I've seen a lot of messages to this effect on the board this year, so I thought it might make a good topic for discussion. My bottom line is that it's sometimes true, but you shouldn't depend on it.

First, a lot of the regular posters here rent the same house year after year. I would say that's not typical. When we were renting out our house, it was at best half. Many renters want a different house every year, because it's like a new toy. While some renters want to come back to a familiar place, others want to try somewhere new.

Second, most renters are looking for a good deal balancing amenities against the cost. If you put a lot of nice things in your house, they'll only come for those things if it doesn't cost them more (or much more) to have them. What we found was that our renters liked a lot of information, even if they didn't read all of it. For example, we explained where the switch was for each light inside and outside the house. There was a refrigerator magnet explaining the trash days and system (can lids must be closed, etc). And returning renters liked to read about what was new that year.

Finally, while there are a few deadbeat renters who enjoy abusing your house, most renters don't set out to do damage. Our longest returning renters let a 9-year-old grandson into the hot tub. He promptly broke one of the jets, and 5 years later we have yet to be able to find a replacement. During their stays, they always broke something and inevitably replaced it with something slightly more expensive. They were nice people and did try to take care of things,

My view is that you do the best you can as an owner because it's the right thing to do. If you expect some kind of reward, you will be very disappointed sooner or later.

Like +2QuoteFlag

. Many renters want a different house every year, because it's like a new toy.

Yes. I rented 2 houses twice. One because the first vacation was over the top GREAT but it really wasnt the house itself. The second house because it was good for my aging parents and had a nice screened in porch for my baby and parents. I was loyal to the same realty for multiple digit years until there was nothing I could find to meet our needs. That was the time when new realtys were popping up all along the beach and I think they lost a lot of listings. We are good renters, I dont recall anything broken. we always clean up. I must say most of the time it is no thrills houses. I wasted my money a couple of times when no one would use the hot tub because of spiders and 1 time a pool was too cold.

LikeQuoteFlag

The homes we rent get lots of return customers because of location and proximity to the beach, views, comfortable furnishings inside and out and a big one, does it look and feel like the owner cares about his investment and guests' satisfaction for the price charged. And while accidents happen, we leave the house the way we found it.

LikeQuoteFlag

When I worked for Hatteras Realty, we had several owners who would not let us fix anything in the house. The houses were absolute dumps, and the owners were cheap, and one would call us, screaming and cursing us if we sent a tech to his house when a guest reported something broken after hours, even when it was the AC. A few of these houses rented for $10K a week. We had many people reject these houses, demanding to be moved, while others just didn’t care that the house was gross or falling apart because they were oceanfront, but some would tell us they would never rent the house again in the future.

More than one owner told me they didn’t care if they had return visitors, because someone else would always rent the house. It was a crappy outlook, but they weren’t wrong. Those dumps stay booked all year. Lol

However, yes, I’d noticed good returning visitors renting the good houses from good, proactive owners.

Like +2QuoteFlag

When I worked for Hatteras Realty, we had several owners who would not let us fix anything in the house. The houses were absolute dumps, and the owners were cheap, and one would call us, screaming and cursing us if we sent a tech to his house when a guest reported something broken after hours, even when it was the AC. A few of these houses rented for $10K a week. We had many people reject these houses, demanding to be moved, while others just didn’t care that the house was gross or falling apart because they were oceanfront, but some would tell us they would never rent the house again in the future.

More than one owner told me they didn’t care if they had return visitors, because someone else would always rent the house. It was a crappy outlook, but they weren’t wrong. Those dumps stay booked all year. Lol

However, yes, I’d noticed good returning visitors renting the good houses from good, proactive owners.

I have never rented a "crappy" house. Lucky I guess but I do read reviews with a grain of salt. I did make a house famous with my glowing review. It was never rented often years ago. it was semi soundfront...may as well say soundfront. After my review, families took their kids there to crab and kayak. easy water access for kids and some people said was going to be their forever rental for the family. It was a little 3 bd 2 bath dull looking house on the outside. I see the owners did improvements with the furniture and a fence. I was there first review. I wish more renters would see how important writing a review is or even writing in a diary at the house. tips, restaurants, activities, satisfaction etc.

Like +1QuoteFlag

Oh one thing I found sort of blahhhh. was one new owner sent us a post card that a house we once rented was off the listings for good. I already guessed that because I had the address and was not found as a rental. It was the big buying up the beach spree. I dont think it was really necessary to send out post cards.

LikeQuoteFlag

Oh one thing I found sort of blahhhh. was one new owner sent us a post card that a house we once rented was off the listings for good. I already guessed that because I had the address and was not found as a rental. It was the big buying up the beach spree. I dont think it was really necessary to send out post cards.

Actually, I kinda like that they communicated with you to tell a long time renter that they were no longer renting.
We sent Christmas cards to our renters.

Like +4QuoteFlag

Anyone remember Kitty Dunes? Rented a house called the Renaissance, oceanfront in Whalehead where the water treatment wasn't serviced, flooded laundry room we could have gotten electrocuted in, stuffing coming out of the great room furniture, clogged sinks in kitchen, mice running rampant but it had dynamite walkway and stairs leading to the beach, so impressive many beachgoers mistakenly too it for a public access. We made the best of it and had a blast but at check out presented a list of items they failed to handle while we were there even though we called about them more than once. The lady at the PM said, oh yes, we get a lot of complaints about that house. Turned out the owner had a slumlord reputation. And yes, it booked up every year for many, many years. Certainly not repeat renters. Location, location, location.

LikeQuoteFlag

When I worked for Hatteras Realty, we had several owners who would not let us fix anything in the house. The houses were absolute dumps, and the owners were cheap, and one would call us, screaming and cursing us if we sent a tech to his house when a guest reported something broken after hours, even when it was the AC. A few of these houses rented for $10K a week. We had many people reject these houses, demanding to be moved, while others just didn’t care that the house was gross or falling apart because they were oceanfront, but some would tell us they would never rent the house again in the future.

More than one owner told me they didn’t care if they had return visitors, because someone else would always rent the house. It was a crappy outlook, but they weren’t wrong. Those dumps stay booked all year. Lol

However, yes, I’d noticed good returning visitors renting the good houses from good, proactive owners.

You are correct and I am glad to hear someone else saying it is not always the PM being the problem. I think all PM's will have a couple of those type owners. Often they own several houses and so the PM's allow them to get away with it. Sometimes the PM's mention it and those owners move to other PM's that won't bother them with small details like a renter is upset.

Like +1QuoteFlag

Anyone remember Kitty Dunes? Rented a house called the Renaissance, oceanfront in Whalehead where the water treatment wasn't serviced, flooded laundry room we could have gotten electrocuted in, stuffing coming out of the great room furniture, clogged sinks in kitchen, mice running rampant but it had dynamite walkway and stairs leading to the beach, so impressive many beachgoers mistakenly too it for a public access. We made the best of it and had a blast but at check out presented a list of items they failed to handle while we were there even though we called about them more than once. The lady at the PM said, oh yes, we get a lot of complaints about that house. Turned out the owner had a slumlord reputation. And yes, it booked up every year for many, many years. Certainly not repeat renters. Location, location, location.

That is the stuff that makes renters angry. Unless someone takes the time to write a bad review renters have no way of knowing that it is a dump. I would hope the PM would do something because it hurts their reputation too. I’m sure some don’t care because they are getting paid.

LikeQuoteFlag

We were lucky to find a house many years ago and have rented for almost 20 years. It feels like our second home. Well this year someone beat me to it. So we are in another house, in a different town and feeling kind of nervous about what we will find even though it looks amazing on line.

LikeQuoteFlag

we had 1 experience when a realty didnt change the key code to the one they provided us. Needless to say my pregnant daughter had to pee badly upon arrival. Thank god for outside showers. Getting through to a realty on checkin/out days is a disaster. We were on the phone over 1/2 an hour. I think we were lucky to get a real person to answer. Another time a pesky local turned the street sign in SNH to say private drive! That took forever too to clear it up. He actually had the nerve to ask us what we were doing there! I said we paid for early checkin at 1 pm as renters to a house on that street. I reported it all to the realty but probably fell on deaf ears. That is wrong. We were not trying to sneak on a beach but were paying ciustomers. totally ridiculous.

LikeQuoteFlag

Oh my point is also tell the neighbors that watch over your property to back off a little because of that pest I had no interest in going back to that area.

LikeQuoteFlag

We had a problem with the check in code last year. Called the PM (Atlantic) and they immediately took care of it while I was still on the phone.

LikeQuoteFlag