Villa issue

[FrankSheffield]

My family rented a villa in Carvoeiro for two weeks in October. This was through a UK registered company, albeit with Portuguese directors.
There were many issues with the villa, arising from a general lack of cleanliness and maintenance, a number of which I regard as actually dangerous. These included:

Serious mould (a band between a foot and eighteen inches deep on the upper walls) in one bathroom and less severe, but still unpleasant, mould in the others.

Black, greasy water in the toilet cisterns. This appeared at each flush and left a black deposit on the toilet which remained there unless cleaned with strong bathroom spray. Although I have no evidence of issues with the showers, I have to say this clear lack of cleaning over a long period made me wonder what state the showers were in, Legionella etc.

Damaged baby equipment, including a collapsing and holed cot. This was replaced after two days. The charge to hire a travel cot and high chair (without straps) for a fortnight was more than buying them new from Continente would have been.

More general issues included deep dirt, shredded fly screens, a dangerous awning (also covered in thick mould and ripped), and the weekly change of sheets which involved our sheets being replaced with ones with holes in!

I'm unable to leave a review as their site provides only a 48 hour window for this. They aren't interested at all, anyway, simply saying they've had many happy customers.

I'm not interested in a vendetta, and I'm not after any sort of refund (whilst the agent doesn't deny the state of the place, which I provided photos of, they deny any liability, so that ship has sailed anyway). What I'd like to do, however, is to make the authorities and/or prospective renters of this place aware of the state it's in. Dirty is bad enough, but I do think this is actually a health hazard.

The agent has told me they don't know anything about local licensing authorities etc. or what the process is in terms of reporting this. You can see why they'd say this of course, but to me that simply sums them up. They are a biggish operation, and the idea that they have no connection with any form of local licensing body is absurd.

So, my question is, does anyone know who I should be directing this to, and how I go about it?

Thanks in advance.

[roy4eyes]

My (very unofficial !) advice would be :- go in person to the Camara where I have always found them very helpful and keen to hear of any complaints/comments which affect the standing of Lagoa - put your observations in as many onine review sites (Tripadvisor,getyour guide, ex-pats portugal etc.) as you can - report your agents to their U.K. body (ABTA or similar).
Alternatively find alternative accommodation or hire a cleaning company for a deep clean and sue the U.K. agency in the small claims court on return - but be warned this is a slow and tortuous procedure.

[FrankSheffield]

Thank you, Roy. We're back in the UK now.
It's really not about the money; I've written that off. I did look and the agency is not an ABTA member as far as I can see (lesson learned), but I had hoped they were as they might at least have the clout to make the agent sort this place. Your advice about spreading the word makes great sense and I'll get on to that.
Input much appreciated.

[Braken]

The name of the agency and villa etc would help to alert all potential customers.

[FrankSheffield]

The agency is Algarve Vacation, based in Stalybridge. This particular villa is Villa Margarita, three beds, three baths. it's in Areias dos Moinhos, up the road as you leave town from the right hand turn to the old Ponto restaurant. Further up on the right, as the road divides. It's actual name (on the plate outside) is "Casa Martens", but it's marketed as Villa Margarita.

[widge]

The company has 1 director, Ferdinandina Maria Ramos de Oliveira Bluston - Portuguese ?

She resides at 42 Wallingford Road, Wilmslow Cheshire, SK9 3TU

The cash in bank in 2021 was £1.8 million (probably client rental income) and the company has been in business for 7 years.

Why don't you ring her up and talk through your concerns, if she's any good at least she'll delist the property until it's inspected.


Trust pilot reviews are mixed see here.....https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.al ... cation.net

[FrankSheffield]

Thank you, widge. I did speak to the woman you mention. She refused to engage in any way, other than to insist I speak to the woman named in a number of the TrustPilot reviews. They make interesting reading and, although they aren't by any means all negative, the substantial number that are seem to point to just what I encountered; a refusal to engage, or a simple fobbing off.
Honestly, if you had seen the state of our villa you would have been appalled. It seems clear to me,and nothing I see on TrustPilot convinces me otherwise, that they have a deliberate policy, particularly where this villa is concerned. They've allowed it to become a squalid mess, potentially dangerous in my view, and are banking on just pulling the shutters down on any complaints.

[Geoff]

Assuming it had an AL licence, there should be an official complaints book...not that it might do any good! It would be illegal to rent the property if it didn't have such a license. Perhaps a complaint might prejudice AL renewal?

[FrankSheffield]

Thanks Geoff. I'll confess my ignorance of AL licenses, but I assume they exist to allow a property to be rented out legally? If that is right, I imagine certain standards will apply regarding safety of equipment in villas etc.
As I said, the company representative insists she is unaware of any licensing authority or system through which I can register a complaint, which has to be, shall we say, not wholly true. It does throw up an obstacle, nonetheless.
I had read about an online Complaints Book in place nationally but haven't been able to turn this up. I will keep looking. Am exploring one or two avenues at present.

[roy4eyes]

Go to www.livroreclamacoes.pt

Roy

[Geoff]

We used to rent our place out and had to have a Compaints Book.....all Portuguese businesses have them, you see the sign in shops, cafes etc
see....https://www.portugal-accounting.com/pos ... me-rentals

ref:

If you do not have an AL Licence and rent your holiday home in Portugal, directly or indirectly, even through websites outside of Portugal, you are at risk of being fined by Portuguese authorities.

[FrankSheffield]

Roy and Geoff, thank you once again for your very helpful input.