UPDATED w/ more PICS!! At WH's right now and need some advice from former visitors...

[happylittlefamily]

10/26/2010:

I just wanted to let you know that I have a written update in post #55, pictures were added in post #102, and more pics were added in post #138 for those who have been asking. Just wanting to make it easier for you
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UPDATE IS IN POST #55

I updated with info about property management in #55, but will be able to add pics later if you want them. I have to run out for errands and work on homeschooling my son. Sorry to those who don't like reading long posts. I'm clearly incapable of writing without an abundance of detail. LOL!
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This is our first time renting a "home" vs a resort. I didn't think there would be too much of a difference, other than a little more seclusion and no scheduled activities, etc.

I'm not going to state the home we are in, but need to ask some questions because I am a little disappointed. But I'm not sure if this is stuff that is typical or if it truly is stuff that I should be upset about. Would love former visitors to WH to let me know if you experienced the same so I know if I need to contact the owner/manager or if I need to just let it all slide. Thanks!!

First, the house is gorgeous. None of the issues I'm upset about are the owner's fault at all. They are definitely whoever is managing the property. Mostly, what irks me is being charged $95 for a cleaning fee, but the place really isn't clean. I'm going to have to spend all day today just cleaning to feel we can use the stuff in the kitchen.

-My daughter's bed definitely looked like the sheets were not changed. Not just typical wrinkles, which were obvious in the sheets. But near the edge of her side of the bed and on the pillowcase, there was the "crushed" wrinkles as if slept or laid in.

-No dishwashing soap. No extra toilet paper. Just what is on the rolls. No paper towels.

-On the last day, we are required to wash and dry ALL the towels before leaving. I normally do this anyway, so no big deal, but there is NO laundry detergent supplied. With a requirement like that, how am I supposed to trust that the tenent BEFORE us actually used detergent to wash the towels?? I am sure they probably did, but with it being a requirement of the tenent to go out and obtain laundry detergent to wash the towels and actually WASH them all, I'm a little concerned that maybe they weren't done?? Not trying to be paranoid, but a little offended that management doesn't insure this is done personally.

-The house sleeps 8-10 people, but there are 4 large glasses and 2-3 large glasses and they are all mis-matched. Not even enough for everyone to drink out of at one meal!

-When I went to grab a glass to use, it had lipstick on it! UGH! (again yuck, because I didn't know I'd need to bring/buy dish soap)

-When I went to make my coffee this morning, the coffee mug had white residue all inside the coffee mug UGH

-When I went to get the kids' plates and cups out of the cabinet, all the cups were still wet on the insides of the cups. While it's great that they were washed, who knows how long they have been sitting there with water sitting in them??

-The pool fence states it needs to be locked when not in use, but it's broken and can't be locked. I have 4 kids, so that is disappointing.

-The pack n play provided for babies has a side completely cut out! Like, the entire mesh lining is removed! It's a little tough keeping the little one in there with a side missing, ya know? In defense, there is another pack n play supplied. I just didn't bother checking it as my eyes were tired of rolling by this point

-Other random things like hairs, dust, fridge had crumbs in it, light on microwave doesn't work, kitchen throw rugs are dirty, dishwasher has stuff all over the front of it, my son's toilet had the clean toilet band on it, but when I lifted the lid to take him potty, there was a hair on the seat, etc.

I'm not a super picky person. I normally can overlook a lot and just deal with it, but I'm kind of annoyed by this stuff. I didn't expect a perfect home or anything. I personally don't have one myself, so definitely wouldn't expect to rent one. But, I guess, with the high reviews, I was expecting things like this to not be issues. Is this normal or should I contact management? I don't want to be a pain and certainly don't want to waste my week getting caught up in repairs and maintance issues, but I'm sure the next renters may want these things dealt with as well?? Thanks for the insight!!

 

[TotoToo]

Basically you are describing the difference between going for a vacation at a resort vs renting a house away from home. When you decide to do the house you are, IMO, simply changing your daily routine and need to "do everything" to your new house for xx days.

That's why we prefer a true resort type accommodation rather than renting a house. We want that break & things done for us for a few days not just changing where we do it for ourselves.

Maybe like us you'd be better served by an upscale timeshare resort or a hotal to avoid what you have described. We'd be very disappointed by what you found and wouldn't feel we'd been on vacation if all we did was work to make our place a home for a week or so.

 

[happylittlefamily]

Well, the cleaning up and such, is not at all an issue. But the concern that we have to rely on former tenents to have done so vs. the property management to have done so is more my concern...especially since the supplies aren't provided to the tenent.

AND, the fact that we are charged a $95 cleaning fee, but the place really isn't clean I mean seriously. I don't have lipstick on glasses at my house That really sucks. I will have to spend all of today just cleaning every single item in the kitchen that I intend to use (once I go and buy cleaning supplies and soap) just so I feel it's okay to eat off of them

We have stayed in MANY upscale timeshare resorts and even some not so upscale timeshare resorts, and have not encountered these issues. Just kind of bummed. Especially since none of those required me to pay a fee for cleaning when "I" am the one who is doing the cleaning

*sigh* I'm just trying not to get upset. The house itself is beautiful. The owners have a beautiful place and the community is wonderful. Don't like the 1000 different rules for what you can and cannot do though and all the fees associated if a problem arises. I doubt we will go this route again, but mainly for the reason you are implying.

 

[laurafergie]

We always rent condos and houses where ever we go, with the size of our family, the eating out alone will bankrupt us. That being said.

The cleanliness of the house and dishes are, for sure, grounds for you to call and complain. Especially since they are charging a cleaning fee for you. Ask for them to come and clean AGAIN while you are out. Have a list of everything that bugged you, read it to them and leave it out for housekeeping.

As far the pack and play - I would mention that too. Is the other one okay to use, if not - ask them to replace it.

The lock should be repaired ASAP.

If everything is fixed up quickly, I would be satisfied - if it becomes a pain, then I would ask for compensation.

ETA: I have been asked to start a load a towels, completely wash all towels and sheets or to just leave them as is - it depends on the house.

The household supplies.....well, you should never expect to have dish detergent, paper towels, laundry soap, toilet paper and the like. The plates, glasses, pots and pans are a hit and miss kind of thing also. I have a plastic tub that I bring with me that has stuff to supplement. In the future, you can ask for a detailed list of what exactly is in the house and you can plan accordingly.

Hope the rest of your vacation goes smoothly.

 

[sk8jdgca]

I will not stay at Wh again-but you paid a cleaning fee and you deserve a clean palce to stay-call the managers and complain-they should fix these things for you

 

[BellyBaby]

Holy Cow! I would be pretty upset. Our first vacation home experience was good, very clean, but the light in the games room didn't work, and no came to fix it, and no refund, and 30 days went by before I finally called to ask where my damage deposit was. Second time was town home, and I found the kitchen supplies was something I'd take to a cabin (mismatched, no plastic ware for the kiddies, etc. Everything was clean, but major maintenance was not there (torn comfortors with stuffing falling out, scuff marks on walls, etc.) I would be pretty grossed out...that property manager should be letting the owners know they have a broken pack 'n play, the safety fence lock should be replace ASAP. Microwave light and mismatched ware I would let slide, but there should be enough glasses for 10 at least!

Now that we bought and manage our own vacation home, there are similarities in how we operate: laundry soap - guests must provide. I find whenever we go down, there is always one or even 2 containers of soap left behind. We tell our guests that "home away from home vacationers" are a bit of a community...take what you need from the last family, leave behind what you don't. So we find the house is very well stocked, because over time each family might pick up a $2 item of some kind. We even find canned food items left behind, so we find our guests are quite generous and each time we go down we find more and more things there. But we also manage the home ourselves, so perhaps there more of a personal connection there, because all of our guests treat the home so well. We ask that they throw in ONE load of towels in the wash...not all, and they can easily pack dryer sheets from home. I do not ask them to strip the bed of sheets (some owners do). We supply dish soap (dishwasher and hand soap). We supply garbage bags, and one full roll of toilet paper in each washroom, and mini bath soaps, the rest is up to guests. I did have one time where I found a pot lid that was dirty in the cupboard, but never anything that fits in the dishwasher. I also tell our guests to use the "heavy" cycle on the dishwasher every time, just to ensure it all gets clean. So maybe it depends on how OCD the owners are!

BUT, that all being said, if there is a problem, you should definately show your list to the owners AND the management company. I would be horrified if that were me, and I didn't even know it was happening. Give the owners the chance to either correct it, or get a new management company. I doubt the owners would be happy knowing about how many issues you had, which are ALL very valid (minus microwave light...no biggie). My biggest complaint from our guests is when they tell me about a problem AFTER they checked out. I would have liked the opportunity to make it right as soon as possible. But please don't complain about a problem when I can't have the opportunity to correct if I don't know about it! I had a broken umbrella (pretty sure my cleaners aren't going to open the umbrellas to make sure they work!) So things like that I wish more people would just let us know. If you list the problems as "you-may-want-to-know-about- it" way would be better, so they don't take offense and think you're just looking for a refund. It's a long list, and they might get defensive, because really, it's an embarrassing list of problems. If they get upset with you, then you know to not rent from them again. Simple as that. I hope you still manage to make the best of it, and no matter what, you're in Disney World!!!!

 

[canopynut66]

This is our first time renting a "home" vs a resort. I didn't think there would be too much of a difference, other than a little more seclusion and no scheduled activities, etc.

I'm not going to state the home we are in, but need to ask some questions because I am a little disappointed. But I'm not sure if this is stuff that is typical or if it truly is stuff that I should be upset about. Would love former visitors to WH to let me know if you experienced the same so I know if I need to contact the owner/manager or if I need to just let it all slide. Thanks!!

First, the house is gorgeous. None of the issues I'm upset about are the owner's fault at all. They are definitely whoever is managing the property. Mostly, what irks me is being charged $95 for a cleaning fee, but the place really isn't clean. I'm going to have to spend all day today just cleaning to feel we can use the stuff in the kitchen.

-My daughter's bed definitely looked like the sheets were not changed. Not just typical wrinkles, which were obvious in the sheets. But near the edge of her side of the bed and on the pillowcase, there was the "crushed" wrinkles as if slept or laid in.

-No dishwashing soap. No extra toilet paper. Just what is on the rolls. No paper towels.

-On the last day, we are required to wash and dry ALL the towels before leaving. I normally do this anyway, so no big deal, but there is NO laundry detergent supplied. With a requirement like that, how am I supposed to trust that the tenent BEFORE us actually used detergent to wash the towels?? I am sure they probably did, but with it being a requirement of the tenent to go out and obtain laundry detergent to wash the towels and actually WASH them all, I'm a little concerned that maybe they weren't done?? Not trying to be paranoid, but a little offended that management doesn't insure this is done personally.

-The house sleeps 8-10 people, but there are 4 large glasses and 2-3 large glasses and they are all mis-matched. Not even enough for everyone to drink out of at one meal!

-When I went to grab a glass to use, it had lipstick on it! UGH! (again yuck, because I didn't know I'd need to bring/buy dish soap)

-When I went to make my coffee this morning, the coffee mug had white residue all inside the coffee mug UGH

-When I went to get the kids' plates and cups out of the cabinet, all the cups were still wet on the insides of the cups. While it's great that they were washed, who knows how long they have been sitting there with water sitting in them??

-The pool fence states it needs to be locked when not in use, but it's broken and can't be locked. I have 4 kids, so that is disappointing.

-The pack n play provided for babies has a side completely cut out! Like, the entire mesh lining is removed! It's a little tough keeping the little one in there with a side missing, ya know? In defense, there is another pack n play supplied. I just didn't bother checking it as my eyes were tired of rolling by this point

-Other random things like hairs, dust, fridge had crumbs in it, light on microwave doesn't work, kitchen throw rugs are dirty, dishwasher has stuff all over the front of it, my son's toilet had the clean toilet band on it, but when I lifted the lid to take him potty, there was a hair on the seat, etc.

I'm not a super picky person. I normally can overlook a lot and just deal with it, but I'm kind of annoyed by this stuff. I didn't expect a perfect home or anything. I personally don't have one myself, so definitely wouldn't expect to rent one. But, I guess, with the high reviews, I was expecting things like this to not be issues. Is this normal or should I contact management? I don't want to be a pain and certainly don't want to waste my week getting caught up in repairs and maintance issues, but I'm sure the next renters may want these things dealt with as well?? Thanks for the insight!!

You do need to call the owner or property management group as they may NOT know the house keeper is not doing their job. My daughter has several condos in Gulf Shores AL and she also leases other peoples condos and she will pop in and check them herself every once in a while and every once in a while needs to "change housekeepers because of the very things your mentioning. Some items "walk" out the door but most people are honest and they are ask to wash the towels. There should be enough dishes etc for amount of people that have rented the unit. It is not that your complaining actually all you have said should have been done Personally I would find out who the owner is as the reason my daughter picked up other units to rent was property manager NOT doing their job either and keeping eye on housekeeper and stock in the unit as in dish soap etcs

 

[KayR]

Sorry you are having that kind of experience. Sometimes things go wrong (for whatever reason) and its how the situation is rectified.

Firstly, it does sound as though there may be issues with the cleaning so call the Management Company and tell them the issues you found and ask if they can get the cleaners to reclean the property.

If the owner and the MC do not know about the issues, they cannot put them right or try and improve for the future. So if you booked through the owner, please let them know as well as the MC.

IMHO, the portable crib situation is also very important. Really it is not usable as a portable crib if it has been 'modified'. It is possible that the owner/MC doesn't know about the cut out. Check out and use the other crib (provided it is in good condition) and let the MC & owner know.

Don't feel as though you are pestering the MC/owner either. If there is a genuine issue that needs addressing they should want to, and need to know.

It is fairly common for just basic supplies to be left in a vacation home - this is a self catering property after all. Some owners/MCs leave more amenities than others, but the basics of 1TP per bathroom and 1 hotel soap per bathroom are pretty standard.

Accommodations vary, and it really helps to know what to expect upfront, but if you don't know, it can be a bit of a surprise. We recently rented a static caravan (mobile home) in Scotland for a long weekend during a long trip. We had nothing provided for us (no TP, nothing) and we had to make our own beds with the sheets they provided. It cost more per night than a vacation rental in Orlando! That 4 week trip ended up with the mantra "go with the flow" as we had issues in several places and we had to just go with the flow and make the best of it (and get things fixed along the way).

--Kay

 

[JANNYANS]

I too would report to the management and the owner as soon as possible -owners like to know that their homes are being weel prepared and cared for ready for their guests .I would ask the manaagement to come and clean the unit and also mention that there isn't enough glasswear and that some of the utensils were dirty.Definitely report the pool fence and the crib situation so they can be corrected asap for you.As mentioned already -basic cleaning items will be in the unit but the rest you would be expected to provide .

 

[Pembo]

We stayed at WH this summer, in a condo. It was SPOTLESS. I dare say it was cleaner than my own house! The dishes were sparkling. I can't remember if there was dish soap or laundry soap. (I brought some from home).

It was stated in our contract that we needed to provide toilet paper, paper towels, etc. It said something like "only starter amounts are provided".

As others have said, call the management company. Take pics of what you see. I would expect the rental to be very clean and all things in working order. (the pool gate, the pack-n-play etc.)

Enjoy your vacation....

 

[loveslupins]

I'm sorry you're disappointed about your place in Windsor Hills.
I'm in the process of narrowing down my choices for a townhouse. It's hard to judge what you are getting from pictures on the internet. I think at the very least you should expect it to be clean, especially when you are paying for the next person to arrive to a clean place.
I hope the owners rectify your issues and you enjoy the rest of your vacation!

 

[happylittlefamily]

Thanks everyone for your feedback! I'm debating calling property management now, even though it's almost 9pm. I spent most of the afternoon cleaning dishes and utensils so we would feel comfortable using them for the rest of the week. So glad I did too! When I washed the cheese grater, which I intend to use when I make macaroni and cheese later this week, I found old dried cheese inside of it! God only knows how old it was

I can deal with the cleaning, but I was just a bit disappointed, especially since this is the first place I've ever had to pay a cleaning fee of all the vacations we've had and it's the only one I've felt is NOT clean UGH

I'm not even close to a neat freak or have crazy expectations that the place should look like a brand new home when it has new families in it week after week, but some of these things DO matter and are a major pain. Like my 1.5 yr old bringing a fire extinguisher to me today because the anchor in the wall just pulled right out! Or the fact that when we opened the slider to the patio, the entire handle (front and back) fell off because the screws to hold it on aren't long enough!

I'm not going to bother with them coming out to reclean, only because I did the stuff that REALLY concerned me, which is the kitchen and all the laundry. I think it sucks I spent an entire day doing laundry and dishes on my vacation, but oh well. The other stuff is just not worth getting or staying upset over. But the safety stuff, I do think they should come in and fix.

We are doing the parks every day for the rest of the week and I definitely don't want our plans messed up dealing with this, so I'm only going to give them the details and let them figure out what needs to be done about it. Do you think it would be okay to email a list after talking to them so that I don't have to actually meet to walk through and show everything? Only because I don't want to worry about having to schedule a time to be here that may interfere with our time at the parks.

 

[happylittlefamily]

Also, you know what I find very weird? I read through the Guest Book, thinking SOMEONE had to have mentioned some of this stuff along the way. And nothing! Only compliments about how fantastic it is!! Not one single "oh the pool fence is broken, so you might want to fix that" or anything. Everything is about how great the place is! And like I said, the house is wonderful if it were kept as I'm sure it was intended. The stuff I'm upset about is more about upkeep and basic expectations (like enough glasses for 7everyone to drink from at the same time) that you would find in a place like this.

I almost don't know what to write in the guest book myself?! I mean, I don't want to be the "one" that is a pain in the butt and complains, but some of this stuff just doesn't make vacationing very relaxing.

 

[dyna]

We have rented several times at WH an other rentals as well. We have always had to buy dish soap dishwasher soap laundry soap an paper towels and toliet paper no biggie we just learned when possible take that stuff with us sometimes we on the harley an can't haul it.

Some kitchens are better stocked than others 1 condo we stayed at only had 1 dishrag that I washed a couple of times with our laundry during our stay.

I usually wash the dishes that I'm using while there before i use them the 1st time no telling how long they been sitting there.

Sometimes the house keeper is given less than 4 hours to totally clean make beds etc before the next guest arrives an what if she has 3 homes to clean that day? Many house keepers do not know or do not take the time to dry wipe the bathroom before getting shower an sink wet an rag wet an do spread hairs around often leaving them on the last thing they wipe which usually is the toliet seat.

Gotta say the homes we have rented have been clean at least on the surface. DH managed to drop a case of diet cokes in the kitchen of our home we rented last May an coke ran under the fridge we pulled out fridge to clean under it an just like my own home the fridge had not been pulled out in 6 months or a year it was a bit dirty under there but most do not clean under fridge or a weekly or monthly bases.

Safety issues that another matter all together those need to be fixed pronto!!

 

[Brian Noble]

Some of these things are not unusual. If a prior occupant puts a glass away that isn't completely clean, it is unlikely that the cleaning staff will notice it. (This can happen even in Disney's timeshare resorts.) In a private home, mismatched/short glassware can happen just due to breakage that hasn't been replaced yet. However, the cut out side of the pack-n-play really should be addressed; it is possible that the management company/owner has no idea.

 

[northriver]

The pool fence is required by law, pretty sure it is Florida law but could be county. Either way, that should be fixed immediately.

Make a list of all your concerns, present them to both the property manager and the directly to the owner. Give them the opportunity to make things right, and let the owner know the current condition of the home - they may not be aware that things are broken, missing, dirty, etc.

As far as supplies, you should have been told that only "starter" supplies are provided. I think if you read the information on the website or information sent to you, you'll see it inb there somewhere. That has been the case with all the properties we've rented and it is the "norm". We buy paper towels, toilet paper, klenex, liquid hand soap, garbage bags, dish detergent, and laundry detergent in addition to groceries on our way from the airport. We know we need these items, but usually forget something or another and have to made a second or third trip to the store!

 

[katyjeka]

I read your post and had to reply as our experience was so similar to yours. Our house was somewhat clean, but the towels were pretty worn, dishes mismatched and a lot missing, bedding needed replaced. Our safety fence did work, we had 3 kids at the time, and if the lock was broken I would have demanded it be fixed pronto, or we would have left. The thought of what could happen is just to scary. We enjoyed the private pool, but in December, we found it a little to cool, and we did pay for heat. We would have enjoyed it much more in July. Our overall experience was just so-so, and my dh refuses to try again. To end our experience, we waited 9 1/2 weeks to have our security dep. returned. This is after several phone calls. We finally had it returned, only after our neighbor, an attorney, sent them a certified letter. We left the home cleaner than when we arrived so I could not figure out why they were giving us such a hard time. We also flew home with a new sweeper, as the one in the home picked up nothing. This cost us additional luggage fee, a great way to end our vacation. We called the manag. company several times and was told "they will see to it today"!!! Today never came. I'm sure there are homes that are nice and companies that take care of property's, and our luck was just bad, but its to big a risk to try again.

 

[happylittlefamily]

Yeah, I totally agree. We have 4 little ones, so safety is a huge concern for us! We are getting ready to head out for the parks today, but I'm going to call the property manager before I leave or at least on our way over to the park. My son lost one of his toys this morning and thought it was in his sister's room, so while I was looking around her room, I found what look like either dead roach casings or something on the carpet. They aren't huge and there aren't a ton, but enough to be disgusted. Like I said, with 4 little ones, I myself don't have a spotless house. Far from it! But some of the issues are ridiculous. It's a lesson learned and we will just know from now on not to go this route again. When I tried to open the closet door in my daughter's room, the entire door knob just fell off! Ugh. I'm more sad than anything. We are not going to be in the house much for the rest of our time here, but for the next family staying here, I hope some of this can be repaired for them. At least the dishes will be clean! LOL

 

[Darby O'Gill]

Dont let the house bother you so much that you cant enjoy the heck out of your Disney Vacation!!! I have followed this thread very closely because my family is about to head out for our first WH vacation home this week.
Can you tell us the name of the management company you are dealing with, either here or through a private message??? My DW really wants to be sure we have different ones now
As for the house.....assume the towels were washed, tell management ASAP about pack n play(even if there is 2 of em now), the fence, and the lack of glasses. The lack of cleaning supplies/TP seems to be normal though.

Your trip is what you make out of it......stay positive, and have the best time ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[superwy]

We rented a house at Emerald Isle several times. It was always clean and well cared for, but I, myself, was surprised about the lack of cleaning supplies. We have rented ski houses and beach houses throughout New England and always found plenty of dish detergent, laundry soap, and other supplies. In my mind, the more you provide people the better the chance they will clean and care for your house. Perhaps it is a regional difference. I always left our extra supplies at the Florida house but have a feeling the cleaning folks might take it with them after they clean, as we never had any when we arrived.