Carolina Designs Realty
Reviews and Complaints

Carolina Designs Realty, Inc. was supposed to give refunds for rentals affected by Covid19, according to the owner. However, they have not followed through on this promise. We had rented a 12-bedroom house for a large group in late June. Unfortunately, some people in our group were unable to travel due to being out of the country or living in states still under a stay-at-home order. When we asked for a refund, they initially said they would provide one. But then they started talking about trying to re-rent the property, which took weeks to do. This delay made it difficult for them to find new renters. The owner of Carolina Designs Realty, Inc. has been dishonest in the media about refunding customers and they are not prioritizing the safety of their potential clients.

We can't cancel our May 23rd vacation rental home cuz the visitor ban is lifted as of May 16th. We don't feel it's safe to travel. I got a vacation rental in Nags Head that starts on May 23. We booked it for a wedding that got postponed till October. We were gonna spend a week at the rental property, with our 2 grown children and their families. We're a party of 12, from 3 different households and 2 different states. Right now, the family from Colorado can't travel cuz of work restrictions. The other 2 families are following Maryland's stay at home order and not seeing each other since I'm an essential worker and I don't wanna risk my grandchildren's health. As you know, under Executive Order 138 for the state of North Carolina there's a phased Stay at Home order that prevents us from using the rental property. Also, this Executive Order says no non-essential travel, no gatherings of 10 or more people, and more travel restrictions. So, we can't travel to the property and even if we could, as a group of more than 10, we can't stay there. I know NC lifted the travel ban on outer banks, and we should have access to the property, but they won't cancel or change our rental agreement. We'd be breaking your state's rule of no gathering larger than 10 (since we're not a family living together, the household rule doesn't apply) and the *** website says the property should be available for the renter's use and enjoyment. But there won't be any enjoyment if only one of the 3 families can use it, and part of our family vacation was to do fun things with the grandchildren and eat out. It's not a vacation for me if I gotta bring my own groceries and cook cuz restaurants are only doing carry out. And even if the grandchildren were there, there's nothing to do with them. The rental is for a property called *** rented thru Carolina Designs Realty. We tried working with them and the *** to get a refund, but no luck. I really think I should be able to cancel for a refund given the circumstances. Also, as an essential worker, I go to work and come home, cuz I don't wanna risk spreading COVID if I've been exposed. I'm not comfortable going on vacation and possibly bringing COVID to your state. I hope you can help. Thanks for your time.

We aim to visit Kitty Hawk next year, slightly later than our thwarted 2020 plans. We had already paid our deposit to Carolina Designs Realty. The pandemic revealed true colors of individuals and businesses. We had booked a house in Kitty Hawk through Carolina Designs Realty pre-pandemic and were prompt with deposits. When we called to cancel on April 7th, seeking a refund, we were advised to call back at the next payment due date. Following instructions, we called on April 22nd and were told to hold off on the final payment due April 23rd. A subsequent call on May 5th resulted in a refusal for a refund, with a promise to discuss transferring our deposits to the same house for May . On May 11th, we received an email inquiring about postponing to the following year, to which we agreed, requesting a week later. The response was delayed until May 13th, with a promise of management consultation. By May 18th, we were informed that the owner would neither refund nor honor our deposits for May , responding with a generic cancellation policy. This felt like a tactic to delay and avoid resolution. Our group, coming from high-risk areas and including elderly family members with health concerns, faced significant risks, compounded by shortages of essential supplies in Kitty Hawk. A responsible rental company should mediate between renters and owners with flexibility. We still wish to visit Kitty Hawk and stay at the same property. It seemed logical to apply our deposits to a May rental. Carolina Designs, as our intermediary, should demonstrate empathy and allow us to apply our deposits to the week of May 29th, which appears available upon investigation.