Rusty’s Retreat

I use to live there in the year 2000. I’m not surprised to read the reviews of the same old asshole Rusty. When I lived there he was demoralizing to a handicap housemate that this housemate committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in the backyard. Rusty had no remorse. We all moved out after that and he tried to keep my deposit. I got it back after a pre trial talk. I filed a claim in small claims court to sue him.
All the reviews are 100% spot on. He uses the housemates to do yard work and it’s not light yard work. It’s the work that a professional landscaper does. He constantly screams and scolds everyone. Rusty the tyrant will always be a perverted old man who has no life but does have a bad temper and can’t take his own medicine. He is a coward. Booooo to Rusty’s hell hole retreat center.

I almost moved in there. Almost. I had given him my deposit but was not scheduled to move in for a couple of weeks. I was doing some pre-​prep work to the house (cleaning, shampooing carpets, etc.) when I started noticing behaviors and such. I got out of there fast. Since I had not moved in yet and he had not cashed my deposit check yet I was able to get my deposit back. When I told him that a friend was offering me a room for free (I lied) he gave me back my check. He kept trying to get me to stay and said I could do work exchange by becoming his personal secretary (and maid). I refused. He was creepy, had women posing for pictures «for his website» up in the hills, did not take care of his dog, and kept trying to get me to come up to his room. And I hadn’t even moved in yet. I dodged a bullet with that one.
BTW… any of you who have a lawsuit against Rusty will not be getting any closure. Rusty has passed away and you will have to deal with his estate to get a settlement.

After living here for 6 mos. I think it’s time to post my experience. In the past there have been a variety of different personalities living here. Most turned out to be a good, match-​up but, not all. I’ve learned it’s been the evicted people, holding a grudge, that have thus done most of the past posting… And the happy campers, typically find no reason to post. I want to post to help bring things more into balance.
Personally I’m real comfortable and pleased living here. It’s beautiful, both inside and out. The house stays safe quiet and clean. I can maintain my privacy and at the same time I’ve had insightful talks with the management about reducing grievances by selecting renters that are looking for a quieter type of spiritual cooperative home. These are the people that have happily flourished and had the most rewording experiences living here in the past.
This environment is actually ideal for housemates wanting the freedom to maintain a respectful pleasant smooth running home with one another. This is the goal here.
Fortunately, the landlord has decided to begin selecting housemates who are naturally inclined want to do their part in maintaining a peaceful, positive, atmosphere with one another… I’ll say, I have learned if people moving here are just wanting to save money on rent it’s simply not going be a good match with other housemates!
That’s my assessment, and I give this home a five star rating. Yet, I know that everybody isn’t going to have the same values rating. And I’ve learned the secret to compatibility is to live with people of the same values.
I’ve lived in other shared homes that weren’t as organized and didn’t maintain the same standards of mutual respect. Living in that kind of the atmosphere turned out to be disruptive and difficult for me.
I feel much more comfortable living in this better-​managed home. I get along well with the landlord, and I don’t have to deal with dirty and disruptive housemates anymore.
I like the fact that the presently used Interview Process includes a sincere conversation to determine if there is an authentic compatibility. So all the terms will be agreed to Before renting. The real issue, I’ve learned, is whether an applicant will Honor, the agreements once there living here! Because, I’ve also learned that’s where the grudges and conflicts have begun and that they will affect everyone else in the home if not easily resolved.
I have not had conflicts and have developed no grudges myself. Actually this has turned out to be the nicest place I’ve ever lived. James M.

OMG!!! I lived there for two months in 1998.
I can see from the comments that Rusty is still up to his old tricks.
All I can say is that you have been warned!

Update: The only way I was able to get my deposit back was to inform the landlord that I would be using it for my last month’s rent. This was unacceptable to him, so he tried to intimidate me to leave by screaming and cursing at me, but I stuck it out. In the last two weeks, he served me an eviction notice and made my life miserable by stealing and destroying my things. I never received a book that was shipped to the address – twice! – and my food started disappearing from the refrigerator. I almost didn’t believe it until I found a full stick of butter that had gone missing at the bottom of the trash can. The owner of this property is mean-​spirited and irrational – I would advise anyone to avoid it at all costs.

Be very, very careful if you go to see about a room for rent in a beautiful Santa Cruz mountain house, called Rusty’s Retreat. This is not just a room for rent. The place carries the guise of a «spiritual community,» but it has to be said in truth, that it comes with unreasonable and unrealistic expectations which nobody can fulfill. It becomes a place where people apparently feel the need to make clandestine escapes! It it were a loving and kind environment, ‘spiritual community’ might fit, but it is far from it. Rusty is full of hostility and publicly ridicules the tenants at his mandatory ‘house meetings,” which go on for hours. It’s more like a work camp to maintain his property at the tenants’ expense. I’d call it a cunningly disguised New Age Swindle, because you not only pay rent, but you are intimidated into working on house maintenance, more hours than are reasonable, and in some cases, as many hours as can be squeezed out of you. You won’t get your security deposit back either, because, it has been said, you must deserve it! Watch out for this one!
Grace S.