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

[Thurlow]

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?

@Laiste

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 !

There’s a thread in classics about tules in holiday cottages 😃 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1848590-bizarre-instructions-in-holiday-cottages

We had this in a property we loved and had been there about 5 times by the time they banned us. The agency were more than happy for me to book another property. I hassled them to find out why and was told the following:

1 - There was a cup ring on one piece of furniture. i apologised and asked why they had refunded my damage deposit to which they couldnt answer.
2 - The dishwasher was full of dirty items. I explained it couldnt have been as we set it off before we left and there were several of us who remembered it was running. I was then told we shouldnt have used it the morning we left, despite there being nothing to say we shouldnt leave it running.

And that was it. We were banned. My theory was that we had already booked for the next year before we stayed one autumn. The owners mum lived locally and thought we had left and let herself in to find we were there (all agreed with owner and company). I had just done lots of washing but there was no dryer so had lots of clothes on the drying racks in the kitchen, so the place looked messy but nothing was left out of place when we left. Our next booking was already made so they couldnt stop us but had already decided to ban us afterwards which they did.

Still makes me sad as the place was ideal, but we moved holiday company as there are several in the area and stay in other properties.
We had been using that firm for 15 years but clearly they didnt value our custom. I since out that firm had been bought out that summer and many repeat customers had similar tales so clearly didnt care about their customer base.

well when they do reopen id consider going elsewhere they clearly dont care enough to look into it

It seems some places do this to claim on their insurance or withhold deposits.

I didn’t realise fake tan was so bad. I don’t understand why. It washes out.

Laiste could well be. Our owner lived 16 hours away. I think cleaner was used to the huge laundry fee and was pissed off we thought sod that. She had crappy adverts and cards all round the house. I’m no beat freak but get level of cleaning was pretty poor.So glad we queried it. House was gorgeous and reasonable, would like to use it again.Will always take pics now.

MIL rented a cottage and got accused of a few things incl damaging the oven - she didn’t use it once.

She was distraught as she’s very neat and did a thorough clean before she left.

Are they a bigger company with social media? If so put it on Twitter or a Facebook.

I got told off for not hoovering last year, and leaving a game on the wrong shelf. It pissed me right off. I'd find somewhere you are welcome op.

We rent cottages through DH's work (employees only) and always do a thorough clean as we wouldn't want it to get back that we're slatterns. Just today bought the dettol wipes as they've asked us to bring own cleaning products and toilet rolls etc and take them away again 'coz Covid.

Normally there would be oil, tea bags and a few useful tins (never wine though) left by other colleagues.

But DH is ex-military and I've always been good at the march-out clean.

I clean thoroughly before leaving holiday rentals to the extent that cleaners have remarked there was nothing for them to do except change bedlinen when they went to clean.

I do it because I don’t want bad feedback.

However, I am never happy about spending half of my final day cleaning especially when I have to pay non refundable cleaning fees in addition to the deposit on arrival. I do not understand why anything other than light cleaning should be done by guests when they already pay a cleaning fee.

Elfy I had a forces childhood and the fabled tales of fines for cobwebs, can do a clean out march in my sleep hence my complaint.

Maybe if you are smokers you’ve made the place stink of smoke even if you’ve done it outside. Potentially causing complaints from the next visitors.

There were a few cigarettes smoked each evening in the garden, and as it was autumn none of the house windows were open for smoke to go in through - but yes, we'll make sure we leave properties entirely for that from now on.

Other than that - which I honestly don't think would be a problem in the winter, though I could see how in summer the smell might want - I'm at such a loss. Definitely booking somewhere else!

This all sounds very stressful! I think if you are paying for a cleaner (which often is separately billed e.g. for air bnb) then you shouldn't be required to do crazy amounts of cleaning. Leaving it neat and tidy without any damage done should be sufficient. It's meant to be a holiday.......not a cleaning boot camp.

It is likely the smoking, non smokers can smell it in the house if you smoke and come in because it's all over your clothes.

We were banned from a caravan once. When we left we cleaned the place thoroughly, hoovered, the lot. No problems. The owner was really off with us a couple of days later when I messaged about the deposit and we didn’t know why - but put it down to them just being weird and they did return the deposit so all was well.

6 months later I messaged to ask for availability again and was told we were not welcome because of the damage we’d caused last time 😯

After much wrangling as he initially refused to say what the problem was he said we’d ruined a brand new set of towels.

Apparently the towels were all brand new - several white and one blue. When we left, we left the damp, used towels in the bathtub (as directed to by a sign in the bathroom). BUT we didn’t separate the one blue towel from the white and the blue colour had transferred onto the white towels, ruining them.

Once the floodgates opened he really ranted about these towels, saying how they were luxury and had cost him a fortune, irresponsible people like us didn’t deserve to stay in nice places etc.

Blimey, I've booked a cottage this year as we are not travelling abroad. Ive never done this before. Not only is it ridiculously expensive compared with a hotel / apartment in the med but now apparently you are expected to clean the place as well! What exactly is the £££ for then?

They have no right to keep your deposit without telling you why . I would be pursuing this if I was you . If they won’t tell you threaten them with small claims .

We have a couple of holiday lets

We have only ever blacklisted 2 parties in about 7 years

One brought their very fluffy cat with them and a couple of hamsters and tried to hide it by keeping the curtains shut all week. We are strictly no pets due to allergies. The cat seemed to like sitting on the windowsill while they were out.

The other were a family who were clearly more used to staying in hotels/maid service. We had to delay the incoming guests after them by a couple of hours (we paid for a meal and a drinks tab for them at our local pub) as the previous family left 3 hours late and literally hadn't washed up, binned anything or wiped anything for a week. It was revolting.

We are also non smoking but don't mind people smoking outside as long as they don't leave fag butts everywhere. We can always smell when there's been a smoker staying though however careful they are.

We also understand accidents happen with crockery/ sheets etc, it's part of the business.

It'll be the smoking. Why book a non-smoking property if you smoke?
Cigarette smoke is a migraine trigger for me and I can smell smoke from quite a while before/a long distance.

If you smoked outside, then came in, the sofa, bed, pillows, sheets, towels etc would all stink to me and if I was next in the apartment without a really thorough airing, I'd have migraine and wouldn't be able to stay.

Smokers can't tell how much the smell lingers on everything, and for how long.

I also reckon it probably smelt of smoke.

Elfy haha to the march out clean. I was expected to move into several utterly disgusting army quarters with tiny children without a complaint (condoms and broken glass/ ink black carpets (should have been pink)/ grease laden kitchens/ pervasive mould. The march out thing is a myth.

I think I'd look at other agencies. To do this with no explanation seems a bit dodgy, there must be something they're not being straight about.

Owner of various rental properties here - it’s very poor form to withhold deposit (let alone ban you) without notifying you what for. I itemise any damages with quote for cost of replace/repair/cleaning. This is mandatory on places like HomeAway and AirBnB.