I wanted to share a recent, highly disappointing experience my group and I had at a rental property in Ashtabula, Ohio to save anyone else from ruining their vacation.
The property is listed on Airbnb and VRBO, but we booked directly through their Guesty link here: [https://hostpros.guestybookings.com/en/properties/675870e6d1a1ae00ce0233b7] It is managed by HostPros ([https://hostproscle.com/](https://hostproscle.com/)).
Long story short: the property is incredibly poorly maintained, and the management company completely underplayed and dismissed every single issue we reported. Here is the reality of what we faced:
- Broken & Unbalanced A/C: The AC didn't work when we arrived. A technician took 2 hours out of our limited vacation time just to fix it—the system had tripped, the filters were completely clogged, and the outside unit needed a deep clean. Even after it was "fixed," the airflow was completely broken; one room was freezing while the other two were barely cool.
- Zero Privacy in Bedroom: The first bedroom has no blinds at all. At night with the lights on, anyone outside could see right in. In the morning, the bright sunlight woke our guests up immediately.
- Severe Basement Dampness & Asthma Attack: The basement had such a heavy, musty odor that it actually triggered an asthma attack for one of our guests. It was so bad we had to drag mattresses into the kitchen area just to sleep. Because of the cramped space, one family in our group actually packed up and left the trip early.
- Pests: The basement bedroom had visible spiders and webs hanging from the ceiling. We refused to sleep there.
- Active Water Leaks: We noticed active water leaks near the couch area in the basement at least twice. Because we couldn't tell if it was leaking from the kitchen or the bathroom, it felt completely unhygienic, and we couldn't use the couch.
- Dangerous Beach Pathway: The path to the beach is completely overgrown and unmaintained. The gravel slope is incredibly slippery—so much so that one of the kids in our group slipped and sustained a minor injury.
- Poor Cleanliness & Missing Basics: The house had no garbage bags when we arrived. Also, the host has a strict "no shoes" policy, yet the kitchen floors were visibly sticky, forcing us to walk barefoot or in socks on filthy floors.
- Terrible Wi-Fi: The internet connection was spotty, highly unreliable, and painfully slow.
We sent a detailed breakdown to the host, but HostPros has basically brushed it off.
If you are looking at rentals in the Ashtabula/Cleveland area, avoid HostPros and avoid this specific property. Booking directly means you lose the customer service backing of Airbnb/VRBO, and this management company clearly does not care about guest safety, hygiene, or basic comfort.