THIS IS UNEXCUSEABLE!  This is breaking and entering, trespassing and illegal. Withhold their ENTIRE  DEPOSIT! If they complain inform them if they prefer you can file a police  report and they can discuss it with the local police department. If I were to  break into the managers office, pool area or bar of a  hotel while a guest, I am pretty sure the cops would be involved.

I hate to hear stories  like this, it’s different than guests causing damage  either by accident or simply being irresponsible. These guests knowingly and  purposely violated a home owners privacy and trust and  feel absolutely no remorse about it as if they were entitled. Do we as  homeowners have to explain what an owners closet is?

If HomeAway and the "indusrty" continue to spend millions of dollars to lure travelers from hotels to vacation rentals, we have not heard the last story like this. How about spending a few bucks informing these travelers they are renting PRIVATE  HOMES and they are expected to treat them and their owners with a little respect. ANY  effort from HomeAway in the way of helping to establish education, code of conduct,  guest etiquette etc. in the booking and use of vacation rentals I assure you  would be appreciated by the owners. The sheer amount of stories in this  community about “guest behaving badly” I think indicates there is a need for it.

Mike  Cushing

BookbyOwner.com

Truly amazing what lengths people will go to.  This post has prompted me to add a paragraph into our contract about owners' private areas.  Quite frankly, I'd make sure that they know YOU know, and that you'll be placing their names on the Bad Renter List and Guestchecker.com . 

That is one of the worst disrespectful actions a renter can take.  I have had many a problem with people disrespecting me, my rental agreement and my property.  Consequently I've got a full page rental agreement of "friendly threats & penalties" throughout.  Because of this I have lost a minimal few renters.  Some think it's to authoritative and they don't book but it does seem to work fairly well.  I have more on the do's and don'ts in my "opening instructions"  I send that a couple days prior to their occupancy.  I still get abuses on occasion but thankfully, not often, maybe 10% of my renters. 

I am glad to learn about the guestchecker.com website.  I have a few names to add to it.

BBB

Before you jump on the guests, how do you know the cleaner did not leave the garage door unlocked?  Did the guests have specific instructions NOT to use the items in the garage or was the locked door their only indication that the area and items inside were off limits?

Brenda Jo

Sunny San Diego