at which you are a guest." They always respond by saying thanks and saying something positive about our home. Then I tell them that I hope they have an enjoyable stay, good weather, and if they have any problems, please email me at [my email address]. We provide a computer and high-speed wireless Internet at our home for our guests.

I got a call from the rental management company this week. The guests were offended by my call and said they felt as if they were being spied upon.

So I'm pretty down on "guests" right now. The paint spilled all over our home from our last renters still hasn't been removed. They are not answering the calls from the rental management company regarding forfeiting the damage deposit. Frankly, I don't think we'll ever get the damage deposit. I think the rental company doesn't want to offend a customer. I think that we'll be paying to re-do our pool deck.Unfortunately, thanks to escalating taxes and insurance premiums, we're not in a position to not rent, as was the case two years ago. So we're stuck having our home raped every week during the summer. Thank goodness the rental season only lasts from May to mid-August, after which we can rescue our beloved home from its abuse.

It's really sad to me that people have so little respect for other people's property.

BR- don't beat yourself up. It is the same old thing- their mamas didn't raise 'em up right.

[CastlesOfSand]

sounds to me like he was regretting the waiving of the security deposit - if you had paid it he could have just withdrawn the money and stroked it

of course that guy might have used it to install hidden video cameras!

HIDDEN VIDEO CAMERA'S........ Where!!!!!:?????

[Miss Kitty]

BR....unless you had spoken directly to your renters during the renting process, I can maybe understand their reaction. We rent directly through WC and I never speak to any of our renters, so it would be maybe a bit strange for me to call them out of the blue while they are staying there. Just my opinion. Sorry about all the damage. What kind of paint was spilled? That does sound bizarre.

[Ocean Lover]

My phone call goes like this: "Hello, this is [my name], and I'd like to welcome you to our home at which you are a guest."

I think the phone call is nice but not sure you worded this as welcoming as you intended. It sounds like you are reminding them not to mess anything up. Yes, they are guests but they already know that. They've paid a few grand for the weekly rental. If you aren't truly sincere, they will hear it in your voice. If you're worried about your house, they may sense that too. If you wake up in a off mood that day...skip the call.


Try: Hello, this is BR, I'd like to welcome you to our home. If there's anything you need, please email us at-----------Thank you, enjoy the beach and have a great week.

I'm so sorry about the damage at your home. Too bad all renters aren't like most of us on this board.

[Mango]

I have mixed feelings on calling a guest when they have rented from an agency. I do call my guests a couple of hours after arrival times to make sure everything is ok, but they rent directly through me and I have established a bit of a repoire with them.
I am even a little skeptical of calling now on my larger home because sometimes an extended family member picks up who I never spoke to. Not sure how they feel about it. This is the first year I had started doing this, and so far, I think it has been well received.
I think I am doing the right thing, especially after the Rook tragedy, I was PM by some people who rent in SoWal and told me to keep us this practice.

Beach Runner- I had a similar experience this year that I posted. I know how ill I got over it, but I realized it is part of owning a rental property and is bound to happen no matter how careful I screen someone.

I let my guests come in early Friday at no charge to avoid the 4th traffic, and my housekeeper called me and told me they left the lockbox front pad inside, with the key. Her assistant did not have a key yet, so my housekeeper had to drive all the way across town to open the door. Fortunately they left it inside and she was able to set it up for the new people, but geez, they could have called me and asked if there was something they could have done with it or asked for help. My neighbor lives right next door.

Still though, in light of my past experiences, I still would not show up when people are staying in my house. As I said, I don't care much for it if I rent someone's house here in the Northeast.

[Beach Runner]

I think the phone call is nice but not sure you worded this as welcoming as you intended. It sounds like you are reminding them not to mess anything up. Yes, they are guests but they already know that. They've paid a few grand for the weekly rental. If you aren't truly sincere, they will hear it in your voice. If you're worried about your house, they may sense that too. If you wake up in a off mood that day...skip the call.


Try: Hello, this is BR, I'd like to welcome you to our home. If there's anything you need, please email us at-----------Thank you, enjoy the beach and have a great week.

I'm so sorry about the damage at your home. Too bad all renters aren't like most of us on this board.

I didn't word it exactly like that. Let's say my house's name is Beach Runner's Crib. I was going to say, "Hi, my name is Jane Doe, and I want to welcome you to Beach Runner's Crib." But I was afraid that not everyone staying there would know the name of the house, perhaps only the person who made the reservation. So, that's why I added the "at which you are a guest."

I always speak in a very friendly and upbeat tone, and I do sincerely want them to enjoy their stay. The only reason I started doing this is because I thought this was considered a good thing to do from the collective wisdom of members of this board as posted in multiple threads last summer.

But since some people might be bothered by it, I'll stop doing it.

[dbuck]

Honestly, if your house is being rented thru an agency, I don't see the need, unless it is something that you want to do. I would probably do as OL suggested and just have a card with instructions on who to contact if a problem arises. BUT. . . if I was renting my place thru vrbo or something like that, I would definitely call. We rented thru vrbo last year and I was scared to death. Everything worked out okay once we got the door open. Had he$$ of a time with the box on the door handle. I will admit I almost hyperventilated for a minute.

[goin' coastal]

I didn't word it exactly like that. Let's say my house's name is Beach Runner's Crib. I was going to say, "Hi, my name is Jane Doe, and I want to welcome you to Beach Runner's Crib." But I was afraid that not everyone staying there would know the name of the house, perhaps only the person who made the reservation. So, that's why I added the "at which you are a guest."

I always speak in a very friendly and upbeat tone, and I do sincerely want them to enjoy their stay. The only reason I started doing this is because I thought this was considered a good thing to do from the collective wisdom of members of this board as posted in multiple threads last summer.

But since some people might be bothered by it, I'll stop doing it.

BR,
I have NO intention of NOT calling each group of guests to welcome them until one of them purchases our home!!!!!!!

AMEN to all the things you said. I can tell you are a nice person. If a greeting call offends a guest they have the option of leaving. I have been through too much abuse on a number of levels not to at least make a phone call. IT IS MY HOME!!!!! Bet you got a number of PM on the rental mess ----I know I did. I have an agency but I refer 90-95% of the rentals to them which I receive a very small discount. I would like nothing better for all this to work with each individual respectfully carrying out their obligation--I provide the house, the agency rents the house, the guests pay the rent and enjoy it, the cleaning crew cleans the house. We all do our job and everyone benefits---In a perfect world,huh????

[Johnrudy]

Wow, I feel so bad for all of you with all this damage and heartache to your beach homes. I know we love to be able to splurge and stay somewhere nice, with all the beautiful linens, thick fluffy towels, etc. But I would be an absolute basket case if I owned a place knowing how people, in general, are. Also, I would never be offended if the owner called the first day. I'd immediately think they care very much about their home and their guests. That alone, would personalize it for me to be sure to be extra, extra careful. I think as owners you have to do whatever you think might possibly help.

BR, do you have any clue as to why these renters/guests got paint all over the deck? So weird. When we go on vacation, we never bring a can of paint along!!

[goin' coastal]

JR,
"We never bring a can of paint along"

You are just the type of family I would love to have in our home. Thanks for that kind message.

[Paula]

Hmmm... I usually call our guests within one or two days of their stay and say "Hi, I'm the owner of the cottage and want to make sure you have everything you need and to answer any questions you have." Sometimes I may give them advice such as check out the fountains at the Villages of S. Walton" or "Fonville Press and Seacrest cafe have free wireless if you brought your laptop" or something else that might be helpful. But I try to keep the call brief and don't call back again. I hope this is appreciated by guests, but perhaps it isn't. I'll have to think about it.

[Beach Runner]

We just found out this morning that we're going to have to install a new dishwasher. One of the renters damaged it (the agency doesn't know which one, so, again, we won't get any damage deposit back). It will cost almost as much to repair it as it will to get a new dishwasher. You know that this week's guests will ask for a discount since they are inconvenienced by not having a dishwasher. So that'll cost us too.

How could someone tear up a dishwasher? It's a three-year-old top of the line KitchenAid. Our KitchenAid at home is 18 years old and has had only one service call (right after we moved in because a wire was loosened during installation). How can we use a dishwasher 52 weeks a year for 18 years, yet people staying in our home at most 6 to 10 weeks a year for 3 years can tear one up?

[dbuck]

We just found out this morning that we're going to have to install a new dishwasher. One of the renters damaged it (the agency doesn't know which one, so, again, we won't get any damage deposit back). It will cost almost as much to repair it as it will to get a new dishwasher. You know that this week's guests will ask for a discount since they are inconvenienced by not having a dishwasher. So that'll cost us too.


How could someone tear up a dishwasher? It's a three-year-old top of the line KitchenAid. Our KitchenAid at home is 18 years old and has had only one service call (right after we moved in because a wire was loosened during installation). How can we use a dishwasher 52 weeks a year for 18 years, yet people staying in our home at most 6 to 10 weeks a year for 3 years can tear one up?

Are you certain renters damaged it and it isn't just a defective dishwasher. The sad fact is nothing seems to last beyond 3 years anymore. Besides, how do you tear up a dishwasher?

[Beach Runner]

Are you certain renters damaged it and it isn't just a defective dishwasher. The sad fact is nothing seems to last beyond 3 years anymore. Besides, how do you tear up a dishwasher?

It wasn't defective - they pulled it out of the wall. Apparently someone sat on or fell on the door. It messed up the electronic panel and the latch strike.

[goin' coastal]

Are you certain renters damaged it and it isn't just a defective dishwasher. The sad fact is nothing seems to last beyond 3 years anymore. Besides, how do you tear up a dishwasher?

I provide sturdy plastic glasses and dishes(with beach scenes) along with all the other dishes for my guests. I have had found plastic spoons(large serving spoons) and spatulas melted from people sticking them in the dishwasher. Yes, I do provide all needed kitchen ware. I have replaced at least 5 skillets pots and pans, cookware that were just burned to a crisp??? Lucky there has not been a fire.

Knives things just throw in the dishwasher helter skelter could damage a dishwasher. Buckets with sand????

OMG not last more than 3yrs Have 23 yr old stove, washer, frig(has duck tape on the handle), and dishwasher in our home in Nashville and they all work. Rare repair. In the beach house have already repaired washer full of sand, frig left open -- condensation damage.

[dbuck]

I guess I'm just clueless how people could cause so much damage.

AND yes a frig can just last 3 years. My best friend is having her home refrigerator replaced after only 2 1/2 years. GE is having to replace a whole line of frigs that they sourced out.

[jessifunn]

You are probably right about the owners invading your privacy, but I do know that a lot of owners are handling their own landscaping, pool and all other maintenance issues so you will see them a lot more at their properties than you use too. I don't think they are "snooping" on you, but you should say something to the owner if you are bothered by it.

[goin' coastal]

I guess I'm just clueless how people could cause so much damage.

AND yes a frig can just last 3 years. My best friend is having her home refrigerator replaced after only 2 1/2 years. GE is having to replace a whole line of frigs that they sourced out.

Oh, I am sure it can happen. Just been lucky with my golden oldies( really black not gold--not that 60's old).

It is hard to appreciate how bad it feels to have things destroyed until it happens to you. Like BR, happens over and over.

[Beachlover2]

OK - Seems every time I get down there I have to clean the bottom of the dishwasher - ALWAYS have broken glass blocking the drain. Sounds like yours was abuse - but make sure you clean out your drains or someday it could be a major flood in your kitchen.

We just had a $300.00 repair to a 2 year old stove in our one unit. Not sure what happened.

Also does anyone know how to get pen off of leather. Some little person decided to scribble on our one chair. At least it is on the side and not too noticeable - but still would like to get rid of it.

[KISH7374]

As a renter I would like to offer my 2 cents worth. I do an extensive search for the right house to make sure we are where we want to be and have the extras we would like. When we visit a vacation home I tell everyone in our party to treat this place as your own and act like it is your home. We have never had any problems with the units we have rented on 30-A and do not expect any problems this year. We are going to be renting from the same people for the third year in a row and will have stayed in 3 different units. When I contact the owner I try to develop a relationship with the owner so that they will feel comfortable dealing with us. I give them some personal history and let them know who we will have in our party. Granted it is always family but in some cases it does not make a difference, there are just some real slobs out there. My wife always makes sure that the place we stayed in is as clean or cleaner then when we arrived. We have never been contacted by the owners when we arrived but I am alway sure I call them to let them know we are on site and the condition of the unit. I think as a renter's prospective it is better to be proactive then reactive and call with any problems up front or to let the owner know how happy we are. We are looking forward to this year's trip and do not forsee any problems but I can understand the owner's side also. As I stated earlier there are some real slobs out there and just don't care about anything but themselves and to he** with anything else.

[goin' coastal]

You are the people I would love to have in my home. Have a wonderful trip!!!!

[goin' coastal]

OK - Seems every time I get down there I have to clean the bottom of the dishwasher - ALWAYS have broken glass blocking the drain. Sounds like yours was abuse - but make sure you clean out your drains or someday it could be a major flood in your kitchen.

We just had a $300.00 repair to a 2 year old stove in our one unit. Not sure what happened.

Also does anyone know how to get pen off of leather. Some little person decided to scribble on our one chair. At least it is on the side and not too noticeable - but still would like to get rid of it.

I have had some luck with cream leather cleaner to remove ink off of a purse.
Thanks for the tip about the dishwasher. I forgot we had a stove repair too--almost new. You just hemorrhage so much money you forget.

[JB]

Getting in on this thread a little late. But....just some thoughts from someone who has been renting properties on 30-A for almost 20 years.

Most times, we have rented through agencies. If I rent through an agency, and the owner of the house calls up to check on things, I would likely be a little ticked off. In this situation, my relationship is with the agency, not the owner. I couldn't care less who owns the home.

We stayed in a house one year that was for sale. During the middle of our stay, a real estate agent had the unmitigated gall to try and show the house during our stay. To say I was angry was an understatement. I asked them to leave, then called the rental agency and ripped them a new one. There are certain "lines" you just don't cross.

Now, if I did rent directly from an owner, and said owner called the house not long after we arrived to make sure we got there OK and to make sure everything was in order, I would be appreciative of this gesture. Any further contact initiated by the owner (short of some kind of emergency) would not be appreciated.

For all you owners who don't utilize an agency, and have had problems with people trashing your houses, would it not be possible to check references on a potential guest?

I don't know what the standard rate is for having an agency handle your rentals (10-20%?), but it seems to me it sure would eliminate alot of headaches.

[Rather B Paddlin]

JB,

Rental agencies charge 25% and more plus all the other fees. Some agencies cause more problems than help. Sorry that is a sad fact of life.

1-2 families a year cause 95% of all damage. As an owner it wears you down. You feel bad for the next guest who has to deal with the problems left by the previous guest. Owners do not usually cause the stains, burns, breaks, and other various damage that you see in a unit.

Please remember as guest you are renting the use of the property, you do not own it for the week you are there. I rent (as a tenant) quite a bit of industrial space and every standard lease gives the landlord the right to enter the property at will with notice. I do not own the property, I am paying for the right to use it.

If I have rental for sale and it needs to be shown, I will buy dinner the guests one night. Most guests do not have a problem with that.

[JB]

JB,

Rental agencies charge 25% and more plus all the other fees. Some agencies cause more problems than help. Sorry that is a sad fact of life.

1-2 families a year cause 95% of all damage. As an owner it wears you down. You feel bad for the next guest who has to deal with the problems left by the previous guest. Owners do not usually cause the stains, burns, breaks, and other various damage that you see in a unit.

Please remember as guest you are renting the use of the property, you do not own it for the week you are there. I rent (as a tenant) quite a bit of industrial space and every standard lease gives the landlord the right to enter the property at will with notice. I do not own the property, I am paying for the right to use it.

If I have rental for sale and it needs to be shown, I will buy dinner the guests one night. Most guests do not have a problem with that.

Well, I really wasn't expecting a lecture. I am the most responsible renter I've ever known.

I understand both sides. My family and I are ideal renters. I treat the place as if it were my own, even going the extra mile to make sure everything is in order during our stay and especially as we prepare to leave.

Unfortunately, there are many renters out there who simply have no respect for anything. They feel like if they fork out $2500 to stay somewhere for a week, then they can treat the place as they see fit. Discerning between deadbeats like that and responsible renters is a pretty tough thing to do.

Bottom line is, no house is perfect. As long as the power stays on, the appliances work (especially the A/C), and the house is secure when we're not there, then you'll get no complaints from me. You will also find your place in apple-pie order when I check out.

My one request is to be left alone to enjoy the privacy with my family. I don't like the thought of someone entering the premises without my knowledge. It makes me feel violated and I think it is crossing an "unwritten" line (unless, like I said, it's some kind of emergency).

[goin' coastal]

I have an agency and as do most of the owners with damage problems. I advertise(vrbo,seaside times,mooncreek tour etc) since I refer 90% of my guests to the agency to handle I receive a 5% discount off the 25% the agency charges me.

I am unaware of any agency that does a reference or background check. It is a good idea but I have never done one either as an owner.The purpose of holding a deposit is to cover damages. When the house is cleaned hopefully the damage is reported to the office. Even when I had damage I was billed for the things repaired until I found the huge mess last spring. After months and persistance I am grateful to have received some restitution.
I am grateful also for an agency if they do the job. I have no idea how to get keys to folks 500 miles away and never take money. If they do a good job, it is well worth the 25% ,but that has not been the experience of many. I am now looking into yet a 3rd party inventory the house each week??? More expense for something that has already been paid once.
I have many wonderful guests . It is just the ones that do not care that ruin it for everyone else.

[SHELLY]

JB,

Please remember as guest you are renting the use of the property, you do not own it for the week you are there. I rent (as a tenant) quite a bit of industrial space and every standard lease gives the landlord the right to enter the property at will with notice. I do not own the property, I am paying for the right to use it.

If I have rental for sale and it needs to be shown, I will buy dinner the guests one night. Most guests do not have a problem with that.

I'm going to side with JB on the "realtor walk-thru" issue. Having the realtor burst in on your family's vacation is a total crock!

The renter has the right to "quiet enjoyment" of the property they're paying for--if the owner has "just cause" to show up unannounced during the renter's stay (i.e., house on fire, call by police, violation of HOA rules) so be it.

If the owner plans on showing the house during a vacationer's stay, the renter should be told about this situation when they inquire about the rental and before they sign the contract--and then the agreement (and compensation, if negotiated) should be spelled out in the rental contract.

Other than that "Suzanne from Century 21" and her client should be given the boot. Case Closed!

[toofargone]

I am sorry to hear of the problems many on this board have experienced with inconsiderate renters. I believe the welcome phone call is a good idea; once to touch base and see if anything is needed, answer questions, etc.
After that, I think the renter should be left alone unless the renter contacts the owner.

The owner of the property we rented will miss out on future rentals with us and the good word of mouth we have spread on previous properties.

[Mango]

I am sorry to hear of the problems many on this board have experienced with inconsiderate renters. I believe the welcome phone call is a good idea; once to touch base and see if anything is needed, answer questions, etc.
After that, I think the renter should be left alone unless the renter contacts the owner.

The owner of the property we rented will miss out on future rentals with us and the good word of mouth we have spread on previous properties.

That's been our philosophy. The only other contact I have after the welcome call is after they arrive home if they send an e-mail or call to tell us thanks. Sometimes they e-mail a nice note, but then ask when I sending back security desposit as soon as they arrive home, even though my lease specifically says within 3 weeks of departure. Then I get nervous why they are asking so quickly. Makes me wonder what they did and if they are nosying to see if we are on to it yet.
The bells go off.

[TooFarTampa]

This has been a very interesting thread, toofargone. Thanks for starting it. Sorry however that it was because you were so creeped out by the owner's behavior. I agree that it was way over the line.

It just seems to me that common sense would apply in all of these situations. I don't think there are hard rules. I agree that a Realtor showing up to show a rented property is uncalled for and ridiculous; but some renters may not mind it given plenty of notice. It really just depends, and a courtesy call from the rental agency well in advance to ask permission (while groveling) is probably OK. Trying to guilt them into it would not be.

When we purchased our house, we had a walk through scheduled right before closing and it happened that the house was rented at the time -- but we pretty much had to get in when we did as the sellers were very firm on the closing date. The rental agent arranged a time with the renters for us to come by for 15 minutes. Well, we forgot to change our watches and showed up an hour early! We were mortified but they let us in anyway; later that evening we dropped by with a basketful of yummy goodies from Cocoons Two as a thank-you. Nobody was unhappy, as far as I could tell.

We signed with a management company this year that offers a program where the owner can collect the money, mail out confirmations and policy info, pay taxes and generally deal with the renters in exchange for a sharply reduced commission rate. The management company handles the cleaning and deals with any issues that come up. It has worked very well for us so far as we have historically brought in our own renters anyway. Because of this I don't hesitate to call the renters on the Sunday or Monday after their arrival, and they have generally seemed appreciative. However, if I rented through an agency and received a call from an owner that I had had no previous contact with, I might consider it a bit jarring.

This year I'm stealing an idea from Donna and plan to get some Christmas cards printed up for the families who have stayed with us. We really want people to a) feel comfortable and welcomed yet b) know it is someone's home and not just a place to abuse while having fun. It's a delicate balance. And as referenced above, a small percentage of renters are not reasonable so you just hope that they don't spoil it for the people after them.

[JB]

This year I'm stealing an idea from Donna and plan to get some Christmas cards printed up for the families who have stayed with us. We really want people to a) feel comfortable and welcomed yet b) know it is someone's home and not just a place to abuse while having fun. It's a delicate balance. And as referenced above, a small percentage of renters are not reasonable so you just hope that they don't spoil it for the people after them.

That's a really nice gesture. If an owner did that for me, I would be very impressed and very much inclined to rent from them again. My rental history is probably 80 percent agency, 20 percent owner. Can't say I've ever had an owner show much appreciation for my business before. Certainly, agencies don't care if you rent from them or not. They know someone else will if I don't.

I would have a coronary if I received a Christmas card from say, Dune-Allen Realty. Heck, they always act like they are doing me a favor by allowing me to rent one of their units.