Upon our arrival to the Lakeview Lodge, we noticed that the upstairs, where most bedrooms are located, had absolutely no heat. We called the emergency number immediately and the heating and air technician arrived over an hour later. He could not identify the problem initially, so he called the property management company to confirm if the house was equipped with two furnaces and to gain access to the back shed. They were unable to assist with either, leaving the technician to drill into the door to discover the second furnace which hadn’t been serviced in years. It wasn’t until after midnight when he was finally able to remedy the problem. As a property management company, the technicians should be set up for success to be able to fix the heat quickly and efficiently and there should be a policy that requires homeowners to complete regular maintenance so that renters who are paying good money do not have their vacation disrupted by something that is easily preventable. Or in the very least, offer some sort of compensation for the inconvenience.
The driveway conditions were treacherous. Even though we had 4WD, which the listing states is a requirement due to the residential areas not being maintained, we experienced issues with getting out on multiple occasions. Despite using fallen branches and rubber mats for traction, as well as our own ice melt, it was nearly impossible to navigate. We were only provided with two shovels, both of which were broken and no access to the garage. Additionally, the listing does not state that they will only plow unless there is an additional 4-6 inches of snow, which was very inconvenient. Since this property lists the poor road conditions, they should provide sturdy shovels, ice melt and other tools to assist with getting out in the snow. The renters should not have to hold this responsibility.
The most inconvenient requirement of checkout is that you must take all trash into town and dispose of it in a dumpster behind the property management office. This is something that should be advised upon booking, not check-in. If you are unable to remove the trash before checkout, it is $50 per bag that is deducted from your security deposit. For the price of the house, renters should not have to take out their trash, especially when we are already paying a hefty cleaning fee. It is not a fun way to end a vacation.
Future renters should heed our advice and think twice about booking this property.
