Moroccan Rugs: It’s Time. We’re Renting Out The Mountain House And Here’s How It’s Going Down…

Hi gang. Brian here.

I probably shouldn’t write this, but I’ve done a lot of bad stuff in rental homes. I’ve barfed in bedrooms, tipped over tables, snapped sprinklers, I even woke up once with an enormous raccoon on top of the dining table that I forgot to clean the night before and left the door open.

Granted, this all happened in my twenties, I’m a responsible adult now. But there’s still an energy that comes when I’m staying in a vacation home. It makes me want to let my hair down and party like Prince. Like the normal rules have been put on pause.

And I don’t think I’m alone in that feeling.

So when it came to deciding what to do with the Mountain House when we permanently move up to Portland, I was pretty adamant about not renting it out. If it were up to Emily she would literally let all of you stay there for free (and the Vacay Getaway winner finally is in September), but I didn’t want a bunch of me’s up here, ralphing all over the dream home we worked so hard to build. I mean, I’ve never loved a house as much as this one, and the idea of total strangers running amok on our reclaimed floorboards made my sphincter pucker up. And it wasn’t just the fear of people partying, I’ve heard horror stories about what goes on in short-term rentals. Like, did you know that it’s a thing for people to shoot pornos in Airbnbs? For real. They like, rent them out under what looks like a family’s profile, then show up with truckloads of cameras and lube and make “movie magic” all over your house. It’s true! At least here in Southern California it is. And no offense to those hard-working folks in the sex industry, but we’ve already painted the walls in this house, we don’t need anything else on them, thanks.

So, no, we didn’t want to rent out this beautiful sanctum of peace and tranquility to complete strangers.

But we also didn’t want to have it just sitting here vacant for most of the year when we could be making enough to cover our mortgage on it and as Emily asserts – other people could be enjoying it. So after some intense deliberations, we’ve decided to test-run trial for renting out the Mountain House. I say test-run because we’re still not totally sure if it’s going to work, but we’re willing to give it a try. Again, I’m extremely protective of this place.

It won’t be on any STR websites, just run through the blog, overseen by me, and highly curated. Not that we need to worry about any of you. I mean, if you read this blog it means that you’re a highly intelligent, considerate human who would never accidentally spill a whole bottle of milk on a set of antique wooden figurines, making them smell like cat farts (I’ve never done that either). We’ve set up a separate email account for the rental, and we’ll be handling everything ourselves, aided by a neighbor who will be serving as property manager/concierge/narc.

It’s a wonderful home in Lake Arrowhead that can host multiple families or even a small company retreat. It backs up to acres of forest and is within walking distance of the lake. There are four bedrooms and four bathrooms, a play attic for kids, a hot tub, and a fire pit (only available in Winter months). It can sleep 12 people. Pets will be vetted on a case-by-case basis. Emily is going to be taking out the super personal and fragile stuff and redecorating a bit to make it more hospitable for guests, so keep an eye out for those posts.

We’re going to price it dependent on season and length of stay, so please email your dates and we’ll send the price. Currently, the going rate up here for a house this big is between $800 – $1400 a night, FYI. Also, please include the number of guests, why you’re coming up, and any info you think may be helpful. We have some dates blacked out because we’re planning on coming back frequently, but as of now, Labor Day Weekend is available so get your request in asap! We’ll rent it through December 16th when we’ll come down for holiday break and see how this goes before releasing winter dates in January. Those who want to rent a week or two will have preference:) We are booked for the weekend of September 17th, September 21st, November 1st, and have a hold on the week of Thanksgiving. We are hoping for multiple families, small corporate retreats, or photoshoots.

We’re actually very happy to be able to share it with you all, and hopefully, you’ll be able to come and enjoy the mountains as much as we have. Just don’t mess anything up or I’ll come find where you live and have a long weekend at your house, with plenty of whiskey and milk.

Emily will be writing a comprehensive “what to do, eat and see in Lake Arrowhead” post soon for all those interested. Trust us, it’s awesome.

Rental Email: hendersonmountainhouse@emilyhendersondesign.com

Here are some pics of the property in case you need a refresher: