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Original poster

Mice in Air BNB

115 replies

Oneglassisnotenough · 09/04/2023 16:45

Hi there … we stayed in an Airbnb and discovered a mouse in the middle of the night after hearing rustling in the kitchen. We went into the kitchen and saw a mouse in a carrier bag we had put down that had food in it. As soon as we opened the bag it was gone as quick as a flash- so unable to take any photos or even see where it went.
We have emailed the owners . No reply as yet but just wondering what , if anything, we can expect from them regarding this?
For context: the kitchen smelt “off “ and weird when we first entered the property and I opened a kitchen window- but my husband told me to close it as it was cold. I have no evidence as proof as such and no photos.
It was a rural property and we are home now.

Any advice would be appreciated please .

OP posts:
Original poster
Oneglassisnotenough · 09/04/2023 23:52

ShortSilence · 09/04/2023 23:48

Mice do not materialise in uninfested houses overnight purely because someone puts down a plate with cheese on it Hmm

And if a property is infested, yes most droppings would be in semi-hidden places, but a few might well be visible here and there on the floor of the kitchen.

The hay-like smell won’t be a decomposing mouse; that has a nastier edge. The basic hay-like smell is their piss, which gets everywhere.

Thank you for this. I didn’t know it was their piss. Ewwww 😫
As well… we paid an additional £90 cleaning fee for the property.
Also, we still haven’t received any response from the owners so I think I will get in touch with Airbnb tomorrow.

OP posts:
L3ThirtySeven · 09/04/2023 23:53

ShortSilence · 09/04/2023 23:48

Mice do not materialise in uninfested houses overnight purely because someone puts down a plate with cheese on it Hmm

And if a property is infested, yes most droppings would be in semi-hidden places, but a few might well be visible here and there on the floor of the kitchen.

The hay-like smell won’t be a decomposing mouse; that has a nastier edge. The basic hay-like smell is their piss, which gets everywhere.

Sigh, they do in a rural property where field mice abound.
Give it a go next time you’re outside the M25

Ponderingwindow · 09/04/2023 23:56

Was it a house or more of a cabin? I’ve stayed in some properties that wouldn’t really qualify as houses. Having mice and other wildlife inside is something that you have to just plan for by making sure all your food is in lock boxes. It’s barely one step up from wild camping where at least there the zippers on the tent tend to keep things away from where you are sleeping.

Jonei · 09/04/2023 23:59

My attic was infested by field mice once. It does happen. There were loads of the little fuckers up there.

Sailingaround · 10/04/2023 00:00

It’s definitely not your fault. If a house doesn’t already have mice in it they won’t suddenly find a route in from outside and appear because of food left out for one day. That’s absolutely absurd. The fact you spotted what looks like droppings is another thing that shows it was already infested. I’d imagine that someone must have let the landlord know but yet they’re still renting it out without warning people. Have you left a review on the air bnb website? If not, you should do one and include the mouse incident.

mice usually just enter where they can and even if the place is pretty spotless if they can find a way in to a house through a gap somewhere and then into cupboards they’ll have a field day. I lived in a super clean flatshare with one other person who was the landlord, one day I seen a mouse which I absolutely hate lol But the point was we both kept that place super clean yet there was a lone mouse wandering around ( the pest control guy who later came said it was only one and thankfully not yet a family of them) . It later transpired that other flats in the block had them as well. I’ve also lived in quite grimy flatshares it’s people who would leave dishes out for ages which were mice- free.

Remagirl · 10/04/2023 00:04

It's not vermin infested, it's an occasional issue when one lives in the country. Don't leave food out uncovered and clean down worktops. You'll survive x

Redebs · 10/04/2023 00:07

Never use poison outdoors for field mice. They will stagger around dying, then become prey for owls, hawks or badgers, that will also get poisoned.

Field/wood mice are a different species (different genus) from house mice. It's best to prevent them getting into properties in the first place. They tend to avoid people anyway.

House mice are the ones that smell. They thrive near humans. Best way to deal with them is spring traps baited with raisins.

House mice don't live in colonies like rats, thank goodness, so if you find the right spot for a trap, you can probably clear them in a few days.

Prertytiled · 10/04/2023 00:09

Jonei · 09/04/2023 23:59

My attic was infested by field mice once. It does happen. There were loads of the little fuckers up there.

How did you get rid of them? We've got mice and live in a really old house, they're not pleasant it has to be said

Prertytiled · 10/04/2023 00:10

Redebs · 10/04/2023 00:07

Never use poison outdoors for field mice. They will stagger around dying, then become prey for owls, hawks or badgers, that will also get poisoned.

Field/wood mice are a different species (different genus) from house mice. It's best to prevent them getting into properties in the first place. They tend to avoid people anyway.

House mice are the ones that smell. They thrive near humans. Best way to deal with them is spring traps baited with raisins.

House mice don't live in colonies like rats, thank goodness, so if you find the right spot for a trap, you can probably clear them in a few days.

Ours are in an inaccessible area, if we put traps downstairs will they come to the traps as we can't take the traps to them?

Jonei · 10/04/2023 00:17

Prertytiled · 10/04/2023 00:09

How did you get rid of them? We've got mice and live in a really old house, they're not pleasant it has to be said

Show quote history

I sent dp up into the attic with humane traps / bait in the traps. When we caught them we identified they were field mice. Very pretty. And then we took them back to the fields. Also found where they were getting in and blocked up the holes. There was a small opening near the back door and some network of pipes there, they'd been using that space to get around the house. It took about a week to get rid of them all.

L3ThirtySeven · 10/04/2023 00:23

Redebs · 10/04/2023 00:07

Never use poison outdoors for field mice. They will stagger around dying, then become prey for owls, hawks or badgers, that will also get poisoned.

Field/wood mice are a different species (different genus) from house mice. It's best to prevent them getting into properties in the first place. They tend to avoid people anyway.

House mice are the ones that smell. They thrive near humans. Best way to deal with them is spring traps baited with raisins.

House mice don't live in colonies like rats, thank goodness, so if you find the right spot for a trap, you can probably clear them in a few days.

Good post except field mice do also have a smell. All mice do.

WandaWonder · 10/04/2023 00:27

No I do not think owners are responsible for a mouse, sure thry need to fix, clean standard things but unless thry invited the mouse to stay to help pay the bills it is not their fault

Jonei · 10/04/2023 00:33

WandaWonder · 10/04/2023 00:27

No I do not think owners are responsible for a mouse, sure thry need to fix, clean standard things but unless thry invited the mouse to stay to help pay the bills it is not their fault

If there's an infestation of them, then they are responsible for it. It comes under the fixing / clean part. Standard stuff really. It's not unreasonable to expect a clean property free of rodent infestation. Particularly on a £300 per night property.

iaapap · 10/04/2023 00:37

So much shit like this happens with air bnb

id either stay in a hotel or just not go

Elphame · 10/04/2023 00:41

iaapap · 10/04/2023 00:37

So much shit like this happens with air bnb

id either stay in a hotel or just not go

You are probably more likely to have a rat/mouse infestation in a hotel I'm afraid.

ReadersD1gest · 10/04/2023 01:22

Elphame · 10/04/2023 00:41

You are probably more likely to have a rat/mouse infestation in a hotel I'm afraid.

Show quote history

Surely not.

Original poster
Oneglassisnotenough · 10/04/2023 07:07

Thank you for all the replies . Going to attempt to get back in touch with the owner again as haven’t had a response from them.

This really wasn’t my fault- despite some people saying it was me who had invited the mice/ mouse to stay with me …

OP posts:
Elphame · 10/04/2023 10:43

ReadersD1gest · 10/04/2023 01:22

Surely not.

Show quote history

Commerical kitchens are a notorious magnet for rodents. Far more hazardous than the odd field mouse in a rural cottage.

There was a Best Western in Stoke that hit the headlines for a rat infestation last year and a quick google will give you an indication of how common it is.

SpideysMummy · 10/04/2023 10:45

WateryDoom · 09/04/2023 17:20

You get the odd mouse in rural properties, to be honest. I've always lived in the countryside and never had a house yet that didn't occasionally get a mouse.

I'd have shrugged and not bothered about it. It doesn't sound 'infested'. I'd have let the owners know so that they could put a trap down, but that's all.

Yeah this.

Pasithean · 10/04/2023 10:55

Why did you stay if it smelled that bad when you arrived.? I cant see what your problem is if you stayed after that.

Badbudgeter · 10/04/2023 10:57

Oneglassisnotenough · 09/04/2023 17:38

But what about the hay like musty smell in the kitchen and the black things all over the floor? Surely that’s a sign they are already there ?

Show quote history

I think you should of addressed that at the time. I think it’s pretty poor to have a holiday and then go home and want a refund.

Original poster
Oneglassisnotenough · 10/04/2023 12:32

Badbudgeter · 10/04/2023 10:57

I think you should of addressed that at the time. I think it’s pretty poor to have a holiday and then go home and want a refund.

Show quote history

I honestly didn’t put two and two together. It was the last night we were there that we saw the mouse.
I want to tell the owners in more detail. We have emailed but not heard back and it certainly wasn’t a shitty email we sent at all. Husband says leave it but I think they should be made aware in more detail.

OP posts:
Original poster
Oneglassisnotenough · 10/04/2023 12:37

Pasithean · 10/04/2023 10:55

Why did you stay if it smelled that bad when you arrived.? I cant see what your problem is if you stayed after that.

I just presumed it was the smell of the kitchen. It was unpleasant so I wiped it down with anti bacterial spray . Repeating this process lots of times.

Jeez. I am not a mice expert. I can’t detect the aromas of mice upon entering a property and as I said upthread, I picked up what I saw was black things on the floor with kitchen roll absentmindedly. And carried on.

I’m not after compensation or anything but this was pretty poor and not having stayed in an Airbnb before, I posted on here for advice and not to be continually roasted as if the owners having mice in a rental house on Airbnb is somehow my fault and entirely down to me.

OP posts:
StopStartStop · 10/04/2023 12:40

Autistic mind:
Mice in Air B&B? Who threw them?

ReadersD1gest · 10/04/2023 12:43

You don't have to keep explaining why you found mice in your accommodation repugnant, op. Everyone would, even those suggesting it was no big deal.

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