Dog-friendly home 2 blocks from the beach with kayaks, SUP, bikes & patio

Management company was very responsive and compensated us for our inconveniences. In its current condition I would not rent again. Pictures don’t reflect condition of the home Also, planes flying over constantly due to location of municipal airport across the street Cons: House needs updating. Furniture large and old. House smelled musty as did drawers of furniture. Items in closets were musty and need to be removed. Some screens were ripped. King Bed sheets so old they were pilling. Twin bed had 4 mattress pads on it each one stained and soiled. Bedskirts were soiled with what appeared to be dog pee. (We stripped all these and left to be thrown out). Carpet in 2 bedrooms was old, soiled and disgusting. Carpet in 1/2 bath around toilet also disgusting. HVAC leaked water on floor. Backyard fence is about to fall down needs replaced. House truly needs some work. Pros: good location to beach and necessities, kitchen, baths have had some updating, House has a good layout and outdoor space. Local management was responsive getting us new sheets/towels, kitchen items, put in damp-rid boxes to help with musty smell. No complaints with local mgmt. House appeared clean when we arrived.

Positive: Location — one block from the Gulf. Freshly dusted/ vacuumed upon arrival with fresh sheets, duvets. Kitchen, two full baths also updated. Lots of recreational equipment in the garage Negative: VERY musty. We suspected mold, as we experienced allergy symptoms. Ventilation return covers very dirty — duct system needs to be cleaned. Our first impression was the bad smell, and we burned through several scented candles and aired it out weather permitting. VERY noisy. Between the Venice Airport across the street (small prop planes and jets), and the busy intersection location with cars/trucks/motorcycles IT WAS VERY NOISY. The kitchen sink was clogged (no garbage disposal), half bath sink clogged and inoperable stopper, two of the three toilets barely flushed. Rental agent sent a plumber who fixed that and the leaky, wobbly kitchen spigot. Fitted carpet in master bedroom/half bath was dirty, musty, smelly. Area rugs and throw pillows for sofas were grubby and dirty. I actually bought some throw pillows to use during our stay, and left them. Found food between the cushions of the leather sofa. The house was superficially cleaned, but is in need of a thorough deep cleaning. We saw a couple of “palmetto bugs” and bought boric acid mix to deal with that. Also found a moldy, wet coffee-filled filter in the drip coffee maker. We have prolonged our stay in the area, but at a hotel. Couldn't wait to check out after our month there!

The house rooms and furniture were as expected. However there were many items that needed to be repaired or replaced during our stay. The air and water filter (refrigerator) had not been replaced in several years. The shower head in the master bath was broken and had to be replaced. The dishwasher was not working and was finally replaced three weeks after we arrived. The management company(Vacasa of Florida) was very slow to respond. The local Vacasa representative did not respond to any telephone calls or text messages during our last two weeks at the at the vacation rental. An electrical issue finally resulted in an inspection by an electrician who was startled to find the outside circuit breaker and meter was dangling from the rear wall of the house (serious potential fire hazard). We were told he had to vacate the house and find our own accommodations for a week. Several hours later we were told that the circuit breaker box and meter would be replaced in about five hours and could stay. We lost power for most of the day.

The 4 of us stayed for 1 week. The house was clean and presentable. The covered lanai on back of house was a beautiful retreat from the midday heat. The main town strip is a quick bicycle ride away with quite a few restaurants to chose from. The grocery and liquor store as well are within a short bike. 10/10 would recommend.