Etiquette re money/gift

[Dahliasaremyfavouriteflower]

An ex-colleague/friend is letting me stay in their Z1 London flat for a couple of weeks while my house sale goes through (they're away on holiday). Should I offer money/a gift? Or not needed?

You should offer money, they’ll probably say no, but leave at least a very good gift. They’ll be cleaning the house and tidying up to get it ready for you.

Thank you! A bottle of wine?

I hope to stay again soon, so want to get it right!

I would get a decent bottle of wine, some nice hamper type bits of things they like to eat (posh chocs, chutney, cheese etc.) and a big bunch of flowers from a florist

I would offer money and also give a bottle of wine and chocolates or flowers. How long is ‘a few weeks’?

How much do you plan to use the house and facilities? You shouldn't expect your colleague to fund two weeks of you using the gas and electric unless they have said it isn't an issue. I'd be offering money for that. Certainly a lot more than a bottle of wine for 2 weeks stay.

If they weren't kindly giving the usage what would you have done? Hotel?

Thanks for the ideas. Won't be longer than a fortnight.

Yup, would have been an AirBNB

It's a big favour - I'd offer money to cover bills and leave a nice gift, probably something bigger than a bottle of wine.

Voucher for posh meal out as well as wine.

We staycationed in a friends’ place one of the Covid summers and got them a generous boutique hotel voucher to say thank you, and small presents for their DC.

This was pre-COL crisis, so we didn’t offer money for utilities (we would now and they’d say no but we’d still offer).

I don’t think a bottle of wine is enough, sorry. It’s a pain to get a house ready for guests, you can’t just walk out the way you can when you’re going on hol.

I would offer money to cover heating etc

If your offer is declined then as others have suggested then a nice hamper or voucher for dinner would be nice

Definitely something more than a bottle of wine for such a generous offer

A bottle of wine for a two week stay in a zone 1 London flat seems stingy OP

OK, thanks for the ideas!