u/True-Letter-8552

I’m wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience because I honestly feel stuck.

We own a short-term rental that’s managed by a property management company, and lately it feels like we’re the ones taking all the risk while the management company has very little incentive to protect the property.

We’ve had multiple bad guest experiences. One group booked with an occupancy limit of 8 guests but ended up having 30+ people at the house. The rental agreement specifically prohibits parties and events, so this was a direct violation of the contract. During their stay, they also ignored a clearly posted “NO TRESPASSING – DANGER” sign and tore down the barrier around a balcony that was under construction because it wasn’t safe to access.

A different group moved our personal property so they could park where they wanted, took our designated owner parking space (which is there so we can quickly access the property if maintenance is needed), drove onto our landscaping, and even dented our garage.

What has been even more frustrating is how the management company has handled everything. From our perspective, they seem much more focused on avoiding conflict with guests and keeping reviews positive than enforcing the rental agreement or taking safety concerns seriously. They haven’t made us feel like they’re advocating for us or doing much to make the situation right.

We signed with a management company because we wanted professionals making sure the property was being cared for, guests were following the rules, and safety issues were taken seriously. Instead, we feel trapped in a system where guests can violate the rental agreement, ignore safety precautions, damage the property, and leave us with the bill.

Has anyone else had an experience like this? Is this just how property management works, or should we expect more from a company that’s supposed to be looking out for our property? Any advice would be appreciated, I feel taken advantage of and don’t know what to do.