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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
GivesYourHosieryaFright · 03/04/2026 19:03

We never take food or drinks in our bedrooms at home, so I wouldn't do it in a holiday cottage either.

canuckup · 03/04/2026 18:55

Yes

Knickerbockergrolia · 03/04/2026 18:12

Doingtheboxerbeat · 03/04/2026 17:27

So the question is does he ever bring you breakfast in bed on your birthday/mothers day/sick with flu etc and he is going along with this rule for the sake of rules are rules or is eating, drinking upstairs a no-no in your home like many are suggesting?

If it's the first one, then I wouldn't consider that a home from home experience and that defeats the object., IMO.

Oh I get a cup of tea in bed on a regular basis at home, I wouldn't think twice about tea and toast in bed usually. It was a fairly fancy air bnb type place, I'm sure you get all sorts going on when you rent your house out, but trying to stop people doing relatively ordinary things seems unnecessary - and as many have said means they're probably not well suited to being hosts!

OP posts:
Doingtheboxerbeat · 03/04/2026 17:27

Knickerbockergrolia · 03/04/2026 16:33

Haven't read all the replies, but assumed there would be a fair spread of views. Personally, I think it is on the unnecessary side so was happy to have a cuppa in bed. DP on the other hand is very much a rule follower 😊so I was interested in wheat the consensus would be

So the question is does he ever bring you breakfast in bed on your birthday/mothers day/sick with flu etc and he is going along with this rule for the sake of rules are rules or is eating, drinking upstairs a no-no in your home like many are suggesting?

If it's the first one, then I wouldn't consider that a home from home experience and that defeats the object., IMO.

Knickerbockergrolia · 03/04/2026 17:19

Amkal · 03/04/2026 17:05

Yes I would follow the rule. Because I’m not a cunt.

Now this is the kind of response I was expecting 😄

OP posts:
Itsmetheflamingo · 03/04/2026 17:06

AquaLeader · 03/04/2026 16:44

You obviously don't get out much, do you?

Yeah you got me. I’ve never been out actually, contained in the same house since birth.

Amkal · 03/04/2026 17:05

Yes I would follow the rule. Because I’m not a cunt.

AquaLeader · 03/04/2026 16:44

Itsmetheflamingo · 03/04/2026 16:19

oh ok so your answer is to make up an imaginary house where spillages are only an issue upper floor 🤣 wtf?

You obviously don't get out much, do you?

Knickerbockergrolia · 03/04/2026 16:33

Haven't read all the replies, but assumed there would be a fair spread of views. Personally, I think it is on the unnecessary side so was happy to have a cuppa in bed. DP on the other hand is very much a rule follower 😊so I was interested in wheat the consensus would be

OP posts:
Delatron · 03/04/2026 16:31

I agree they should make this rule clear when booking though (and I wouldn’t book that place). I hate airbnbs with silly rules like stripping beds, cleaning everything for an hour before check out at 9am etc etc. Not a holiday and I’d rather stay in a hotel and have a cuppa in bed. (And not spend an hour cleaning).

Delatron · 03/04/2026 16:27

I always have a glass of water by my bed in the night so would do that. I don’t eat in bed at home so no to that.

Pineapplewaves · 03/04/2026 16:26

Yes because we have the same rule at home, no food or drink in the bedrooms.

ChocolateCinderToffee · 03/04/2026 16:23

LastNightMyPJsSavedMyLife · 03/04/2026 12:04

No I wouldn’t. I’m not paying for a house to be told where I can eat or drink.

Well, presumably you'd book somewhere without such a rule, then!

gruberandassocs · 03/04/2026 16:22

I have that rule too but it's mainly because the house is in a tropical climate and any food/dirty dishes attracts ants and cockroaches. The ants appear very quickly and a cup left next to bed would be covered in ants in 20 mins. If there is nothing for them to eat they dont come in. Also a stain on the mattress means a new mattress in a holiday let. Even the best mattress protector will be hard pushed against a full cup of tea. Some people take the protectors off - mostly Germans, no idea why as they are not the sweaty rubber things.

Itsmetheflamingo · 03/04/2026 16:19

AquaLeader · 03/04/2026 16:08

Downstairs floors and furniture are usually more robust. Tiled or laminate floors, stain-resistant sofas, etc. It is easily mopped up.

Carpets and bedding upstairs less so.

Edited

oh ok so your answer is to make up an imaginary house where spillages are only an issue upper floor 🤣 wtf?

5128gap · 03/04/2026 16:19

I would with the exception of a glass of bedside water, as that's what I do anyway.
I think if you decide not to it's a gamble. Because if there's no mishap they'll be none the wiser, but if you spill sonething they'll come after you for the costs. They are basically telling you that food or drink related damage/cleaning is not covered for upstairs so if you spill, expect a bill. And bad feedback.

IMustDoMoreExercise · 03/04/2026 16:12

We only eat in the kitchen so it wouldn't occur to me to take food or drink anywhere else.

AquaLeader · 03/04/2026 16:08

Itsmetheflamingo · 03/04/2026 15:52

What do you think happens when someone spills something downstairs?

Downstairs floors and furniture are usually more robust. Tiled or laminate floors, stain-resistant sofas, etc. It is easily mopped up.

Carpets and bedding upstairs less so.

TheChosenTwo · 03/04/2026 16:05

I’d have my water bottle by the side of the bed and I don’t drink hot drinks, the idea of having food in bed is grim to me so would never do that unless I guess in hospital/bedbound or another situation in which there was no alternative.

So I technically I would break the rules because my water would be upstairs but it has a lid!

gostickyourheadinapig · 03/04/2026 16:04

Is there also a rule about where in the house you can have sex and what kind of sex?

Itsmetheflamingo · 03/04/2026 16:02

DoraSpenlow · 03/04/2026 15:59

Accidents where people are expected to be eating and drinking are totally different to eating and drinking and making a mess in bedrooms, especially when you have specifically been asked not to do it. It's not that difficult to understand surely.

Would you be happy getting into bed and finding the mattress damp? Would you wonder what caused the dampness? Tea? Water? Piss?

Why is it different? What’s the difference between a cup of tea spilt on the landing carpet vs the sitting room carpet?

Itsmetheflamingo · 03/04/2026 16:01

Floatlikeafeather2 · 03/04/2026 15:57

So, if you were a smoker and you were asked not to smoke indoors, you'd do it anyway, just because, well, how dare they?

Smoking is completely different. It’s illegal in public places and hotel rooms. Smokers are used to not smoking on most places. It can hardly be compared to eating.

DoraSpenlow · 03/04/2026 15:59

Wildgoat · 03/04/2026 14:36

Doesn’t the same go for downstairs if you spill tea on the sofa or carpet? I’m really not getting it, it’s not like downstairs is stain proofed and upstairs is some unique stainable environment. Unless you’re saying if you rent an air b n b you all take it in turns to eat and drink over the sink.

very odd.

Accidents where people are expected to be eating and drinking are totally different to eating and drinking and making a mess in bedrooms, especially when you have specifically been asked not to do it. It's not that difficult to understand surely.

Would you be happy getting into bed and finding the mattress damp? Would you wonder what caused the dampness? Tea? Water? Piss?

Floatlikeafeather2 · 03/04/2026 15:57

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.

So, if you were a smoker and you were asked not to smoke indoors, you'd do it anyway, just because, well, how dare they?

olivepicanto · 03/04/2026 15:53

Of course I would. We don't have food or drink upstairs at home.