Frequently Asked Questions

If this list doesn't include your question, just ask!  We'll be happy to answer and add to the list to help others!

• • What is your Cancellation Policy?
  • Is there any Early Check-In or Late Check-Out available?
  • Is there a Pet Fee?
  • Are there stairs to get into the property?
  • What is a "5 Star Stay" and how do Reviews work?

What is your Cancellation Policy?

No refunds are provided for direct booking on our website, as this is how we are able to offer the lowest price available across all platforms. You'll always get the lowest price by booking direct on our website.

Is there any Early Check-In or Late Check-Out available?

Check-In time is 4pm or later and Check-Out time is 10am or earlier. We are unable to accommodate any requests for early check-in or late check-outs, as our cleaning team arrives right at 10am to get started, as the property is large and requires a 6 hour cleaning window to get it ready between guests.

Is there a Pet Fee?

Yes, there is a $75 fee per dog. At this time, we are only able to accommodate dogs. This fee is required for additional cleaning associated with having pets in our home.

Are there stairs to get into the property?

Yes, there are several stairs to get into the property, which may include steps from the sidewalk to get onto the property, steps to get inside the property and steps to get between levels of the property.

What is a "5 Star Stay" and how do Reviews work?

This is a great question and one that the vast majority of short-term rental travelers should spend some time learning. The biggest overall thing is to keep the entire property and booking experience in mind. One or two negative things does not mean a property was "bad" or should drop from 5 stars to 3.

Honest reviews take the vacation area and property type into consideration. A rental home will never be as fancy as a Ritz-Carlton, but the home may very well be 5 stars relative to its location, amenities and type of vacation. "5 star" should not be used like a Michelin rating where it's only reserved for the finest experiences worldwide.

• 5 stars means the property was generally as advertised (i.e. the guest got what they paid for) and the guest would come back again, even if there were a few minor things that came up.
• 4 stars means the guest would come back again, but there were several major things that took away from the experience so the 5th star couldn't be given.
• 3 stars means the property advertising was misleading or false.
• 2 and 1 star reviews should rarely be used except where there was truly a terrible experience and major deception.
  

Honest reviews do not blame the owner or property for bad assumptions made by the guest. "The home was in the middle of the city, and there was traffic noise outside at all times! We didn't know!" ....did you ask ahead of time? Did you Google the address or location? The fact that a property was farther away than an area you wanted to be is not the fault of the owner or property. We clearly show all the addresses of our locations. You can Google them at any time and get directions. If you didn't ask, and then were disappointed with something, your review should not reflect that. We are not mind readers and that is why we tell all our guests upfront, multiple times, to please let us know of any issues or questions immediately, so we can help you enjoy your stay!

Most people that visit a city center or rural area do it precisely for that reason - they want to be in the middle of the hustle and bustle or away from it all in a quieter rural area. If something about that ends up bothering you, you should ask yourself - is that the fault of the owner/property or your fault for booking something that really isn't in the scope of what you enjoy?

Honest reviews are objective about problems. If there are problems, the guests should ask themselves the following questions:

• Did the owner respond quickly? Did they try to resolve it or were they missing in action?
• Was the problem in the owner's power to control? An electrical outage for 3 hours can happen anywhere at any time - there's no way the owner can control the power grid. "It rained all weekend!" How could the owner control the weather?
• Did you research, or ask about, the issue ahead of time? Sometimes, a bad assumption, made ahead of time, can color your experience even though the property was correctly advertised.
• Was the problem common for a normal house? You are renting a vacation house, not a hotel room. A lot can go wrong when you're renting an entire house. If the A/C stops working, that's a pretty normal maintenance issue for a house. The owner should respond quickly and have backup options ready (e.g. portable A/C units, fans, etc.), but reviews should not give a 1 star for the A/C going out (or something similar) when that's something that can happen in any house.
  

Our business runs on honest reviews - most online platforms (such as Airbnb and VRBO) consider any rating other than a 5 star to be a negative rating. That's why you rarely see any listings with less than 4 stars.

Your feedback as our guest is critical to help us keep offering our homes as short term rentals. We ask for your assistance in letting us know ASAP of any issues so we can address them immediately and help you get back to enjoying your vacation! Please don't wait to provide us with any feedback at the end of your trip, as part of your review - you can message us anytime before then and we'll promptly address any issues that arise!