Things you don't want in a holiday let ...

[LindorDoubleChoc]

I'll start.

Decorative cushions on the beds! Absolutely no thank you. They're quite irritating on the sofas ... but on the beds! Just why?

Another one - quite specific to where I'm staying now - unwashed cooker hood filters. They make the whole kitchen smell of dirty ovens.

Also ... it's nice if all the mirrors and the glass shower screen are done properly.

Our worst things have been a place that was just full of flies and another where they had fitted fancy looking taps and sinks but the particular combination of tap and sink in the main bathroom meant that when the tap was on any more than a trickle, the water went shooting over the far end of the sink and all over the toilet and floor.

We have found over the years that more modern looking places tend to be cleaner. Some have been shockingly grubby.

Ditto all the stuff from pp about air fresheners and decorative pillows.

The last place we stayed actually had lively big towels, which was a first and very much appreciated. I also think the basics like toilet rolls, bin bags, kitchen roll, dishwasher tablets etc should be provided. It's hard enough fitting a family of 5, a dog and all our luggage in the car without needing to pack the kitchen sink as well. We're paying a small fortune for the week so I don't think it's too much to ask.

We like places we can take the dog (sorry to all the dog haters). That's one of the main reasons we book cottages. I find that rules out a lot of places though so I'm surprised people who don't like it find it an issue.

Self catering places cost a fortune these days. If enough toilet roll , dishwasher tablets, etc aren't a basic it makes me fume. Cleanliness is absolutely essential too, otherwise what are you paying for?

hidden cameras in the lights above the bed

Lots of ornaments
Fake plastic plants/flowers
mismatching cups/plates etc
Kitchen utensils that look old or well used
decorative cushions on the bed or throws
Obvious personal belongings of the owner
lace net curtains, anything frilly or chintzy
dog free
wooden floors in the bedrooms

Oh yes I remember another one. Never use the oven to store things that shouldn't be in there.

We once drove 6 hours across country, stopped at a nearby supermarket and grabbed some pizzas for tea.

I preheated the oven only to find someone had put a black plastic chopping board in the oven.

I then spent the rest of the evening chipping melted plastic off the wire oven tray.... The replacement I bought was white.

I got a booklet from Eurocamp this year detailing a lot of cleaning we were supposed to do before checkout.

They provided a tiny box of basics. One loo roll, one sponge, one tea towel and two sachets of washing up liquid and surface cleaner.

No duster, brush, mop, dustpan, hoover.

Do they really expect people to arrive from overseas (or from within France for that matter) with a full set of cleaning materials?!

You can't just leave that one hanging like that. 😱

Our current place has many many flies. I'm blaming the field behind, had to buy a fly swatter just to try and deal with them.

In my experience things that aren’t provided are more annoying than unwanted things, but I wouldn’t want any of the following:

A stingy amount of loo rolls, soap powder, washing up liquid, salt and pepper etc. We are paying a lot and need enough to last a week.

Useless, broken things cluttering the cupboards so there’s nowhere to put your stuff. Cluttered doesn’t = well equipped.

Same goes for decorative ornaments.

Lots of bossy signs telling me to do something, or not do it.

An owner who is always lurking somewhere so you try and avoid them.

An ashtray full of old cigarettes found under the bed on day of departure.... after wondering why the room smelt so terrible all weekend

1. Double or king beds which are actually two single beds pushed together.

2. Beds pushed up against a wall with no headboard.

3. Beds on castors, especially in conjunction with (2) above.

This! God how difficult is it to find somewhere fragrance free. I have a fragrance allergy and basically can't be bothered to try to book a holiday now as it's such a pain in the arse to find somewhere.

One other ... one useless bit of sponge thing with green scourer on the other side to clean everything. They aren't absorbent , and are useless for nearly everything. I now bring my own Minky cloths every time.

An elegant Belfast sink but no dishwasher.

Yes this. Went to an Air BnB that had several of them with a horribly strong sickly sweet smell. I turned up in the early stages of a migraine and they kicked it into overdrive.

Had to hunt down the lot and stick them outside for the duration of the stay as scents like this are a massive migraine trigger for me.

@FeigningConcern I hate fragranced stuff! I’m not allergic but it all makes me feel so sick and people definitely overlook the hidden health effects of so much artificial fragrance. Makes me suspicious when they’re used- what other smell are you hiding!

It WAS reported to the police, who did go round and check and couldn't find evidence of it/them. I remain convinced though.

Some of these things can be ruled out when searching though - bed size, curtains, ornaments. I literally pinch and zoom all the photos, google map the place, do an online search etc etc!

I had the opposite. I was the owner living next door and the holidaymaker wouldn’t leave me, or my visiting friends, alone. Wanted to cook us a meal, go out with us, sit on the terrace with us. Then went to a village fete, bought some sort of sandwich toaster / cooker thingy which blew my electrics ….and then left it behind for me to take to the tip.