Being nosy - Holiday home owners - do people steal stuff?

[Polkadotpjs]

On the back of the other thread about what people want to see in holiday homes I wondered if half of it is practical or workable. I was thinking about y work where we have a dishwasher that can't be used because if dishwasher tablets are left for it, people steal them ! Ditto spare loo rolls in the cubicles or nice hand soap! I'm not a journalist so don't think that. Just wondered if there's a balance between nice stuff and risking it going walkabout.
We went away last weekend and was pleased to see dishwasher tablets and laundry liquid but then disappointed there was no foil ! I'd have taken some and left it if there if I'd thought

In fact I saw one of our props for sale on vinted after an event, and I know it was ours because I had taken the photo they used!

I can’t actually believe some of what I’m reading. I rented a house just after Covid for a family birthday. The owner
phoned me before she took my booking to tell me I would have to clean the whole house before leaving as her cleaners might get Covid. She claimed the cleaners would still come in to clean after me anyway . I was desperate to rent that house because of the location, so I agreed.
I got up at 6 am and cleaned the whole place on the day we left. We had taken care of everything and been respectful .
They sent me an email demanding an£150 payment because I hadn’t cleaned out the woodburner and there was a small coffee stain in the sofa cover. They complained there was a hand mark on a cupboard door and the bathrooms hasn’t been cleaned. Yes they had, I cleaned them throughly. I refused to pay. I just wishes I hadn’t got up at 6 am , just walked out and left it as it wasn’t untidy or dirty anyway, just usual change over stuff . The owners claimed it took the cleaners 6 hours to clean. Those cleaners were the issue , not us. On the make after Covid. I was really upset by that.

We used to stay regularly at a property where if we were lucky there was a smidgeon if washing up liquid, but no other cleaning products. We took it as a sign that they didn't expect us to do much cleaning when we left.

This was at a B&B, not a holiday let. I've stayed at B&Bs since where everyone uses the same jam.

Some guests will use a roll a day, for others a roll will last 2/3 days. It’s one of those things which is hard to gauge usage, leave too much and it gets nicked.

I'm confused. If you leave say half a dozen rolls and there are none left, how do you know know if they've been used - which presumably is OK - or nicked? And surely the cost is the same whichever the reason?

Some guests will use a roll a day, for others a roll will last 2/3 days. It’s one of those things which is hard to gauge usage, leave too much and it gets nicked.

For the record, we stayed in holiday caravan last w/e. There were 3 loo rolls when we arrived and 2 and a bit when we left. I didn't feel any inclination to nick any.

Is it really the case that in the majority of cases, guest will take toilet rolls home with them, such that hosts feel they are justified in leaving too little?

I've also heard about being marked down. Somewhere we'd stayed at many times said they had to introduce single use plastic portions, despite them really not wanting to.

This. The place we stayed in over New Year, was lovely, but there were 4 of us (3 double bedrooms), and 1 bathroom. Fine, no problem.
But, there were only 4 loo rolls left for us, for 5 days.
I have IBS, and ended up having to drive 8 miles to find the nearest supermarket, on NYE, to buy another pack. Alcohol, and rich food makes my belly play up, and I can go through two loo rolls in a day, because I'm pooping every hour!
I was so worried we'd run out on NYD or something, and then not have enough. 4 women, any of us who could also be on our period, meant 4 loo rolls just weren't enough. (We paid more than enough to cover a full pack of 9 or 12 loo rolls to be left for us!!)

I Air BnB my own house with most of my belongings still inside. It's in central London so most people are tourists from abroad without a car. Only thing a noticed was a toothbrush holder mug was missing - although I wondered if they broke it and threw it away because it's an odd thing to take. Most guests have been really respectful and looked after the place like it was their own. Maybe because it's obviously my own home and I check them in myself they're less likely to take things?

That said, having read the posts, I might be a bit more cautious going forward now!

There was a police bust in a holiday let near us. neighbours noticed men coming past night and day and going in. It was a temporary base for prostitute's and their pimp. Cheaper than a hotel I guess.

I hope nobody takes my books! Because I live there I'm actually reading them!

How on Earth do people manage to cause so much damage in only a week? How does anyone manage to break a bed, or a door? It must surely be deliberate then but why would anyone do that? We’ve lived in our flat for several years and we haven’t caused even a fraction of the damage that some of these dodgy guests seem to manage in a few days.

Arguments? It really beggars belief.

@Elphame Not meaning to downplay your experience or anything, but imagine living next door to that family permanently. Their usual neighbours must be at their wits’ end.

I went away with some other women from
my husband’s family- never again! They stole towels from the rooms then after our meal we ended up sitting having a drink in the conference room where the raided all the drawers stealing pens, highlighters, poststicks etc, whatever they could get their hands on. Strange.

even if 2 or 3 loo rolls get "nicked", who cares?

Who cares? Well I certainly do, I’ve had a batch of 24 toilet rolls disappear. Or a time I had to replace 20+ brand new bath sheets which all mysteriously vanished over several months. It all costs believe it or not.

Sorry to say but this attitude is the reason consumables are rationed in holiday rentals, because unfortunately some guests assume as they’ve paid for their week therefore they’re entitled to help themselves and take home whatever items have been left out. It’s stealing pure and simple.

It did say in the details cleaning supplies are provided. There was a tiny bit of handwash. I had to put some of our shower gel in so we could wash our hands. It was a very nice flat. But when you've paid over £700 for 5 night's you expect the basics.

I think quite often alcohol is at play. People drink more on holiday than they would normally, end up legless, get into a fight, whatever and trash stuff - possibly accidentally.

I'll never forget a ski holiday to Andorra years ago. We got quite friendly with a couple - he was a doctor and she was a teacher I think. All was well and good but those two got absolutely wrecked on the last night and were rampaging around the hotel. A large group of lads had decided to stay up all night as their transfer back to the airport was very early in the morning - one of them ended up putting their head through a wall (yeah, it was a cheap hotel...). The doctor/teacher couple got into a fight with some of the lads and she ended up beating someone up with ski poles. The police came and she was arrested.

So yeah, some people behave outrageously under the influence of alcohol and stuff does get trashed.

I'm confused. If you leave say half a dozen rolls and there are none left, how do you know know if they've been used

We recycle and cleaners empty bins. If your 16 loo rolls have all gone but there’s no cardboard tubes, it’s fairly obvious they’ve been taken home.

Well, this thread is an eye opener. We regularly stay in holiday cottages and the only thing I’ve ever taken (accidentally) was a tea towel! As coincidence would have it, I’d also left one of ours. And then when we went back the next year, I swapped them back!

The place we have stayed in the last few years has those hand soaps on the wall in the bathrooms and they usually leave a couple of loo rolls in each (there’re 3). I always do a Sainsbury’s delivery for when we get there and get a 12/16 pack of loo roll so usually leave whatever’s left. I take a kitchen box and a bathroom box. The kitchen box has dishwasher tablets, a couple of extra tea towels and dish cloths, as well as coffee beans and tea bags and then medicines and stuff. The box sits in a cupboard all year round so it’s ready to go every time we go away, with me just adding the tea and coffee. If there’s anything left (like cooking oil, food bags, sugar etc), we just leave those.

We also take swimming towels with us so we don’t have to use the lovely fluffy white ones in the holiday home. A previous owner had specifically requested that we didn’t use theirs for swimming (we wouldn’t have anyway) because they’d had some that were ruined and some pinched!

@tectonicplates

I know - I feel so sorry for their permanent neighbours. At least with a holiday let next door my neighbours only have them temporarily. If we switch to AST then they could have that type of person for months.

This solely depends on the people renting! I have 3 holidays homes in Scotland in if people are coming you can mostlyvtell from the type of booking (you learn) what to leave and not!! People will take anything! They have to leave a card on file and you need to contact within 24 hours for breakages and missing items. Show receipts so you are reimbursed ect so you 9/10 get it back. I once had a booking where the male stripped the bed passed all over the bare mattress and poured red wine all over the bedroom... walls! Carpet! Bed! Curtains that were opposite side of the room to the bed. Ect! The white towels we black with dirty like he'd cleaned a field with it! The site didn't pay I had to fight the person that made the booking himself who actually paid for a new bed! (The company refused because I'd picked expensive beds they are singles and cost me £600 each so I could put them to superkings) and then expensive toppers and protectors ect they refused to pay for any of it said I should expect some level or wear and tear. I had put in pictures ect.

HOWEVER! I've been renting for 10 years and this was a once off! Please don't stop you I have wonderful guests that stay year after year and treat it brilliantly!

I’m half disgusted and half not surprised reading these lists of what renters steal from holiday homes.

Half not surprised though because of the regular threads I’ve read in here where people admit to taking all sorts of stuff from hotel rooms because “I’ve paid for it, haven’t I”

I just feel sorry for people so poor they have to steal loo roll and dishwasher tablets.

But it's always something nondescript. Eg one coat hanger. Or one flannel. Or the roll of kitchen roll.

Well that’s pretty pathetic. Perhaps you need help because your behaviour is not normal. Do you take “nondescript “ things from shops or your friends’ homes?

I expect enough dishwasher tabs for the week. I don't want to buy them because I don't own a dishwasher.