BEAUTIFUL 4 BR HOLLYWOOD BEACH RETREAT, OXNARD, CALIFORNIA

Owner's Response: It is somewhat true, and I don't think unusual, that I as an owner expect guests to mostly leave the house in the condition they found it. I don't expect guests to clean floors, kitchen or bathrooms, etc., but I do expect the house to be left mostly in the way they would want guests to treat their home. I am very open about the rules for guests who wish to stay at my property. I try very hard to keep the property in excellent condition and I do a great deal of the cleaning and most of the upkeep myself. I am a very hands on owner and don't use a management company. I always let people know my expectations and have them sign a document before renting and again at check in. I try to make sure that people understand and are comfortable with rules before they decide to rent the property. The vast majority of people have no problems leaving the house in good condition and it is rare for me to take security. I don't expect the house to be left spotless as I do understand it is a vacation. But I do want guests to treat my property with respect. I do ask that people not let children eat messy foods on the sofa. I have had guests let children eat strawberries on the sofa, which left red stains and also some who allowed marshmallows to eaten, which ended up ground into the sofa. I don't think any guest wants to come to a house and find a sofa in that condition. Because of a very few guests who did that I have had expenses related to professionally cleaning the sofa. I usually try to vacuum the sofa, scrub off stains, and even wash pillow cushion covers myself, but if stains remain the sofa needs to be professionally cleaned. So I now ask either don't let children eat messy foods on the sofa, put a sheet over it, or clean it up- or there will be extra cleaning costs subtracted from the security. That expectation is on several documents, including my check in document and was signed at check in. Despite that I found an ice cream wrapper shoved between the cushions and stains from the ice cream as well as a large amount of other food bits under the cushions. If it had been just a couple of crumbs it would not have been issue. They also brought a dog without letting me know they wanted to bring one. There is an extra form for someone who wants to bring a pet and an extra deposit. I think nearly all owners would not want a guest to bring a pet without letting the owner know and getting permission, and many would withhold the security just because of that.