I needed a place to stay for 6 weeks while my house went under construction. I rented this house due to its convenient location from my house, work and school. Before I rented the house, I asked the owner if I would be able to shorten my stay if the construction at my house ends earlier than estimated, and he responded to contact VRBO since he was not familiar with their policies. The owner resided in the house until the day we moved in. On the day we moved in, we found the house very dirty, and five of us spent 4 hours cleaning the entire house (there was no time to hire a professional cleaner since we needed to move out of my house that day). There was a cup of water and a pitcher left on the kitchen counter the owner used, so we washed them. The kitchen counter, sink, gas range, dish rack, and inside the refrigerator were covered with food stains, so we washed and wiped them. The floor was full of dirt, dust bunnies, and leaves that we wiped the floor using dry and wet Swiffer four times until it was clean. We also cleaned the toilet which was covered with urine, hair, and dust. The shelves, bath tub, even the extra toilet papers were covered with dust. The skylight above the shower was full of debris. We also found more than 100 mosquito larva in the small water fountain in front of the house, so we researched and killed them with detergent. After seeing all these dirty items, we did not feel comfortable using items in the house (sheets, towels, dishes, dish rack, blankets, etc.) so we brought our own to use. We found about 30 tiny black bugs on the kitchen counter, sink, inside our dishes, and on bath towel. We found several dozens of dead bugs, food debris, open container of pasta, crackers,and dried plants in the kitchen cabinet above the sink. We removed the dead bugs, food, and cleaned the cabinet but continued to see the bugs for a few more days. The sink in the bathroom is half the size of the regular sink and was too small for washing face. Our head would hit the mirror, and water would splash all over the floor, so we used the kitchen sink instead. The construction at my house ended one week before the end of our contract, so I contacted the owner (he had previously informed me that VRBO reads all of our correspondences) if we could terminate our contract one week early, but he nor VRBO never responded to that question even though the owner responded to my other question on the email.

I needed a place to stay for 6 weeks while my house went under construction. I rented this house due to its convenient location from my house, work and school. Before I rented the house, I asked the owner if I would be able to shorten my stay if the construction at my house ends earlier than estimated, and he responded to contact VRBO since he was not familiar with their policies. The owner resided in the house until the day we moved in. On the day we moved in, we found the house very dirty, and five of us spent 4 hours cleaning the entire house (there was no time to hire a professional cleaner since we needed to move out of my house that day). There was a cup of water and a pitcher left on the kitchen counter the owner used, so we washed them. The kitchen counter, sink, gas range, dish rack, and inside the refrigerator were covered with food stains, so we washed and wiped them. The floor was full of dirt, dust bunnies, and leaves that we wiped the floor using dry and wet Swiffer four times until it was clean. We also cleaned the toilet which was covered with urine, hair, and dust. The shelves, bath tub, even the extra toilet papers were covered with dust. The skylight above the shower was full of debris. We also found more than 100 mosquito larva in the small water fountain in front of the house, so we researched and killed them with detergent. After seeing all these dirty items, we did not feel comfortable using items in the house (sheets, towels, dishes, dish rack, blankets, etc.) so we brought our own to use. We found about 30 tiny black bugs on the kitchen counter, sink, inside our dishes, and on bath towel. We found several dozens of dead bugs, food debris, open container of pasta, crackers,and dried plants in the kitchen cabinet above the sink. We removed the dead bugs, food, and cleaned the cabinet but continued to see the bugs for a few more days. The sink in the bathroom is half the size of the regular sink and was too small for washing face. Our head would hit the mirror, and water would splash all over the floor, so we used the kitchen sink instead. The construction at my house ended one week before the end of our contract, so I contacted the owner (he had previously informed me that VRBO reads all of our correspondences) if we could terminate our contract one week early, but he nor VRBO never responded to that question even though the owner responded to my other question on the email.

Cute cozy house

Cute cozy house

This is a beautifully renovated, very clean, charming little cottage up high in Sierra Madre, with a back patio that has views of the mountains. The neighborhood was quiet, it felt very safe, and the neighbors were friendly but not intrusive. The house itself is delightful, small but comfortable, and the AC worked well when we needed it (though most nights it cooled off nicely, and jasmine perfume filled the house when we opened the windows). When we were there, there were tomatoes, flowers, oranges surrounding the house (the gardens have an automated watering system). The kitchen was stocked with everything we needed (note: no TV in the house but we really liked that) and you are a short drive from a grocery store, pharmacy, a great bookstore, etc.. The local restaurants if not great are good (Sierra Madre is sleepy and feels like a small town), there are nearby trails and parks, the public library is lovely (especially for young kids), our older daughter took swim classes at the local public pool--making life very easy for the month we stayed there. The owners and the property caretaker were very accommodating and easy to reach. And, we found it very easy to get out to the Huntington, Santa Anita, the Norton Simon, and you can jump on the 210 with ease. In short: highly, highly recommended!

This is a beautifully renovated, very clean, charming little cottage up high in Sierra Madre, with a back patio that has views of the mountains. The neighborhood was quiet, it felt very safe, and the neighbors were friendly but not intrusive. The house itself is delightful, small but comfortable, and the AC worked well when we needed it (though most nights it cooled off nicely, and jasmine perfume filled the house when we opened the windows). When we were there, there were tomatoes, flowers, oranges surrounding the house (the gardens have an automated watering system). The kitchen was stocked with everything we needed (note: no TV in the house but we really liked that) and you are a short drive from a grocery store, pharmacy, a great bookstore, etc.. The local restaurants if not great are good (Sierra Madre is sleepy and feels like a small town), there are nearby trails and parks, the public library is lovely (especially for young kids), our older daughter took swim classes at the local public pool--making life very easy for the month we stayed there. The owners and the property caretaker were very accommodating and easy to reach. And, we found it very easy to get out to the Huntington, Santa Anita, the Norton Simon, and you can jump on the 210 with ease. In short: highly, highly recommended!