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Original poster

Not allowed back to a holiday cottage because we left it "in a state" - what could we have done?!

150 replies

Thurlow · 07/07/2020 19:58

Just tried to book a cottage we've been to before through an agency and have been told we're not allowed back because of the condition we left the property in last time. They've got no explanation yet of what we've done.

I'm at a complete loss - we stripped the beds, out the used towels in the bath, swept up, emptied the bins, put the cushions in place, made sure the fridge and all the cupboards were empty, wiped the sides down, everything we normally do to leave a cottage ready for new linen and cleaning etc. We definitely didn't break anything while we were there either.

Has anyone had this happen before, or is an owner who could say what they hate? I'm doubly pissed off as they haven't immediately returned our deposit and are trying to get us to book another cottage with them. I can't for the life of me think what we've done as we've returned to other cottages before and have never had any complaints. Or have we just come across a bonkers host who wants the whole place steam cleaned before a guest leaves?

OP posts:

ilovemydogandmrobama2 · 07/07/2020 21:11

Once we didn't get our security deposit back because of the, 'state of the cottage...'

However, we cleaned for at least 2 hours after we packed - my mom took the kids for a walks and I cleaned.

Watched the cleaners, yes there were two, spend less than 10 minutes in the property.

VenusTiger · 07/07/2020 21:13

no smoking inside @Thurlow I'm guessing there are smokers in the party then? how close is the property to an other property? Have neighbours/neighboroughing holiday makers perhaps complained about smoke entering their property through an open window or in garden?

CornishTiger · 07/07/2020 21:14

@listsandbudgets that’s probably there for the owners or cleaners to use occasionally rather than renters surely?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Holidays

DwellInPossibility · 07/07/2020 21:19

I stayed somewhere that expected sheets laundered and beds made, dusting, etc. basically wanted is to do a proper cleaning job at the end. It was clean but not to that standard.
Totally unreasonable but we had to really argue for the deposit.

Incrediblytired · 07/07/2020 21:20

Aren’t the owners meant to have a cleaner to clean???

I usually leave a cottage tidy, washing up done and wipe down kitchen surfaces but I don’t spend 2 hours cleaning. Is this expected?

Itisbetter · 07/07/2020 21:21

I’ve had this!!! Only once and we’ve stayed in loads of places over the years. There was no way we left a mess because we were barely there and didn’t even cook and I swept, wiped and straightened before we left. I suspect in our case it was because dh isn’t white and it wasn’t apparent when we booked because they were weirdly frosty when he arrived. Could it be that?

SepticTankYank · 07/07/2020 21:22

If you left it in such a state last time then you would know that they weren't happy as they would have said something and not returned part of the deposit.

There MuST be a mix up!

passthemustard · 07/07/2020 21:22

The things that annoy me as a holiday let owner are:

Not doing the washing up
Leaving a lot of rubbish (not in the bin)
Makeup/tan/hair dye on the sheets/towels

I don't expect people to clean or hoover because I will have to do it again anyway. The only time people seem to strip the beds are if there are 'stains' on the bedding and to be honest I'd rather know about that so I can clean it properly.

People break things all the time. Mostly glasses/crockery. I've never banned anyone.

I think they have mixed you up or are just barmy.

Original poster

Thurlow · 07/07/2020 21:23

@ButteryPuffin, yes, I've told them that. Maybe they know the owners are weird and so they don't believe we're bad renters?

No loud noises or parties, we have young DC and it was October so we weren't even sitting outside in the evening, let alone up late making noise!

It could have been the smoking, but that was limited to a few in the evening and all ash and butts put in the bin.

I won't be offended if we genuinely did something wrong we need to change - clean more, left a spill we didn't notice, need to leave the garden and smoke in the street etc - I'm just frustrated at not knowing!

OP posts:

2bazookas · 07/07/2020 21:24

No smoking inside?

If you mean, you smoked outside, note that many holiday lets are strictly non-smoking anywhere, inside or out. Ignoring that rule is a good reason for refusing any further bookings

WhiteC0sm05 · 07/07/2020 21:24

Do they use cleaners? Wondering if cleaners tried it on for more money ie said it was a state and charged more.

We had that in USA. We cleaned the house exactly as instructed and left it better than we found it including washing and drying all bedding as instructed on the day we left( major pain in the arse) instead of paying the exorbitant fee for the cleaner to do the linen. We then had an email for owner giving a heads up for an extra cleaning charge due to the state it was left in.I’d left each pile of bedding folded neatly on the beds as we found them and 2 towels on the line as needed a airing before going in the cupboard. It was the towels on line and beds not made up that were the cause of the extra charge. I emailed owner saying that I thought it must be that as could literally be nothing else. She then emailed back full of apologies saying she’d had problems and complaints re this cleaner from other guests and yes she’d said taking the washing in had caused extra work time, beds weren’t supposed to be made up, they weren’t when we arrived. We got our full deposit back.

Original poster

Thurlow · 07/07/2020 21:25

@GabsAlot

so thy took your deposit for this place you now cant have and wont give it back

wouldnt be happy with that

I don't know if they won't give it back, but so far it's not in my account so I'm guessing they are holding on to it in the hope I'll book something else with them.

And like most places, they've closed their phone lines so I'm stuck with emails they can just essentially ignore.

OP posts:

OrchidJewel · 07/07/2020 21:26

Nah this is bullshit by the agency. I'd email them directly if you can.to find out

Original poster

Thurlow · 07/07/2020 21:27

@2bazookas

No smoking inside?

If you mean, you smoked outside, note that many holiday lets are strictly non-smoking anywhere, inside or out. Ignoring that rule is a good reason for refusing any further bookings

That would be fine, I'd accept that. I'd just like to know!

OP posts:

WhiteC0sm05 · 07/07/2020 21:27

They have no right to keep your deposit.

Cheesypea · 07/07/2020 21:27

Once had to pay £75 for leaving completed washing up on the sink!

AnnaBanana333 · 07/07/2020 21:28

The injustice of it would sting me too, but it doesn't sound like you're going to get an answer. Pick one of the explanations (mixing you up, they double booked and are embarrassed, etc) and convince yourself it's that!

Laiste · 07/07/2020 21:28

We went to a holiday home (5 bed house) which had no less than 3 manuals left for us to find immediately on entry on the table listing the rituals they wanted done and the things they expected cleaned before we left. Complete with intricate details about what to do with the rubbish bins and recycling bins before we left. Part of this was stacking the recycling round the back and pulling 3 wheely bins a long way down the lane and leaving them outside another property

Along with cleaning the toilets and sinks and hoovering and stripping the beds and bringing the towels downstairs, other things mentioned for cleaning on the last day were skirting boards, the inside of the door of the dryer and washing machine, moping the laundry room, ''putting polish on the wooden surfaces'', replacing all the loo rolls with new ones and wiping out cupboards, mirrors, leaving the throws smooth and making sure all the books and toys were EXACTLY where we found them. Not just put away - but exactly where they were. This made us all too twitchy to touch any of the games or books and quite anxious about this big major bloody clean we had to do on the last evening. We had to be out by 10am so most of it had to be the night before really.

It doesn't make for a relaxing stay, so although the location was lovely we wouldn't ever go back.

Oh to top it all - you'd think this list of tasks meant there wouldn't be much left for a cleaner to do - however ironically when we'd arrived we hadn't been allowed in on time (should have been 3pm) because the cleaner was still cleaning after the last people .... ?? Doing what I do not know !

SisterAgatha · 07/07/2020 21:30

I also take a before and after pic because I am paranoid about not getting the deposit back. Especially when it is a large amount.

JoysOfString · 07/07/2020 21:30

I've had this twice (and I am clean and tidy too!) One time I phoned the landlord after the stay as I was worried we'd left something behind. He gave me a right bollocking on the phone for leaving a mess and I couldn't understand it. One of the things I don't like about holiday cottage stays is having to spend the last night/morning cleaning up, but I always do it! Turned out he'd got me mixed up with the previous week's people and he phoned back to grovel :o

Another time the owners turned up just when we were leaving the cottage and shouted at us that we'd left a mess. We hadn't! I was so bemused I asked them to take me back in ands show me the mess. They pointed to a waste paper basket that had a small amount of rubbish in it - apparently I should have emptied all the bins even if not full. And said the whole place would need cleaning. Well yes, you clean between guests surely?

I can only think landlords have such a nightmare with some people (which I know they do) they sometimes just get to a point where they take no prisoners.

Original poster

Thurlow · 07/07/2020 21:32

@AnnaBanana333

I know, I know.

DH wants to book in his name because he still likes the place but I really don't want to now.

OP posts:

Laiste · 07/07/2020 21:33

@WhiteC0sm05 your post has me wondering if it wasn't the bloody cleaner who had written out 2 or the 3 cleaning instruction booklets without the owner knowing, at the place i just posted about Never thought of that. Would be possible if the owner lived a long way away and didn't visit during peak season ...

TheGreatWave · 07/07/2020 21:33

The smoking could be an issue - I have certainly stopped at places that have said No smoking at all on the property including outside and no butts / ash to be put in their bins.

BlackeyedSusan · 07/07/2020 21:34

we had this once... given that there was mould under the salad drawer in the fridge, crumbs in the cupboard, someones soap in the shower dish and a loo roll under the bed, mouldy windows in the little bedroonm when we arrived...

I think we will definitely be taking photos of the state of the house when we arrive and leave from now on.

Africa2go · 07/07/2020 21:36

Can you re-read the conditions attached to the cottage to check the smoking policy. If you smoked inside a no smoking property, that's reason enough to black list you. As a holiday maker, its one of the first things I check. I simply won't stay anywhere where smoking is allowed. If I'd booked a no smoking cottage and it smelt of smoke, I wouldn't stay there. Maybe the owner lost the next booking on account of your smoking?

Agree whatever it is though, they should tell you.

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