Homeowners beware: This past weekend, our house was inadvertently rented (by our management company) to a large group of young people celebrating their high school graduation. They were from the Birmingham area and were there not with parents, but with a so-called chaperone, absolutely against our rental policy. Turns out this man works for the same group that chaperoned the Holloway girl's high school trip to Aruba, where she disappeared. When I called the house on Friday night, the chaperone was not on the premises, nor were any parents. When they checked out the next day, the house and the swimming pool area were littered with beer bottles and broken glass. Some chaperone. Thankfully, no one was hurt. I cannot imagine what parents are thinking to send their children off in this kind of situation, one that would seem to invite a tragedy. We will certainly be doing our own screening of folks who rent our house in the future. The parents of these children were lucky; the Holloways were not.
Chaperones and beach rentals
- Thread starter DBOldford
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I just don't get some parents these days. I used to know a guy who worked for the Walton County sheriff's office. He told us of a couple of occasions where he'd gotten to deal with groups of drunk 12-13 year olds- parents nowhere in sight.
He said he actually enjoyed calling the parents and telling them they had to make it from Birmingham/Montgomery/Atlanta by 3:00am or their kid was getting charged. Maybe if they were inconvenienced it would sink in to their skulls that it was a bad idea for them to dump their kids unsupervised by the beach.
Ya know, 98-99% of the people down here, local and tourist alike, are genuinely good folks. So what is it with the 2%'ers who behave like they were raised by wolves?
He said he actually enjoyed calling the parents and telling them they had to make it from Birmingham/Montgomery/Atlanta by 3:00am or their kid was getting charged. Maybe if they were inconvenienced it would sink in to their skulls that it was a bad idea for them to dump their kids unsupervised by the beach.
Ya know, 98-99% of the people down here, local and tourist alike, are genuinely good folks. So what is it with the 2%'ers who behave like they were raised by wolves?
That is so sad, Donna. I can't even fathom sending my kids off with some other adult to party like this. It scares me to think what could have happened to those kids. Is there any recourse for you? Could the chaperone company be complained to, for deceiving you as to the occupants, as well as providing a drinking environment for teenagers? Very bad for business! Grrr...
Fortunately, in the 3 years we've been renting our cottages, we haven't yet had that problem. However, at least one other person who rents in our community had very serious problem with renters who were young. The neighbors in the other cottages called the police and they were taken to jail (what they did was bad enough to go to jail for). Another person who rents had young people staying at the cottage who supposedly had a chaperone who was nowhere in sight. They were evicted.
So far, we count ourselves very lucky but I'm sure our day will come. To do your best to avoid this problem, prominently state that "no one under 18 is allowed to rent without someone 25 year old or more on the premises each night of the stay" and let them know they'll be asked to leave and forfeit their deposit or pay some kind of fine if they do not follow this requirement (ask your agency if you have one if this is enforcable and, if so, how); ask your neighbors to let your agency or you know if it looks like the people staying there are under-age and that you would welcome their intervention and that you, of course, would do the same for them. Give them the contact number for the agency. Post the property/community rules in a prominent place.
I think the places that are the most at risk are the bigger places that rent to a lot of people because young unchaperoned people are probably more likely to want to travel in groups and share the cost.
Hope this helps.
So far, we count ourselves very lucky but I'm sure our day will come. To do your best to avoid this problem, prominently state that "no one under 18 is allowed to rent without someone 25 year old or more on the premises each night of the stay" and let them know they'll be asked to leave and forfeit their deposit or pay some kind of fine if they do not follow this requirement (ask your agency if you have one if this is enforcable and, if so, how); ask your neighbors to let your agency or you know if it looks like the people staying there are under-age and that you would welcome their intervention and that you, of course, would do the same for them. Give them the contact number for the agency. Post the property/community rules in a prominent place.
I think the places that are the most at risk are the bigger places that rent to a lot of people because young unchaperoned people are probably more likely to want to travel in groups and share the cost.
Hope this helps.
The real party at fault here is your "management" company. Post the offending company's name on this board so we can all keep an eye on them.
Paula,
Sounds like your second story was my place.....
Fortunately no damage to our place. But rumor has it they did some to the place they were moved to.
Not much you can do when the renters lie to your management company. I'm just thankful the owners in the neighborhood are watching out for each other.
C.
Sounds like your second story was my place.....
Fortunately no damage to our place. But rumor has it they did some to the place they were moved to.
Not much you can do when the renters lie to your management company. I'm just thankful the owners in the neighborhood are watching out for each other.
C.
I, too, would be curious to know who your management company is. Glad to hear nothing "bad" happened to any of those kids, and I hope the damage to your house is minimal. It seems like the people who organized/chaperoned this trip should be charged with criminal offenses to minors. And parents wonder why their children get hurt, disappear, etc. !!?? How sad.
If an adult rents the place for teens, the rental company may not know what's going on.
It is unfortunate that these kids are wrecking your homes. I feel for you.
Some of you are wanting to point fingers at the management companies, but how many of you think that the teenagers went in to the office to get the key? I think the management company is doing what they can. Do you want them to install "security" cams on the outside of your home, so that they can track who comes and goes?
Some of you point the fingers at the parents. I think you are more on track. I would also remind you that these are high school graduates are about to go off to college without a chaperone. Do you expect the parents to supervise their kids' daily actions when they leave for college?
Some of you are wanting to point fingers at the management companies, but how many of you think that the teenagers went in to the office to get the key? I think the management company is doing what they can. Do you want them to install "security" cams on the outside of your home, so that they can track who comes and goes?
Some of you point the fingers at the parents. I think you are more on track. I would also remind you that these are high school graduates are about to go off to college without a chaperone. Do you expect the parents to supervise their kids' daily actions when they leave for college?
I think the best thing is to have people who rent out places in the same communities keep an eye on each other's places if possible when they are there. It's not too hard to spot trouble brewing or a lot of young people who need to be chaperoned, and a quick call to the rental agency or owner with the intention of asking them to leave for having misrepresented themselves (and losing the money they invested in the vacation) will make them think twice next time. I don't know what the rules are though for not returning vacation deposits/fees when people misrepresent themselves. I certainly would contact the owner/rental agency if I was in the area and saw people potentially abusing a property in my community or if I thought people were underage.