Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Surf or Sound Realty's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Surf or Sound Realty

  PO Box 100 Avon, NC 27915-0100

  
• 

  Surf or Sound Realty

  26204 Rampart St Salvo, NC 27972

  
• 

  Surf or Sound Realty

  PO Box 270 Rodanthe, NC 27968-0270

  
• 

  Surf or Sound Realty

  40974 NC Hwy 12 Avon, NC 27915

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/17/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  surf or sound realty will be happy to take your money and stick you in a house well below standard let alone what they charge. Decking by pool sticking up with nails in it( sliced my toe), water leaking from ceiling/ lights of a bedroom, broken microwave, broken cabinet door, fridges made no ice or water, mold/mildew smell and present on bottom two floors, elevator shocked me, dishwasher leaked all over kitchen floor, TV's/ remotes mixed up couldn't work, 3 different beds were full of sand and dirty, found old food, Cheetos in bunk beds, washer/dryer left black marks all over our cloths and ruined some, the list actually goes on. Found numerous Cockroachs also. Surf or sound realty should be ashamed of themselves for robbing us. I've decided to pursue this for our family almost solely based on the fact that most if not all of this stuff is found in reviews from people that have stayed at the house in the months prior to us even renting the house. That tells me this company is willfully and purposely cheating people out of the very product they're selling. We rented great expectations number 783 the week of September 7th documentation can be provided if needed.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/24/2024

  Mrs. ******* and her party checked into a home (Great Expectations) managed by Surf or Sound during the week of September 7th through September 14th, 2024.
  During the week Mrs. ******* reported an issue with the refrigerator and dryer exhaust. Our staff responded and corrected the issue.
  Mrs. ******* also reported a broken microwave (the kitchen has two). It was replaced on September 10th.
  On September 8th our operations manager contacted the guests to check that everything was to their satisfaction including the cleaning. At that time, guests reported no housekeeping issues. They did request pool stick chalk and additional towels. These items were delivered later that day.
  Despite our lease stating there will be no refunds or discounts I have requested accounting to issue you a refund of ********
  Looking at our guest communication and work order history, it appears we addressed all the items reported during your stay 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/27/2024

  
  Complaint* ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  The response to this complaint is almost completely a lie. I am astounded that's how this company operates, a young man did show up and replace a filter in the one fridge and it still made no water and ice when questioned he said he didn't know. The microwave was never replaced, That's just a complete lie, we only needed more towels because the dishwasher leaked all over the kitchen gallons of water and we used the towels that we had to clean it up, they did leave towels a day later. I forgot to mention the fact that there's broken railing on the third floor that a child almost went through was brought to my attention by another family member. The manner with which that response is even written is astounding, we have close to 20 people in our family enjoying a vacation two microwaves are staple in these houses That's what you advertised to act like I'm some kind of moron because there was a still one available and I shouldn't complain is absurd. The real reason for this complaint even happening is because upon getting home from vacation and checking websites like ***** ******, ************ and just about every other one I can think of, all have horrible complaints many of which were from the months prior to me even being there this year complaints from August of the same existing conditions broken microwaves missing smoke detectors leaking water broken deck boards I can't even think of everything, mold, etc. they have zero intention of fixing anything they just keep renting it out. Taking people's hard-earned money for an advertised product and not providing it. That's what the better Business bureau needs to be aware of and the ***** ******** ******** ************ *o offer me ***** less than 1% of what I spent on that house is insulting, they can keep it they obviously need it more than me. I've been vacationing in the outer Banks for 17 years from Corolla to Ocracoke Island. I can and will take my business elsewhere.  This business should be ashamed of itself. And judging from the numerous complaints online mirroring mine people should be well aware before they rent with them. The only place you don't find an honest review is on their website.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/05/2024

  Type:Facilities Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  August 3, 2024 ***** for a vacation home The home is completely infested with dog urine (on carpets, mattresses, curtains, walls, baseboards, furniture). It was completely filthy requiring two sets of cleaners to come after our vacation has started. The company wants to keep sending in more companies to clean while we’re supposed to be on vacation and after the last deep cleaning company came, he said the house would need to be gutted to properly fix the damage. After our children were in the home all day, we couldn’t even bathe them because the hot water wasn’t working. We never received a call about that. It finally kicked on at 10 pm. There was black mold in the house that they said is “organic growth”. They refuse to move us to a new home or refund us our money so we can stay in a home that is comfortable and worth our *****.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/09/2024

  ******* **** rented Crab Louie for the week of August 3 – 10, 2024.
  
  Ms. **** started contacting the Operations Manager for the home via text message upon check-in (8/3) reporting that the house was not clean and “full of dog urine”.  The Operations Manager stayed in continuous contact with the guest and apologized for her concerns.  She immediately sent an additional cleaning crew to the house to perform another cleaning the same day.  The guest was still not satisfied; therefore, we offered to provide a deep cleaning service to come to the house and they arrived at the house the same day.  We can confirm that at no time did the deep cleaners state that the house needed to be “gutted” as Ms. **** alleges.  Surf or Sound performs full cleaning on all our properties the day of check-in, followed by a detailed inspection to confirm that all is in good order prior to releasing the home to the guests.  The manager who inspected the house prior to arrival on August 3 reported that the house was very well cleaned.  The work that the guests demanded to be done was on the level of a deep clean performed annually in the off-season that typically takes a week to complete.
  
  The guest contacted our office on August 3 at 8:37 pm to report that there was no hot water in the house other than the kitchen.  Upon receipt of the report, we contacted the private caretaker who handles maintenance for this property, and they went to the house immediately and was advised by one of the guests that the hot water was working fine and that it just took a while to heat up.
  
  Ms. **** contacted our office on August 3 to report what she referred to as “mold” around the ceiling fan, ceiling lights, and air vents.  We forwarded the message to the private caretaker who went to the house the same day to clean the areas of concern and determined that it was not mold but dirt that had accumulated due to condensation.
  
  We are sorry for the inconvenience Ms. **** experienced during her stay and that the weather was unfavorable; however, all concerns that were reported were addressed and resolved in a timely manner as per her lease agreement.  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2024

  Ms. **** rented **** ***** * **** *or the week of August 3 - 10, 2024.  

  Upon arrival, she contacted the Operations Manager noting her concern of the cleanliness of the home.  The Operations Manager immediately scheduled for another set of cleaners to clean the home the same day.  As the guest was still not satisfied, the Operations Manager scheduled for a deep cleaning crew to come to the house the same day to perform an additional clean.  Surf or Sound Realty responded in a timely and appropriate manner to the guest's concerns, including the fact that the home was cleaned a total of three (3) times in an effort to satisfy Ms. ****.  We perform full cleaning on all our properties followed by a thorough inspection to confirm that all is in good order prior to releasing the home to the guests.  The manager who inspected the home prior to arrive on August 3 reported that the house was very well cleaned.  The work Ms. **** demanded to be done was on the level of an off-season annual deep clean which typically takes a week to complete.

  The guest contacted our after-hours maintenance line at 8:37 pm to report the lack of hot water in the house and the private caretaker was notified.  The private caretaker went to the house and was advised "that it took a while, but they are getting it now"; therefore, there was nothing to repair.

  Ms. **** has been advised that all compensation requests are to be forwarded via email to the email address provided to her; however, we have not received any requests as of this submission.  Should she decide to submit her request as per our procedure, we will be happy to review and assist.

  Kindly note that this will be our final response to this complaint.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/31/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because the company did not refund us as we deserved- even though we wasted several days waiting for cleaning companies and maintenance crews to come make the home appropriately clean for renters. They refunded the early check in fee, which was what we paid for the house to be ready by 1pm. The house was not clean by that time and we had to wait in the house for additional cleaners to come, then for an additional deep cleaner to come. The house was not done being cleaned until 9 pm the first night of our stay. At that time the house still needed multiple other things to make it comfortable and worth $*****. The next day we waited for maintenance and additional cleaners (the cleaners never showed). We attempted to talk to management in the office and were asked to leave.

  The manager told me herself on the first day if she was in that situation (animal urine covering so much of the home) with young children she would have left the property. We wanted to leave the property, and were ready to leave the property because we had another home on hold in another town, but due to their lack of communication we could not risk losing the ***** we worked hard to save for that vacation; and then pay for another home on top of it. She told me to return the next day to discuss compensation- We waited all day for the additional cleaners to bleach the baseboards, deep clean the couch and the curtains, and they never showed. When I showed up the afternoon to talk with her she would not come out of her office. Coincidentally she was off the next two days and not one other office manager would return our calls, not even the CEO of the company. I have never experienced such poor customer service from all of our years staying in the OBX- but we also have never had such an uncleanly house to the extent that we feel as if we need to leave. We have surely learned our lesson and will continue to share our experience with others warning them about this company. It is truly a shame and inhumane that this company believes the conditions of the home were worth the money we spent to stay there. Anyone looking at the pictures I have submitted would be appalled and disgusted. The contract stated that any animals staying in the home must be house broken, clearly by the amount of urine in the home, on the carpets, walls, mattresses, couches, baseboards, and furniture, this clause was broken multiple times. This also proves that the rental company was breaking contract with us by not providing a home in the condition that their contract states it should be in. Our photos are dated and time stamped to show proof that the urine was still everywhere in the home (besides the carpets) after the first day of our stay and nothing else was done about it. We gave them all week to make it right, as their contract states, but the urine stayed and no other cleaners came the remainder of our day. No management would respond to us but Leslie, and she could not force the cleaners to come in the home and bleach the walls, couch, replace the mattresses, clean the curtains. I am sure that if we had left the home in such a way the company would be hunting us down attempting to get money or keeping a deposit, etc. 

  I was extremely hopeful that the company would make this right and feel as if  WE are being generous by only requesting a refund of one day of our stay. We have simply asked that they refund us the early check in fee ***** **** ***** the service fee (**** *lus tax), and at the very least one day of our stay since the ENTIRE first day (in addition to other days) was spent waiting on cleaners, maintenance crews, deep cleaning crews, talking to management, and out searching for our own cleaning supplies so we could attempt to feel comfortable in a $***** home that was completely neglected. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/16/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My family is renting a home through Surf or Sound (July 13th-July 20th) that has a description of a private dock that accommodate up to a 30ft vessel. When we arrived at the home with our 18ft boat there was already a boat on the lift at the dock. I contacted Surf or Sound right away to figure out why there was a boat here. Trying to get an answer to fix this problem from Surf of Sound was awful. They took 48 hours to find out it’s the owner of the houses boat on the lift and the owner told Surf or Sound he has no one on the island to move it. The description of this house is false. This is false advertisement. The main reason for booking this home was for our family to be able to utilize the private dock. Surf or Sound does not care that we paid a large amount to be at this house for the week and can’t use one of the main amenities. They are completely ignoring my request for contact information to speak to someone (possibly complaint department) about receiving compensation for some of the total amount of the house.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/24/2024

  To whom it may concern:

  We reached out to Haley with the following response.

  Hi ******
  
  On behalf of the owner of Our Little Secret and Surf or Sound Realty we would like to apologize for not having use of the boat dock. We did receive your receipt for ******* We will be issuing you a refund for ******* plus tax totaling ******* for your inconvenience.
  
  We hope you had a chance to enjoy all the other amenities the home and Hatteras Island had to offer.
  
  Kind regards,
  
  Orville 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/28/2024

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because the refund offered is unacceptable. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/19/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ac/ heat unit not hooked up to the house. Temp rose almost to 90 and dropped below 50 over the course of the week. Multiple service calls made through the week, service did not come until last day of rental and still did not fix unit. It made the rental inhabitable and it was a promised, paid for service and it's NC law to provide ac/ heat. Other amenities promised but not delivered: internet, use of lawn (lawn not unkept and paid additional fee for lawn.), Washer/dryer. Overall, product was not delivered as promised. Also paid additional fee for pool heat service, pool heat did not work and company is refusing refund. Overall, many promised services and paid an additional $***+ for extra services that were not delivered. Biggest issue being the lack of AC/HEAT in the rental for the duration of the week long stay that was not addressed. It made the house unlivable and as a rental 600 miles from home, we had no other option. Surf or Sound broken NC tenant law by not providing a working AC/HEAT unit in their rental property and then refusing financial compensation.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/19/2023

  We have no record of any reservation made under this name. In order to respond to this complaint, we will need to know the name of the house and date of stay or the name of the leaseholder.  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/30/2023

  The business did not make a good faith effort. I provided the Lease Holder information and the dates rented, as requested by the business. They never addressed the fact that we did not have working AC or Heat in the rental unit for the duration of our stay, or that we were charged for additional services that were not delivered. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/27/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am an owner, sos is the property manager. My complaints are several, not just about there unfair misleading and back handed business and contract policies. It is about the fact that after a disagreement over owner stay dates sos removed my access to the platform. So I have no access to tax, revenue, work orders, reservations, calendar, nothing. They have literally locked me out of my own home. My request is very simple. I want my property removed from their platform completely. All their signage removed from my home completely. This firm does not work for the owner or for the guest they work for themselves, they don't do anything that isn't for their benefit. As such, I have a significant culture clash of their company. I am stunned at the gall they had to lock me out of my own home. It is for this reason that I prohibit them or their agents access to my home unless myself or an authorized agent is present. I would not put even the lowest of the low past these people. I have also complained to the real estate commission. There are plenty of companies with wonderful properties on the outer banks. This is not one of them. Avoid and find somebody else. As an owner, I found their cleaning and their textiles to be below grade. Avoid avoid avoid.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/02/2023

  ****** ******** purchased the property located at ***** Slash Creek Rd in Hatteras, NC on April 11, 2022.  Prior to closing on the property, he signed an Exclusive Management Agreement with Surf or Sound Realty for the 2022 calendar year.  That contract renewed for the 2023 calendar year on July 1, 2022.  In early October M** ******** advised us that he did not wish to use Surf or Sound Realty for property management services in 2023.  At that time, he was advised that his Exclusive Management Agreement had renewed for 2023. 
  M** ******** subsequently blocked all open weeks in 2023, leaving only six weeks available for rental.  The Exclusive Management Agreement he signed specifies “Owners will limit Owner and Owner Guest use to no more than two weeks throughout the Prime and In Seasons, one week in Mid Season and three weeks in the Value and Off Season between April 1 and November 30”.  On November 29, 2022, M** ******** was reminded of this paragraph and asked to indicate which weeks he wanted to reserve that conformed to the owner usage guidelines agreed to in the contract.  He declined to release any weeks, indicated he would be blocking more and asked again that we release him from his contract.
  Since M** ******** refused to select specific weeks for his personal use, we followed the direction in his Exclusive Management Agreement and blocked the second week in June, pending further instructions from him.  We also designated the property as non-dog friendly per his request.  Because M** ******** attempted to circumvent the owner usage terms of his contract by blocking additional weeks through our Owner website, his access to that website was removed.  All Owner Statements and Work Order documents which were accessible on the Owner website have been mailed to him.  Tax documents for 2022 will be published in January 2023 and will also be mailed.  The Owner website is provided for the convenience of our owners, but access is not a contractual obligation, since paper copies of monthly statements and work orders can effectively be delivered via standard mail. 
  On December 24, 2022 we discovered that M** ******** had changed the lock at the property without notice to Surf or Sound Realty and posted a sign on the door saying “This home is closed until further notice”, effectively refusing access to his tenant who was scheduled to arrive the following day.  That tenant had a signed and fully paid lease.  50% of the owner rent paid by the tenant was previously disbursed to *** ********, as allowed under the North Carolina Vacation Rental Act.  As a good faith gesture to the tenant, Surf or Sound Realty has refunded her reservation in full and will recover the previously disbursed rental funds from the homeowner.  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/23/2022

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I pre-reserved a home through Surf or sound, which has a non-refundable deposit policy. 10 months before the vacation rental date I received a message to go over the lease, they have a non disclosed service fee for the house of $***, and give you 7 days to pay an unreasonable amount. I ask what happen to the rates I wasn't expecting the base rate to double and I'm upset they never disclosed the extra fees. They will not refund the deposit knowing they will are going to reserve it for the full amount or give me Atleast a month to pay since the amount jumped up and they never said it would be due within a week.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/30/2022

  We empathize with the challenges the current market forces are placing on families who are planning vacations. The base rent for the property chosen by Ms. ***** did not double but increased by approximately 10% from the previous year. Moreover, since she last stayed with Surf or Sound in 2019, increases in the cost of materials and labor have led to an inevitable rise in cleaning fees, although the cleaning fee for this property did not increase at all from 2022 to 2023.
  
  Our policy regarding reservation deposits is emphasized throughout the booking process. It is clearly stated that pre-reservation rates are "for reference only" and also include the following disclaimer: "Price is subject to change and does not include taxes, fees, or vacation options." To help guests adjust their plans, when necessary, we do allow the non-refundable deposit to be transferred one time to another property in the same calendar year.
  
  We know how important it is for our guests to bring their family dogs with them on vacation. We charge a nominal fee (per dog, per week) which is less expensive than boarding and enables our guests to keep their dogs with them during their vacation. Ms. ***** has opted to bring three dogs, which represents a noteworthy increase in the cost of her reservation.
  
  We notified Ms. ***** by email and text on November 22, 2022, that her reservation was ready to finalize and have given her seven days to complete the process and make her first payment. Since then, we have received only one communication from Ms. *****, in which she inquired about our rates and fees, and to which we responded the same day. We have flexible payment plans available and are happy to assist Ms. ***** with finalizing her reservation and selecting a payment plan that best suits her needs.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/06/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I messaged several times, and there is nothing in original form with cleaning fee so high. I should be given more time to come up with first payment, a couple months or a refund be given. They will rent the house again at the full rate and keep my money as a bonus. Their unwillingness to work with their customers is bad business and I will be leaving more negative reviews 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/17/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This is our first time renting with Surf or Sound Realty. We found a lovely home that did not have rental rates available yet, but had a comparable estimate based on the previous summer's rate. As a result, we put down over **** to pre-reserve this home under the assumption that the rate would be comparable. A few weeks later, my sister received the rate information and it had increased over ****** which is not comparable. We then tried to call three times with no answer or return phone call. My sister then chatted someone who said the policy was strictly no refund if cancelled. They then disabled the chat. She then proceeded to call again with no answer and sent a subsequent email to which she received an automated response. We even debated just paying but then saw where it charged over **** extra to use a credit card. This is all ridiculous! With the customer service that we have received, we will never attempt to rent from this company again.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/18/2022

  We are unable to identify the reservation to which *** ***** is referring. Please provide either the reservation number or the leaseholder's name so that we may properly investigate *** ******* complaint. Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/30/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  The reservation number is ****** under Mary Morrison.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/30/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This is a continuation of complaint activity report Case #********.The original complaint was filed under ****** *****, but I, S***** *****y, am the leaseholder for the ********* ******** rented from 9/3/22-9/10/22. See attachments for the ongoing complaint that I am pursuing against Surf or Sound Realty. I have also attached a copy of the lease agreement with Surf or Sound Realty.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/02/2022

  S***** *****y checked in to this property on Saturday afternoon, September 3rd, 2022. Mr. ****** sent an email to our offices later that evening saying the property had not been cleaned to his satisfaction. Our Housekeeping Manager contacted Mr. ****** first thing Sunday morning, September 4th, when she arrived in the office. She apologized for the condition of the property and offered to send a cleaning team to the house right away. Mr. ****** declined the offer, saying he and his guests would be departing that day.
  
  Mr. ****** then came to our office on Sunday, just after 9 a.m., requesting a full refund for his reservation. During our conversation, I again apologized and explained that while we could not offer a full refund, we could send a cleaning team back to the house to address all of his concerns. He again declined, telling me they had already rented another home elsewhere.
  
  The dark discoloration on the air vents in Mr. ******** photographs is the result of dust sticking to condensation. This is a common occurrence, and generally the result of the previous guests leaving doors or windows open while the air conditioning is running. The cold vents interact with our very humid air, creating wet condensation, and the fine black dust from the beach is collected by this moisture. This was explained to Mr. ****** on Sunday morning.
  
  This 7-day lease took place in early September, and we have not had any concerns reported by any subsequent guests, nor could we find any furnishings described as broken. We regret Mr. ****** was not satisfied with the cleaning of this property. For that, we have refunded his Home Service Fee in the amount of $*******
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/12/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  We were able to check into the house around **** on September 3, 2022. At 1714, an email was sent stating all initial issues with the property. Another email was sent at **** after we settled in more, stating additional findings. No one is going to feel comfortable in a house that is absolutely filthy and has mold. Said mold was present on every vent in the house, with the exception of one. The worst just happened to be in the kitchen. They are NOT dust particles as stated by Ms. ****** This can CLEARLY be seen in the photos. Feeling uncomfortable in a filthy house will not be mitigated by a cleaning team coming in during the rental period which was already paid for. Properties are supposed to be cleaned before the next tenant arrives, not having the next tenant be inconvenienced during their vacation. This property would have been considered filthy to ANYONE'S standards, not just ours. We received an email from Ms. Szabo on 9/6/222 stating that she discussed with management and it was determined there was insufficient cause to break the rental agreement with the owner of this property. The fault here is not on the owner, it lies on the management company which is Surf or Sound. It is doubtful the owner was aware of the property's condition at the time of our stay. We reached backed out to SOS on 9/23/22 for an update requesting any sort of reimbursement and got received no response. Initial complaint was filed with *** on 10/11/22. Surf or Sound received the complaint on 10/17/22, and only then did we receive a refund for the cleaning fee on 10/17/22. Coincident, I think not. Based on the above timeline, it is evident that Surf or Sound had no intention of providing any sort of refund until they received notification from the ***. The cleaning fee should have ABSOLUTELY been refunded even if we DID accept the "re-cleaning" of the property. Furthermore, there should be additional compensation provided as we are not going to put our health at risk with the presence of black mold. So yes, we would not hesitate to rent another home if we are ever in this position again! Although we rented at the beginning of the month and there have been no reported concerns from subsequent guests, it is safe to assume that Surf of Sound provided the service that anyone would expect when renting a beach house and addressed issues to avoid any more complaints regarding their poor customer service and poor business practices. Also, it is evident in the photos that there ARE broken furnishings.