A House in Jobos

DISCLOSURE:

A HOUSE ON JOBOS is a residential home, not a hotel. The owners live here when the place is not rented out for short-term rental. We feel that for the size of this property, we are not charging a huge cleaning fee. In order to continue to keep this fee on the low end, we ask that you please help us whenever possible to keep things tidy. We want this to be a place people come back to again and again. Please be respectful with our neighbors and staff; unruly or rude behavior will not be tolerated and could lead to fines.

FINES: Violations of these rules will result in warnings or fines, up to $250 for each violation. We will collect the security deposit or file a case through the rental platform to manage applicable penalties during your stay.

COASTAL LIFE: You have probably noticed the wonderful breeze that constantly flows. That’s one of the things we love about living here. The issue with this is that the current comes with salt and sand and dust from the Sahara Desert (yes, you read that right!). Because of this some of the surfaces will feel sticky, humid, and dusty. Some surfaces and appliances will have rust. That’s the price we pay for living in paradise. We do clean this property after every check-out and we also retouch surfaces before guests’ arrival when needed. But even with our best efforts, our weather doesn’t always allow for a spotless home.

INSECTS: We do have a contract with a Pest Control company that sprays our home regularly and provides pellets for rodents in boxes on the exterior of our home. Please keep children away from these boxes. We cannot guarantee an insect-free home because life on the island includes flies, mosquitoes, palmettos, and other bugs. But we do our part in trying to keep them out of our interiors.

WILDLIFE: Regularly you will likely hear birds singing. We have many birds in the area, including nightingales, parrots, pigeons, and many more. So, be on the lookout! They are lovely to watch. We also have many lizards, iguanas, and even green iguanas. Although the island has worked hard to reduce the population of stray dogs and cats, you will find some in the area. For this reason, we ask that the gate be kept closed at all times to prevent them from coming into the property. This area of Isabela doesn’t have many, but during the rainy season, you may be able to hear our coquis singing. They are very small frogs that sing at night. Their song sounds like Ko-Kee or Ko-Kee-Kee. They tend to populate the mountainous areas more than this one. Our neighbor to the west has several horses that may come close to the fence. Be careful not to pet them. They may not be too friendly.

HURRICANE SEASON: Our hurricane season is long. It lasts from June 1st to November 30th. Please keep that in mind when booking. We recommend purchasing travel insurance if you can. We cannot offer last-minute refunds due to storms or rain. When we are issued a warning about a hurricane, we suggest you vacate the property. We will work with you to prorate the nightly rate in those cases. During Hurricane Maria, we were four months without power.

UTILITIES: We have frequent interruptions of one or more of our utilities service. That’s part of island life, too. You have probably heard about our very dilapidated power grid. (I have had to throw out 2 refrigerators this year and an A/C unit.). The service will usually be restored within a few hours. If the power has not been restored within 24 hours, we will consider offering a 25% discount on the nightly rate. We do not offer discounts for water issues because we do have a water cistern installed for those cases. Nor do we offer discounts for internet outages. We have provided you with a flashlight in the top cabinet above the 40″ TV in the kitchen.

SUPPLIES: We offer a fully equipped kitchen with pots and pans, a coffee maker, a microwave, a toaster, a can opener, a wine bottle opener, plates, cups, wine glasses, and more. This is for your use and ours. Remember we live in this property when we aren’t renting it out. We ask that you please take care of our supplies and always keep them clean. We also provide coffee, tea, and hot chocolate as our hot drinking items. Our kitchen may also have cooking oil, cooking spray, salt, pepper, adobo, and other spices. We try to include a few snacks as well as a gallon of water. Tap water is good to drink in case you are wondering.  It’s worth checking out what the kitchen has before going to the grocery store for supplies. 

We wash all sheets, pillowcases, quilts, and even mattress and pillow protectors after each stay. We do the same with every towel, washcloth, and dishcloth. Please remove all makeup properly before going to bed to prevent staining the linens. We have provided a plastic bin with items to help remove your makeup, which includes black washcloths, makeup remover wipes, cotton balls, and cotton squares. We will charge the replacement cost of any linens or towels (other than the black washcloths and rags under the kitchen sink) that have been stained.

For your convenience, we include 2 beach chairs, a beach blanket, beach towels, and a cooler during your stay. Any of these items that are damaged or not returned will result in a replacement cost charged to you. After enjoying our wonderful beaches, please use the hose to rinse off the excess sand prior to entering the house. The garden hose is on the first column on the western side of the house. Don’t forget to close the hose.

We put a lot of effort into providing you with a good guest experience. We do not like charging for replacement costs, so please be mindful that this is a home we live in. Treat it like you would your own home. 

A/C UNITS: Two of the three bedrooms have A/C units. When these units are turned on, please keep the door and windows closed. These are not centralized units. They are only meant to cool the size of the room they are located in. Maintaining the doors and windows open could cause the unit to overwork beyond its capacity and break. We verify that the unit is working before check-in and again upon your departure. Repair costs for these units are very high. 

FANS: We love the breeze that comes in through our windows. If you keep the windows and interior doors open, you can feel the breeze as it travels through the house. But not all days are breezy and summers in Puerto Rico can truly be unbearably hot. So, we have ceiling fans and pedestal fans throughout the house for your use. So that you don’t burn out the pedestal fans, we recommend you use the timer setting. That way the fan will turn off automatically and not be unintentionally left on.

RESTRICTED AREAS: There are several rooms within the home where guests are not allowed entry. We have locked them and ask that they not be tampered with. Keep in mind that this house is used by the owners and they have set these rooms aside for their personal use.  Currently, the backyard is not open to guests. This area is surrounded by a locked fence. It is the owners’ intention to eventually open this up for all guests, but it needs work done to it to make it apt for guest use. In the meantime, this area has also been locked out of guest use. But there is a lot of green space for guest use in the front and sides of the property.

SECURITY CAMERAS: There are several security cameras outside the property actively recording audio and video. There are also security cameras within locked rooms (which guests do NOT have access to) recording from the inside of the room. These cameras are as much for the guests’ security as well as the owners’. They will notify the owner when they detect any movement. 

Your privacy is important to us as well. We want you to be able to move around freely within the house in your space. For that reason, there are no security cameras or audio recording devices in any of the interior rooms where the guests are allowed to move around in.

(You will notice two motion detectors in the house. One in the living room, which points to the front windows. And one in the kitchen which points to the kitchen windows. These motion detectors are inactive while you are staying at the property. They are part of our security system and are activated when the house is empty.)

TRASH/CLEANING: We provide you with trash bags. Please dispose of trash in the outside containers when your trash bag is full. Please make sure all dishes are washed before checking out. That is a great help for us so we can prepare the property in a timely manner for the next guest. An additional fee of $20 may be charged if dishes are left dirty. We also provide you with rags, a bucket, and a few detergents under the kitchen sink in case there is a spill you need to pick up. There is a dustpan, broom, and mop on the terrace behind the door if you should need it. Someone may be by Monday afternoon/evening to take the trash bins outside since trash is picked up during dawn on Tuesday. If there is a holiday, this may be delayed a day.

LAWN MAINTENANCE: We try to have the lawn maintenance done between guest stays. But it may not always be possible with back-to-back bookings. In those cases, we ask you to please refrain from leaving any items on the lawn or from being outside. The wind will blow the cut grass around and it could become hazardous to you. The lawn maintenance is done as quickly as possible, but depending on the time of day, it may be necessary for the person to return in the afternoon or the next day to finish.

WHEN AWAY: Please make sure that all A/Cs, fans, irons, flat irons, TVs, etc are turned off before leaving the house. Our Kwh rate is among the highest in all of the United States. Our nightly rate takes into consideration the cost of operating these A/C units for 8-12 hours a day. Help us to keep our current rates by turning these units off when not in the room. Please close all windows when not in the house as we have sporadic showers (coupled with the wind) that come thru and can drench the house in a few minutes. Thank you!

NOW THE RULES:

Check-in/Check-out:

• Check-in after 3:00 pm
• Check-out before 11:00 am
• Self-check-in with keypad (code will be given by your time of arrival)
• The minimum age for the renter is 25 years old
• All adult guests must have an Airbnb profile and appear on the booking.
• Non-smoking property

During your stay:

• 6 guests occupancy
• Quiet hours are between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am; This is a residential area. Our neighbors aren’t on vacation. They have to work and go to school. Please be mindful of that.
• No parties or events, visitors, or commercial photography is permitted.
• No smoking, cannabis, tobacco, or other recreational or illicit drug use is permitted. An additional $250 cleaning fee will be charged if any residues or smell of smoke is left on the property.
• No firearms, weapons, or fireworks are permitted on the property. 
• The house that you are renting has a private owner. Guests relieve the owner of any responsibility for losing personal belongings or valuables, accidents, injuries, or illnesses occurring during the stay.
• The owners receive mail at this address. Please do not tamper with the mailbox or its contents. Keep in mind that this is a federal violation.
• Keep the furnishings and property in good condition. Please do not move furniture from its designated area.
• Only use appliances for their designated use.
• There is one parking spot inside the property limits and other cars can park outside on our wide paved area. All parking is free. We ask that you do not block the mailbox or either of the gates. When exiting or entering the property, please take safety precautions as other drivers may not be cautious. 
• Your rental does not include daily maid service. If you require maid service during your stay, this can be arranged for an extra charge.
• There is a clothesline outside (on the east side of the property) if you should need to hang wet clothes or towels. The clothespins are under the kitchen sink. Please do not hang wet towels or bathing suits on the furniture or dining room chairs. This will damage the furniture.
• The house does not include a BBQ. If you choose to bring one, it must be placed away from all windows and doors and all tiled surfaces.
• Please keep the noise level to a normal volume. Do not play music or TV at a high volume. If you like listening to loud music in your car, please lower it when within a few feet of the property so that you do not disturb the neighbors.
• Please dispose of trash in the trash container outside by the long gate when the bag is full. Extra trash bags have been provided in the cabinet next to the trashcan cabinet. 
• We operate a septic tank system. The septic system is very efficient when used properly. Please do not flush anything but small amounts of toilet paper in the toilet. Paper towels, feminine products, baby wipes (even the flushable kind), large amounts of toilet paper, or anything else should not be flushed down the toilet. There is a wastebasket in the bathroom for all those items. If the system clogs due to the flushing of these products, the guest may have to cover the repair cost.
• Please do not dispose of oils or solids through the kitchen sink. If you need to dispose of oil, please use a plastic bottle and throw it in the trash. One trick I use for greasy pans is I put dishwashing liquid directly in the pan and wipe it with paper towels. I do not add water until I have removed most of the grease from the pan. After discarding the used paper towels in the trash, wash them as usual. 
• We provide essentials for your stay. We make sure we fill up our bottles of shampoo, conditioner, soap, dishwashing liquid, etc. before your check-in. If additional or different products are needed, it will be the guests’ responsibility to purchase them.
• Each double bed has four pillows. Two cooling firm pillows and two soft ones. Additional pillows cannot be provided. 
• This home is not childproof. If your party has children, please walk through the property and make the adjustments you need to keep your children safe. Before leaving, please place things as you found them.
• Do not attempt to open the locked rooms in the house. These rooms are for the owner’s private use. Each room has a camera within it actively recording movement within the room. Unless the door is open, the camera does not record outside of the locked room. If you open the door, the owner will be notified via the camera. You will be removed from the property with no refund, fined and the incident will be reported to Airbnb and the police. Don’t ruin your vacation or your standing with the Airbnb platform or with the authorities.