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Original poster

Would you follow this rule?

314 replies

Knickerbockergrolia · 03/04/2026 11:44

Staying at a holiday house, the rules mention 'no food or drink to be taken upstairs' - would you follow it?

YABU - I'm on holiday, I'm having a cup of tea in bed and I'm old enough not to make a mess

YANBU - rules are rules, I'll do as I'm told

OP posts:
ILoveDaffodills · 03/04/2026 12:35

AllFours · 03/04/2026 11:51

No, I would not follow that rule. I’m an adult - if there’s an accident and I spill tea upstairs then I’m fully capable of cleaning up or replacing anything that is damaged.

I agree with you

ILoveDaffodills · 03/04/2026 12:34

FMc208 · 03/04/2026 11:46

Of course I would follow it. It’s someone else’s home and while I’m an adult and old enough not to make a mess, mistakes happen and could easily spill the tea.

well if it was made known before I rented the place I wouldn't rent it, but if the place has load of stupid petty 'rules' that weren't made known prior I'd ignore them.

I don't go away on holiday to be treat like a 2 year old.

Boustany · 03/04/2026 12:34

gannett · 03/04/2026 12:24

It's a completely ordinary rule. Eating in bed is not the norm.

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I don't eat in bed but I might have a cup of tea. Other people are different. The point is that, if you're letting to the general public, you need to expand your idea of "the norm" beyond just what you personally do.

This thread is reminding me of my late MIL who was advised by her holiday letting agent to buy a DVD player for her holiday let. She did this and advertised the cottage as having a TV and DVD player, despite the fact that the TV was so ancient you couldn't actually connect it to the DVD player, then when someone complained she was baffled- what sort of person goes on holiday to watch DVDS? 😂

VickyEadieofThigh · 03/04/2026 12:32

99victoria · 03/04/2026 12:00

No I wouldn't. I like to have a cup of coffee in bed before I get up and start the day. I've been doing it for years and never managed to have a disastrous accident!

To be honest - I don't tend to read the rules if there are loads of them. You wouldn't know about silly rules like this before you booked - owners tend to put them in handbooks for you to read when you arrive. No hotel I have ever stayed in has told me I can't have food or drink in my bedroom

Agree. If owners give all the rules before you book, you've got the chance to look elsewhere. We rent a lot of cottages and sometimes you get pissed off by being presented with a rule you wouldn't have accepted before you booked.

The worst was when we rented a "dog-friendly" bungalow and arrived to find a sign telling us to restrict the dog to the "conservatory" - it was a sort of unheated porch thing. If we'd know that, we definitely wouldn't have booked. We ignored it and never booked it again (we often repeat bookings if we've enjoyed a place).

Ophy83 · 03/04/2026 12:31

A cup of tea or coffee in bed is entirely reasonable, assuming you take responsibility for any spillages.

A takeaway pizza eaten in bed, completely unreasonable.

Wildgoat · 03/04/2026 12:29

No of course not, what a silly rule.

Superhansrantowindsor · 03/04/2026 12:29

If I knew this before I wouldn’t book. If I go there and saw this rule I would ignore it. I have had a cup of tea. In bed every morning for decades and never spilt it yet.

Changename12 · 03/04/2026 12:29

ApolloandDaphne · 03/04/2026 12:25

I wouldn't eat upstairs but i always have a glass of water by my bed at night and i always have a morning cup of tea in bed. I would still do both of those things. I have never spilled a cup of tea in the many years i have been doing this.

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My husband has managed to spill coffee when taking 2 cups up the stairs so many times. We have beige stair carpet so it won’t show so much.

omgitchiness · 03/04/2026 12:28

This should have been made clear before you booked it.

I wouldn't book somewhere that had that rule.

But if it wasn't made clear pre-booking I wouldn't follow it; I need my morning brew in bed!

Changename12 · 03/04/2026 12:26

Poppinjay · 03/04/2026 12:12

If the rule was communicated pre-booking, it's on me and I would follow it.

If the rule was only communicated once we had arrived, I'd follow it if it wasn't too disruptive.

We once arrived at a dog-friendly cottage to find a sign that said no dogs upstairs. That would have been a deal breaker if we'd known at booking because one of our party has an assistance dog that they need in the same room. The dog slept in the bedroom and we vacuumed carefully before leaving.

Yes, I think it does depend on if the rules were communicated before booking.
I think assistance dogs are exempt from these sort of rules by law.
Places that allow dogs often say not upstairs.
If a dog is used to sleeping with its owner then most dog owners would take their dog upstairs regardless of rules.
This is why I try and book somewhere that is dog free.

Doingtheboxerbeat · 03/04/2026 12:26

gannett · 03/04/2026 12:24

It's a completely ordinary rule. Eating in bed is not the norm.

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For you maybe - breakfast in bed is a thing that some people do.

ApolloandDaphne · 03/04/2026 12:25

WinterBlues26 · 03/04/2026 11:53

Yes I would follow it as I don't have food upstairs at home anyway.

I'm assuming you agreed to it when you booked/paid for the accommodation?

I wouldn't eat upstairs but i always have a glass of water by my bed at night and i always have a morning cup of tea in bed. I would still do both of those things. I have never spilled a cup of tea in the many years i have been doing this.

gannett · 03/04/2026 12:24

Boustany · 03/04/2026 12:23

If you let your house out for a market rate, you need to tell people in advance if you're going to impose rules which are out of the ordinary. If you want to be paid as a business, act like a business.

Show quote history

It's a completely ordinary rule. Eating in bed is not the norm.

BaronessBomburst · 03/04/2026 12:24

I would still take a glass of water upstairs, but nothing else.

Boustany · 03/04/2026 12:23

applescentedcandle · 03/04/2026 12:17

Wow this is eye-opening, I'm genuinely surprised at the fuck you attitudes. I had thought about hosting out my house when I'm away but I definitely won't now.

Disrespectful in the extreme.

If you let your house out for a market rate, you need to tell people in advance if you're going to impose rules which are out of the ordinary. If you want to be paid as a business, act like a business.

ACynicalDad · 03/04/2026 12:23

I’d take tea up, but that would probably be my limit. I expect their problems are with people taking a full meal up.

MyDeftDuck · 03/04/2026 12:22

*NEXT

Doingtheboxerbeat · 03/04/2026 12:22

applescentedcandle · 03/04/2026 12:17

Wow this is eye-opening, I'm genuinely surprised at the fuck you attitudes. I had thought about hosting out my house when I'm away but I definitely won't now.

Disrespectful in the extreme.

It's very naive to assume that everyone will be exactly like you - no offence.
Despite what I said up post about eating pizza in bed, that was just an example of what kind of person you may be renting your property to - not what I would do.

RNApolymerase · 03/04/2026 12:22

I would not follow the rule. It isn't a holiday if I can't have a cup of tea in bed in the morning.

MyDeftDuck · 03/04/2026 12:22

I’d follow the rule…….we don’t allow food and drink upstairs, apart from a glass of water.

FFS people will be wanting to smoke in bed net!

Alpacajigsaw · 03/04/2026 12:22

I don’t tend to take food and drink upstairs but no I wouldn’t purposely follow it. I’m paying for the rental and they presumably factor cost of cleaning into it. We always clean up anyway before we leave, I bet plenty of people leave a mess even downstairs.

youalright · 03/04/2026 12:20

Yes as we don't have food upstairs at home anyway so wouldn't really be a big ask.

Viviennemary · 03/04/2026 12:20

I think no food is fair enough. But no drink is a bit draconian.

reversegear · 03/04/2026 12:20

I would I assume they meant don’t eat a takeout curry in bed, not a glass of water and a biscuit, but other than water I would follow the rules.

luckylavender · 03/04/2026 12:19

Chickadiddy · 03/04/2026 12:01

I would have no problem following it because the idea of eating or drinking in bed makes me boak. 🤢

this

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