Patty Devlin R.
Our Happy Place..NOT so Happy
We rented this home June 20, 2026 through June 27, 2026. After arriving we noticed that the stove/oven was not operational. I received a text from JL stating that the stove/oven were damaged by the previous renters and they were workling on a replacement. The next day they brought a hot place & small air fryer. One burner on the hot plate did not work and the air fryer was too small to use on a family of 6 adults and 5 children. We spent over $800 in groceries prior to checking in, most of which required a stove/oven. Out family meal prepped our meals for the week due to dietary restrictions. Being without a working stove/oven and not being able to have hot meals for the first 4 days (nearly half of our stay ) substantially impacted both the value of our rental and our family's vacation experience. We ended up eating out the first 4 days. JL instructed us to send an email and they would forward it on to the owner with our concerns. Given the inconvenience, additional food expenses, and inability to use the home as advertised, we requested a fair financial compensation from the owner. We received an email back from the owner offering us $300, less than 2% of what we rented the house for. I responded that this amount was an insult to our family and to give the $300 to charity. In my initial email to the owner, I did not mention the fact that this house was not clean. I simply wanted to be compensated for the additional expense were incurred due to the lack of working stove. After received the owners response with the insulting amount of money offered, I feel it is important to expose how unclean we found the home when we arrived. Two of the bath tubs were stained, appearing not to have been cleaned. Mold was also noted in the bathroom. There was yellow stain on one of the bed’s comforters as well as a funky smell. In the kitchen, two of the cutting boards were severely stained with black & brown markings. I bought bleach an cleaned them. The cookie sheets were had caked on grease and were nasty. There was a broom & mop in the laundry closet that were moldy, which made the laundry closest smell horrible. We ended up buying a broom to clean the kitchen floor from debris that was left by previous renters. The vacuum tank hadn’t been emptied when we went to use it. There were 7 forks and 3 teaspoons for us to use, hardly enough for a home that sleeps at least 10 people. Again, we had to buy plastic forks and spoons. The most concerning was the infestation of roaches. I grew up in South Florida, so I am aware that roaches can be an issue in the south. However, with proper cleaning and regular professional extermination, the infestation can be managed. It is clear the owner does not care about his property’s reputation. We will return to OXB, however, I will be sure to investigate the actual owner of the next property we rent. I do know who the owner of this home is, and I will be sure to not ever rent any of his properties. Finding the actual owner of a property, even if it is in an LLC is quite easy with a little investigation. “Our Happy Place” 617 managed by Joe Lamb, Jr was not a happy experience.


