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

Oh wow! The stupidity!

I just think it seems a bit short-sighted not to make that clear, especially when book exchange is a thing.

Yes book exchanges are a thing as I have acknowledged but again it's odd to me to go around assuming that every book shelf you see is part of one. I'd argue it's at least equally shortsighted to not consider that perhaps it isn't part of one unless it's explicitly stated in the visitors' book or on the bookshelf itself. I think it common sense and considerate to think that it might not be and err on the side of caution or contact the owners to enquire.

When we started out letting my sisters cottage We had lots of baby equipment - moveable stair gates, monitors etc stolen. It was pretty depressing and we didn't replace.

People take everything. Now, several years later we buy functioning but not high end stuff as it all gets kicked.

We used to have a shelf of mass market paperbacks. I think some would go missing, on occasion, but they were never swapped.

Anyone ever had a porno movie made in their holiday let? That was an industrial clean up

We have a (very beautiful) piano at our holiday let. It hasn't been stolen yet...

I've stayed in loads of rentals and would never dream of taking something. Twice there has been a breakage - a cafetiere in one, a small lamp in another - which we went out shopping for replacements for and let the owners know. In an AirBnB in Germany, my daughter threw up everywhere after too much sausage. The neighbours let me use their washer and dryer and I spent the last day of our holiday cleaning EVERYTHING. And I let the owner know and offered to replace bedding if she wanted. I don't understand what is wrong with some people!

What was the plot??

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

I think that makes sense for food (though maybe not for something like salt or condiments which no one family is going to use up) but not for washing powder or washing up liquid.

I also remember the owners of a B&B we stayed in saying that when they were inspected by the Scottish tourist board they were marked down for using a common jam jar at breakfast rather than plastic single portions. But they weren't going to use the plastic. This was back in the early/mid noughties so it might have changed.

Very messy, even on the walls 🙈

marked down for using a common jam jar at breakfast rather than plastic single portions.

between allergies, and people lack of basic cleanliness, common jars on holiday lets are a terrible idea

@Davros Is it an upright, or a grand piano? 😄

The point is as a guest you have no idea how long some things have been open. And best by dates on last ks don't help. Something might be still in date if the packet is still sealed but have gone stale of thrbpack has been open for a while.

There’s a place I stay in regularly which is beautifully equipped. The first time we stayed there (about five years ago) i fell in love with some mugs they had. (LOTS of mugs, they had about 20 in the cupboard which is much better than one each and const washing up). The same mugs are still there! Emma Bridgwater mugs so very covetable but they obviously have decent non stealing guests (like us). I would never dream of pinching anything!

I broke a teapot once in a holiday cottage and went and bought another (it was a simple plain white one so I found similar and left a nite explaining).

I have asked where the owner got something that I REALLY wanted once and she sent me the details. It was from Alessi and quite expensive so I was surprised it was in the holiday let but I did buy my own one!

I'd guess most thefts could be split into:

1.Accidental/careless. The umbrella that gets borrowed then forgotten in the glove compartment of the car.

2.Entitlement. I want this and I think I can get away with taking it.

3.Trophy hunters. The thrill(?) of gaming the system. I doubt they want the 24 loo rolls so much as they want the psychological reward they get from taking them.

Did you call them out on it/ charge them?

Don't think so unless they did a fabulous clean up themselves.

I have had all my furniture moved out though by guests who brought their own. I didn't find out until afterwards or they'd have been out instantly

I manage a couple of holiday lets and I leave tea, coffee, sugar, a few loo rolls and a week’s worth of dishwasher/ washing machine tablets. I also leave foil, cling film, ice cube bags, some bin bags, matches, firewood, firelighters.

There are some games, books and maps in the houses. I haven’t had anything significant go missing apart from cutlery and oddly, the tupperware boxes the dishwasher tablets were in.

Like a lot of others on here, the most annoying thing for me is when guests don’t tell you they’ve broken something and you have to scramble to buy new or repair something before the next person comes in.

The bloodstained towels and sheets thrown wet into a cupboard were a particular highlight. As was the guest who pissed on the bedroom carpet and didn’t bother to clean it up.

The last holiday let we stayed in was amazing. Had everything that you could possibly want - loo roll, kitchen and bathroom cleaning products, coffee pods, fresh farm milk in a little glass bottle, fresh farm butter, fresh eggs, local honey, 2 bottles of wine and a tray of homemade cakes. Literally every thing was there. We knew what coffee machine had so brought our own pods. I always find holiday let's lacking and hate not having things to hand so always bring cleaning products, sponges, tea towels, kitchen roll, loo roll, toiletries, foil and cling film plus basic kitchen staples as in milk and butter etc. We always leave most of it behind except my tea towels. Have never ever taken anything. My dc1 once fell in love with a particular bouncy ball and took it out for a say trip without us knowing until he was crying he lost it (he was 3) bought and replaced it. Also, bought him one as well.

@Elphame

“I have had all my furniture moved out though by guests who brought their own. I didn't find out until afterwards or they'd have been out instantly”

They brought their own furniture!?!

No. Wish I had, it was a cancelled booking that the canceller gave onto their policeman friend as a “I know your having a hard time during covid” type gift.

I thought I was terrible for taking the kitchen sink with me.

Sorry should clarify that statement. I mean packing everything when I go on holiday “just in case”
not literally taking someone’s kitchen sink

I'm gobsmacked to hear what people will take! I spend a week in a holiday home every year and wouldn't dream of even lifting so much as surplus loo roll or dishwasher tablets. What has happened to some people's basic decency?

I stayed in several foreign hotels earlier in the year, because I was travelling around. Some of the hotels had a list of everything in the room & a price list if you took the items eg

Duvet cover
Pillowcase
Mug
Teaspoon
Iron
Tea tray
Etc

The rooms were checked when we checked out