The unit & location were very nice, and the private beach was spectacular. The host was helpful & response times were fast. The biggest reason for the rating was the safety concerns regarding a renter with a large, uncontrollable dog who never had a leash. Being that there were tiled stairs in all public areas, & a very slippery staircase to get down to the beach with a steep drop to jagged rocks on one side, having a large dog run/jump uncontrollably on these stairs could be detrimental.
On the first night we arrived, the owner followed us into the garage in her car and saw our two toddlers when the dog came running/jumping up to us. After that encounter, any responsible person would have a leash when going in public areas, especially with zero control over the dog. On subsequent encounters, the dog continued its out-of-control behaviors with no leash in site. The owner simply stated that “he is a puppy”, despite the dog being full-grown & bigger/heavier than my wife. Our belongings were ruined while on the beach. Our 2-yr-old was almost knocked down the stairs twice. If this occurred on the beach stairs, we hate to think of the outcome.
The response from host was very casual after reporting our concerns, even after showing the Malibu leash laws from the LAPD & Animal Control. Despite multiple encounters & safety concerns, there was no action taken by owner. If the response would’ve been more appropriate, we wouldn’t feel the need to do this rating. We honestly took over a week to rate because we didn’t want to do anything out of anger or fear, but feel we owe anyone traveling with young children or older adults/anyone with unsteady gait a service to warn them. We wish we would’ve known.