Cleanliness: Common touch areas and floors were clean. However, it is our impression that: 1) The tops of kitchen appliances, especially the refrigerator, all of the window blinds, and most of the downstairs walls were covered with a thick film of grime. 2) Various broken parts that had come away from the appliances were sitting on top of the refrigerator; we had to clean and clear off the top of refrigerator before it was possible to set an extra bag of groceries on it. 3) A very large pile of left-behind plastic sand toys covered the path to the back yard, making it impassable without clearing them up.
In our view, the online listing does not indicate how much maintenance is overdue at this house. There are currently no curtains for any of the windows in the second floor. Because the homes across the street are elevated, the surrounding properties have clear views from their ocean-facing decks and windows onto the top of all the beds and the entire floor area of the second floor room. Two out of four smoke detectors had dead batteries and would not pass testing (i.e. living room and second floor room.) There was a broken bracket laying on the rack in the oven. It would ordinarily hold the top element in place, but this element no dangles free from the top of the oven, making us not want to try using out of concern for an electrical hazard. There are fire extinguishers placed throughout the house, but they are randomly laying on the floors or counter tops rather than being properly mounted with brackets fixed to walls. A large bundle of loose wires, the WiFi router, and other electronics lays in a heap on the floor at the top of the stairs. Many of the cabinets in the kitchen are cluttered with old cans of paint and other maintenance items. None of the crank-operated windows in the main living room will open. The fireplace damper is permanently fixed in the open position and the glass doors on the front will not close properly, so the typical coastal winds create a back draft down the flue that fills the living room with the smell of past fires.
Two days before travel, we sent an e-mail to simply touch base with the property manager. We did not ask a specific question, so a reply was not strictly necessary, but a courtesy reply would have been appropriate and we did not receive one.
We hope our impressions of this property give you a better idea of this rental than we had when making our choice.