Everything was as expected

This is a solid older home that has had some recent updates to make it generally comfortable getaway location. The inside appears freshly painted and the trim features crown molding throughout most of the house. The house has a good HVAC system and the temperatures were comfortable with A/C and heat when needed throughout our stay. Previous review comments about the Well Water appeared to be resolved with a new water filter system in the kitchen. Twice during our month long stay the tap water and toilet water was briefly brown and discolored overnight, but cleared quickly after running the water. Probably just the nature of a well water system, and didn’t seem like a real big deal. The outside well water tank requires you to add a capful of chlorine daily which was an unexpected task, but is easy to do. If there was an “Renter’s Information/Instruction Binder” provided in the house to explain these required tasks and also remind renters of Trash Pick-up Day, use of TV, Internet, general renter’s things to know about the house, local activities, etc., it would be very helpful. The house had a new washer, dryer and microwave oven. The dishwasher was fair, as it will leave food particles on dishes and glasses if they are not rinsed off thoroughly prior to loading. Some kitchen utensils and tools had rust on them. The oven in the kitchen was old and dirty, the outdoor charcoal grill was unusable for us due to a rusted and dirty cooking grate. We bought an outdoor Stainless Steel Gas Grill at a yard sale, and although it also needs a new cooking grate, we bought a temporary grate to place on top for clean outdoor cooking. We left the grill behind after our stay for future renters to use. The televisions throughout the house were OK and we didn’t have any problems during our limited use during our stay. The beds were pretty comfortable, but they were low to the floor since there are no bedframes with the box spring and mattress setting directly on the floor which seemed a little odd. The house could use a “deep cleaning”, blinds, corners, under couch cushions, under dressers, etc.. There were only minimal cleaning supplies provided in the house, so plan on a Walmart run. In general, there were several things laying around the kitchen area, porch, and laundry room that could be removed or thrown out such as rusted beach chairs, old microwave, old water cooler and water jugs, broken chairs, etc. The Landlord was friendly and very responsive!

We enjoyed the pool and water softener was a nice surprise!

Where do I begin? From the moment we checked in until the moment we checked out, it was a complete nightmare. First of, the property listed a private access to the beach. We were advised the day of arrival this was no longer available. However, we later found out during our trip that the woman who rented this property a month before we did, was advised the private access to the beach was not available. Secondly, the property is on well water. We were not advised the water from tap was on well water until we got there and tried to bathe our baby and the water that came from the tap was brown like urine!! We texted the owner and was advised the water was not consumable and to go buy water from the store for drinking, cooking and cleaning. Next, the house was dirty! The towels provided was nasty so we purchased our own. There were no toilet paper, no paper towels, no trash bags, or soap provided so make sure you bring your own! Next, the two king sized rooms did not get adequate access to HVAC so it remained hot throughout the day and night. We had a baby with us so we were forced to sleep with the doors open with the ceiling fans running on max while using a floor fan to push air into the room OR sleep in the Living room when it got too hot!! The owner refused to send an HVAC tech even with us complaining for 4 days straight! It wasn't until VRBO got involved that he sent someone and of course, the tech spent 5 minutes onsite and told us the duct work and insulation was bad and old and needed to be replaced!! Even after that, the owner didn't offer us any relief. Not even offered to bring us any additional floor fans or anything! Furthermore, there are two showers in this home. One of them would not work so our family of 5 adults were forced to shower in one bathroom. And this bathroom was disgusting!! The shower heads were completely rusted and the tiles were covered in grime and gunk! Lastly, there were a few other issues The knives were all rusted in the kitchen. The electric kettle was completely rusted. The washer machine was rusted through and has a hole on the top. This place was a complete nightmare! We tried our best to report everything to VRBO but was told these issues were not considered as unlivable conditions and they recommended we work with the owner to get a resolution! The water in this house was browner than urine! The temp was above 95! it was unbearable! I have pictures and videos of everything. See #vrbo3835666 on Instagram

We were in the area to look at property. We were Blessed to be able to find something that is building so we will be moving back.

First let me start with the PROs: there will be a roof over your head, and you will stay cool with the air conditioning. Now the CONs: Listing states access to private beach, we were denied access due to a 2022 policy change stating only homeowners and renters or 30 + days only have access. When messaging the owner, his response as to go to Caspersen Beach as it was more convenient. However, this was not our first trip to Venice, we picked this house over a house with a pool due to the private beach knowing the beaches would be packed and parking would be almost impossible due to the holiday weekend. Next, the house is clean if you are referring to countertops, sinks, light switches, but it needs a full deep clean. Dust was thick on the blinds, light shades were covered in dust, décor in living room has thick dust. The corners of the walls and walls had dust. There was dirt and food splattered on the walls to the kitchen. The pots and pans were so old and gross that we wouldn’t have dreamed of using them. The outside entry was dirty and very uninviting. There is a bench outside the utility room door that needed to be thrown out it was so dirty and stained. The shower in the tub bath did not work, it was so rusted that you could tell it hadn’t been working for some time. The only working shower looked like something you would expect to see in one of those cheap motels, with tile being nasty and the metal all rusted. Lamps were missing light bulbs. There were a few plug outlets that was not even attached to the wall. There were a ton of ants, we eventually found an infestation at the back door. All the beds sit on the floor without a frame. There are very few towels, so bring detergent so you can wash them every day. The TV only gets a few stations. On our 5th day, the door would not lock or unlock when we were leaving. After a few hours of messaging the owner and after missing $302 prepaid swamp tour 2 hours away, we packed our personal belongs and left the house unlocked. During this time, the owner sent me a picture of our car in the drive from the camera to let us know we were at the house, but of course we knew we were at the house because the door didn’t lock! Creepy. After 5 days of successfully locking and unlocking the door with the code, and after sending him a video, his response was we weren’t doing it correctly. Turns out the batteries were dead in lock. I posted real pictures of the house on Instagram use #VRBO3835666

First let me start with the PROs: there will be a roof over your head, and you will stay cool with the air conditioning. Now the CONs: Listing states access to private beach, we were denied access due to a 2022 policy change stating only homeowners and renters or 30 + days only have access. When messaging the owner, his response as to go to Caspersen Beach as it was more convenient. However, this was not our first trip to Venice, we picked this house over a house with a pool due to the private beach knowing the beaches would be packed and parking would be almost impossible due to the holiday weekend. Next, the house is clean if you are referring to countertops, sinks, light switches, but it needs a full deep clean. Dust was thick on the blinds, light shades were covered in dust, décor in living room has thick dust. The corners of the walls and walls had dust. There was dirt and food splattered on the walls to the kitchen. The pots and pans were so old and gross that we wouldn’t have dreamed of using them. The outside entry was dirty and very uninviting. There is a bench outside the utility room door that needed to be thrown out it was so dirty and stained. The shower in the tub bath did not work, it was so rusted that you could tell it hadn’t been working for some time. The only working shower looked like something you would expect to see in one of those cheap motels, with tile being nasty and the metal all rusted. Lamps were missing light bulbs. There were a few plug outlets that was not even attached to the wall. There were a ton of ants, we eventually found an infestation at the back door. All the beds sit on the floor without a frame. There are very few towels, so bring detergent so you can wash them every day. The TV only gets a few stations. On our 5th day, the door would not lock or unlock when we were leaving. After a few hours of messaging the owner and after missing $302 prepaid swamp tour 2 hours away, we packed our personal belongs and left the house unlocked. During this time, the owner sent me a picture of our car in the drive from the camera to let us know we were at the house, but of course we knew we were at the house because the door didn’t lock! Creepy. After 5 days of successfully locking and unlocking the door with the code, and after sending him a video, his response was we weren’t doing it correctly. Turns out the batteries were dead in lock. I posted real pictures of the house on Instagram use #VRBO3835666

The property was very neat and clean. It was close to many restaurants and shopping, and Venice Beach. It was very comfortable.