Sandcastle Realty

After three decades of visiting Bethany Beach and having my grandparents rent from Doug for thirty years, I cannot recommend Sandcastle Realty.
This past summer, we documented our rental departure with videos (see attached), based on other reviews citing cleanliness concerns and unreturned deposits. The video clearly shows the property was left in great condition - all surfaces cleaned, floors swept, bathrooms spotless and all instructions followed. Then for months after our departure, Sandcastle assured us our deposit was "in the mail." It wasn't until October, after multiple follow-ups on our end, that Doug finally admitted they were keeping it, claiming the house was "left a mess." This directly contradicts our video evidence and months of false assurances about the check being sent. Despite having video documentation proving the property's condition, we've been told we are not getting our deposit return after being lied to about it being "in the mail."
Sandcastle has continued to respond to our reviews claiming that we were “declined for future rentals” based on prior false accusations of cleanliness.
I believe the property owners should know their management company is damaging their reputation and driving away repeat customers. I can’t imagine this is the experience they want guests and renters to have.
It’s disheartening to be treated like this after thirty years of business and after Bethany has become a place for family to gather and share memories for multiple generations.

Absolutely terrible experience — DO NOT rent from Sandcastle Realty.

After years of wonderful vacations in Bethany Beach, our family’s trust in this company has been completely shattered. We’ve rented from Sandcastle for many years, always taking pride in leaving every home spotless and following every checkout instruction. Yet in recent years, we’ve faced repeated problems getting our security deposits back — endless delays, vague accusations, and outright lies about the condition of the properties.

This past summer was the final straw. After a storm from Hurricane Erin, we reached out several times to have the pool cleaned. We were ignored for most of the week, leaving the pool filthy and unusable for our kids. Still, we cleaned the house thoroughly before leaving — wiped surfaces, swept floors, scrubbed bathrooms, and made sure everything was in better shape than when we arrived. We even took photos and video as proof.

Months later, we were told we wouldn’t be getting our security deposit back because the house was supposedly left a “mess.” That claim is completely false — and honestly insulting. Our family includes members with health conditions that made us extra careful about cleanliness. The whole experience has felt dishonest and exploitative.

After decades of happy memories in Bethany Beach, it’s heartbreaking that Sandcastle Realty has made it stressful to come here. Based on how they’ve handled our last few rentals, it feels like the owner, Doug, is running a scam — taking people’s deposits under false pretenses and violating Delaware law.

To anyone thinking of renting from this company: beware. The home might look lovely online, but the peace of mind and trust that make a vacation special are long gone. What a sad way to end so many years of family tradition.

To those customers and clients who have been defrauded and / or had funds (eg. Security Deposits) not rightfully returned by Doug Appling of Sandcastle Realty, recommend you file a complaint with both the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Delaware Real Estate Commission (DREC). To all the potential customers and clients, do yourself a big favor, and DO NOT do business with this company.