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Holiday Rental Specialists
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Would not use them again
Wouldn’t book through them again. Hidden in small print is the addition $2000 you have to pay in a security bond. They don’t make it clear until you have booked and can’t change your mind. Called 2 days after checking out to confirm they had checked the property and it was free from damage and they stated they would check it within 1 week. When asked what if damage happened in the meantime and the answer was it was unlikely. I would have hoped that holding that amount of money they would make it a priority to return it asap. I have never had to pay that amount of money upfront. Would not use this company again.
Also couldn’t check in until 4pm which we found to be extremely late.
- 2 reviews
- 1 like
Frustrating, Poor Property Management
In June 2021 we listed our property in Port Stephens for rent with the Holiday Rental Specialists.
We discontinued our listing with them in February 2022.
During this period we found them frustrating to deal with their inability to describe the properties inclusions and features accurately- eg leaving out dishwasher, Smart TVs, 2nd toilet, parking available.
The above omissions in advertising took months to rectify, Then they changed all the listings without our approval.
The fee structure was not transparent, some charges to the guest di...
Dear Cheryl
As you know, you signed up with us in June 2021 and within a couple of weeks we were in lockdown. With every booking cancelled and our whole team stood down without pay, not only was it a ...
Hi
We were managed by the Port Stephens branch which went into lockdown on the 5th August not June- we had regular contact with our manager who was working from home part time with job keeper assistan...
Dear Cheryl
Although the Port Stephens area did not go into lockdown until August, the Sydney market was in fact in lockdown from mid-June 2021 – this is where most of your guests live - and most book...
Do not book through Holiday Rental Specialists.
Stayed at the property Hamptons in the Bay Nelson Bay.
To start with, we were unable to check in prior to 4pm. We were told this was due to the house needing to be cleaned. The house was not at an acceptable standard of cleanliness that I would have expected for us to arrive. There were leaves and dirt in the entrance way and our beds were not made appropriately, no fitted sheet was used and the pillows are horrible. The sofa in the main bedroom was broken and no effort was made for it to be replaced during our stay despite us reporting it on...
Read morece we realised. There were cameras at every entrance to the property covering the whole area which was a complete invasion of privacy. We weren’t comfortable utilising the deck balcony because of it being under surveillance and those of us who are smokers have had to go out into the street to have a smoke because of the no smoking signs. We found that the CCTV camera covering the back area also appeared to capture the inside of the upstairs toilet, as the red light motion sensor lights activated when we went into the upstairs toilet and had the window open. The property was not advertised as a non-smoking property nor did the property description mention anything about CCTV monitoring. There were ants in the kitchen, bathroom and toilets.
Worst Vacation Rental Ever
Stayed at Kendalls One, Kiama
Wet Dog Smell on arrival
Glasses were rinsed not washed properly. Your company offered to send us cleaners to rectify issues,, which I am sure you will agree, defeats the whole purpose. The unit should have been cleaned properly prior to us checking in. Dishes should have been washed properly. See first photo. Having a cleaner come in whilst we were there, is a complete invasion of our privacy.
Carpets are worn and stained
Couch has holes and is stained.
Furniture/fittings are old and chipped.
BBQ was not c...
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Do not book through Holiday Rental Specialists
Stayed at Palm Oasis in Gerringong over Christmas 2021. Property is run down. For e.g. The Shade cloth on deck is gone, fly screens broken, towels provided had bleach stains, WiFi broken, ants inside and up walls, place was tidy but not clean - bathroom floors and living room still dirty on arrival. Called Holiday Rental Specialists throughout stay and received no action. Have been offered a $150 voucher to use with them which is not reasonable compensation.
- Verified
False Advertising
After four months in lockdown, we were excited to have a holiday in Kiama and chose to book a two bedroom one bathroom apartment called the Platinum Penthouse located within the Sebel Hotel grounds. Booked through Stayz and Holiday Rental Specialists. We were travelling further south after our Kiama stay and so had quite a bit of luggage with us. Upon entering the apartment late Sunday afternoon, we were appalled at the condition of this apartment. Mind you, we had paid $757.00 per night for this apartment with a 'no refund' policy and no alt...
Read moreernative accommodation available in Kiama. The balcony and furniture was filthy. The kitchen needed a good scrub but that was the least of our concerns. The one bathroom had water marks on the wall, the shower had inground mould inground in the tiles and the leather lounge was covered in mould. We couldn't bring ourselves to sit on it. The walls were heavily marked and chipped in places. It was appalling, especially when we had come from a beautiful waterfront home. We stayed out of the apartment as much as we could and dined out. When asked by Holiday Specialists had we enjoyed our stay, we said no! We sent photos and explained this apartment needs a full renovation and should not be advertised as 'platinum' and that the photos were not true. We were offered $250.00 as compensation which was an insult. But the manager of Holiday Specialist transferred the money to our credit card despite us clearly stating we do not accept their money. We have since sent a cheque to Holiday Specialists returning those funds, only to be told she would "destroy our cheque." We have informed Holiday Rental Specialists that we are making a formal complaint to the Department of Fair Trading because they are still advertising this property as luxury and showing untrue photos of the condition of the product. Never again will we use Holiday Rental Specialist or Stayz.
Thank you so much for your feedback. Please be advised that as a business we have taken immediate action on your issues. We have arranged for the lounge to be replaced, the tiles in the bathroom to be...
Read more re grouted, the property has been given a deep clean and the painters are booked for February. We have updated the website description for the property and changed the marketing name to more appropriately describe the basic presentation of the property. The booking terms and conditions and clearly state that compensation will not be offered unless we are given the opportunity to remedy the issue during the stay. We have a team available 24/7 to remedy issues which arise during a stay and we take the cleaning and presentation of properties very seriously. We even sent 2 text messages during your stay asking for feedback, neither of which we received a response to. As we were not contacted by you until after the stay we feel that a $250 refund is appropriate and a gesture of goodwill.
Finally! Holiday Rental Specialists actioned our complaint after numerous emails. However, it does not address the fact that the product was incorrectly marketed in the first place and misrepresented ...
Read moreto us. We paid a premium price and received less than a budget experience. It is such a shame that this company has taken so long to remedy the situation when the holiday product should never had been marketed in the way it was. From our perspective ...far too little far too late.
- 2 reviews
Never book with company - beware as they advertise on Air BnB
Booked a holiday for a group of us but was cancelled due to lockdown. Company unwilling to provide same accommodation for same price or offer refund. Buyer beware as this company also advertises on Air BnB. Worst customer experience ever.
Do not book with “a perfect stay”
This company will not provide a refund on accommodation impacted by border closures due to COVID. They cannot provide the service they advertise and then they keep your money, providing a 12 month credit only. It is profiting off a pandemic and very poor form. I recommend you use anyone but this company
Dear Sandra
Thank you for your review. We would like to confirm that our terms and conditions do state that we can provide our guests with two options (a credit note valid for 12 months or the option to move your booking to a future date)....
Read moreThese terms and conditions can be viewed prior to placing a booking and have been approved by the ACCC as appropriate and fair. Could you please advise what property you have booked and your original check in date so we can assist you further. We look forward to hearing from you and assist you further Warm regards SarahDear Sandra
Could you please advise what property you have booked and your original check in date so we can assist you further....
Read more We look forward to hearing from you and assist you further Warm regards Sarah
This information has previously been provided, I have spoken to a manager in your organisation last week and the person who booked on my behalf has already been contacted.
I am unsure why your company systems are not up to date.
- 2 reviews
Do not book with them - read reviews
In covid times this company will not give you a refund and when you move to another property they charge a fee
Reading the reviews I will never book through a management agent again.
Greedy people who did not think their clients may need the refund
Dear Lynette
Thank you for your review and we are terribly sorry on the delay.
Could you please advise the name of the property you have booked so we can investigate further ?...
Find out how Holiday Rental Specialists compares to other Booking Services
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- 2 reviews
Poor covid policies
Very poor response received to our request for a refund given present covid lockdown in sydney. Would recommend not booking with such inflexible and unreasonable operators in the current climate.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, Jessie. As stated in our terms and conditions as approved by the ACCC, if there is a government restriction placed on travel, guests will be issued wit...
Read moreh a full credit. When our guests book, they agree to this. The credit is valid for 12 months and allows the guests to rebook their holiday at a later date. We have found this to be the best solution as it allows guests to still enjoy a getaway when it is safe to travel. Holiday Rental Specialists
Poor accommodation, poor management
My partner and I stayed with two other couples at Beach Perfect in Culburra for 4 nights. The house is spacious and beautifully located right on the beach, but unfortunately that's where the positives of our experience ended. Glass doors and windows had not been cleaned in ages (making it difficult to enjoy the nice view of the water), there was dirty cutlery and dishes, my partner’s bath towel was ripped and stained, the fly screen door was broken, the rubbish and recycling bins on the front lawn were nearly full (leaving us little option for ...
Read moreremoving our own from the premises upon departure, and forced us to use a neighbour’s bin to avoid incurring a fee), a TV in the main bedroom that did not work, a clogged vacuum cleaner which we needed to use upon our arrival when finding a dirty floor by the back door. In addition, there was an alarm going off in the locked garage that kept us awake for two nights in a row (we were sleeping in the bedroom located immediately above the garage). We had to take time from our holiday to locate the source of the sound and notify Holiday Rental Specialists. While we acknowledge and appreciate the speed with which this was addressed when we brought this particular issue to their attention, we would have liked some communication regarding when to expect any management personnel at the property. We value our privacy and would have appreciated a heads up. Having said all this, the most disappointing experience of our stay was in addressing these problems with Holiday Rental Specialists after our stay concluded. As instructed, we notified them shortly after our arrival at the property with a list of these issues. We received a phone call from David after we checked out to apologise for our experience, a sentiment that we appreciated; however, the offer of a small reimbursement, just a fraction of only one night’s accommodation, was disappointing. We requested an amount that would be more meaningful for a group of 3 couples (noting that the amount we requested was still less than one night’s accommodation). David promised to follow up, to look into the issues we had raised, and to keep us informed of the progress of his investigation. However, we did not hear from David until a week later when we received an email from him claiming that the cleaning team had found a broken lock on a kitchen cupboard, and that the lock mechanism had been left on the kitchen benchtop, inferring that we were responsible and that because of this they would not consider any additional reimbursement for our unpleasant stay. We were then informed that their investigation was concluded and the matter was closed from their perspective. We were shocked. The suggestion that we had damaged the property was an insult, not least because the property was in such a poor state as it was, but more so because I’ve holidayed with this group of friends before and we have always taken great care at the holiday properties where we choose to stay. We absolutely respected the locked areas at Beach Perfect and we probably left the house in better condition than when we arrived. The dismissive attitude of Holiday Rental Specialists in providing a meagre sum to appease such a laundry list of problems, while holding us responsible for damage we did not cause, was extremely unprofessional and completely unacceptable for a company that holds itself out as providing high end holiday rentals. DO NOT BOOK WITH THEM. If you do, we would advise you to photograph every aspect of the property both upon arrival and upon departure in order to protect yourself from false accusations of damage or other faults that may result in additional fees to your party – not a appealing prospect for a “holiday”.This relates to a stay 3 months ago and at that time we spoke to the guest who made the booking and addressed all that you and your group experienced. We apologised for the cleaning issues not being u...
Read morep to standard on that occasion and escalated these issues to be immediately rectified. Our team attended the property and promptly fixed the maintenance issue with the alarm. As discussed with the guest we liaised with to determine compensation, the damaged lock issue had no bearing on the amount refunded. Holiday Rental Specialists
Thanks for the response. As you've noted, our stay was indeed 3 months ago, so it's fair to say we allowed ample time for a reply to be provided to my partner's last email to David. We felt quite stro...
Read morengly that the issues we raised were not adequately addressed, at least not with us (the clients), nor was an appropriate gesture made to rectify such a poor experience on our part. Regarding the lock, I cannot imagine why the topic of damage would be raised with a client if not to hold them responsible.Hi Zoe, we believe $350 compensation was satisfactory and we will always hold guests to account for damage.
SHOCKING uncleanliness of apartment
I booked to stay at the Harbourside apartment in Kiama for 4 nights at unit 502 which is connected to the Sebel. We paid the full amount before arriving.
On arrival, we were shocked and horrified to the uncleanliness of this apartment. Especially during COVID, you would expect the cleanliness to be up to scratch. I notified this company straight away.
The company organised the cleaner to come, as she arrived independently, my 2 yr old son was asleep. While the cleaner started to clean I was waking up my son from his nap. The cleaner ended u...
Read morep leaving without finishing her job. While that was happening I was on the phone to the company. [Name Removed] asked us to leave so that the cleaner could return to complete the job. We left the apartment at 4.30pm and we went to get ice cream. While being there, an hour had past and the company rang me because the cleaner arrived back at the apartment to attempt to clean. The company wanted the keys as the cleaner had issues getting back in. The time at this stage was 5.30pm. We were gone for an hour and no cleaning was done. Then we went to a restaurant that overlooks the apartment to wait there. I could see the cleaner from the restaurant and saw her leave at 5.45pm. She was in there for 15mins to rectify this issue. In the meantime I was waiting to hear back from [Name Removed] which I never received. Mind you I have 2 small children and this company showed absolutely no compassion and did not have the decency to follow up. I rang the company at 6.30pm. This company had no remorse and no genuine care towards me and my family as they left us waiting with no response.
Hi Amanda,
We would like to apologise to you and your family for the property’s cleanliness not being up to our usual high standard for your arrival. We had our cleaner return to the property withi...
Read moren 15 minutes of the check-in time to fix the cleaning issue that had unfortunately been overlooked. We have refunded the first nights’ accommodation to apologise for the inconvenience caused, and we are willing to reimburse you for the ice-cream that you had while waiting for the clean to be completed. Our team did everything possible to rectify the minor cleaning issues encountered. We hope that you were able to enjoy the remainder of your stay.
Hi Holiday Rental Specialists,
When any guests book with you, you send a policy and in that policy you state this: ...
Read more Covid-19 Precautions We are continuing to follow strict hygiene standards at all of our properties, paying special attention to the disinfecting of all hard surfaces and the laundering of all bed linen including blankets in between guest stays. We want you to be assured we have briefed our Housekeeping team with a comprehensive cleansing checklist which includes extra disinfection of all high touch areas as set out by the Chief Medical Officer from the Dept of Health. You can relax in the knowledge that our properties have been cleaned with meticulous care. My experience did not meet your expectation and left us to be very stressed with a ruined holiday! I notified your company just after 2pm of these issues and the cleaner arrived after 4pm. Your company already had 3 chances to rectify the cleaning issues which you failed to do so. You already showed lack of compassion and careless treatment by your staff as they did not follow up. No one contacted us to notify when the cleaner had departed in order to return. Because of this unprofessional treatment, you inconvenienced my family with 2 small children on 2 occasions. I have no trust in your staff or company and I refused to allow another attempt for the cleaner to enter the premises AGAIN. So instead, we took our own initiative and decided to go home due to the stress and unrectified cleaning issues. We could not continue our stay in this filth and severe cockroach and spider infestation. These were not minor issues. I agreed to pay for our one night stay but your company refused! You also refused to provide a refund for the nights that we did not stay for. I hope other people read and learn from my terrible experience.We would like to offer our apologies again for the inconvenience caused. The issues that you brought to our attention were addressed by our cleaner and the situation was rectified. You have since been...
Read more issued a refund for your first night stay as compensation for this inconvenience. We believe we addressed and rectified the issues and assisted with the situation.Find out how Holiday Rental Specialists compares to other Booking Services
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Refused to give refund or credit towards another date
L'Etape Australia Cycling event was cancelled due to weather/flooding but they are refusing to refund even though their terms say they refund for an act of god and flooding!
They then wanted to charge another $150 to re-advertise it as an act of good faith...
Hi Frank. We are disappointed to hear that the event you booked accommodation for was cancelled. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer a refund for a cancellation due to weather or cancelled events ...
Read moreas that is out of our control. Our Terms and Conditions do not mention we issue refunds for an act of god or a flood, if you would like to read our Terms & Conditions, please visit our website. We would also like to advise that the $150 administration fee for re-advertising the property is stated in our Terms and Conditions, these Terms and Conditions are agreed upon when you place a booking. The cancellation of this event is out of our control, and we hope you can proceed with your booking and enjoy your weekend away. Holiday Rental Specialists.Hi Amanda,
We would like to apologise to you and your family for the property’s cleanliness not being up to our usual high standard on your arrival. We had our cleaner return to the property within...
Read more 15 minutes of the check-in time to fix the cleaning issue that had unfortunately been overlooked. We have refunded the first nights’ accommodation to apologise for the inconvenience caused, and we are willing to reimburse you for the ice-cream that you had while waiting for the clean to be completed. Our team did everything possible to rectify the minor cleaning issues encountered. We hope that you were able to enjoy the remainder of your stay.
Double Booked Bowral Property
I should have read the reviews before going anywhere near this company. I booked a property in December 2020 for 7 adults for end of Feb 2021 birthday celebration.
I had also booked restaurants and tours around that weekend.
I paid the full cost in early February and then less than 2 weeks out from our stay they rang and said that it had already been booked in September 2020 for a wedding. To say I was furious is an understatement as it was available for booking online in December 2020 and confirmed by Holiday Rentals.
They offered me a ...
Hi Mandy, thank you for taking the time to leave this review. We would like to apologise for your experience with us on this occasion. We are extremely sorry for any stress and inconvenience that occu...
Read morerred before your stay. Unfortunately, there are very rare circumstances where the third-party booking portals can have issues or delays feeding to our calendar and double bookings can occur. We would like to confirm that we did offer alternative properties, and once these were declined we actioned a full refund. We are glad to hear that you were still able to enjoy a weekend away, and we hope that you continue to choose to stay in holiday rental houses in the future. Holiday Rental Specialists
Terrible experience
We had a terrible experience with Holiday Rental Specialists.
On arrival at what was suppose to be a premium beachfront property (approx. $850 per night) we experienced a number of issues including holes in fly screen doors, chipped and scuffed patio tiles, dents on the fridge, a dirty oven, cockroaches and waste spills under the kitchen bin, a Jacuzzi held together with black duct tape and slightly off smelling water (causing me to break out in a folliculitis rash following its use), non-working locks on bedroom windows, and also a chip in th...
Read moree kitchen bench. Given the various instances of existing 'wear and tear' to the property, we did not feel it necessary to report each and every issue or to have some form of documentary evidence that we did not cause them. Our group was keen to enjoy a weekend away and not holidaying in fear of litigation. Following our stay, Holiday Rental Specialists alleged that our group caused a chip on the 'countertop' and sought a significant amount for damages from our group. The only evidence cited for our party causing the damage is a single photo of a zoomed in chip which was not time stamped and there was also no quote provided for the sum they were claiming from us.Hi Kylie, we appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. We would like to firstly apologise that on this occasion the property did not meet your expectations upon arrival. When you brought the i...
Read moressues to our attention, we provided you with our policy on making a formal complaint. We are unable to process compensation or deal with the complaint if it has not been submitted in writing through the platform the booking was made on. We have not received this from you, meaning we are not able to pursue an investigation or provide you with any compensation. In regards to the claim against you, this was closed by the booking platform you booked on and proof of this was sent to you via email. If you have anything you would like to discuss further, please contact our Guest Services Manager on (02) 4862 5200. We hope that this experience will not stop you from holidaying in holiday houses in the future. Holiday Rental SpecialistsQuestions & Answers
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Good Morning. Thankyou for contacting us this morning to discuss your issues. As mentioned in our discussion we are sure that you can understand that following the weekend we have many properties to c...
Read moreheck upon departure. I also agreed that we would send someone to the property today as a gesture of goodwill to ensure that no damage was at the property and would get back to you in a timely manner. I also notified you that I would be in contact as soon as the bond was sent back to your account. No one other than the housekeepers & property managers can attend the property. An inspection took place prior to your arrival and the housekeepers will attend to ensure the property is in the same condition upon your departure. I will be in touch once the property has been attended to in regards to the refund of your bond, assuming there will be no damages at the property. The 4pm check in time is subject to the current circumstances in which our housekeepers follow an extensive checklist to ensure that the property is immaculate upon your arrival for the health and safety of guests.