We rent a condo yearly at the beach. We have two young kids and like being able to walk out to the beach and let the kids play. This was our first time at Okaloosa and with this property. The inside of this condo was great! Very clean, comfortable beds, kitchen had all the supplies we needed and the view was great. The screen door was broken and sat to the side of the balcony. This wasn’t a big deal to us. For the most part, the area contained families who were quiet, made small chit-chat while kids played and were respectful of others. Maintenance was seen on the property cleaning the pool every morning and kept the main entrance area clean. The workout room was closed and being worked on our entire stay.
With that said - the property needs security. A man started beating repeatedly on our door one evening. There was no security to handle the situation and no one sitting at the front desk. The pounding continued on our door and the room next to us for about 30 minutes until I confronted the man. He stated his wife was sleeping in the next unit and locked him out. If I was his wife, I would have locked him out too! In addition, even though the unit is non smoking, and signs posted everywhere to refrain from smoking on balconies, the property isn’t smoke free. There was a chain smoker who constantly smoked by the parking garage and on the balcony. The heavy smoke sent my 7 year old into an asthma attack we couldn’t control on our own, and we ended up in the ER.
Several times, another man kept smoking pot on the balcony so the pool area or parking garage reeked and parents would have to pull their kids out and go elsewhere. This same guy came out in a stooper several times and got way too close for my comfort. He had a selfie stick and would spend his mornings taking pictures of himself and making videos, getting way too close to kids staying he was a school administrator, had ADHD and then would start smoking pot on the balcony of the second floor. Again - security is needed before he ticks off the wrong mom who shoves his selfie-stick where the sun doesn’t shine until he chokes on his iPhone.
I did call Barb with the property to discuss issues. She was polite and suggested I call the sheriffs office next time. I feel for the price I shouldn’t have to deal with the drunk next door who is fighting with his wife or the guy smoking pot right in front of kids at the pool.