I stayed the Pine Hill Cottage property in 2014. It was a great place, reflecting many of the reviews posted prior to this one. Therefore, my wife and I decided to stay there in 2016 and signed a contract in January (2016). Unfortunately, we had a negative experience dealing with the owner and Management Company as well as the condition of the house that will prevent us from renting here again.



We assumed, incorrectly, that the house would be cleaned by a professional service between each rental, and that cleaning obligations on a list that was posted on the kitchen wall matched the cleaning obligations listed on our original contract. However, the list posted in the kitchen did not include details such vacuuming and mopping. Long story short, we were charged for five or six hours of additional cleaning work because we neglected to mop and vacuum. According to the property owner, the management company doesn’t clean, they merely “check” the property. We certainly would have mopped and vacuumed if it was posted – who remembers the details of rental contract 7 months after the fact – we were supposed to be on vacation!

Here are a few concerns about the condition of the house especially if you have kids-

• A pendant light glass shade was dangling from the light bulb and didn’t work – there was note from the management company to avoid touching it. This was a problem in 2014 and I actually called the owner about it.

• The toilet seat was caked with feces near the hinges from a previous renter(s) and needed to be removed and scrubbed clean, which was quite distressing and disgusting and underscores the owner's reliance on renters to adequately clean (rather than surface-wipe)

• The bathroom door downstairs has been in disrepair (does not lock) since 2014 depriving occupants of any privacy.

• The cushions for the couch in the living room had a strong smell of mildew.

Overall, as beautiful as the layout and location of the home, we could never rent there again because of the owner’s indifference to our concerns, his apparent arrogance in light of these concerns, and his use of a management "company" that appears inept at maintaining the property appropriately (at least to our satisfaction). The owner’s reliance on renters to properly clean the home is disturbingly inadequate, and a fact that was only fully disclosed after a problem arose.