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Original poster

Nasty email from holiday cottage owner - how to respond?

64 replies

Ginandcolic · 29/12/2013 16:55

I have had a pretty crappy year and I think I might be being a bit over emotional about this so I need level headed MNers to give me some advice.

DD (19 months) and I went to a holiday cottage over Christmas with our dog. Had a lovely time except the owner, who lived nearby, was a bit of a PITA. Went through our recycling to "check we had done it properly," and lots of little reminders / comments about not taking food and drink into the playroom etc (I didn't, by the way so this wasn't a polite hint or anything).

XH (DD's father) came over for Christmas Day, and the owner knocked on the door to complain that his car was parked wonkily. It wasn't blocking anyone, it wasn't in anyone else's spot, it wasn't on the verge or anything like that, it was just "not straight, and it looks funny out of my window." He also said that he'd checked XH's car tax and that it was out of date. It wasn't ... But I thought that was a bit weird.

But anyway, we had a nice time.

When it came to leave, I stripped the beds, cleaned the loos, sinks and bath, washed, dried and put back all the cutlery and crockery, and hoovered. I asked for a mop to go over the kitchen floor (muddy paw prints from the dog) and was told I must only mop the tiles, not the rest of the floor. Fine. So did that too. And emptied the rubbish, put dirty linen and towels in the laundry basket (as requested) etc.

FYI the dog only went in the kitchen, he did not go anywhere else like the carpets, sofas etc.

I get home and received a pissy email from the owner saying that it took him 7 hrs to clean the house (it was not a big cottage so I really don't believe this) and that he was very upset with the state in which we had left it. He said that if he had used cleaners, it would have cost him close to £100 ... but that he will return my housekeeping deposit anyway.

NB he didn't mention anything in particular that was dirty or not left in the proper place.

I am, and I am not sure why, really upset by this. I cleaned up pretty well, I paid an extra £35 as a cleaning surcharge for having a dog even though I cleaned up after him anyway, I didn't break anything, as far as I know I put everything back where I found it and I can't work out what he's talking about.

Do I ignore him and put it down to him being a bit nuts? Or do I stick up for myself and risk an lengthy email debate about what is an acceptable state in which to leave a holiday cottage? I mean, FFS, it was pretty expensive too as it was Christmas and I paid a cleaning surcharge ... What more does he want???

Or do I just accept I am a slattern?

Thanks for reading!

OP posts:

MadeOfStarDust · 29/12/2013 17:33

Be careful what you write on tripadvisor - it is a more public forum - especially if you do reviews on multiple places etc..

people's ideas of "clean" vary and it could just look like you were dirty....

Personally I would chalk it up to experience and just forget it..

Oblique27 · 29/12/2013 17:33

He sounds completely bonkers! If he thought your car tax was out of date, but it wasn't, then his grip on reality must be skewed. Trip advisor and MN will restore your pride.....(and making place for when the location is named and shamed , definitely to be avoided!)

SilverApples · 29/12/2013 17:35

Let it be, at least until you get your deposit back.
Next time, do what DD does every time she moves digs. Clean thoroughly and then take dated photos of each room as proof.

sparklysilversequins · 29/12/2013 17:37

I'd wait till I got the deposit and the. Email thanking him for ruining my holiday with his fussy busy bodying about and not to worry I would never be returning. If you booked it through a website I would also be leaving a suitable review as well. He sounds like a right tool!

Ragusa · 29/12/2013 17:38

Well it's clearly not you. Abolutely leave a review on TA and don't be bashful. That is what it's there for after all and hobestly, who gives a flying fig if people reading it think you're a slattern?!? I left a review like thus once and got lots of helpful votes .

meeeemo · 29/12/2013 18:28

marking my place in anticipation of naming and shaming

skyeskyeskye · 29/12/2013 18:32

Would love to know what the reviews were.

I agree, obviously get your deposit back first, allow time for cheque to clear, then give an honest review, without being too nasty.

Please then let us know where it is so we can read the reviews avoid going there

feesh · 29/12/2013 18:42

He wasn't in the Cotswolds was he? We had exactly the same thing over the summer. Bloody nutter running the place, retired judge who obviously hadn't found anything else to turn his mind to apart from ruining his guests' holidays since he retired. He was obsessed, and I mean OBSESSED, with the bloody recycling (I have since worked out it was because he was breaking the law by mixing the holiday cottage waste in with his domestic collection - he should have been paying a private company for a commercial collection, under the Environmental Protection Act, and being a retired judge I am sure he knew this!). He commented on our parking all the time. And worst of all, wandered around the grounds in his speedos every morning .

Also, why did you clean the cottage to that extent? Is that normal? I kind of figured that was what we were paying for....I might push a mop around quickly but I would never go to those lengths, I'm supposed to be on holiday FFS. Oh well, hopefully that peed him off too.

aciddrops · 29/12/2013 18:47

He sounds like a nut job. Ignore the email and forget all about him.

JakeBullet · 29/12/2013 18:50

Yep...another person who needs to know where this cottage is......so I can avoid it,

The last thing I need on holiday is some uptight idiot knocking on the door every five minutes with perceived ishoos.

Original poster

Ginandcolic · 29/12/2013 19:32

Oh thanks for your posts, they do make me feel a bit more sane and less of a shambolic messy slattern! I think I did do a bit more cleaning than I technically needed to as I always feel having a dog and a toddler means we create more mess ... But it also means I get even more grumpy when chastised! Had I just upped and left and not bothered doing anything but the bare minimum, I probably wouldn't mind a pissy email but really! And seven hours of cleaning? He clearly isn't that good at it if it really took him that long.

I suspect he was angling for me to say "oh dear, how dreadful, do keep some of the housekeeping deposit to make up for it."

I mean, how much cleaning does he expect?

feesh yiiiiiiikes! Thankfully this idiot did not grace us with his speedos!

I will post proper details when the deposit has cleared, but if anyone is thinking of booking a holiday cottage in SUFFOLK in the meantime, then do PM me!

And XH just reminded me, the owner complained incessantly about previous guests, he clearly thought that guests were a massive inconvenience who turned up just to ruin his perfectly ordered life. He also told us that business wasn't that great. Can't think why...

Grrrrrrrrrr.

OP posts:

Beamur · 29/12/2013 19:38

Nutter. Don't engage, get your deposit back and review this place honesty but without vitriol.
I wouldn't do more than cursory cleaning of a cottage I'd rented.

pancakesfortea · 29/12/2013 19:44

I've had two experiences like this, both in the same Sussex town. In both cases I know we left the place spotless, but they claimed we had trashed it. One, where we had stayed half a dozen times, said we couldn't stay again unless we paid an extra deposit. The other threatened to retain our deposit for extra cleaning. In that case we had already paid thirty pounds for cleaning.

Both were strangely upsetting experiences. It was horrible having people suggest that we were filthy and/or lying. At first I did doubt myself and wonder whether my standards weren't as good as other people's. But on reflection I realized it really was them not me being unreasonable.

Both places were booked direct, not through an agency and in one case I think the owners hadn't got their heads around the idea that they were running a business and it was no longer their own home. In the other case I think it was just a simple scam.

All you can really do is not go back. A real shame for us as we go to that town to see my mum and there are very few options (its a small town) but we have ended up going to a local caravan park instead. Fewer home comforts but run like a business.

WaitingForPeterWimsey · 29/12/2013 19:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Polyethyl · 29/12/2013 19:55

I had an experience like this in Llan Ffestiniog. The owners not only accused us of non existent filth but they also claimed we stole pictures off the wall.
They too interfered with our holiday every single day - finding an excuse to prowl around the house, interrupting us. They even made anti Welsh racist comments which was bonkers since they were English living in Gwynedd and we are Welsh.
A few comments they made made me think that they were jealous of the fun we were having as a group of jolly friends.

Original poster

Ginandcolic · 29/12/2013 19:57

pancakes sorry you had similar experiences ... You make a good point about running it like a business. I did book directly with the owner and I don't think they use agencies.

When I was staying at a holiday cottage in Cornwall (which was lovely and totally stress free btw), I got talking to a barmaid in the local pub who said she also worked as a cleaner for some holiday cottages in the area and didn't expect much actual cleaning at all. She said she did expect people to put dirty dishes in the dishwasher and that was about it; she said it was a real bonus if people stripped their beds!

I suppose, as a pp said, people have different standards.

Also, £100 for 7 hours cleaning? First, I really don't think anyone could have cleaned that place for 7hrs, but also, and I have checked (!) I have found a cleaning agency near the cottage that charges £9.50 an hour - should I email him details? (only partly joking!)

OP posts:

Original poster

Ginandcolic · 29/12/2013 19:59

polyethyl oh that sounds awful. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to deal with the public unsupervised!

OP posts:

rainbowfeet · 29/12/2013 20:08

I'd wait until I'd received the money back & then send him a email back arguing your case & telling him he is an arse & if he treats all his clients in this way then you're surprised he gets any return visitors!!

PurpleJellyDisc · 29/12/2013 20:11

Ignore, get deposit back then flame on tripadvisor and here.

mewkins · 30/12/2013 10:54

Surely if you own a holiday let you either pay for a cleaner or you do it yourself. You don't expect the place to run itslef with one guest cleaning up for the next! As a guest you're just expected to leave in a reasonable state eg no marks/stains/breakages. Most of the places I stay in don't have cleaning equipment, hoover etc as they don't expect you to do the cleaning for them.

Wait til you get the deposit back and then email telling him what you think.

EBearhug · 30/12/2013 20:02

Maybe he gets charged special rates once local cleaners have already dealt with him...

pancakesfortea · 30/12/2013 22:04

After this happened to us twice in one town (but never in the dozens of other places we've stayed) I wondered if this was actually a dodgy cleaning company. I wondered if, every few weeks they would just routinely tell one set of property owners that the guests had left it in a terrible state, and that they would have to charge them extra.

The next place we stayed in, I went round with my camera phone as we were leaving taking lots of pictures showing how sparkling clean it was. I was almost a little disappointed that I never got to use them.

Dinnaeknowshitfromclay · 01/01/2014 07:52

Nut job. Say 'Meh' and move on (once the cheque had cleared obviously) I think I would take photos of the before and after when staying in a holiday apartment now, having read this. I suspect you are right and he is trying to get the extra dosh from you. If he did that with everyone his income would go up but....repeat...bookings...would...not.

FergusSingsTheBlues · 01/01/2014 08:02

It would take my husband seen yours just to clean the kitchen...he so fuckn SLOOOOW....it's infuriating. So that bits prob cos he's a bloke, the rest because he's an old fart and has no life....(neither do I as clearly I shoukd be face down in a gutter on this fine morning instead of entertaining two whinging weans)

NotJustACigar · 01/01/2014 08:04

What a nutter. You were on holiday ffs, why should you have to clean? I mean, obviously you didn't trash the place but you should in no way be expected to leave it spotless. It isn't like being a nonpaying guest in someone's home. Plus his meddling and looking at the car tax disk was completely insane and wrong.

Please leave a very honest review so others will be warned. He probably picked on you because he thought you looked a bit vulnerable and that he could get away with it. Please prove that he can't and don't feel bad in any way, he's the bad guy here, not you!

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