Lindemann & Sloan Properties, Inc

We rented a property at 452 Seascape Resort through Lindemann & Sloan in June. Though the location is exquisite, there were many problems, almost all of which I lay at the feet of the management company. The key cards were not in the lockbox at arrival as promised, the Wifi did not work, the DVD player did not work, the oven door could not open fully, there was no toaster, no corkscrew, no drapes installed in the living room, no screen installed on the balcony door, television brightness levels that could not be controlled, and an upstairs bath tub that leaked into the dining room below.
Taking these issues one at a time…
Luckily, the cleaning crew was there at arrival and they graciously offered us their key, and a toaster was provided within a couple of hours. However, the Wifi remained dead for 24 hours with Lindemann telling us to go to Resort and the Resort telling us to go to Lindemann (since the unit was owner-​managed, this is the standard response of the Resort). From my point of view, it is 100% Lindemann’s responsibility to get that working, but all they did was continue to say ‘Call the Resort’. The lack of Wifi that first day impacted us a lot and actually required that both my son and I set up a working area in the lobby of the resort. Meanwhile, all I was getting was customer service that reminded me of a roadside motel.
The oven door problem is an architectural blunder that they rightfully cannot be held responsible for (though they could remedy it if they really wanted to) and one could argue that it is not their responsibility to provide drapes either, even though it makes the living room a brightly lit stage at night. However, any definition of «maintenance» has to include installing a screen door instead of leaning it against the wall, providing an operational DVD controller, and establishing an environment where it is not necessary to shine a flashlight at the IR sensor for a television picture to be visible! Doesn’t it? After all, this is a so-​called luxury apartment, for crying out loud.
However, the most egregious problem of all was the leak. There was a rupture in the ceiling when we checked in, the little peeling back that is a tell-​tale sign of a chronic leak. I did not think about it at the time, but that is exactly where the leak came through the next day. And you know what? Instead of saying sorry for the inconvenience, Lindemann blamed us for the leak, saying we must have flooded the bathroom floor. That never happened. I was the one who had taken the shower and I know for a fact that the floor was completely dry and we stopped using that tub for the remainder of our stay. Nonetheless, they had the cojones to subsequently dock our deposit. Because we reported to them an issue that existed before us, they took it upon themselves to shoot the messenger, patch over the ceiling, and ignore the fact that the leak is certain to occur again.
You can believe me or not, but I promise on my children’s lives that everything I am saying is 100% true. And it would be a matter of simply being irked at another disagreeable vendor were it not for one other thing: I had found them on AirBNB, but they insisted that I book directly through their own website to get the better price. Guess what? No consumer protection and no dispute arbitration booking directly. A mistake I will not make again. I could kick myself for being so gullible.
If you work with Lindemann and Sloan, I would advise that you do so under an AirBNB or VRBO umbrella only, and that you do a full walk-​through of the property and document everything photographically when you arrive. And if something is missing or broken, text them immediately so that you have a paper trail of communication. Treat the relationship just like a car rental agency. Note the dents before you drive it off the lot, otherwise they might become yours.
Lastly, understand that you will be totally dependent on Lindemann and Sloan and their hours of operation for problem resolution. This is especially important at Seascape. You are on your own.