The house was cluttered with personal products, excessive toiletries, clothes, papers and partially full foods and drinks. The description on line was inaccurate in several ways: the guest house was off limits, making the bed count 2 less. There were not 2 kings and a queen bed as promised, but 1 king and 2 doubles. There were not adequate blankets or pillows for comfort. The sleeping alcoves were barely separate from the main room. It was mentioned that there were air mattresses and a queen size mattress to add to the floor. However, when I called the landlady to ask about these she was entirely unhelpful when I tried to discuss it with her. When we got to the house the mattress was out and the air mattresses in their boxes, but it would have been polite and very useful to have clarified this in advance. I would never work with this homeowner again. She took us through the house when we got there and told me to call her if we needed anything. At 9:15 AM the next morning, she showed up at the door with the flimsy excuse that she had forgotten to tell me how to use the stove. Obviously, she had my phone number, but did not call. We happened to be awake and having breakfast, but the transparency of her attempt to check up on us was offensive. We have rented vacation homes before and have never been treated so rudely. The only saving grace of the house was its location on the water. The stress of having to deal with the landlady hung heavily over the trip though.

Catherine S., San Francisco, CA, 1.3.11

Comment by Owner/Manager:

This is one of the landlord's personal homes, and does contain some items that are not removed for a five day tenancy. If the term of the contract was one month or more, we would have vacated the premises entirely. Also, some of the toiletries that the tenant considered to be "clutter were offered for their convenience, such as sunscreen, soaps, shampoos and conditioners. Other items such as condiments, spices and paper goods, were offered as well for their convenience. There were several bottles of champagne and soda in the refrigerator, that the homeowner generously gave the tenants, as well as three new bags of ice in the freezer. At the time the tenants were walked through the property they never indicated that they did not want these extra items, in fact they actually used quite a bit of them. There were also brand new sand toys that happened to be in the home, that were not mentioned in the description of the property that the homeowner gave to the children. The description of the bed count is fully accurate as per the website. There was a king bed and twin bed unavailable because the guesthouse was off limits, but again, that was discussed with the tenants before they signed. The main house has four bedrooms, fitted with a king bed, a queen bed, a double bed and a bunk bed with a double on the bottom bunk. There was a proper queen mattress put into the master as well, upon request of the tenants, in lieu of the air mattresses. The situation with the air mattresses was fully discussed and it was agreed upon that they were not needed, and a queen mattress was set up in the master bedroom. The landlord actually thought that this would be much more comfortable that an air mattress and is surprised that this is something they are complaining about. When the tenant called to ask about the extra beds, the landlord could not have been more helpful. Every bed was fitted with adequate pillows and blankets for comfort, so the homeowner has no idea what the tenant is talking about. At no time did they ask for extra bedding. The fact that the landlady showed up in the morning to explain how to use the stove was in no way a diversion to check up on the tenants. The landlady had misplaced the tenant's phone number and was concerned that she may have forgotten to explain proper use of the stove. It has an electronic ignition that some people may not understand. If this was a "flimsy excuse" or transparent attempt to check up on anything regarding the property, she would have entered and walked around, which she did not do. The tenants may have been nervous about how many people were on the premises, since there were four cars in the driveway, indicating that there may have been more than ten guests. However at no time did the landlady mention that to her, nor did she walk into the home. There is absolutely no comprehension of the statement that was made about the "the stress of having to deal with the landlady". She was there twice, once to welcome the tenant and give a tour, and the second time, to offer help with the stove. While she was there the first time, offering free bottles of champagne, sand toys and help with restaurants, she thought she was being informative and helpful. This bad review comes as quite a shock. If the tenants were that unhappy with their stay, or needed anything, it would have been very easy to contact the landlord at any time. Then landlord lives 4 houses away from the rental and made it abundantly clear that she was at the tenants beck and call if they needed anything. At no time during their stay did they voice any problem, in fact seemed very cordial and nice when they met the landlord upon arrival, and at the end of their stay. They did not have one complaint during the entire stay. property has been rented many times and this is the first time that any negative comments have been made, in fact there have been many thank you letters with rave reviews. At no time was the landlady the slightest bit rude, in fact, she is a kind, generous woman, who offered above and beyond what was contracted with the home. She is completely shocked and distressed about statements made in this review.