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    Construction next to the house, across from Pinehurst beach access.

    Staying at this beach house was a disappointing experience. We contributed to the realtor's business with our rental, but they did not support us with a relaxing week. The beach is gorgeous and the house is a comfortable well-located 80s time capsule showing some age, with the hotel next door under construction. Fortunately, it was on the other side of the Pinehurst beach access, so while we did hear noise, other than the jackhammering a few days and the large machinery moving around, we could ignore much of it. It was less intrusive than what we experienced the previous year staying next to a house being built. That was a grating experience despite the really nice house, and I could not wait to leave. So this year, a few week before our rental, I started with the question whether there was construction near the house. I received a comment that they couldn't predict all construction, but none was planned. The first answer the realtor representative gave when I referenced the earlier conversation was that there wasn't construction yet, and possibly the busy construction site at the beginning of April was started after I asked in mid March. When I pointed out the short timeframe, the realtor's answer changed that they were unaware of construction. Considering the lack of inspection, as no one caught the broken toilet seat (replaced in a day) among cosmetic defects, it is possible no one had been at the house to check its condition. We learned Vrbo (the rental source) did not consider this to to be inaccurate information as they do not consider anything outside the property limits to have any bearing on the state of the actual property. The realtor also sent their policy that they aren't liable for any disruptions. Vrbo did nothing to improve the current vacation, only a small credit toward a future rental. The construction was inevitable, so we made the best of things as they were. Since no one would book a house with a worksite next door, so it only made sense to keep construction from prospective renters, either through inaccuracy or by ignoring any issues around the rental property so the realtor could deny knowledge. In one review rebuttal, the realtor stated "the home itself remained available and as advertised during your reservation dates" meaning loud construction is not a reason for them to discount or remove the listing. There is no shortage of new people to rent houses, so no incentive for realtors to disclose information about neighborhood noise. Paying to stay next to a construction site is not my idea of a great vacation. After two years, we know we cannot expect help from realtors: their policies incentivize not revealing a poor situation as there is no way for a renter to escape other than by abandoning a paid rental. Vrbo will not help with anything outside the house. The towns post about their planned projects, but there is no other way to determine any other construction projects, so for planning purposes, we have to generalize that there is enough being built in the outer banks that we will no longer visit, which will sadly end a long string of stays. Kees may be typical of other realtors in the area, but they are a known issue and we will avoid them. I will resort to Vrbo only if preferred alternatives don't have good options. So buyer beware. It would have been useful to know to look for reviews of the realtor, not just the house, although two years in a row, it may just be the area. Also, to know that my window for a review on Vrbo would close quickly enough this information is not included with the house (Sunny Days). I hope this review helps at least a few people avoid similar unpleasant experiences, even if the realtor gives their standard rebuttal regretting our "stay did not meet expectations," or people tell me to just be happy about jackhammering or go vacation elsewhere, which we will.

    Bed Bug Egg

    We used Kees Vacations last year and had a great experience, which is why we trusted them again this year. Unfortunately, that trust was completely broken. When we arrived at the rental this year, I was stung by a wasp at the entrance due to an active nest. Then we found dog feces and urine in the garage. Despite that, we tried to make the best of it -- until we found what appeared to be bed bugs on the mattress. We took photos and reported it immediately. Kees sent pest control, who spent less than 15 minutes on-site, dismissed the bug, and threw it away without documentation. We were never offered alternate accommodations or any meaningful support. Eventually, we had no choice but to leave the property and spend $2,500 out of pocket to secure a clean, safe place for our family -- especially for our children. I tried to work directly with Kees management and even contacted their CEO. I provided evidence, remained respectful, and asked for a refund. They ultimately refused, even after a second inspection was conducted after we had already left. They later told me they would no longer speak to me by phone because I had shared my experience publicly. This was not just a customer service failure -- it was a complete disregard for guest safety and accountability. We made every effort to resolve this privately, but the company simply did not care once they had been paid. If you're planning to book through Kees Vacations, please be aware of how they may treat you when something goes wrong. We saved for this trip and wanted nothing more than a clean, safe place to spend time with our family. What we got instead was disappointment, added expenses, and no resolution.

    Filthy deck furniture. moldy and you can see how dirty the cloth is

    If I could give less than zero, I would. We booked this home through Marriott, expecting Marriott quality. Instead, we got Kees Vacations -- a company that doesn't inspect, maintain, or manage its properties with even basic professionalism. The online listing shows a clean, updated home. In reality, the photos are outdated and don't reflect its condition. The house was dirty, disorganized, and clearly uninspected. On arrival: 1 dishwasher was full of clean dishes from a prior guest; the other had a broken top rack and standing water. 3rd was non working. The kitchen had no potholders, dish towels, scissors, or trash bags. We used washcloths to handle hot pans and had to buy cleaning supplies and bags ourselves. No soap/shampoo in bathrooms. 1 was missing TP. The third-floor deck furniture was filthy and moldy. The "fully equipped" kitchen was a mess of mismatched, filthy cookware and sticky utensils. For a house that sleeps 18, there weren't any teaspoons or enough forks for one meal. Several outside lights were out, and one stool was broken. Screens were off-track, allowing flies inside -- there's literally a vase full of fly swatters on the counter. The pool was the worst part. It was dirty, full of sand and cigarette butts, and stone-cold -- obviously never serviced before check-in despite the contract stating it would be. We paid for a heated pool, but it never got above 75°F. I have photos showing the same temperature all week. The pool tech didn't arrive until mid-afternoon Monday, gave no apology or explanation, and left without follow-up. The so-called "private beach access" was unusable because the stairs were completely buried in sand. The house next door had theirs cleared, proving this was neglect, not nature. More pix. The TV situation was absurd. Most bedroom TVs didn't work or lacked remotes, one was completely broken, and there were no instructions. Each TV used only streaming services -- meaning we had to use personal accounts just to get basic channels. The Kees technician confirmed one TV was broken and admitted inspections are inconsistent. I reported everything immediately Monday morning (text at 8:20, call at 9:30). The only issue actually resolved was a pile of broken glass in the driveway. I was repeatedly told they rely on "third-party" vendors and could not say when anyone would come. What made this even worse was how I was treated. Rather than addressing the problems, Kees implied I was being dishonest: They said a staff member saw our dog in the pool -- false, and there were no staff on site. They said I never registered with a pet -- I sent two emails proving I did. They said the pool company was there Sunday and everything was fine -- but no one came, and my photo proof shows the water temperature never changed. The entire property reflects poor management and zero quality control: dented appliances, warped outdoor furniture, stained carpet, missing supplies, and a filthy outdoor shower area full of discarded junk. Even the "waterfall feature" pictured online doesn't work. We paid thousands for a "luxury beach house" that had no beach access, an unusable pool, broken TVs, and minimal response from management. Our refund request was brushed off, and Kees called their token offer "fair." It wasn't. We've been loyal Marriott Bonvoy and timeshare owners for 40 years and have never encountered a property so misrepresented or a management company so unprofessional. Marriott should seriously reconsider allowing Kees Vacations to carry its name -- it damages their reputation and deceives guests.

    Broken AC
    Stephanie P.

    The update here is that Kees Vacation offered a couple hundred dollars of hush money with the caveat that we not share what a horrible experience we had. 1) I didn't think that type of response or compensation met the need. This is a bait and switch, nothing less. 2) this offer came days/weeks after our stay and numerous complaints, so I'd already posted. A couple days after the offer it was rescinded because the found my social media post. No regrets. I hope it saves someone else. Also, someone reached out to me this month (almost a year later) with the same experience. No lessons learned by the owners or Kees.

    My family stayed at a property on Colonial beach rd in Jarvisburg 6/15-6/22. Upon arrival the house was not well cleaned. There were bugs in the entryway, in the kitchen and on the living room carpet. There was also a large glob of hair in the master bathroom shower and overall the place just was not as well cleaned as you would expect for a rental. I reached out to Kees via their number they text from and they did offer to send the cleaners back out. But after driving all day no one wants housekeeping in your space when it should have been done properly prior to our arrival. The home also advertises about being able to "work while on vacation" but the internet is spotty at best. It went out multiple times a day during our stay. Resetting the router did not help. The water in every faucet including the tubs (of which the secondary bathroom did not drain) smells horrible, like rotten eggs. It smelled like this the entirety of our stay. The gas grill also was not left with a full tank of propane which made grilling out quite complicated. The house is advertised as sleeping 10 but only has 2 small trash cans outside. The trash was not removed from the property the whole week we were there. My biggest complaint is the fact that the house was advertised with having a private fishing dock and a private boat dock. The private fishing dock has since been removed from their listing. But at the time of booking and during our stay the listing still said both (I have screenshots of the listing). On the day of our arrival I asked about the location of the docks via the text number. I was told that they would look into it. Then the next day I was told there was a fishing dock for us to use. When I asked about the location they said they were reaching out to upper management and would get back to me. On Tuesday I still had not gotten a response so I asked again which was left unanswered all week. I also called the office and left a voicemail, all of which went unanswered and unreturned. The docks are a huge amenity that I'm sure was a factor in the price we paid for the rental. To have them not available to us and then to be ignored by Kees is unprofessional an inexcusable. Our family will never rent from Kees again.

    Unsafe Stairs
    Jeanne M.

    Our family rented from KEES and stayed at the Beach Runner in Duck, NC from 8/14-21. The first thing we noticed was the location. It was great! It was an easy walking distance to both the town and the beach. There was a beach wagon in the storage area we made use of almost daily. The backyard pool was the perfect size for our little group. One of the plastic chairs was broken as was the umbrella but it didn't prevent us from enjoying the pool. These were the only good things I have to say about our stay at Beach Runner. As soon as we arrived we noticed that the iron circular stairway was outdated and the balusters were farther apart than is legally code ( 4 ") by today's standards. Our grandsons could have easily slipped through these and seriously hurt themselves.The owners provided two baby gates, but one was broken and neither one fit the stairs, so we spent the day jury-rigging the railings with cardboard pieces that we weaved in and out of the balusters to close them up. It didn't look pretty but that seemed to work for the week. The next thing we noticed was that when just two of us were on the back deck, we could feel a lot of shaking and movement. We looked under the deck and realized there was no bracing between the posts and the ledger board was attached to the house with nails and not bolts. The two decks in front both used bolts to attach to the house and we never felt any movement on them. We also noticed a cracked baluster that if leaned on could easily break. All in all, we felt that this back deck was too dangerous to ever use. The next thing was the cleanliness, or lack of. Carpets dirty and spotted, hair on baskets,stains on kitchen potholders, dust on bathroom decor. We even found a nail clipper on the floor in the living room! Just gross. When we arrived, the bathroom outlets did not work . We later found out that a GFI outlet had been tripped so it was an easy fix but still we had to call maintenance to find that out. There were four televisions in the house. When we arrived we had trouble getting any local stations on the living room TV. We hadn't even tried the bedroom TV's yet. A nice maintenance man came out to check (and also reset the bathroom GFI's). One TV was totally broken, and two needed new remotes which we were promised replacements but never received. Let's talk about the kitchen... There were four of us at BeachRunner who drink coffee so before bed someone usually prepared the pot so that in the morning, the first one up can just push the button to start the brew. The first morning, I pushed the button and waited for the coffee to brew. I noticed water all over the counter but didn't put two and two together that the coffee pot was broken and water leaked all over the counter. Oh and ants, ants on the kitchen counter and even in the dishwasher. Oh, and a broken utensil holder, just laying there on the counter. The only wine glasses in the house were plastic ones and no one wanted to drink a fine glass of wine from a plastic goblet . We went to Dollar General and purchased wine glasses to enjoy our evening wine. We ended up leaving the glasses at the house for the next renters to enjoy their wine from. Then one day as we were preparing to go to the beach with our grandchildren, we noticed seven nails sticking out about an inch from two posts by the driveway. These nails were about three feet off the ground, just the right height to injure a child or gouge someone's leg if run into. We found a nearby rock and pounded the nails into the post so no one would get hurt. Our first trip to the Outer Banks was quite memorable. We thought we would spend the week relaxing and enjoying our time together. The only time we did enjoy our time was when we were NOT at the house. The beach was fun, the location of the house was great but we will NEVER rent from KEES again and will tell anyone who asks how terrible this house was.

    This is one of the better web covered doors. I was too afraid to open the other doors to get photos of the others
    Cookee P.

    The staff was friendly and had timely responses to messages. Unfortunately, whoever they contract for maintenance/cleaning does subpar work. Please note: 1) Our property was pretty much ant infested. There was no space without challenge. They were in bathroom sinks, on furniture, inside of the dishwasher (empty - no dirty dishes). We kept the home clean with intent to avoid more ants because we had an infant in the house. We kept her clean bottles in the fridge (tip) 2) Entry doors are covered in cob webs and spiders. Picture a vacant, historical home that has been unattended. We are not concerned with some bugs, but collectively, this becomes a lot when paying for a vacation home. We had some texts with Kees reassuring us that the doorways would be cleaned, but no one ever came. We could not use the patios because the doors were covered with spiders and we ducked whenever entering the home. Even the light fixtures are covered. 3) Also, the mattresses desperately need to. be replaced. There are loud and uncomfortable. We had many nights where the baby would wake up in her bassinet if we had to move after putting her down. Update: If you take a risk and decide to use one of their properties, please know that documentation is key. Please take EVERY picture you can, or you will get an email stating that their inspection does not "match up" with your complaint. As if I thought it was a good use of my time to make all of this up?? The lack of accountability is unbelievable and even more surprising since I exchanged several messages with the staff while we were still there asking for them to come. Who questions the staff who claims they came, but never showed up? We tried to give the property the benefit of the doubt as we know it is a busy rental area. We often try not to complain, however, once we raised an issue because their staff did not show up as promised, we escalated our concerns. What an awful response.

    Missing door lock
    Jim G.

    BUYER'S BEWARE. We just got back from a vacation in OBX and rented the Royal Palace inKill Devils Hills. The list of issues is very long: 1. Mold/mildew in showers (in general unclean) 2. Door locks broken and some doors locks were missing (unable to lock the unit) 3. Outdoor kiddie pool had bricks broken and in complete disrepair (hazardous area for small children) no response to pictures sent for repair request. Obviously, with the weeds growing around the misplaced bricks it's been like this for a long time. 4. Broken pool furniture 5. Unclean and hazardous bbq grill (almost burned the house down due to grease fire) we left a note to warn next renters DO NO USE THE GRILL UNTIL REPLACED OR CLEANED 6. Dishwasher leaked 7. Not enough silverware for 20 people. 8. kitchen not well appointed 9. 2nd floor bedroom, adjacent to laundry room has hazardous electrical outlets not working and in disrepair. Outlet is falling out of the wall. EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS 10. WIFI (INTERNET ACCESS) WAS HORRIBLE 11. Towel package included with rental was inadequate and the quality of the towels was horrible.. 12. The house was infested with roaches. 13. THE GATE TO THE OCEAN WAS BROKEN AS WELL. For a unit that costs a lot for a week, the maintenance on the unit is horrible. This is the 2nd year in a row we rented the house and it will be our last. Under Carolina Designs the house was well maintained, appointed and any items were quickly resolved. Not so with Kees. We reported the dishwasher leak early in our stay and no one responded. I WILL NEVER RENT ANOTHER HOUSE FROM KEE'S VACATION AND WILL BE POSTING THIS EVERYWHERE ON THE INTERNET TO WARN OTHERS. I WILL SAY THE PROPERTY MANAGER DID CALL BUT I DID NOT WANT TO WASTE MY TIME COMPLAINING WITH LIP SERVICE. I DID NOT RETRUN HIS CALL. I NORMALLY DO NOT COMPLAIN. WE HAVE BEEN COMING TO OBX FOR 30+ YEARS AND THIS IS BY FAR OUR WORST EXPERIENCE. Who ever owns the home need to go back to Carolina Designs property management.

    Stained Floors

    We stayed at 1523 Baileys Bay Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 from 8/18/23 - 8/21/23. The house was dirty and smelled. The list of issues is quiet disturbing: 1. The house looked like it hadn't been cleaned and sanitized. 2. The carpets were all stained up. 3. The garage smelled like fish 4. There was mold/mildew/sand/dirt all through the showers. 5. The pillowcases had dirt and hair on them. 6. There were dirty dishes in the sink. 7. Two of the TVs didn't work. 8. When you used the washing machine the 1/2 bath toilet started spitting water out. We reached out to management several times and was told housekeeping and maintenance would come and clean/fix everything. No one ever showed up. I don't understand why the owners of these properties don't monitor review websites and do something about it.

    Extremely dirty pool. Cannot swim in it at all plus they had a hose sticking out causing trip hazard.

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    Worst Realtor experience in 25+ years coming to OBX. Super slow response and does not address issues.

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    Elan Vacations - We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Family Tides in Corolla

    Elan Vacations

    2.3(50 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    Do not use this rental company. I did not read any reviews on this company prior to booking so it's…read moremy fault. We have gone to the outer banks for 7 years and rent through Twiddy. Decided to try Nags head this year and I found a house that was really cute and super close to the beach. We have to very young children and a short walk for them to get back and forth was really important. We stayed at the Crab Shack. Great location! Perfect size! Dirty, Dirty and more dirty. Had to go out and buy cleaning products to clean the house before I would even unpack. Dirty razors left in shower, hair on sheets, toothpaste left in sinks. The list goes on. The owner of this house really needs to get someone besides Elan to clean the house and rent privately.

    I rented the Whalehead Summit located at address 988 Corolla Drive, Corolla, NC 27927 from Elan…read moreVacations for a week. My family stayed at this home from 06/25/2016 to 07/02/2016. Upon arrival at this home, the house was a mess. It was barely cleaned, dirt all over the floors, counters not cleaned properly, and one member of my family even found candy wrappers in a bed! When going outside, we noticed the pool wasn't cleaned and in fact had sand all over it. We started cleaning the house ourselves since we didn't want to stay in such filth, I called them and left a message, but the phone call was never returned. We shortly after that realized the hot tub was not functioning, I called and actually got someone on the phone who sent someone out to repair the hot tub. They had no comment about the call I made earlier about how dirty the home was when we arrived, but they did send someone out to clean the pool. On 6/28/2016, family sleeping on the bottom floor of the house woke up to a leak coming from the ceiling. We noticed at this time the second floor of the home was extremely warm. I called Elan Vacations and they sent someone out who looked at it, and said he couldn't fix it and we would need to wait for an Air Conditioning company. We waited for someone to come out, who worked on the unit for most of the day. He said there was no way to fix the leak coming from the ceiling, and that we would just have to deal with the leak or leave the A/C off. He recharged the system and left, but not before he cut a hole in the wall looking for the leak. I couldn't have family sleeping in a room that had leaking water, so unfortunately everyone had to move to the top floor of the home. We had to stay on this top floor for three days, ever hearing from Elan Vacations about what was happening or what we should be doing. I followed up and never received a call back from a manager even though I asked. So basically I paid to rent the top floor of a house, the vacation was essentially ruined, and now Elan Vacations will do nothing other than offer me 10% off a future home rental. The Whalehead Summit located at address 988 Corolla Drive, Corolla, NC 27927 had broken deck chairs that people fell through, multiple bee's nest on the deck which resulted in two people being stung, was extremely dirty, had broken appliances such as the upstairs microwave, and overall was not a home I would be happy spending any money on. It was overall a terrible experience. I spoke to Dawn Tillet when we returned the keys to the home and told her all of the issues I had with the home. She assured me that they would make things right. Since then I have had to email her multiple times to try and sort things out, they haven't done anything other than offer me 10% off a future reservation.

    Photos
    Elan Vacations - We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Family Tides in Corolla

    We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Family Tides in Corolla

    Elan Vacations - We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Family Tides in Corolla

    We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Family Tides in Corolla

    Elan Vacations - Beach access rear steps and cuts my son received from falling due to exposed nails and railings that aren't attached to stairs.

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    Beach access rear steps and cuts my son received from falling due to exposed nails and railings that aren't attached to stairs.

    Sun Realty - Vacation Homes For Rent In The Outer Banks

    Sun Realty

    2.0(38 reviews)
    3.9 mi

    I rented Guilford in Kill Devil Hills specifically because the photos on the listing showed it was…read moredirect open oceanfront from the house to the beach. There are 8 photos showing wide open access to the beach in front of the home, side of the house , and looking down the beach from the deck of the house, the description also reads: " When you're ready to hit the beach, just walk out your back door and you're there ! " Imagine our surprise and disappointment when arriving to discover there is a 6 ft high dune in front of the house right up to the back deck and steps. One must walk under the house and use a public access path to get on the beach and walk down to get in front of the house. This is very misleading and dishonest to people that wish to rent a beach house with direct access. Considering the price of the rental is very high compared to other OBX rentals we have enjoyed in past years, in my opinion, due to the subpar decor , dated furnishings , worn out carpet in the bedrooms, and only 2 baths to five bedrooms, the only reason I chose to rent the home was the beach access directly from the back deck of the house. In fact, the lead photo for this property is a photo of a wide open expanse of the beach leading from the deck. The manager I spoke with was very defensive although he did agree some of the photos were misleading, but kept arguing some of the photos shows the dune. There is one sunset photo that shows a portion of a dune with a shot of the beach, which isn't clear if that's even in front of the house, since the other 8 photos shows no dune. One could surmise that one photo is a photo of the beach area. When pressed on why the photos have not been updated to show the dune obscuring direct access , he ended the conversation. I don't recommend this rental property or rental company.

    Port O'Call III unit 537-B. I initially booked this home based on the close to 5 star reviews it…read morehad. I wish I had noticed most of those reviews were from years ago! From the moment I and my family arrived at this house, we had one problem after another! First this home is very old and in need of serious upgrades! Upon arrival we noticed a very strong urine odor, and musty/mildew smell. So we went out and bought some air fresheners. I contacted Sun reality and they did send someone out the the next day to spray a deodorizer, and they also put in a de-humidifier. The house was also dirty and sandy, and the carpets and furniture have stains on them. By day 3 we noticed the smell returning, and noticed a widow open in a loft about 20 feet off the ground and Sunbelt had to send someone out to close that. But that might explain why the home had serious temperature fluctuations and outside noise coming in. But why was that window open in the first place, maybe to mask the smells? The home is very "musky" with mold and mildew growing on the inside of the shower curtains too. Paint is also peeling and coming off the walls of this house. An even bigger issue is the sub flooring coming up on the bottom level of the house, with strips of flooring popping up everywhere, so we had to wear shoes to avoid stubbing our toes and cutting the bottom of my feet on loose flooring, Again, sunbelt came out but just used tape to try and push the flooring down. Needless to say the flooring popped back up again the next day, and so he had to throw blankets over top the flooring to avoid injuries to our feet. And when it came to the hot tub, and was very dirty and sandy, and a film on top of the water that looked gross. It also kept flashing "filter change 5 days overdue" which told me it not been cleaned nor serviced before our arrival. And the light above the hot tub was burnt out, but they did have an old string of Christmas lights around the hot tub, so I assumed that was meant to provide light, but when I plugged them in I got a very nice shock/electrical jolt! And we also had an ant issue in this home too! This was supposed to be a nice 7 day vacation, but we ended up leaving 2 days early because of all the issues. I did ask to be reimbursed/partially refunded for all the problems we had, but that request was ignored. I understand having some problems/issues with vacation properties, but not all the issues we had above!

    Photos
    Sun Realty
    Sun Realty - Safety hazzards

    Safety hazzards

    Sun Realty - Huge wasps' nest right outside sliding door to deck

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    Huge wasps' nest right outside sliding door to deck

    Twiddy - From the walkway

    Twiddy

    3.0(374 reviews)
    5.7 mi

    We always have been treated very well by Twiddy. All issues , if any, are handled quickly and…read moreproperties are lovely.

    Our experience with Twiddy Vacation Rentals in the OBX was beyond disappointing. What was…read moreadvertised as a premium beach house felt more like the Motel 6 of vacation rental companies. The listing was inaccurate, and several amenities that were clearly advertised were either broken or not available at all. Some bathrooms didn't even have basic supplies like toilet paper. One shower had such low water pressure it was completely unusable. The dishwasher was broken for the entire week, which meant hand-washing dishes for 14 guests, three meals a day, for seven days. That is not what anyone signs up for on vacation. The house itself was not properly cleaned. There were cobwebs on multiple surfaces, visible rust throughout, and an overall neglected feel. For the price we paid, the condition of the property was unacceptable. Customer service was effectively nonexistent. We reported the issues, and nothing meaningful was done to resolve them during our stay. There was no urgency, no accountability, and no effort to make things right. Also worth noting: reviews appear to be filtered, showing only glowing feedback. Based on our experience, you are not getting the full picture when you read the listings. For the amount of money these homes command, expectations should be much higher. We would strongly recommend considering another rental company. You've been warned.

    Photos
    Twiddy - Sunset view from side front deck

    Sunset view from side front deck

    Twiddy - Prestine lawn with artificial turf.

    Prestine lawn with artificial turf.

    Twiddy - Roaches, dirty conditions, disrepair and water damage/leaking pipes

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    Roaches, dirty conditions, disrepair and water damage/leaking pipes

    Carolina Designs Realty & Vacation Rentals

    Carolina Designs Realty & Vacation Rentals

    2.7(85 reviews)
    5.8 mi

    Rented an absolutely awesome home (My Blue Heaven #333) from Carolina Designs in May 2026 and…read morecouldn't have been more pleased with layout, equipment, responsiveness of staff, generosity of homeowners, and the home's capacity for a perfect family reunion. Within 48 hours, each couple in our party was asking me to rent it again next year. We had little kids, teens, and married couples. We have rented many houses in the OBX over a 30-year period, and this was the best ever.

    We had a really disappointing experience at a house we rented (June, 2025 - Dune Our Thing) from…read moreCarolina Designs Realty in Corolla. There were so many issues with the house and the CDR maintenance staff tried to be helpful, but most issues could not be fixed at all or fixed on our last day. We vacationed in OBX every year when our kids were little and decided to do oceanfront for our kids and grandkids to have a fabulous vacation. For a $28,000 oceanfront rental property, we expected more. 1. Nails sticking up from wood decking to beach (granddaughter cut her foot) 2. No hot water in both kitchen sinks. Seriously! Many maintenance visits resulted in it getting fixed the afternoon of our last day! 3. Pool lights and pool deck lights not working. 4. Outdoor shower was pretty disgusting. 5. Pool deck and hot tub area was lacking. One single (insufficient) hose, laying in pile of sand under the house was the ONLY way to clean sandy feet. 6. Gazebo - which should be a nice outdoor gathering spot - was completely overgrown, dark and dingy, and you could not sit in there for the spiderwebs, old broken chairs and mold. Ewww. 7. 2nd floor dryer never worked the entire week. 8. House was not adequately equipped (no broom, dustpan, mop, missing trashcans etc.), and the outside doors to the decks didn't close properly, basically a HUGE disappointment. I had the opportunity to view my sister's family rental 1 mile down the beach - SAME PRICE - and it was immaculate! Shower and foot sprayer coming off the beach. Hot tub on the oceanfront gazebo. Furniture in great condition, etc. I wrote to CDR and asked for a partial refund. Below is the answer I received. "To provide a bit of background, each home is individually owned, and our role is to serve as the Rental Manager ("Agent") on their behalf. The Vacation Rental Agreement notes that refunds are not typically issued for inoperable appliances, utility interruptions, equipment malfunctions, or maintenance-related concerns." I urge you to NOT rent a house from Carolina Design Realty. They should be more aware of what a $28,000/week rental should provide and be able to negotiate with owners.

    Photos
    Carolina Designs Realty & Vacation Rentals
    Carolina Designs Realty & Vacation Rentals
    Carolina Designs Realty & Vacation Rentals

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    Beach Realty & Construction - Kitty Hawk Rentals - Broken hot tub

    Beach Realty & Construction - Kitty Hawk Rentals

    1.5(67 reviews)
    5.8 mi

    "NO REGERTS" . . . sorry, we were having a good time!…read more One word: wonderful. If you appreciate world-class customer service, Beach Realty is the rental company for you. The friendly, knowledgeable, helpful staff is the best in the business. Our housekeeping and maintenance requests were taken care of posthaste. Our cottage, "No Regrets," was in a convenient location, had comfortable furnishings and a nice layout. The front deck overlooking the ocean cannot be beat (would be nice to have more high chairs!). While the kitchen is nicely equipped, the pots and pans are really showing their age. Love the hot tub. Lounge chairs on rear deck need attention, though. Our nitpicks would be just that and not worth mentioning here. Our only regret: we stayed for two weeks, not three!

    My friends and I were extremely excited with our choice of The Sandbar for our girl's trip, this…read moreyear. Two of us arrived on Saturday and the others were due to arrive the following day. We CAREFULLY selected our home due to 2 RELYING on the elevator to get up and down the stairs. Upon arrival, one person who RELIED on the elevator due to mobility issues was UNABLE to exit the elevator. The mechanism which unlocks the door upon its arrival to the designated floor WOULD NOT UNLOCK. They rode the elevator up and down trying to exit on each floor but remained STUCK IN THE ELEVATOR. Finally, after 10 minutes and much anguish (they also suffer from heart issues and severe asthma) they were FINALLY able to exit the elevator. I placed a call to the on-call repairman who arrived a few hours later. He stated the elevator was running as it should but the elevator company would need to come out to repair the door lock because if he did it would affect the warranty for the elevator. I asked him to get in the elevator to test it be he replied he would NOT ENTER IT BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO GET STUCK INSIDE. He said a work order was submitted the week before we got there and it was SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED. Guess what, it obviously WAS NOT. He said he'd call in an another work order but since it was September 13th they no longer worked on weekends. They would more than likely be out on Monday. This was UNACCEPTABLE as what would happen in case of an emergency with my friend who was dependent on the elevator? I called Beach Realty and spoke with their office manager on duty. She said there was no need to create scenarios that may or may not happen. SERIOUSLY??? She said there was nothing she could do and if something happened just call the fire department. She assured me she'd call with information from Atlantic Elevators. When it was late afternoon on Monday, I called Atlantic Elevators and was told they would not be out until sometime on Tuesday, September 16th. The office manager I previously spoke with was NOT happy that I called them. Fortunately, we had picked up a limited number of items at Food Lion and a large pizza before entering the house on Saturday. We were STRANDED on the top floor of this home for 3.5 days of our vacation. I would NOT leave my friend alone in that house if she experienced a medical emergency. Our other friend who has more severe mobility issues decided NOT to make the trip since they were afraid they'd arrive and not be able to use the elevator. I told the person I had been in contact with at Beach Realty that I was considering contacting an attorney because of the runaround I was getting. Her response was "YOU DON'T WANT TO MESS WITH THIS OWNER." That definitely was a serious threat from her. The weather on Wednesday and Thursday was not conducive for using the pool so we did some souvenir shopping and sightseeing after being STRANDED on the top floor for 3.5 days. Friday arrived with sun and bright blue skies. We made our way to the pool for what we thought would be a relaxing afternoon. Upon getting to the pool steps, we found a HUGE, DEAD RAT off to the side. ( I've included 2 photos). A call was made to BEACH REALTY and someone removed it between Friday night and Saturday morning. Our original check-out date was Saturday, September 20th. I called Beach Realty on Thursday to see if they AND the owner would grant us 3 extra days since the elevator wasn't in operation for 3.5 days and we were stuck on the 3rd floor. (NO ONE HAD RESERVED THE HOME FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20-27th). The owner granted ONE EXTRA DAY.... OH WOW!!! I WILL NEVER RENT FROM BEACH REALTY, AGAIN!!! They DO NOT value their customers NOR care about their safety. If you're smart, you'll rent from another company.

    Photos
    Beach Realty & Construction - Kitty Hawk Rentals - Previous renters toothflosser

    Previous renters toothflosser

    Beach Realty & Construction - Kitty Hawk Rentals - Black mold

    Black mold

    Beach Realty & Construction - Kitty Hawk Rentals - Filthy dishwasher

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    Filthy dishwasher

    Beach Realty & Construction & Kitty Hawk Rentals - Disgusting kitchen at the Swan Shack!

    Beach Realty & Construction & Kitty Hawk Rentals

    1.4(41 reviews)
    5.7 mi

    Two words sum up Beach Realty service: world-class. From contract through check-out, the team is…read morefriendly, knowledgeable, responsive and helpful. We experienced two issues at our cottage (bugs and pool water level) and they were taken care of posthaste with a smile. These people are the best! We have been vacationing on the Outer Banks for 50 years and have been renting through Beach Realty the past three -- we will not deal with any other company . . . This year we stayed at Beach Road Cottage in KDH. Five stars, as well. Accommodations were clean and comfortable. The property was steps to the beach and close to restaurants (walk to Goombays Grille & Raw Bar) and attractions. As noted above, a couple of issues were taken care of quickly and professionally. We will book again . . .

    I paid $14,000 for a week at Twisted Fish K1220, a 10 bedroom ocean front house with private beach…read moreaccess. Ocean front rents for a considerable premium in OBX. Rental company failed to notify us of beach nourishment project that completely closed the beach in front of our rental for the entire week! The people renting next door said their rental company notified them ahead of time and gave them options. Additionally, The air conditioning on the second floor was broken for 5 days before it was fixed. My formal request for compensation was denied. I was only offered a $350 credit on a future rental. I will NEVER rent from this company again.

    Photos
    Beach Realty & Construction & Kitty Hawk Rentals - Broken hot tub

    Broken hot tub

    Beach Realty & Construction & Kitty Hawk Rentals - Ring of mold on tub in downstairs bathroom

    Ring of mold on tub in downstairs bathroom

    Beach Realty & Construction & Kitty Hawk Rentals - Disintegrating wood from black mold

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    Disintegrating wood from black mold

    Kees Travel - vacationrentalagents - Updated July 2026

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