Holiday rental must have/have nots

[TitaniasAss]

What do you look for in a holiday rental property. What are you 'must' haves, your 'would like' and your 'absolutely puts me off's please?

oh and if cleaning is supposed to be included, I don't want a long list about what I need to do myself before the cleaner arrives. I don't mean that the guests should leave a total mess, but if you expect me to hoover, wash, dust, tidy etc etc then cleaning is not really included, is it.

Some of these answers surprise me. I had no idea there are still places where you have to take your own bedding/towels and where you are asked to do cleaning at the end of your stay.

Decent wifi and smart TV
Good bed linen
Decent and plentiful towels
Dishwasher and tablets
A simple to follow bin / recycling system
Heat I can control
Decent wine glasses

I don't really care about kitchen equipment - graters / baking tins (who bakes a cake on holiday?!)
No leather sofas - I won't book a place with a leather sofa
No Knick knacks

Basically it has to be as nice if not nicer than my own home.

Bath sheets AND Bath towels. If you have a wood burner make sure it works. Lovely bed linen (white if possible). A hairdryer. A well equipped kitchen stocked with basics (oil, salt, pepper). Hand wash wherever there is a sink. Extra blankets available if needed. A washing machine and a dishwasher. Working lamps/lights.

The best I've ever stayed in (and I've stayed in many beautiful cottages) was in Kirkby Malzeard at the bottom of the owners garden. All cottages are now measured against that one. It was 5* and absolutely perfect in every way.

I'm with @MadMadMadamMim

Must have a king size bed or bigger. It's the first thing I look for. I won't stay in a double.

As long as its clean I can do without most other stuff.

Decent sized beds and also beds without a footboard says DH. For tall people who prefer to stick their feet out.

Wi-fi plus password.
Baking/roasting dishes
A full sized dishcloth/sponge, not one that's been cut in half.
If accommodation sleeps 4 then provide 4 sets of cutlery/plates/glasses/cups.
More than 1 tea towel.
A pile of manuals and instructions that are easily found.

And please don't leave a box of 'soap flakes' in the cupboard with a 2/- price on it. ( This was nearly twenty years ago but even so...!)

Sharp knives, a decent size kitchen bin, good size mugs and glasses, proper size cereal bowls.

Dishwasher
Garlic press
Proper sharp knives
Big mugs
Good sized freezer
Allocated parking
Decent sized saucepans
Enough toilet roll to last the week
Ditto dishwasher tablets

Big beds - zip and link.
Decent sofas
Decent kitchen knives
Table lamps in sitting room - we had to go and buy candles once because there was only a central light
Decent oven gloves
Make sure you have good mattress covers
No no no to pointless pillows or throws on beds - they get put on the floor and never get washed.
Totally enclosed garden.

Why we bought our own caravan!

Clear recycling rules. I dont want to spend my holiday researching what does and doesn't go in the recycling!

Agree with a minimum of king size bed for two adults, also please replace the mattress before it reaches the point where you are lying on top of each other in a hole in the middle of the bed. Large mugs and plenty of them.

No glass chopping boards please.

And no laminated notices stuck all over the place!

Baking sheets big enough to cook a frozen pizza on!
Oven gloves, kitchen scissors

No pod coffee machines.

Or at least have a cafetière as an alternative.

If you are going to have blackout in the bedrooms make it blackout blinds with separate thinner curtains so we aren't forced to have blackout or nothing, I hate sleeping in blacked out rooms.

Coat hooks
Oven gloves
Towel in the kitchen and somewhere to hang it
Dustpan + brush. I don't really clean while we're away, but if I drop stuff I don't want to be treading in it for a week
Enough dining chairs and comfy chairs for everyone
Somewhere to put a washbag or toothbrushes etc. in the bathroom other than the sink or the floor
Space for food we've bought, no we don't want to have 10 cupboards full of random china and nowhere to put the pasta
Sensibly chosen stuff, e.g. not plates that are too big for the dishwasher, and more than 4 forks etc. for 4 people, so I can use one while cooking and not have to wash it up to eat
No cushions on beds
Thick curtains
Extra blankets somewhere for people DH who feel the cold
More than one key
A welcome basket isn't essential, but it's nice

Much of this stuff you don't find out till you get there and are hunting round in the kitchen for a grater or a chopping board. But when I'm choosing between available cottages, a big plus is somewhere that looks cosy and has character. If I see a living room with white walls and no pictures, and the only furniture is a couple of brown sofas and a telly then it's a no from me.

And I don't care about king size beds, but I don't want anyone in our group having to sleep either on a sofabed or in the living room.
I also don't care about TV/Netflix as we never watch it on holiday.

A few people have mentioned salt, pepper, oil etc. I really like to have these in the house, but last time I took my own (plus a week's supply of dishwasher tablets, some foil etc) as I've got fed up of having to buy a bunch of stuff each time, just to use a tiny amount during the week. It's a particular nuisance if you are flying and don't want to lug extras back and forth.

Instructions to go with the induction hob / coffee machine / oven, unless you want stuff broken by people like me (clumsy af) and keep those instructions up to date - went to one place recently and all the passwords for Wi-Fi had been changed, but notes not updated. also how and where to empty bins, esp if it’s for more than a cpl of nights

If you want the place kept clean, supply a few bin bags, cloths, dishwasher tabs etc

proper place to put clothes and a decent surface to do makeup and hair on that has a mirror and is actually near a plug socket so the hair dryer reaches. Hooks and shelves in the bathroom (there’s never enough)

id also highly recommend staying in your own rent, for 1 night, you soon realize what does and doesn’t work

Essential:
Wifi.
A decent knife for chopping.
A couple of cooking trays for pizza/chips etc.
Simple instructions for putting out the bins.
TV with instructions(although as I have a teen then that's not usually a problem!!)

Nice to have:
Games and books.
Dishwasher.

Don't like:
Places that allow dogs or smoking.

A tiny shower cubicle. I hate those small showers you step into. I can barely manoeuvre in them and I feel claustrophobic in them.
Yes to an easy heating system. I once stayed in a cottage and the only proper heat came from the log burner, there were electric heaters, but it was an old cottage.

In the lounge, either 1 big sofa and a decent size comfy armchair, or even better 2 decent size sofas. So many holiday lets have just a poky little uncomfortable 2 seater sofa or hard chairs which is no good when 2 of you (or more) want to relax!

And also no footboard on the bed please, and minimum king-size. DH is a big chap so any places with a standard double and/or a footboard immediately get put in the no pile. Proper comfy pillows, I swear the pillows in the last place we stayed were made of slabs of rubber they were awful. Extra blankets in case cold!

Good instructions on how to use the heating also please. And decent pans and knives. Shower pressure!

And if you say you're dog friendly, please don't then have a million rules about what the dogs are not allowed to do / where in the house they can go. I saw one where dogs were only allowed in the kitchen - really mean when the rest of the family is cosied up in another room!

King size bed ...don't want to be less comfortable than I am at home.
If a three bed for 6 people, at least one bedroom with single beds, or beds than can be single or link or bunks. We often can't take a lovely cottage because all the beds are doubles. No good with teen kids.
If three bedrooms at least two bathrooms.

most stuff has been covered. The most important thing is knowing what there is/not, whether dogs are allowed etc.

Nothing too valuable even in places designed more for adults. I don’t want to feel on edge in case I break an expensive vase.

more niche to me-
-i need a shower cubicle or lower bath to climb for shower.
-bedside table for those of us who wear glasses/ to put a book.

if some of the beds are sofa beds remember that the person sleeping there will also have things so hangers in the main bedroom, towel space somewhere that would cover that. Also if a sofa bed is in use check it regularly and how comfortable it is. Can’t tell that from the description but would look at in reviews.

Need: A cafetiere. No blinking lights in the bedroom (smoke alarm, etc.). Door stops noise of fridge at night. No plastic flowers or other decorative items - once our stuff is all over the place it looks cluttered anyway. Easy to use microwave. The last place we stayed, I had to google how to use it! Accepts dogs. Enough space to put toiletries in the bathroom. Enough toilet paper, salt&pepper and washing up liquid. Spare sheets and blankets as duvets are always too hot for me. I use a 4 tog in winter.
Nice to have - books and games.
Not fussed about fancy shower. Don't want a fancy coffee machine. Not fussed about washing machine.

Agree with PPs - if dog friendly then please enclose garden!

Cafetiere/decent coffee machine and barbecue fairly important to us plus king size bed with good quality linen. Plenty of cloths and tea towels, a decent hoover and a washing machine.