When we bought our house, which is quite large, we didn't consider that spring breakers would see it as a reasonably priced alternative to hotel rooms. Naive? Probably, but we don't like to think that way. Once we got beyond hysterical laughter at the idea of two people having such a big house, all we could dream about was family reunions and lots of friends and the chance to offer everyone maximum privacy under one roof. Not to mention fantastic Gulf views and easy access onto the beach. When I was growing up down there, Grayton was not for spring break vacationers. It was a family vacation spot. There was no Red Bar and there were also no big houses.
Some of the things that make Old Grayton wonderful for us are also the attractions for underaged renters. Reality-based parents probably see it as a safe alternative to Panama City Beach for their kids drinking and going wild. The beach is right there, as is a nightclub where they can drink. No need to drive, at least not very far. Many of these kids have very convincing fake IDs. As much as I love having the Red Bar there as a restaurant and a neighborhood jazz bar, it is also a magnet for partyers creates a significant parking problem for nearby homeowners. One of the biggest problems, too is Red Bar strays creating destruction to the sand dunes. One night we watched a small group leave the Red Bar, climb into a black pickup and proceed to roar up and down the dunes along the public access to Grayton Beach. We are not bothered by noise, at least due to the noise ordinance. But I must say, it would not break my heart to see it move elsewhere.
We have been very fortunate, overall and have had only two sets of renters that incurred any damage over the past four years. They were required to pay. The house has been totally trashed from a cleanup standpoint, including the most revolting kinds of messes that one could ever envision, about once a year. As I mentioned, this has occurred consistently during the spring break period or the week immediately following high school graduation. So we will be blocking our house off for use during those weeks in the future. I'm sorry that some nice families will not be able to use the house then, but we have had it.
Once management companies see more owners doing this, they might take a more active role in screening and monitoring so this does not happen on a regular basis. I know they can't be in every house. But I also think that retaining the services of a security person during the spring break period would be a wise move. We would be willing to help pay the cost. It makes no sense for an entire community to become a lawless zone where people have their property abused. This happens year after year, in spite of assurances that the problem has been dealt with. Parents, think twice about allowing your child's involvement with these mass rental situations. The synergy can turn an otherwise good kid into a destructive force that you would not believe possible. It is a threat to our property but, more importantly, not infrequently a threat to your child's life.
It isn't reasonable to expect an owner to accept that having the home trashed is by a group "having a little too much fun" is part of renting. That isn't what we signed on for, isn't what the rental policy/contract says, and isn't consistent with common decency.
On the
side, we have had mostly lovely families staying at the house. Each year, we receive holiday cards, many with delightful photos, of the family reunions. Some of our repeat guests have actually spent more time at the house than we have. We want our good visitors to think of the house as their own home at Grayton Beach.
) but at least if they see little friendly notes, they are reminded that it's your home. I think a note saying that you "expect" them to treat it with respect could be taken negatively but lots of ways to do it very subtley. 