Cozy Cottage near Beaches and Downtown Sarasota VR-00163

I lived in the Bradenton and Sarasota area for about 13 years in my teens to my late 20s. With that being said I was really sketched out when trying to find an accommodation near my family that wasn't going to have bed bugs, wasn't near a trap house, or wasn't a "hotel" that people frequent to abuse substances. I won't mention names, but if you've ever had the pleasure of having to stay anywhere on 14th St. in Bradenton by the Salvation Army or US 41 on the Bradenton/Sarasota line you'll know what I'm talking about. Then I saw this listing in Sarasota that Tracey had listed for an entire apartment; 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, a full kitchen, and a washer and dryer in the garage. It looked similar to a rental my family and I had stayed at in Apollo Beach when we flew down in 2023, which was also really nice and while still being affordable. The resemblance to a property I had previously stayed at made me feel a bit more relaxed. I looked at this property on Google Maps in Street View and saw that the surrounding properties were also well kept. I noticed this rental was a 4 minute drive from where my son's father lives, so I asked him for his opinion. He and I had lived in some rough areas together, so I trust his judgment especially when it comes to where I bring my son. He quelled my fears by letting me know that this area of Sarasota is a good place to live. ‐-------------------------------------- Tracey was wonderful from the get-go. I had booked this rental a couple months in advance, then panic canceled due to a miscommunication with my family a week or so before my arrival date, then re-booked the listing because I misunderstood a family member and did actually need my own accommodations. She was very understanding and gave me grace. Tracey was also very accommodating with our check in time.

It is understandable why the television is where it is considering the layout of the living room/dining room area. I would suggest small side tables on either side of the love seat, a smaller size coffee table to place in front of it, or something taller that would fit behind it (something you can set a drink on without fearing it will get knocked over). And shades or thicker curtains on the front window as you can see in through the sheers at night and the sun creates a glare on the television during the day. It's a safety issue to be able to see into the home from outside at night. ‐-------------------------------------- The only other thing was that because the property is listed for sale, prospective buyers wanted to view it during my stay. Tracey gave me a heads up that people were coming, so my son and I left for the day as we were uncomfortable. I should have just let her know up front that we were uncomfortable, but I have never been put in that situation before. I'm also empathetic that she was trying to accommodate everyone while also wearing many different hats as a property manager and real estate agent.These people ended up being a no show that day, so Tracey contacted me again to ask if it was okay if they came another day while we were still staying there. I asked her if she could please schedule them to come back after we checked out and she did so. I would either black out dates to schedule house tours while the property is being rented or vice versa.

Convenient for what we needed.

N/A

Great location

Beds were the Worst. Mattresses must be replaced. I’m not picky but these were both horrible

We enjoyed the convenience to everything. First time in this area of Sarasota and had easy access to the tennis tournament my husband was playing at. The place was very nice. We had an issue with turning off the ceiling fan since it was drying my husband's eyes out we could not sit to watch TV. However, we contacted Tracey and she had someone come out the next day to take care of the issue while we were at the tournament.

We didn't like the small bugs in the kitchen. You could see that Tracey is trying to control it with bug traps around. We went to Walmart and purchased Bengel roach spray and that took care of the problem for a few days. This is what we use at home and suggest that she uses this to spray the entire house when not in use. It lasts for a while when you treat the house. We didn't since this was not our home. We sprayed the kitchen to prevent the bugs in the food we had.

Location

Cockroaches and the host randomly stopped by every day also called me on the phone saying I HOPE YOURE NOT DESTROYING MY HOUSE WHICH WAS VERY RUDE AND OFFENSIVE

Nice location. About a 40 minute walk to the main areas and about a 20 minute walk from food. The neighborhood was quiet.

When I arrived, a plumber was there because there had been a leak in one of the pipes. This left the kitchen sink unusable. I was met by someone who might have been the owner or the property manager. She was on the phone and did not get off the phone to talk to me. She left before the plumber left and I had to wait at the house until the plumber was finished before I could leave. Then they think was not in fact fixed and the plumber had to come back the next day. We were not told what time he would arrive and we were roused from our beds by his arrival. He had to work in one of the bedrooms, so we were forced to get ready around a strange man. The sink was fixed that day, and that evening the power went out. Other than those issues, the house was fine.

For the price I wouldn’t stay anywhere else. My host was the nicest person ever.

Nothing I can think of.