Vacasa

Worst treatment and experience I have ever received. Stay Away! Use AirBnB!
Being that we reside four hours away from Lake Tahoe, we arrived around 8:30pm on Friday. Upon arrival to the home, we noticed a very strong scent of garbage. The kitchen had been left with a very large load of dirty dishes stacked in the sink and an overflowing garbage bin. All bedrooms had been stripped of their bedding in preparation to be washed. The bathrooms were extremely dirty with hair covering the sinks.
Realizing that the house had not been attended to after the previous renters checked out, we immediately called Vacasa, our first call being made at 8:45pm. After several attempts, we got through to the first representative, Karen, who was shocked by our circumstances and agreed to help us find a new home since there were no maid service available at this hour. She called back in 15 minutes and explained that there were no homes in South Lake Tahoe to accommodate us, and that the closest one was in North Lake Tahoe, 90 miles away. She agreed to speak with a supervisor to see if there were any other options for us and to call us back.
When it was 10:30 pm and we hadn’t heard back from Karen, we called Vacasa and were told by a male representative that Karen had checked out for the day and that he had no knowledge of this situation. He explained that the only thing he was authorized to do was to refund the cleaning fee, send a maid out to us the next morning as soon as possible and have a supervisor call us back the next day.
Since the house was unsanitary for young children to be sleeping in, we had to spend the night purchasing cleaning supplies from CVS, doing 6 loads of laundry and cleaning the entire kitchen. Needless to say, this wasn’t the vacation we imagined we’d be having.
On Saturday, we received no maid service. Furthermore, we received no phone calls from Vacasa regarding any of this; No apologies were made and nothing was done to ameliorate this situation.

Vacasa has totally ruined and screwed up our get away to Cannon Beach! They really need to get it together. I booked a cottage at Cannon Beach weeks in advance and they called to tell me that the cottage I booked is no longer a rental??? Then why is it still listed on Vacasa with available dates. When you call them, they are never there and you always have to leave a message and wait up to a day for a return phone call. Today when she called she was very vague and curt with me and would not give me a contact number for the manager for this particular Cottage. I will never use Vacasa AGAIN!!! They Stink!

Dear Unilocalers,
Just fyi, companies pay people to write 5-​star reviews. This is very common. Also, if you have not filed a complaint against Vacasa with the Better Business Bureau of Alaska, Oregon & Western Washington (
) please do so immediately. I filed a complaint with the BBB and they helped me get back $ 175.00 in cleaning fees from Vacasa in a week. I have suggested that the BBB investigate their business practices since there are so many complaints against Vacasa. I’m surprised they received the BBB’s Award for Excellence in 2015.
That being said, I should have read the negative reviews prior to booking my vacation to Lake Tahoe Dec. 2015. Just to quickly summarize: when arriving at our Tahoe cabin 12−27−15 after driving 11 hours with two pets, it was clear that it had not been cleaned, only straightened up. We were so tired & weren’t sure about the sheets, so we slept on top of them (fortunately we brought our own pillows & blanket!) I called Vacasa about ten times & finally got an answer the following afternoon after we cleaned much of the cabin ourselves & purchased new sheets from Ross. Apparently their new housekeeper of one week walked off the job, not cleaning our cabin. Gross! There was so much human/​pet hair, fingernail clippings, grime, etc. They finally sent someone who spot cleaned for one hour. The Vacasa attitude was kind of like «sorry, too bad, not our fault.» However this was a new employee who should have been on a probationary period where her work was checked. Not uncommon in the business world at all. It was a frustrating start to what eventually turned into a great vacation. Thank you BBB for helping us. Will definitely use another rental company next time!

Went online to book a room at the Ocean Cove Inn in Yachats. We have stayed there several times over the years. Lovely place etc… however, it is now handled by Vacasa. They advertise a room for $ 55 (Mon-​Thurs winter rates). Of course, plus tax. No problem. However, when you go to reserve online, they (Vacasa) tack on a $ 40 cleaning fee and a ‘booking’ fee of $ 7.43 on top of the $ 15.74 taxes… that comes to $ 173.17 for two nights or $ 86.58 per night for room advertised at $ 55! I have never had to pay a booking fee or a cleaning fee to reserve a motel room before. Unbelieveable!
And it gets better! I contacted them via email to make sure I hadn’t misunderstood things and I got a reply today (finally) and they now quoted the room at $ 185.21 for two nights… with no explanation for the increase!
Needless to say, I went online and found a room with more amenities (closer to the beach, gas fireplace, king bed etc.) for much less per night. AND NO BOOKING FEES!
So, let the buyer (or renter) beware (of Vacasa)! Deceptive and mis-​represented rates are poor business practices! I wonder how many people reserve the room before they discover the ‘fine print’? Vacasa is on my ‘avoid-​at-​all-​costs” list!
Now, we’ll probably hear from a Vacasa rep who will say how sorry he is for my troubles but that Vacasa is such a great company and… blah blah blah…

The house itself was wonderful (rented in Government Camp Oregon), however the listing noted dedicated parking spots and wifi, both of which were requirements for us to book. However upon arrival, there were no parking spaces and the house wasn’t even set up for wifi. Make sure you call and confirm details before you rent!

Vacasa acquired Idyllwild, CA local rental management company Quiet Creek Vacation Rental the day after I made my final payment for a Christmas-​time rental (about a week ahead of my planned arrival date). We had to vacate the rental property 2 days early from a 5 day stay. They have ignored my calls and emails for 9 days now. Based on this, I will immediately «remove» any Vacasa rental properties that come up in a HomeAway/​VRBO, Trip Advisor, or other similar search. Idyllwild renters beware, they are nothing like dealing with the local prop management firms you’re probably used to dealing with. Avoid!

Stayed at a condo at Snowshoe Village at Brian Head, UT over Labor Day weekend 2015. It was a dump. Shabby, worn, dirty. Low battery in smoke alarm that was too high to reach kept me awake the first night. They sent someone to replace it in the morning. Stove was caked with years of cooked on grease, walls battered, furniture frayed, curtain frayed & falling off rod, to mention a few of the problems. When I complained, they refunded only the cleaning fee. This place was not cheap, either.
I am NEVER doing business with Vacasa agaun.

Never again. Our rental was materially mis-​represented and FILTHY! Local management has completely ignored our calls. Avoid Vacasa at all costs

We just got back from staying with a group at a house on Cape Meares in Oregon. My husband and I have been traveling to the Oregon Coast and staying all over the place out there for eight years now, and have had a variety of experiences. And honestly, the house we just stayed in was the worst of the bunch. Sure, we’re not as young (drunk) as we used to be so we notice more and expect more these days. And sure, the fact that we are Airbnb hosts who love what we do and put a lot of effort into making sure our guests are happy and comfortable is bound to color our opinions when we vacation elsewhere. But still, I don’t think that cleanliness is too much to ask for in a rental house.
1) The bathroom we were sharing with others on our floor was nasty. The tub was clean enough, but both corners above the shower were full of cobwebs, and one even had a big dead attic spider still in the web. Behind the door of the bathroom it was the same story. Loads of cobwebs.
2) The bed we tried to sleep in the first night REEKED of wet dog/​mildew. When we couldn’t sleep we rummaged in the closet and found some other blankets that didn’t smell, so we pulled all the bedding off and switched it out with the stuff we’d just found. Problem solved… ish, but now my pajamas smell like mildew so of course everything is going in the wash now that we’re home.
3) The bed we tried to sleep in the second night was a futon that was totally broken. When I finally managed to get it to lay flat, I noticed that there was a dead fly on it. Once I got rid of that I found half a dead other thing on it. A cranefly perhaps? And then once I’d disposed of that I found the husk of a dead wasp on the floor. Nasty.
4) There were some big obvious water stains on the ceiling in the living room, I spotted a broken chair in the garage, and that futon was definitely firewood material. I know that beach houses are generally where the castoffs from the owner’s primary home go to die, but this house was excessive.
5) The second room we stayed in, the one with the futon, was essentially a windowless room set up as a weird children’s play area. The only décor on the walls was a Minecraft poster, and there was a rattan shelf half-​filled with haggard dolls, ratty stuffed animals, and sticky children’s toys. C’mon, people, put a little effort into making your guests comfortable.
I really have to wonder: who the heck are the cleaners responsible for this house? ARE there any cleaners for this house? And where is the oversight? Does anyone from Vacasa come around and check out the condition of the house before adding it to their stock, or pop in and visit every now and again to be sure that the owner’s home is still in good shape and that the cleaners are being thorough? What about maintenance? From the other reviews I’ve read, it seems like maybe there is no oversight, and Vacasa just waits ’til someone reports an issue or lodges a complaint before they do anything about any sort of issue.
I’ll think I’ll just stick with VRBO and Airbnb.

Do not book any properties listed by VaCasa. I first booked a listing through VaCasa for a stay in late August 2015. It was listed as a swim-​up condo near Playa Del Carmen in Mexico. I returned to the listing and noticed the description had been changed AFTER I booked. The unit was no longer listed as «Swim-​Up» and when I contacted VaCasa with a screenshot I had taken they assured me I would be placed in a swim-​up unit. Upon arrival to the unit, we were immediately disappointed when we noticed the «pool» was more like a half-​filled foot bath. The water reached just above my ankle, no way to swim at all. As my wife was 6-​months pregnant being able to take a swim without leaving the privacy of our unit had been the deciding factor in choosing. Not being able to do this completely ruined our trip. I contacted VaCasa again, asking them to offer us at least a partial refund for misleading us and ruining our trip, but they simply brushed off responsibility and said there was nothing they could do because they are not property managers at Mareazul. Mind you, my credit card transaction was with VRBO/​VaCasa, I had never dealt with Mareazul directly. They did not even offer to contact the property on my behalf.
On top of all this, the property is not properly taken care of. There are mountains and mountains of seaweed piling up on the beach and giving off a horrible stench. Admittedly the seaweed is a problem throughout the Riviera Maya, but most properties take great care to clean it off their beaches. This is not the case at Pure Mareazul, where it is left to collect and rot on the beach. In addition, the lights in the hallway were broken, meaning we had to struggle trying to open the door in the dark when we came home from a restaurant in town.
Overall, a downright awful experience thanks to VaCasa. I hope VRBO and HomeAway will reconsider working with this company. I understand everything can not always be perfect but at the very least they need to stand behind their listings and when a customer reaches out with a problem they should not be brushed off and left to fend for themselves.

I went to rent one of their properties and received this email from them:
«The home you inquired about, Arnold Beach House — Upper Level, is available for your dates. The cost for those nights (Checkin: Monday, October 12, 2015 — Checkout: Wednesday, October 14, 2015) is $ 71.50 per night for a total of $ 253.96 including taxes and fees. Dogs are allowed for an additional $ 10 per dog, per day fee ($ 40 minimum pet fee). We have given you a 25% „last minute“ discount (a savings of $ 47.00) because your trip is so soon. This discount is reflected in the total above.»
Since the fees did not add up, I called them and the person I spoke to said — well that house is now $ 600 for that time. WOW — not only did I not get a «last minute» discount, now they wanted twice as much for the house?
But I went to their link and was able to get the house for $ 330 — while on the phone with their sales rep. They never mention the cleaning and booking fees which essentially makes this pretty much in line with all the other prices of other rentals. Very very strange way to do business.
I asked to speak to the person’s manager. Someone named Lindsey called me and refunded me my money to honor the original price. But I’m still paying $ 126 per night for this place — NOT the $ 71 I was lead to believe because of how they tack on fees.
So the lesson is — if you’d like to rent from these folks — the price they list is not the actual prices as they have substantial cleaning and booking fees. And while they did eventually honor their initial offer — it did take substantial effort. And it significantly raises your blood pressure and does NOT leave a good taste in your mouth. NOT the way to kick off a relaxing vacation.

My boyfriend and I paid about $ 800 to stay at Redwood Rest in Mendocino for 3 nights a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, there was one MAJOR PROBLEM that Vacasa could have remedied, and CHOSE NOT TO…
On our 2^nd day there, I discovered that the lock on the main sliding door, leading from the outside to the living room, didn’t work. So, anyone could just walk in the house at anytime, day or night, and steal our stuff or harm us.
This was pretty upsetting and scary as we both brought our work laptops and other electronics and valuables. We both slept really badly the last two nights because every noise we heard, we thought someone was breaking in via the UNLOCKED main door. It was our first time to Mendocino and first time using Vacasa.
Why didn’t Vacasa bother to inspect the property before having guests PAY TO STAY THERE.
I will NEVER use them again nor recommend them to anyone because:
— I emailed Vacasa of my complaint,
— I had to follow up with another email and voicemail before anyone bothered to respond,
— I asked for at least a partial refund of our 3 night stay,
— Instead of granting me that, I was offered 10% off a FUTURE stay — which I explain would never happen unless Vacasa made this right,
— I again asked to be fairly compensated for this bad experience and was told «no.»
— I asked the Customer Service rep for the email address of someone above her, so I could escalate this matter. She refused to provide this!
I feel pretty cheated because I spent about $ 800 to stay in a house that I couldn’t actually lock and so our belongings and ourselves were in danger the entire time.

I gave Vacasa a three star because they did not include my written review that I spent a lot of time on for their website. They only included the star rating that I gave the specific vacation rental. I thought it would really help future renters to get a feel for the rental. If they are not going to include the words that people write, it is not helpful for renters to get a feel for if the rental is right for them. That’s how people decide if they want to come to a place and feel that they will be happy with it. That’s how we all choose places these days based on real reviews!
I did not hear a reply from anyone from Vacasa through email when I made complaints about our arrival and check-​in process. I only heard back the next week after I did a review of the place through their standard review form.
The one thing that I will say was good about Vacasa, was when we were having trouble getting into the gated community on the night of our check in, an agent stayed on the phone with me for half an hour while we contacted the complex manager and finally got into the community and finally found the place and got into the lock box.
After they read my review, they did say that they contacted the property manager to correct the instructions for future arrivals. I sure hope so!

Vacasa is a very unreliable service to use. We recently booked a stay in Lake Tahoe at the Resort at Squaw Valley, a very nice location. We were told one fee that included everything on the phone by Vacasa, and when checking out were told we had to pay extra fees to the resort that were not included in the price.
They are basically an Air BnB, and when we complained, they did nothing to correct the mistake they made. Approach with caution.

Only reason they get an extra star is because they replaced the missing items from the house when I complained. Otherwise the overview of the Whaler’s Watch beach house in Waldport, OR was a fantasy description of what the house could have been. Vacasa told me they do not filter or screen customer reviews of their rentals but when I submitted mine they say that they do screen them and only post the ones they «find most useful and potentially informative…» This explains why the place we stayed had 4 & 5 stars and nothing less. I can’t trust a Vacasa property rating or description after my experience: safety issues in the house, items missing or broken, shabby amenities, not anywhere near a 10 min walk to a beach! What a joke

Vacasa property in Rockaway Beach: Property called Palm Beach condo.
Oh. Hell. No.
This condo is perfect if you and your frat boys like a faux fancy party palace.
The condo has 5 decks! Yes, and you can reach out and touch your neighbor from their 5 decks as well. It’s a bit awkward watching the sunset with total strangers as your deck is all of 10 inches apart. Grey Poupon anyone?
The view is stunning! Yes, the view is stunning. You are literally right on the ocean. However, as the suns sets, the lack of window treatments assist in blinding you and making the top floor about 95 degrees. Additionally, the lack of screens for all but one of the sliding glass doors helps to ensure a delightful ocean breeze accompanied by a horde of beach flies.
Ignoring the flies as you try to sleep peacefully to the sound of the ocean waves is a wonderful idea. Wonderful that is until your neighbors decide that 11pm is the ideal time to set off fireworks, party on their (refer to deck spacing above) deck, or have a bonfire, which sounds harmless until they setup their blazing flames 10 feet from their bottom deck, which is 10.5 feet from your bottom deck. If you are lucky enough to get a quiet retired couple as neighbors, the ocean waves lulling you to sleep is amazing. As are the relentless flies.
The two person hot tub looks out over the ocean. It is an amazing view and experience to be relaxing while watching the sun go down over the horizon. Unfortunately, while I was drifting away to my happy place in the hot tub, the neighbors decided to shake out rugs full of sand. While I enjoy a good exfoliation as much as the next gal, a little warning would have been appreciated so I could have closed my eyes prior to the sand shower.
Did I mention that this place was absolutely filthy? There was literally a ring around the tub that we scrubbed with dish soap prior to use, save a staph infection. The dish soap was the only cleaning supply item in the whole place. The floors were sticky and covered in sand. The fridge looked like a creamsicle exploded. The ice maker was broken. The amenities are sparse and disgusting. To be fair, you and your frat boys will most likely not care about such things.
The tv in the master bedroom doesn’t work, the couch is stained and if it ever had any cushion to it, it was in a past life. The poor attempt to jazz up the house with plug-​in boom boxes circa 1985 fails miserably, as I didn’t plan ahead and left all my mixed tapes at home, and finally, the four flights of stairs will welcome even the most reluctant vacationer to relax and enjoy themselves as they schlep luggage from level to level.
In sum, if you don’t give a fu*k about spending a lot of money for a total sh*t condo, and just want an excellent view of the ocean, this is the place for you. Oh, and I forgot to mention that if you enjoy people watching, the east side of the condo faces the main road with views of shops, restaurants, parks etc. Just last night while making dinner I watched the police gather the body of someone who passed at a picnic table. Very relaxing and certainly did make me forget about my day-​to-​day stresses. R.I.P.

This email was also sent on Sun 8÷09÷15 10:26 PM To
(
);
(
) and Monday 8÷10÷15
; and shared in the feedback form I received.
So far, no response.
Dear Vacasa,
I am writing about a terrible experience I had with a rental this weekend. My husband and I actually left early, after only one day, because of the experience.
Reservation Info
Reservation Number: 222 204
Home ID: 1494
Unit: Cape Cod Cottages — Unit 12
Address: 4150 SW Pacific Coast Hwy Waldport OR, 97 394
Check-​In: 4pm Friday, August 7, 2015
Check-​Out: 11am Monday, August 10, 2015
1. The cottage had no keys or lockbox. We entered the code and got into the cottage with no problem. Only when we were getting ready to leave for dinner did we realize there was no way to lock the door. The eLock was no armed, nor was there any way to. There were no keys. At 7:50 P.M. (⁸⁄₇), my husband went to the manager’s office. No one was there. He called the number on the sign at the office and left a voicemail which was never returned (he called 5 415 632 106 from number 5 034 101 019).
2. The cottage had no phone. The paperwork said to dial 000 to reach an operator, but we could not.
3. The cottage lacked a dishwasher. This wasn’t a problem, but the paperwork mentioned starting the dishwasher when we checked out.
4. The oven did not work well.
5. There was no firewood.
6. There were no books or games. Again, this wasn’t a problem, but it was mentioned in the paperwork.
7. The fridge was next to the bed and so loud it drowned out the ocean, even with the front door open.
8. The parking situation was unclear. The unit was being repaired; no garage. A concrete curb with the unit number was haphazardly placed at the bottom of the hill. At 5 PM, I sent an email to Vacasa (
) about what to do, but never received a reply.
9. Internet did not work. We had to access the internet from our phones.
10. Contact information was and is unclear — different emails and numbers are listed in different places.
11. After checking out (and being assured we were checked out; more below), I received an email about what to do if I wanted to extend my stay. I’m concerned that I might be liable for a room I hadn’t been staying in, and upset that most of my emails/​calls have not been returned, but I have received emails about extending my stay.
The lack of keys and inability to get in touch with anyone was the biggest problem, as we were uncomfortable leaving our things while we were out. We decided to check out the next morning, August 8. We left at 10:30 A.M. Once again, we could not find a manager. I also left a voicemail, explaining we were leaving and that the unit was unlocked.
That afternoon, I received a voicemail from Kathy. My husband called her back and spoke with her at 3:05 PM. She apologized, and said that yes, we had been marked as having checked out. She asked for more details, but other than the keys issue, my husband declined to say more, since we were trying to salvage our trip. Kathy also mentioned having difficulty getting in touch with the manager.
Ideally I would like a refund since the room was essentially unusable without keys and no one was around to help.
Sincerely, Natasha Luepke

While the house we stayed in had the ability to be quite charming and cozy, it instead made a serious negative impact on the quality of our vacation, and to make matters worse, when we informed Vacasa of this, they offered a measly $ 125 refund. Thanks Vacasa — but now i’ll be posting picture of your pee-​stained mattresses as well!
Here are the issues:
1) Smell. The home smells like a wet dog. It was noticeable to the entire family, and it also made some of our own blankets and clothing smell after using them in the property.
2) Filthy carpets and filthy furniture. The carpet was completely stained everywhere, and it was absolutely disgusting. it smelled like wet pets, and I actually felt uncomfortable letting my children lay on the carpet during leisure time.
3) Disgusting, worn bed sheets, with visible pee stains. ?The beds smelled terrible, the sheets were old and cold, and two of the beds had? stains all over them. One of the stains was a large pee stain. The extra blankets were shoved into a dirty, dusty attic closet and looked even dirtier than the existing blankets.
4) The mattresses were worn out, caved-​in, uncomfortable, and gave my wife and me neck aches and back aches.
5) The furniture was literally broken. The recliner is in permanent recline mode and is dangerous for kids. My 4yr old fell off while trying to climb on and almost hit his head on the crumbling (yes, broken) wood stove stone hearth. The upstairs sofa is completely worn in with almost no cushion, and once again– it smelled disgusting.
6) the wood stove hearth is broken, crumbling, and is unsafe for both adults and children.
7) Broken doors and sliders. The slider to the upstairs bathroom had to be constantly adjusted to properly close. The sliding screen came off the hinges every time it was used, and the front door was literally so shredded it looked like a broom on the bottom.
This home may be fine for the owners of the property and their private guests, but the owners have ZERO business renting this for profit and taking advantage of guests who want to enjoy a vacation at Sunriver.

Blech…
Weirdly unprofessional company.
Avoid.

So far, my experiences with Vacasa have been five-​star. I’ve stayed twice at their Nedonna Views condo on Rockaway Beach (in a different unit each time), and am getting ready to reserve for a third time. Satisfied customer, I am.
I won’t bore you with the details of each rental, but they’ve always been clean, neat, and well-​maintained. While kitchen accoutrements vary depending on location, it’s good enough for a decent cook (and an experienced one will bring their favorite knives and tools regardless, right?!).
I mostly appreciate the ease of the booking process, the accuracy of photos and descriptions, and the quick communication. The first time I stayed in a Vacasa property I couldn’t get the washing machine to work; a quick call, and the woman on the phone walked me through a few things to check. (Turned out it was the circuit breaker, which I’d been nervous about switching without official approval.) When I’ve emailed with suggestions about improving the experience (like some important kitchen utensils that were missing), I’ve received prompt and courteous replies.
Of course I might not be so thrilled if I’d had cancelation issues due to weather and so forth. But you can purchase travel insurance pretty cheaply and I think that’s becoming a standard expectation that consumers may (sadly) just have to get used to.
Regardless, I recommend their varied and extensive catalog of properties, and my experiences so far will keep me renting with them for a long time too come.