homes rented not as advertised

[bobbiw217@gmail.com]

A friend of mine recently rented a home here in TV. It was a dump, no where near as advertised. The owner had posted what he said were comments from past renters, all glowingly acknowledging what a wonderful place he had and how it was missing nothing. Bed was a mattress on a box spring and with a dust cover in place of the bedspread, tv did not work, rusted appliances, all in pictures he advertised as being like new. Can my friend sue him for false advertising or at the least, bait and switch?

[njbchbum]

Anyone can sue anyone for anything...why not contact a lawyer?

[Marathon Man]

....

[charmed59]

It does sound like fraud. Go talk to the local police at one of the rec center stations and see what they think.

[Chatbrat]

Civil matter, police will not get involved--sue them for "provable" damages

[graciegirl]

This is a forum with anonymity. Anyone can say anything. I am skeptical. Never in fourteen years have I heard anything even close. Rusted appliances? A TV that doesn't work? Sounds real fishy to me.

[vintageogauge]

This is a forum with anonymity. Anyone can say anything. I am skeptical. Never in fourteen years have I heard anything even close. Rusted appliances? A TV that doesn't work? Sounds real fishy to me.

Agree Gracie, sounds more like he rented near The Villages but you never know. Maybe he'll post the address and what village it is in.

[EdFNJ]

A friend of mine recently rented a home here in TV. It was a dump, no where near as advertised. The owner had posted what he said were comments from past renters, all glowingly acknowledging what a wonderful place he had and how it was missing nothing. Bed was a mattress on a box spring and with a dust cover in place of the bedspread, tv did not work, rusted appliances, all in pictures he advertised as being like new. Can my friend sue him for false advertising or at the least, bait and switch?
How long was the rental for? Did "your friend" call the person who rented it to him/her to complain? What did the owner say? If it is unlivable he should take lots of pictures, pack up and leave, look for another place then sue the owner in small claims court. As Judge Judy always says (paraphrased), "if you eat the steak you have to pay for it."

[Craig Vernon]

I cannot speak to this persons experience, I however can speak for my own. I have rented two privately owned properties in TV one in Virginia Trace and one in Hemingway. They were both exceptional properties. Sorry this persons experience was not equal to mine.

[charmed59]

The crimes against seniors ad they show in the movie theaters does encourage folks to give the sheriffs a call if someone swindled them out of something. In this case, they would be a good place to go to see if they have a reasonable complaint.

[charmed59]

I have a rental here in the villages. Many a guest has expressed they were so happy the house was better than the pictures, as they had experiences that weren’t good. So I guess it does happen that the pictures are misleading.

[Two Bills]

Loath to accuse anyone of telling Porkie Pies, but!

In 20+ years of renting in TV. we have never seen or heard of anything like that.
The worse thing we ever faced was a four foot ornamental, scrap metal chicken in the lounge, and wind chimes'
Both of which we dealt with PDQ.
Garage for one, and selotape for the second!

[bobbiw217@gmail.com]

The home in question was on sebring street, village of Hadley, #1792 on villagers4rent.com, the owner was notified, man he sent to look at place said hanging drapes could not be fixed, door handle broken off could not be repaired, looked all over house for missing outdoor furniture without success, replaced RUSTY TOASTER and RUSTY COFFEE MAKER immediately without comment, said tv not working properly because of receiver, also noted that broken clock was in wrong place and said he had mentioned all to owner, said rental was misrepresented after being shown BED and pictures in ad. Renter contacted 4 other rentals without success. Being aged almost 90 and traveling for 3 days, they decided to stay. I have pictures and emails of EVERYTHING but do not know how to post them.Villagers4rent does not reply to complaints nor even have a mailing address. Also the a/c spewed water over the garage resulting in the renter being fearful of getting electrocuted from the standing water.

[John_W]

VH4R (https://www.villagershomes4rent.com/prm_104/viewlisting.php?id=1792)

https://www.villagershomes4rent.com/prm_104/gallery/30311.jpg

https://www.villagershomes4rent.com/prm_104/gallery/30310.jpg

[pklein9747]

The home in question was on sebring street, village of Hadley, #1792 on villagers4rent.com, the owner was notified, man he sent to look at place said hanging drapes could not be fixed, door handle broken off could not be repaired, looked all over house for missing outdoor furniture without success, replaced RUSTY TOASTER and RUSTY COFFEE MAKER immediately without comment, said tv not working properly because of receiver, also noted that broken clock was in wrong place and said he had mentioned all to owner, said rental was misrepresented after being shown BED and pictures in ad. Renter contacted 4 other rentals without success. Being aged almost 90 and traveling for 3 days, they decided to stay. I have pictures and emails of EVERYTHING but do not know how to post them.Villagers4rent does not reply to complaints nor even have a mailing address. Also the a/c spewed water over the garage resulting in the renter being fearful of getting electrocuted from the standing water.

We live on Sebring St. There is no #1792. The numbers on Sebring begin at 2321 and end at 2356. Nothing close to 1792. Nothing even close to 1792 within all of Keystone Villas. Something is not right here!

[retiredguy123]

A friend of mine recently rented a home here in TV. It was a dump, no where near as advertised. The owner had posted what he said were comments from past renters, all glowingly acknowledging what a wonderful place he had and how it was missing nothing. Bed was a mattress on a box spring and with a dust cover in place of the bedspread, tv did not work, rusted appliances, all in pictures he advertised as being like new. Can my friend sue him for false advertising or at the least, bait and switch?
In my opinion,

Can they sue the owner? Yes.

Is it worth doing? No.

[Tom53]

1792 is the property number on thevillagers4rent website.

[Fredman]

How long did they stay? If they stayed for the entire time of the rental agreement I don’t think they have a legal recourse. By staying they accepted the conditions. Should have rented a hotel room long enough to rest up and make the 3 day trip home. Then they might have had a law suit. But instead they ate the steak and it was not good.

[CWGUY]

The home in question was on sebring street, village of Hadley, #1792 on villagers4rent.com, the owner was notified, man he sent to look at place said hanging drapes could not be fixed, door handle broken off could not be repaired, looked all over house for missing outdoor furniture without success, replaced RUSTY TOASTER and RUSTY COFFEE MAKER immediately without comment, said tv not working properly because of receiver, also noted that broken clock was in wrong place and said he had mentioned all to owner, said rental was misrepresented after being shown BED and pictures in ad. Renter contacted 4 other rentals without success. Being aged almost 90 and traveling for 3 days, they decided to stay. I have pictures and emails of EVERYTHING but do not know how to post them.Villagers4rent does not reply to complaints nor even have a mailing address. Also the a/c spewed water over the garage resulting in the renter being fearful of getting electrocuted from the standing water.

That's not the correct site name .....but close. Starts with villagershomes4rent

We live on Sebring St. There is no #1792. The numbers on Sebring begin at 2321 and end at 2356. Nothing close to 1792. Nothing even close to 1792 within all of Keystone Villas. Something is not right here!

You just misread it. I'm thinking it may be 2340...... maybe. :ho:

[Velvet]

The term 1792 is not the street address. It is a reference number by the web site.

[charmed59]

We live on Sebring St. There is no #1792. The numbers on Sebring begin at 2321 and end at 2356. Nothing close to 1792. Nothing even close to 1792 within all of Keystone Villas. Something is not right here!

1792 is the listing number on vh4r.com.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

If you google air bnb scams, you will find that there are some scams similar to this one. The people don't own the actual house and do some last minute substitutions, etc. And the way air bnb and some others have questionable refund policies, there are scams out there and they are very difficult to identify ahead of time.

I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam Run by Fake Hosts on Airbnb - VICE (https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/43k7z3/nationwide-fake-host-scam-on-airbnb)

sportsguy

[John_W]

Where do you all think the photos of the kitchen and living room came from? I put the link to the website in my post, #17.

Here's the link again, you don't need to know the address, the listing number or the website, just use this link.

VH4R (https://www.villagershomes4rent.com/prm_104/viewlisting.php?id=1792)

[MIskra]

We rented three times directly from Properties of The Villages. When we arrived in The Villages, we called someone from the red phone booth at the square (once we arrived in the middle of the night and still did the same). Someone from Properties of The Villages came to the square and personally escorted us to our rental. That person asked us to walk through the house and make sure everything was up to our expectations while he waited in the driveway. After our walkthrough and approval we signed a contract saying that we accepted the rental. We have had small issues of various things not working properly during our stay. We called the number that was provided to us and someone came and addressed the problem within a day. The Villages knows how you run a rental business!

[Dave2000]

Its to bad that someone would misrepresent their property, my advice is to deal with a broker, then when thing aren't right you may have some recourse.

[ColdNoMore]

Its to bad that someone would misrepresent their property, my advice is to deal with a broker, then when thing aren't right you may have some recourse.

Agreed. :thumbup:

It's also too bad, but all too common, that so many were so quick to jump on the OP...and all but call them a liar. :ohdear:

[Colby]

As a owner of a rental property here he has options. Did he go through a rental website? If so then contacting them will resolve the issue as his listing will be removed and refund will he issued. If it was directly through owner would assume there was some sort of contract involved regarding payment schedule, house rules, cancellation policy etc. There is usually language in those that protect renter if house does not provide items listed in advertising. I hope he can get resolved as hard to believe this type of scam could happen in an existing villages home.

[graciegirl]

Perhaps the OP can give us pictures of the inferior condition of this home. It certainly doesn't look like it is inferior. I don't know how appliances could rust? I can't think where they would rust. Maybe the dishwasher could have mold? But rust??? I see in the picture regular beds. Looks like a mattress and a box spring and a nice bedcover. Perhaps the bed wasn't made up. Were the linens to make it up provided?

Was the patio furniture found? It looks very nice in the pictures.

JohnW. Can you contact the OP and help him post pictures???

[PanamaKim]

The crimes against seniors ad they show in the movie theaters does encourage folks to give the sheriffs a call if someone swindled them out of something. In this case, they would be a good place to go to see if they have a reasonable complaint.

I agree, if the person renting the home is a senior, I would pursue that route. If not satisfied, then small claims court is the way to go, and it’s not hard to sue in small claims. I’m so sorry your friend had this bad experience. Most homeowners that rent seasonally are good, honest folks, but there are exceptions.

[Lyn Wagner]

My friend got scammed also. Talked to seniors verses crime and they said she could take him to small claims court. If she won the case it would be up to her to collect the money. Hahahah. Good luck.Couldnt even get him to answer the phone. Best thing to do is rent through the villages or friend referrals. Good luck. PS she also lost her $500.00 deposit. She had the old crappy golf cart charging and it started on fire. She called the fire department which arrived right away not much damaged was done. How ever the home owner tried to sue her for fire damages.

[ts12755]

There is a 1792 on sebring in TV.... type it in Google Maps it'll take you right to it

[wachteldepew]

We live on Sebring St. There is no #1792. The numbers on Sebring begin at 2321 and end at 2356. Nothing close to 1792. Nothing even close to 1792 within all of Keystone Villas. Something is not right here!

1792 appears to be the listing number assigned by villagershomes4rent.com and not the property address. It’s a courtyard villa. However, I have a rental in Collier and some of my renters have said others they stayed in were dirty and gross, so I believe her.

[NY2TV]

The post said 1782 was the listing # not the street address.

[justjim]

A friend of mine recently rented a home here in TV. It was a dump, no where near as advertised. The owner had posted what he said were comments from past renters, all glowingly acknowledging what a wonderful place he had and how it was missing nothing. Bed was a mattress on a box spring and with a dust cover in place of the bedspread, tv did not work, rusted appliances, all in pictures he advertised as being like new. Can my friend sue him for false advertising or at the least, bait and switch?

OP, Hindsight is “20/20” but if I was renting and had a good friend here in TV, I would ask them to “check it out” prior to making a commitment on the property. As others have posted, 98% of all rentals in TV, that I’ve heard of, are like their listing and in excellent condition. This is definitely an exception and not the rule.

[Syd2008]

I do not believe that the property number is the address. Just a random number assigned to property.

[CWGUY]

There is a 1792 on sebring in TV.... type it in Google Maps it'll take you right to it

It does. And it also says 2328 on the light post when you look closer. :ho:

[John_W]

Here it is again, the link to the listing, no numbers required, just click with your mouse.

VH4R (https://www.villagershomes4rent.com/prm_104/viewlisting.php?id=1792)

https://www.villagershomes4rent.com/prm_104/gallery/30306.jpg

[Gigi3000]

We really need the current pictures to further access the situation.

[Gigi3000]

Living in a major city, I have learned that videotaping EVERYTHING is my friend. If I even walk my dog around the block, I have my phone video rolling. If uneventful, I delete it after the walk. I would say this would be helpful in the villages. I would have videotaped the guy that came to repair the place. If someone even rings my doorbell. I have video running when I answer, IF I answer.

[OhioBuckeye]

We live on Sebring St. There is no #1792. The numbers on Sebring begin at 2321 and end at 2356. Nothing close to 1792. Nothing even close to 1792 within all of Keystone Villas. Something is not right here!

Sound like to me they got scammed!

[Carla B]

So many useless comments about there being no "1792" address. Reading threads from the beginning, not the end, would avoid the confusion..

[msilagy]

#1792 was the number for the rental property - not the street number on Sebring!

[chipd331]

A friend of mine recently rented a home here in TV. It was a dump, no where near as advertised. The owner had posted what he said were comments from past renters, all glowingly acknowledging what a wonderful place he had and how it was missing nothing. Bed was a mattress on a box spring and with a dust cover in place of the bedspread, tv did not work, rusted appliances, all in pictures he advertised as being like new. Can my friend sue him for false advertising or at the least, bait and switch?
if you paid with credit card you can contact them, (your cc company)they will most likely reimburse you for fraudulent advertising
unfortunately the owner of the house gets to keep the money also.
I would request a partial or total refund, if not take them to small claims court, now up to $10,000
make sure the renter has pictures and documented the home etc.

[LadyPenO]

Renting "site unseen" is taking a huge risk in this day & age. Scams on seniors is prevalent here in Florida. It pays to be vigilant. Small claims court may be the easiest way to go, and also report rental company to Better Business Bureau to put a stop to these scammers. VAR bnb scammed so many folks here in TV a year or two ago. I'm curious if they are out of business now?

[SouthJerseyGirl]

Read it again. That wasn’t the house number it was the rental listing number!

[cbmerl]

Look again.....the original poster said the unit # was #1792 on Villagers 4 rent....not the house number on Sebring. They did not say the house number on Sebring.

[newyorkmaya]

That 1792 probably refers to the ad number not the house number

[CWGUY]

:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

This ain't Rocket :loco: Surgery folks!

:rolleyes:

[HIgolfers]

That listing (# 1792) on the website had favorable "testimonials." But I did not see where this renter could post her own testimonial. DId I miss something? Not familiar with the website.

[Marathon Man]

So, is 1792 the address? (Sorry, couldn't resist)

[bpascani]

We live on Sebring St. There is no #1792. The numbers on Sebring begin at 2321 and end at 2356. Nothing close to 1792. Nothing even close to 1792 within all of Keystone Villas. Something is not right here!... ..... I think the #1792 is probably the listing number on the add. I'm guessing the person that posted this (the friend of whoever rented it) doesn't know the actual house number, just the village and street name.

[wmcgowan]

Sounds like they ate the steak (Judge Judyism). You should be able to contact the seller with your complaints and work something out. Otherwise - contact the credit card company and dispute the charge. Also - flame them on the internet, but you better have a solid case with photo evidence.

oakton_will

[Carla B]

1792. Wasn't that the turning point in the French Revolution?

[CWGUY]

So, is 1792 the address? (Sorry, couldn't resist)

:ho: No Bourbon! ;)

Award Winning Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | 1792 Bourbon (https://1792bourbon.com/)

[ColdNoMore]

So many useless comments about there being no "1792" address. Reading threads from the beginning, not the end, would avoid the confusion..

#1792 was the number for the rental property - not the street number on Sebring!

Read it again. That wasn’t the house number it was the rental listing number!

Look again.....the original poster said the unit # was #1792 on Villagers 4 rent....not the house number on Sebring. They did not say the house number on Sebring.

That 1792 probably refers to the ad number not the house number

... ..... I think the #1792 is probably the listing number on the add. I'm guessing the person that posted this (the friend of whoever rented it) doesn't know the actual house number, just the village and street name.



:1rotfl:...:1rotfl:...:1rotfl:

[bucky]

Hello Everyone,

It was brought to my attention today that this thread began so I felt it necessary to join as there are always two sides to every story. We are the owners of the courtyard villa in this thread.

Nine years ago my wife and I were introduced to The Villages by a client of mine and "drank the kool aid" as they say. One month later, after our first visit to The Villages, we purchased our turn key courtyard villa from the original owners who lived here. We also use our villa ourselves every January as "snowbirds." That being said we do not prefer to live in a "dump" so we feel our villa is a lovely home evidenced by over 70+ renters over 9 years of renting (many of them repeat renters) without any complaints until this one in this thread.

My wife and I travel a lot and have stayed at many different accommodations ranging from sub par and above so from our own experience we have always tried to maintain our rental at a standard above the average. Is it always perfect...no, as sometimes minor issues arise between our annual January visits that we're not aware of living 1200 miles away in the Midwest. However, each January when we're here, along with our local and very dedicated home watch throughout the year, we make improvements and maintain the same standards we would expect when we travel.

I received notice from this renter of their discontent on a number of things upon their arrival and immediately addressed them which I've listed below:

"Not as advertised" - I admit that the pictures on our site are from our original posting but only a few items have been changed but only to the better. We upgraded to a king size pillow top bed from a plain queen mattress; unfortunately the king did not come with a head or foot board but we felt it was worth the sacrifice for the upgrade. The bed is on a frame and with a new lovely bed spread to fit the new bed as pictured.

We had 2 lounge chairs years ago but over the years the FL sun took its toll and they deteriorated and we had to dispose of them but our entire patio set as posted is still looking great.

"TV did not work" - the TV was/is functional like it always has been, some simple training of the remote by our home watch and all was good.

"Rusty appliances" - the renter complained that the toaster and coffee maker were "rusty" which I immediately replaced in case some previous renters caused some damage I was not aware of.

"AC spewed water" - this was a clogged AC drain which happens often but obviously I was not aware of being 1200 miles away. It was easily fixed by the home watch.

I could continue with explanations of the other complaints the renter has posted but I hope that everyone can understand that there are two sides to each story as mentioned. All these minor issues were innocent and addressed immediately and we felt we had to defend ourselves as we are not sub par landlords or taking advantage of anyone. We love The Villages and our villa and soon will retire here. We would never want to diminish any of our renter's experience of The Villages by providing anything less than what we would expect from any rental ourselves.

Attached are pictures of our home this evening where I'm drafting this correspondence. Thank you for your time.

[Velvet]

To me it sounds like a bunch of little things that added up for a 90 year old and there was that last straw that broke the camel’s back.... At least there were no bed bugs, or sink holes. :)