Cats on the counter 24/7. Peed in the kitchen sink and bathtub daily! Had to clean up cat puke in the kitchen. Comfortable beds, cute house, but only one A/C unit for most of the house- way too hot in back bedrooms. Super rough stained bath towels. Not the best Vrbo Iâve been in.
*NOTE: we did not stay in the house, but I was required to review as if we had, so I gave 5 stars because of excellent service through the process. We rented this wonderful looking house, but were unable to stay. The host had excellent communication and was super transparent about the kitties. One kitty wasnât well and I was afraid we would traumatize him further with all 6 of us in the house so we opted not to stay. We were promptly offered a refund which we immediately received. Again, communication and service is a 10 out of 10! I look forward to renting this house again with a smaller party. Maybe just my husband and I.
The home is actually quite lovely and great location. However the whole cat sitting thing is out of hand. We had to clean up both puke and cat pee daily! The house smells of cats and they walk all over the counters which just isnât sanitary. Thereâs a liter box in the guest room shower. I love cats but itâs just a bit much for being on vacation.
This adorable home worked well for a small friend gathering in a cute and accessible town.
The rental required care of the ownerâs cats, who were both very sweet and cuddly. Unfortunately, one of the cats had a cold and was sneezing all over us and the house. This was a little off putting, despite the sweet nature of the cat. The expectations for feeding the cats was way more work than we expected.
Finally, the garbage, fridge, compost, recycling, and dishwasher all were at least half full when we got there. We had to get our own trash bags in order to take out the trash and we had to reorganize the fridge (and throw moldy fruit into the compost) in order to use the refrigerator.
Overall this property was very cute and worked well for our group, but the expectations for maintenance of the cats and the state of the property when we arrived would keep me from renting this house again.
Great house, lots of modern updates makes it feel homey but still sophisticated. Lots of outdoor space. Kitchen had a ton of of stuff available. House is close to the CAT bus line, 15 minute walk to nearby pharmacy, Dutch Bros, etc. Would rent this place again.
We had a great experience in this home! There is so much to see and do in the area! Great location to downtown and Mt Hood. We really enjoyed bonding with Kubo the resident cat! Everything was clean and comfortable.
Megan was quick to respond and available via phone for any questions. This adorable home was perfect for NYE. We were able to enjoy tourist attractions and snuggle their sweet cat. I highly recommend this remodeled ranch.
The house was super comfy and had everything you needed. The backyard was great to relax in. The check in process and communication was easy. I would recommend the hosts to have a guidebook to make sure we know how to take care of their place better. We were confused about trash/recycling/composting rules and where to put those during our stay. The house also comes with a couple cats and they were great. We didnât need to do much with them; just made sure they had what they needed and gave them love. Location was quiet and easy to get everywhere.
There are two sides to every story and here is our side.
We had a very difficult time communicating with the owner about our stay. In her original listing she did not mention the requirement of having to pet sit her two cats. After accepting our booking (nearly 5 months in advance) she sent me a message asking if we would take care of her two cats for the week. We donât have pets and thought it was an odd request, but agreed.
The week prior to the rental we waited to receive the typical welcome information from the owner with some
details about our upcoming stay. We received nothing from the owner. Finally, two days before the rental was to start, the owner responded with a curt, âWhat do you want to know?â
I responded that we wanted to know about how to check-in and when and where to meet her.
The day before the rental, after still not getting a response from the owner, I called and left messages with her listed phone number. These calls, texts and messages went unanswered all day, so we became worried. We also wanted to discuss
our concerns about being responsible for her pets. We have two young children and were worried about them leaving the door open and the cats escaping (cats were not allowed outside). Upon talking to other pet owners we felt this was a lot of responsibility (especially since it was not in the original listing).
Finally, at 9:30 PM, the night before our rental and after contacting VRBO support, the owner returned my call. It was clear from her tone that she didnât want to host us.
I explained our concerns about the cats and she said we were no longer welcome at her house but also refused to cancel our booking. However, after going through mediation with VRBO support (owner refused to participate), they agreed to put us up in a hotel and found us alternative lodging.
After years of rentals from VRBO, hosting our own rental, this is our first negative experience.
With formative rural, suburban and urban experiences in Wisconsin, Georgia and Massachusetts, Megan, her husband and daughter (now 4th grade) moved their family to Hood River after ranking 30 places in an "Oxymoronic Utopia" spreadsheet: ability to live car-free near wild places. Her professional highlights include opening an organic convenience store, sustainable behavior and business consulting in Boston, founding Bikabout.com, designing the Historic Columbia River Highway Trail bike hubs and ColumbiaGorgeCarfree.com, and organizing Streets Alive open streets. She draws daily inspiration as a Planning Commissioner by getting around by e-cargo bike and foot, delighting in free-range kids and impromptu conversations in the street. Music and change are her fuel.
You can walk or bike anywhere in the town, but especially for daily basics like groceries, dining out or coffee. The master suite has a brand new bathroom addition.