Shortstayatlanta

THE GOOD:
Clean, spacious, and well-lit. Owner has a sister property just two doors down, which can accommodate up to an additional 7 people. House has three bedrooms which have a king bed, queen and two twins, respectively. There is a futon in the living room that two average-sized people can sleep on. It can accommodate 9 people, including children, very comfortably. Rented this home for a family reunion. It was an excellent alternative to the traditional hotel, allowing for great interaction between family members. The front has a large yard - great for kids to play on and for taking family pictures. Located off a quiet street in a well-established neighborhood. Easy access to major places of interest in and around Atlanta. Owner had visitor books and bus schedules available. Plenty of linens and kitchen utensils. Washer & dryer incl. If you need something, just ask the owner and she will do her best to accommodate you. She provided extra dining room chairs, huge pots and even a large cooler to keep drinks cool.

THE BAD:
I live in Atlanta and had reserved the houses 6 months in advance of my family's visit, putting down a 50% deposit of the total rental amount due. Upon my family's arrival, owner kept calling me incessantly demanding the payment of the balance. She could not give my family time to settle in and for me to obtain the balance from them, regardless of the fact that the deposit covered 5 days and we were only in the first day. Owner sent me a text at 8:00am the next morning,demanding I arrive in '20 minutes' to pay the balance.

THE UGLY:
Paid a refundable damage deposit via personal check. Left the house in immaculate condition at the agreed-upon time (4:00pm). Owner said she would call me to collect my deposit. When I didn't hear back, called her only to find out she had mailed it to the wrong address. She had the nerve to chastise me for this and told me to follow up with the post office. Advised her to let her bank know the check got lost in transit and to request a courtesy stop payment for no fee. Upon finally collecting it nearly a month later, owner all but slammed her front door in my face and told me she was very nice to us because we left at - get this -7pm and not 4pm, and she could have charged extra. A blatant untruth when she was not even present to check us out.


LESSONS LEARNED: Get any oral agreements in writing, have owner present at time of check out, and be sure to collect your deposit before you leave

These rental houses were perfect for our family trip. It gave us a comfortable base for our vacation, without having to worry about kids making noise in a hotel, or guests visiting in a crowded hotel room. Kids ran around in the yard while adults relaxed inside. We could cook for ourselves to save money, or bring home leftovers from restaurant meals.

The location is wonderful. There is a grocery store a block away, as well as restaurants, a video store, a frozen yogurt place, etc. The MARTA (Atlanta subway) stop is only a few minutes away, and so are the main Atlanta highways.

My family (3 adults and 4 kids) rented one house, and we rented the other house for a shorter stay for my brother and his family (2 adults, 5 kids). It was great being right next to each other yet only paying for the time we needed the additional space.

The landlords were gracious hosts, easygoing and friendly. The homes are nicely decorated, with small homey touches. The kitchens are fully outfitted with everything you'd need. Overall, it was the perfect accommodations for our family reunion. Thanks so much!

We just spent a week in the home and found it to be well maintained and stocked. The owner is extremely helpful and available if you need anything. Although the home is older, it is obviously well taken care of. We would definately stay again.