Island Realty

Best to avoid Island Realty. We rented from them for one year and were assured that if we left the house in good condition we would receive the full security deposit. We found out from the neighbors--too late, alas--that every tenant in that house had been swindled out of their security deposit by Island Realty. They'll tell you what you need to do to get the security deposit back, but once you've moved out, they claim they have 30 days to do as many inspections as they want and find as many problems as they want. They won't give you a chance to respond or to fix anything. Eventually you'll get a tiny check with the remainder of the deposit--maybe 50 bucks, maybe 100 bucks--and they've spent the rest on various upgrades that weren't in the contrast. Of course they assume that it's not a large enough amount for people to hire a lawyer, and most people just drop it and walk away. Island Realty is a pro at this sort of scheme. If you do any business with these guys, remember to take pictures of everything, get everything in writing, and save any correspondence. They also have a habit of losing the check-in sheet so that they have no record of what wasn't working when you moved in. Beware! Pros: big player in the market Cons: dishonest, deceitful, untrustworthy--stay away! more

We have been going on vacation with our friends for the past 12 years and have never had an experience like the one we had the week of August 12, 2007. When we arrived at the house we were to spend the next week , we were greeted with a pile of brush and tree limbs that had been placed next to the drive way. Upon entering the house we seen cobwebs hanging from the light fixtures and dead insects laying next to the base boards. There were live silver fish in the bathrooms next to the toilets and in the tubs and showers. Insects such as centipedes, spiders, ants, etct... crawling throught out the house. The counters were dirty, furniture dusty, floors filthy, and the carpet needed a good shampooing. Trash was even found under one bed. The pool had not been cleaned. Leaves were floating on top and laying on the bottom of pool, and pool area needed swept. This place needed a full blown cleaning from top to bottom and a visit from an exterminator. Pros: Could of been a nice place to stay - House was cute - Private pool Cons: Dirty - Needs Exterminated more

Last weekend we rented a small ocean front condo from Island Realty. The receptionist who checked us in was surly. The unit was a disaster! Read on: Pros: lots of properties to choose from Cons: some units are unlivable; terrible to be stuck in one on your vacation! more