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

They do this in a holiday park we use every year. All shampoos, soaps, liquid ect is a local brand and they put a sign up the say if you like it and decide to take it they will automatically bill you 13 quid a bottle. Least it puts DH off stealing them 🤣

We once stayed in a gîte where there wasn't a single item of food/toiletries - no loo roll, no salt/pepper, not even liquid soap in the bathrooms when we arrived around midnight. The welcome was cold, to say the least and I just knew there were going to be problems. All the crockery was that really cheap see through white stuff from French supermarkets. One of my children broke a side plate and I told the owner. She went ape, insisting it was a valuable piece (!!) from a complete set and that we had a replace the whole set. My arse. We dashed to the local hypermarket and found the exact side plate for a couple of quid. She refused it and said she'd call the police ! I contacted the site we'd rented through and they found us when I explained. I'd l'd been planning to leave everything we'd bought - loo rolls, kitchen stuff, washing powder etc, but funnily enough had a change of heart and packed everything up and moved somewhere else that afternoon. Apparently it wasn't the first time there'd been a problem.

"Decent knives and a knife sharpener and decent chopping boards."

I always wondered before I had a holiday let why the knives were always blunt and why no one ever equipped a holiday cottage with a sharpener.

Well now I know! When we started out I put a sharpener in. We were not going to be one of those places with no sharp knives.

A year later on a routine maintenance stay ( there is no better way of spotting problems than to stay a few days yourself), the bread knife wouldn't cut. A closer inspection showed that all the serrations had been removed by someone attempting to sharpen it. Getting a replacement bread knife proved remarkably hard in a remote part of North Wales.

The sharpener is now in the cleaners cupboard and knife sharpening is only done by me.

Holiday let owners need to write a book!

Found us somewhere else

Yes I find this shocking. I remember watching an episode of Real Housewives of NY, these women had plenty of money, one of them stayed at a friend's holiday home, pulled down a wall light and didnt think to even tell her, then helped herself to something else she liked. She regularly trahsed places they went to stay, one time the camera caught actual shit on the bathmat that she tried to blame on her dog, but who even would leave dogshit there?

Is it entitlement? The idea that someone is paid to clean up after you?

Also have a friend who used to work in a fancy Leisure Centre in Richmond, she said it was surprising how many clients would try to get away with not paying for sessions, or let their membership lapse and still try to gain entry. Unbelievable.

Precisely.
I have never stolen from a holiday property, hotel or anywhere else. It wouldn’t even cross my mind to do so.
I do leave the occasional paperback, condiments or washing up liquid etc, and if anything gets broken (not that that’s happened so far!) I would replace it or expect the replacement cost to be deducted from my returnable deposit.
I also make sure we leave the accommodation clean and tidy.

On the other side, can I just say that it is usual for owners/cleaners to remove all opened packages and perishables from a let and NOT leave them for the next user?
eg, half a pack of pasta? gets removed.
Why?

well go on any of the - what should I put in a holiday let - threads and ask people about pet hates and one of the top ones is other people's half opened packets. Apparently people don't like them and won't use them. I have often wondered how far it extends - what about an open pack of clingfilm? Or bottles of shampoo? Or even a half used toilet roll?

So owners sometimes can't win, complaints if you leave things to use and complaints of you don't.
And in a era where we try and avoid single use packets, it isn't easy

Yes have had loads of stuff nicked - anything portable actually. People not paying for EV charging. Worse is the damage and not telling you! Countless beds, doors pulled off, bifolds broken and on one notable occasion one couple had managed to completely destroy the frameless shower with such force that the fitting had ended up punching a hole in the opposite wall 🤷‍♀️

Yes, I’ve been a little baffled by those who’re annoyed by guests “stealing” books. Book Exchanges are really common now - in village halls, shops etc, and especially in holiday lets I would expect book swapping to be the norm. Obviously if a second home then that’s a bit different, but in that case it’s easier to have a particular, clearly labelled, shelf or basket for books which are available for swapping.

I have a second home which I don’t let, but do home swaps with - no thefts, btw, but usually get nice gifts which have included pretty tea towels and plants. One place I stayed in Spain, the owner had a stamp for swappable books, and you were encouraged to use that for books you left, and include your name, where you were from and when you’d stayed. And all those books were limited to one shelf.

I do leave a book and take a book (cheap paperbacks, obviously not reference/coffee table books. I thought that was generally acceptable. I'd expect a sign on the bookshelf or a note in the welcome pack if its not.

If there are instant coffee sachets provided (not pods) I might take a couple home with me instead of using them when I'm there, because a friend prefers instant coffee but I don't buy it myself.

I agree it makes no sense, but I wouldn't like a half opened packet of pasta. Loose pasta in a jar would be fine, though.

No, I know. I meant if I message them before they have left a review asking for payment or if they took everything I’m risking them leaving me a bad review (if that offends them!). I’m always honest on my review of them as I know they won’t see it until they have published theirs.

Yes, I’ve been a little baffled by those who’re annoyed by guests “stealing” books. Book Exchanges are really common now -

Yes it's common but it's generally obvious that they are book exchanges. Just because my local Tesco has one doesn't mean that I should assume that the same applies to any bookshelf. If it wasn't obviously marked or mentioned in the visitor book then I'd err on the side of caution and assume that the books, like just about everything in the holiday home, remain the property of the owner.

A friend has a holiday let and all of her books, fiction and non fiction, relate to the local area. They've all been carefully selected and she would not be impressed to find that they'd been taken/"swapped".

Yes, I have books which are very much not to be removed, so I label them as such.

I just think it seems a bit short-sighted not to make that clear, especially when book exchange is a thing. Cutler, crockery and bed-linen exchange is NOT a thing, so very reasonable to view that as blatant theft. Cheap, usually second or third hand paperbacks, not so much.

On the other side, can I just say that it is usual for owners/cleaners to remove all opened packages and perishables from a let and NOT leave them for the next user?
eg, half a pack of pasta? gets removed.
Why?

because people would complain the property wasn't clean if they didn't.

Also, if I were letting for money, rather than home-swapping, I wouldn’t leave anything of significant or sentimental value in the property, because some people are definitely more careless or light-fingered when they’ve paid. Home-swapping is a more equal relationship based on trust and mutual hospitality.

I agree it makes no sense, but I wouldn't like a half opened packet of pasta. Loose pasta in a jar would be fine, though

We throw out everything left by previous guests - even the ice cubes. The kettle is emptied and rinsed out too.

The only foodstuff we leave are those cheap sealed salt and pepper grinders which are fairly tamperproof. Frequently taken home too I might add!

I'd love to provide more but people are just horrible. I heard of one case where guests had refilled a fabric conditioner bottle with urine and left it for subsequent guests to use. It makes me very suspicious of anything left and if I find open bottles/packets/storage jars of things where I'm staying I would never even think of using them.

Had a police officer steal:
a mirror
glasses
plates
ice cube tray
blanket
rug
Some cooking utensils
bowl

ruin:
non stick pan x2
plates

that was a two night stay

Works both ways though too !
I left 2 of my sons brand new football kits and training shoes in a holiday flat and the owner denied they were there.
He had a son my sons age and size so he probably thought nice one 😩

We take all opened stuff out also if guests leave. It’s just messy and would be a hodge lodge of stuff and brands for the next. We bin certain things, other things like dry pasta we would just use ourselves. We already provide all cleaning stuff etc in particular eco brands so I wouldn’t leave other types.

I’ve gone holiday let for five years, leave stuff dishwasher tablets, washing tablets etc.

none ever seem to be stolen.

done holiday let

I would never ever take a book from a holiday house unless there was a sign or a line in the house guide explicitly saying that it was OK to do that. Would always leave a book though if it was one I thought I wouldn't read again.

We’ve only ever done SC Eurocamp holidays where nothing is provided so I tend to take things I know I will need with me. Usually s&p, tomato purée etc. Last year I took a sharp kitchen knife, bin bags, cling film, foil, plastic bags, a 6 pack of toilet roll and one roll of kitchen roll you name it I probably packed it! Takes up very little room in the suitcase surprisingly if packed cleverly. And we flew so no taking the car which would be easier.
Also the first thing we do when we arrive at a location is go to the supermarket and stock up on food, so I wouldn’t think twice about buying anything else we need. isn’t that what most people do anyway? Why can’t you buy toilet roll or dishwasher tablets then? I guess because we know these accommodations aren’t stocked with stuff, it doesn’t bother me to buy them. That way I know it’s only us using it. But I’m also the person who takes everything out of the cupboards and drawers and washes every plate cup and glass before we use them. My mum used to do the same so old habits die hard 😅
I suppose I’m not used to expecting (or demanding) it all be there waiting for me like a well stocked kitchen. People say oh it’s only a fiver to buy this or it’s cheap to replace that but you times that but the amount of stuff that goes missing. All those little bits and it soon adds up!

I occasionally take the small bottles of complimentary toiletries from hotels or perhaps a sachet of hot chocolate or coffee. Did take a towel once from a big hotel. No regrets 😅

Because this was at my own house not a holiday home.