1. Better Beach Rentals

0

Oak Island, NC

Cancel

Open app

Search

Better Beach Rentals

2.1 (264 reviews)
Closed • 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Better Beach Rentals Photos

Recommended Reviews - Better Beach Rentals

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Water stain where water was leaking in bedroom

1-Star Review -- $5,000 for Four Nights and This Was the Condition of the House. Our experience with Better Beach Rentals was extremely disappointing, and I would strongly caution anyone considering spending thousands of dollars on one of their Oak Island rentals. We paid approximately $5,000 for just four nights. For that price, we expected a clean, properly maintained and reasonably well-kept vacation home. The photos of the rental from the website looked great. Instead, we encountered multiple problems that significantly affected our stay. Among the problems we documented were: A damaged electrical outlet with visible damage/opening around the outlet cover. Most HVAC vents had extensive brown/orange staining and corrosion, along with staining around the surrounding wall. A refrigerator that was not functioning properly. Water leaking through the roof in a bedroom. A strong mold/musty smell inside the house. Tiles around the pool had fallen off and not been repaired. One of the mattress covers for a bed had a stain. The sign for the pool was torn down and laying in the ground. The trash can was broken. We documented the condition with photographs and reported the problems to Better Beach Rentals. What is particularly frustrating is that we were already at the property when these problems became apparent, leaving us in the position of either trying to deal with the problems during our vacation or attempting to find alternative accommodations after spending approximately $5,000. We stayed three nights and left a day early, but that does not mean the problems were acceptable. After the rental, I contacted Better Beach Rentals and requested a $2,500 refund based on the problems we experienced. Rather than addressing the situation in a meaningful way, they offered only $500. I later offered to settle the matter for $1,250. After sending that proposal, I waited two weeks without receiving a response. That is extremely disappointing customer service. Once they have your money it is very difficult to get them to respond to emails. The issue isn't that a vacation rental had one small maintenance problem. The issue is the combination of multiple documented property deficiencies, the amount we paid, the impact those problems had on our stay, and the way the complaint was handled afterward. When someone pays $5,000 for four nights, they should reasonably expect the property to be properly maintained and the rental company to take serious complaints seriously. The photographs speak for themselves. These are not complaints about whether we liked the furniture or whether the house wasn't exactly what we expected. They show visible maintenance/condition issues that should have been addressed. I would not rent from Better Beach Rentals again based on this experience. Anyone considering booking with them should do their homework, carefully inspect the property immediately upon arrival, and photograph and document everything before settling in. $5,000 for four nights is a substantial amount of money. In my opinion, the condition we encountered and the company's response afterward did not come close to justifying that price. Very disappointing experience from beginning to end. 1 star because they don't let you give 0 stars.

Linens

Don't let the photos fool you: the finishes and fixtures at this house are the cheapest possible plastic, the treads on the main stairway have huge holes in them, and the cookware in the kitchen is extremely limited (several appliances on the listing are missing parts). We arrived at check-in to discover that there were no linens on any of the beds, no towels in the bathrooms, and no toilet paper or paper towels (not even a starter amount). When I called Better Beach Rentals about this, they delivered these big bags of towels and sheets and just dumped them by the outside door. If you are looking for quality, this is not it!

Leg to the bench on the porch

See all

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

15 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Nick C.
129
17
1

7 months ago

They've really gone down hill. Have been using them for about 10 years. This time around, communication was absolutely terrible.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Great company to work with ! I have used them numerous times. They consistently handled any issues that arose.

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Rental canceled less than a week from arrival due to having a documented service animal for a disabled veteran.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

The home was clean and beautiful! The view is amazing and close access to the beach! We will be staying again.

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Lynn H.
0
43
18

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

5 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Jeff L.
57
27
27

5 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of G S.
0
2
0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Julie E.

Julie E.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 7

Ask the Community - Better Beach Rentals

Review Highlights - Better Beach Rentals

“The inverted layout is perfect with 2 sets of bunk rooms on bottom floor with parent bedrooms on same floor!”

Mentioned in 4 reviews

Read more highlights

Margaret Rudd & Associates - MR&A was chosen as a "Golden Pineapple" winner by the Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce.

Margaret Rudd & Associates

2.1(30 reviews)
0.3 mi

Do not rent Oak Island Beach Villa unit 1408…read more Seasoned user of VRBO and Airbnb with bookings from Long Beach CA, Nantucket, Prague, Paris, New Orleans, Cape Cod... tallied 16 over the past 20 years. I also rented out my lake house 6 weeks a year for a decade. I've never rented a place (this one through Margaret Rudd, Oak Island NC) this bad. There were several that were less money, either ocean front or ocean view- I took the more expensive one thinking it has to be great... wrong. Upon inspecting what I needed to cook one breakfast and one dinner for 30, almost all staying in the village, I opened the first drawer and tossed the dirty egg-caked spatula into the sink. Cabinet by cabinet, assessing what I need, it became quite apparent there was nothing there but pots, pans and silverware. This place is worn out my friends. What it has: a nice view, decent internet and a newer small stack washer/dryer. What it DOES NOT HAVE: A coffee filter, A paper towel, A drop of dish soap to clean the dirty spatula, A salt shaker, A pepper shaker, A drop of cleaning spray for the counter, A napkin, A single thing to cook with (spice, cooking oil, condiments etc), A washer pod, A mini hotel soap bar (18 cents btw), A working slider to the master bedroom balcony -you get the point. It's as if the place is stripped bare after every rental and leftovers sold at a flea market once a month. Our group had 5 other rentals within the village and I asked to take a quick walkthrough of each- to my dismay, they were at least lightly stocked with some basics if not fully stocked. Keurig pods, cleaning products, paper towels, toilet paper, cooking supplies like salt, pepper, spices, cooking oil etc. Was I expected to go buy any and all basic items for the week only to hop back on a plane and leave it all there? Not a chance - I gave it all away versus having the next renters think the owners or MR gives a crap about the tenants. Two bars hotel soap 36 cents, coffee filters 4 cents per x7, a small dish soap $2.50, a cheap counter cleaner $3.50, a washer pod 43 cents, a roll of paper towels 75 cents, plastic salt and pepper shaker $1.50 blah blah blah. At $2,600 a week, the owners need not extract every damn nickel from this rental. Seriously, $3.00 per rental period would more than cover some basics and a few bucks for some cheap beach towels. After looking at the range hood, the rusty oven and the microwave, I canceled making any food in this condo as I had promised. Is the thought "vintage", "quaint", "throwback" or "retro"? C'mon, I looked up the serial number on the microwave- 1984 Happy Birthday, you are 40! And rusty, gross and lacking a carousel of course. Do a search how long microwave ovens should be used for- 10 years. Old rusty mirrors in bathrooms, an old 10 foot junked curtain support rod sticking out from under the couch, a non-working door to the master bedroom ocean view patio, weather strip coming off front door, mangled deteriorating rugs- can go on forever -see photos. In summary, I've been a landlord to a rental property and deep in renting houses, condos and apartments. I've seen several other units in the village, all less expensive and they at least have some basics if not ready to fully accommodate renters. Oh, beach front rental with NO beach chairs, NO beach towels, NO cooler - nada- nothing to accommodate a renter at this price point. When I contacted MR about beach towels before arriving, the response was Rudd Information From:information@rudd.com To:E Mon, Jul 1 at 12:36 PM Good Afternoon, After looking into OIBV 1408, this property does not provide Beach Towels/ Beach Chairs/ Beach Toy's/ and or a Beach Cart. However on the day of check in you will need to stop by our office and pick up your parking pass and your pool pass. Sincerely, Jennifer MRA Guest Services Property Management & Vacation Rentals Margaret Rudd & Associates, Inc., REALTORS Thanks Captain Obvious - the reason for my inquiry regarding towels, chairs etc is that none were listed on the site!. Good lord - how about letting me know where I might rent such items for the week. No one has ever asked this? Anti-helpful. Shame on me for not digging deeper when I looked on the MR site and there were no reviews for this place while there were for all or most of the other units. They were likely so heinous, especially for this price point, they were taken down or never posted. I, however, DID post this review to the MR website when asked to do so via email when we got back. In a shocker, IT WAS NEVER POSTED ON THEIR SITE linked to unit 1408... and there are still no reviews. Some might say the owner responsible here and MR is not to blame. However, MR represents this property, has it in their inventory and takes a fee for every rental. There has to be some accountability and quality control measures to make sure rentals are up to some sort of standard, especially for higher price points

These people clearly don't care about their customers. Pool has been out of order ALL week and…read morenobody cares to even tell us before we got there. I look for pool availability while booking and when we get here they tell us that they have nothing to do with it when in fact they use it as a selling point. The place is great but don't go thru Rudd because they don't care how you feel!!!

Photos
Margaret Rudd & Associates
Margaret Rudd & Associates
Margaret Rudd & Associates

See all

Coastal Vacation Resorts - The Coastal Vacation Resorts Oak Island office

Coastal Vacation Resorts

1.4(21 reviews)
0.3 mi

Oak Island, Barefoot Pelican. The location of the home was…read moreperfect but sadly was not maintained well. Within an hour of being there, our feet were black from the floors, obviously not swept/ mopped. The place looked picked up but not actually cleaned well. Then the roaches started coming out. When we checked in, without prompting, they told us they just sprayed for roaches. This might have been true but the amount of SMALL and big roaches we saw was unacceptable, even for being at the beach! I lived at the beach for five years and never experienced so many roaches. On the last night we had family members leave because they had roaches in their bed. When we reached out about the issue it took them over 24 hours to respond. Will not be booking through this rental company again!

Avoid 1 Fish 2 Fish & CVROI - Filthy Home, Cockroach Infestation, and Poor Service…read more We rented 1 Fish 2 Fish for the week of Sept 13-20, 2025. The listing advertised a "beautiful new home" -- what we got was filthy, infested, and absolutely not as advertised. The home had stained linens (what looked like urine), black mold in bathrooms, hair in showers, sticky furniture, and dirty dishes. When a deep clean was finally done, it disrupted hundreds of cockroaches, making the home uninhabitable. We had to get a hotel for safety and hygiene. The emergency line was not answered, and customer service was dismissive throughout. We were eventually refunded (minus insurance), but only after repeatedly chasing and being treated like we were the problem. I do not recommend this property or working with CVROI -- their customer service is slow, unhelpful, and defensive, even in situations involving health hazards.

Photos
Coastal Vacation Resorts
Coastal Vacation Resorts - Breathe in the fresh ocean air on a warm summer day on Oak Island!

Breathe in the fresh ocean air on a warm summer day on Oak Island!

Coastal Vacation Resorts - See beautiful lighthouses during your stay at the beach!

See all

See beautiful lighthouses during your stay at the beach!

Better Beach Rentals - vacationrentalagents - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...