Unfair Owner
Submitted: August 17, 2011
Stayed: July 2011
The house served our needs well. However, a portion of our deposit was withheld because of a hole in the grill cover that we DID NOT make nor did it occur during our stay. After our request, the owner has yet to send a picture of the grill cover. Also, part of the deposit was withheld because at the end of our 5 night stay, we were expected to thoroughly clean toilets and sinks, scrub the showers and tubs, polish the furniture and clean windows to remove handprints. We did all that was required as per the contract when leaving the home (these specific cleaning tasks mentioned above were not even mentioned in the departure instructions). Prior to our stay, we did not bring these necessary cleaning products along on our VACATION to clean as extensive as the owner had wished. In all of our past experiences of renting vacation homes, this is the job of a cleaning service prior to each new renter. We feel this was very UNFAIR to withhold our deposit for a hole in a grill cover that we didn't make, and for expecting us to do the job of a cleaning service.
Owner's Response: This is the unfortunate part of renting out your home. We have been SO fortunate to have always had nice, clean, respectful families rent and enjoy our home! This is the FIRST time we have had to retain a portion of the security deposit, and it was disappointing to have to do so. The holes in the grill cover were not there before this family. I have a property manager that I know and trust inspect the house before and after each family. And now, the cleaning. I believe this family failed to read the contract, and assumed each home rental is the same. No where in our contract or on our site does it state we have a cleaning service. They would have also learned that the house is full of cleaning supplies, I would never expect renters to purchase their own or lug them from home. No previous family has failed to understand what "leaving the house in the condition you found it" means. There was urine all over both toilets, pubic hair in the tub, the fridge was gross. Imagine walking in to find this condition! Polishing the furniture and washing windows is an exaggeration of the renter, however, I would think out of common courtesy and cleanliness you might want to wipe your child's sticky handprints off the windows. The bottom line is this family made NO attempt to clean, and has admitted so. We have a lovely, clean home (as you can read from many other reviews) in a great location. We have many repeat renters, and love having respectful families come back year after year. I completely understand if people do not want to clean up after themselves on vacation. In that case, there are many many other places to rent in Lake George.
Helpful votes: 3/5
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