Complaint Review: Tropical Vacations Group Fort Lauderdale Florida

We rented this property from March 10th to 15th, 2015, to accommodate our family of 11, 6 adults and 5 children under the age of 9.  Fortunately, we arrived the day before our family arrived from Canada.  We arrived early, at 1:30 PM., check in was at 3:00 PM.  Upon our arrival, we could not access the lock box because we had been provided an incorrect number.  The gate to the back yard was open and we were appalled at the state of the pool and yard.  The pool was dirty and the yard unkempt.  The built in BBQ was screwed shut and not as it appeared in the photos.  There was a newer BBQ, not built in as advertised.  We contacted the rental agent and expressed our concerns and disappointment.  Thankfully, it was during office hours and we were given the correct number for the lock box.

The inside of the house was worse.  The house is tired and worn and in need of an update.  The kitchen faucet was in a state of disrepair.  The pots and pans were very old and we only used a couple of them.  Quite frankly, I wouldn't put my feet in the majority of the pots and the frying pans were old and scratched too.  The kettle was simply gross.  The glasses were old and mismatched.  The fridge was clean but the beverage fridge did not work properly. 

In general, the house and the tile floors were dirty and there was substantial mould in the shower stall and the tubs in the bathrooms.  There were no plugs in any of the tubs except for the jacuzzi tub.  The master closet had two old televisions stored and a variety of old carpets, etc.  One bedroom had a curtain rod hanging out of the wall.  The bathmats in the master ensuite had been put down when they were still damp/wet.

There were two wet and mouldy carpets on the balcony.  There were three full bins of garbage at the front of the house and an old base for a basketball net off to one side of the driveway. 

There were feces in the toilet in the powder room.  The agent sent the cleaning staff back to clean the toilet and fold the  towels that were in the dryer.  We had to dry the towels again as they were folded and still damp.  We cleaned the mould in the shower stall and tubs and cleaned the kitchen cupboards.  We worked until 12:30 AM and again the next morning!

All of this for $3958.00 for five days! We told the agent that he needs to update the photos and information on this house because it is false advertising.  Prior to our arrival, we were given no instructions except for the lock box code.  After contacting the agent with questions about the thermostat, we were told the instructions were in a binder on the kitchen counter.  The binder contained only positive reviews and none of them matched what we were seeing.  The agent was unprofessional and told me that, other than telling him that the house was tired looking, I wasn't giving him anything to work with! 

By day 5, my husband had gastroenteritis, four of the children were vomiting.  Two other adults had diarrhea.  We suspected that the dirty pool was the cause, although we did not think to test the water so we have no proof.  There was no change of sheets for any of the beds but there were lots of towels and pillows.  Some of the bedding (quilts, comforters) were also worn and in need of replacement.

This house was very disappointing and not good value for the exorbitant amount that this owner and his agent are charging.  People who conduct business like this should not be in business at all.