The actual apartment is nice and the view is spectacular. The kitchen does have an awkward layout and we couldn’t find one plate or bowl, but those were not deal breakers, just inconveniences.
The deal breakers with this property are the difficulty working with the property manager, Ben Lev, and the fact that this is a small run-down apartment complex with year-round renters in a not very nice area of Clearlake. To get to the apartment, we walked past a shopping cart left next to an apartment. We were unsure if they were squatters or renters.
The deck, pier, boat/kayak, and laundry are all shared spaces. The residents sit out on the deck (the one in the photo) and smoke in the evenings. Ben is not the owner and has no authority to fix the problems with the complex. It was awkward and uncomfortable.
Before we rented, we messaged Ben with specific questions regarding our boat. Ben made it clear that we would be able to tie up our boat, charge the battery, and park the trailer without any problems.
When we arrived we found there was no place to tie up the boat. The pier was closed and there is no dock. Ben thought we could tie up next to the pier somehow and swim to shore. Since we were unable to leave the boat in the water, we had to load the boat and leave it in the parking lot. Of course, all three parking spots were being used and a fourth car was parked along the fence. One of the residents asked another resident to move their car so that we could back our boat in along the fence. In addition, there was no way to charge the trolling motor battery from the parking lot and a resident advised us to remove anything of value from the boat as “things happen at night in Clearlake.”
After three hours on the phone with Ben Lev and then with a representative from Home Away, we had no choice but to leave. We would not be able to fish all week if we stayed. We stayed at a motel in Lakeport with a dock and power.
Ben Lev was not forthcoming with information about this run-down apartment and he is difficult to work with. He agreed to a partial refund and then gave us $101 less than what he said he would refund. Finally, I had to call Home Away to get the link to write the review… somehow we didn’t receive the link from Ben.
I do not recommend this place. There are too many problems with this property. If you choose to rent this place, a simple Google search will locate Home Away’s customer service phone number. They are available 24/7.