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Original poster

Holiday cottage dirty dishes question

142 replies

thetinsoldier · 13/04/2026 23:59

Staying in ‘luxury’ cottage. It cost £1510 for the week.

All v nice, but most of the dishes have been put away from dishwasher dirty - one was absolutely clatter in something brown. Chocolate? The previous guest can’t have failed to see it was dirty!

Both oven trays were oily to touch with encrusted food on them. One was unusable as the surface was peeling off.

There were no wooden spoons.

The two frying pans were badly scratched and unusable.

We went out and bought a frying pan and wooden spoons (which we will take home). Owner is very apologetic and asking what she can do to make it up to us. She has already given us an extra bottle of Prosecco.

What would you want/expect in compensation?!

OP posts:
didntlikeanyofthesuggestions · 14/04/2026 00:03

A bottle of prosecco isn't going to cut it. I'd be getting my ducks in a row.

SarahAndQuack · 14/04/2026 00:06

It doesn't sounds very nice, but I think there are two separate things, right? One is, the previous occupants obviously put dishes away dirty. That's really grim, but could the owner have been expected to notice, given she probably has a short turn around? If not, then I think a bottle of fizz is totally reasonable.

Secondly, is it just really badly equipped? I'd be a tad miffed at not having decent cookware in an expensive place, but I think I'd grouch and mention it at the end of the stay; I wouldn't see it as compensation-worthy, partly because everyone has different ideas of what constitutes kitchen essentials. Some people won't use wooden spoons, will they?

Flower1989999 · 14/04/2026 00:08

didntlikeanyofthesuggestions · 14/04/2026 00:03

A bottle of prosecco isn't going to cut it. I'd be getting my ducks in a row.

What does that even mean 🤣🤣.

I'd ask for a small refund or a small reduction if you book again.

Its not ideal but really wouldn't hugely bother me I'd just wash the plates!?

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Mischance · 14/04/2026 00:09

The cleaner who did the changeover should check that all kitchen utensils, plates etc are clean.

Yung93 · 14/04/2026 00:09

Sounds like to me, they had either a cleaner round who put the dishes away still half dirty or the previous holiday makers did which is why the cleaner may not have known - still the cleaner should have checked the oven. I think it is reasonable to be asked to be paid for the frying pan and wooden spoons. If there were no more issues and you still enjoyed yourself then I would probably accept her apology, refund of what extra expenses it caused you and the bottle of Prosecco. Have you checked her ratings on Google/airbnb/etc because if this is a one off then it could be genuine from the owners side (the cleaner to blame) but if there’s a pattern of the same complaints then she clearly doesn’t care and I’d ask for a percentage back.

7238SM · 14/04/2026 00:11

Surely the cleaners or whoever does change over should have checked things are put back in the cupboard clean?

The last time DH and I stayed in an AirBNB,, they accused us of putting plates/glassware back in the cupboard dirty. I was shocked. I'd even bought foil to ensure the oven and grill stayed clean and wouldn't have knowingly put filthy things back in.

Its not just filthy kitchen wear but scratched/worn fry pans. I'd ask for a small refund- maybe start at 15% of the overall cost and if needed, work down to 10%. Or start at 20%? TBH, I'm not sure.

KittytheHare · 14/04/2026 00:13

The cleaner should have checked the dishes etc. Surely this is the norm, otherwise we’d all be at the mercy of slapdash previous guests when we arrive at a rental?

Original poster
thetinsoldier · 14/04/2026 00:14

Yes, the cleaner should have checked, and clearly didn’t…

OP posts:
Yung93 · 14/04/2026 00:22

Was everything else clean? The bedding, mattress, bath tub/shower/toilet/sinks/floors? Though it’s not your fault, cleaners are sometimes only given a set time to clean everywhere. If it’s not doable in that set time, they comes a point when they have to stop because they won’t be paid so this falls on the owner.

SimonQuinlanksWeakLemonDrink · 14/04/2026 00:35

I have a friend who runs an airb&b, and she says it’s amazing how often guests just shove dirty dishes back in the cupboards rather than putting them in the dishwasher and starting it - which would probably be easier! People can be revolting. When we arrive at a cottage rental the first thing we do is put a bowl, plate, glass and mug for each of us, plus some cutlery, in the dishwasher, to be sure they’re clean.

benten54 · 14/04/2026 01:46

I have an Airbnb. She’ll be very keen to ensure she still gets 5 stars from you. If happened I’d be offering a discount as well as a bottle of something. 15% I think is pretty reasonable.

We had a power out (whole area went after a storm for about 7 hours) so nothing we could do but I paid for my guests to have dinner locally.

JMSA · 14/04/2026 01:51

20% off for some unclean dishes??
Come on, that’s ridiculous. It’s hardly compo worthy if everything else was clean and lovely.

AEIOYOU · 14/04/2026 03:01

"ducks in a row" :)

Sounds like everything else is ok so just put it down to experience as the host, hopefully, will too. Not nice for you but I'd be chucking everything you need to use in the dishwasher just to make sure. If you need any cutlery/pans etc then ask the host to buy them for you.

LindorDoubleChoc · 14/04/2026 04:04

You say the host was extremely apologetic and gave you a bottle of prosecco. If you insist on some other compensation, how about asking for the cost of the new pans and wooden sppons?

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 14/04/2026 04:28

didntlikeanyofthesuggestions · 14/04/2026 00:03

A bottle of prosecco isn't going to cut it. I'd be getting my ducks in a row.

It’s hardly like a separation from husband situation to get ducks in a row.

As PP’s said I’d ask for 15% off, that seems reasonable.

mondaytosunday · 14/04/2026 04:48

Did you notify the owner immediately? I have a holiday let and I would have come around with replacement items asap. I would not be giving you a discount - the bottle is the apology, replacing the items resolves the problem.

THisbackwithavengeance · 14/04/2026 05:22

I used to work with a woman who as soon as as she went to a hotel or similar would look for a “fault” so she could make a big fuss just to get a discount. She would brag about it.

is that was this is? I CBA to go on holiday and start wasting my precious time complaining about lack of wooden spoons and scratched pans.

Get a grip OP.

Sgtmajormummy · 14/04/2026 06:17

I’ve overlapped with the housekeeping team in my timeshare twice in 15 years. The first thing they did was go into the kitchen, put the hob stands and extractor filter in the dishwasher and check the equipment for dirty things. Presumably the dishwasher would finish before they left.
The place is always spotless, is well equipped and gets top marks in inspections. But it’s one of 50 apartments and they have a professional system worked out.

In the OP’s case I’d put it down to minging previous guests and an inexperienced cleaner. A bottle of wine, bad equipment replaced and a private comment to the cleaner (do we want someone on minimum wage to be dragged over the coals for this?) from the owner is enough.
FYI wooden spoons are not allowed in commercial rentals. They’re porous and not sanitary.

34feeling54 · 14/04/2026 06:20

Are you at the start of the holiday? If so I'd expect the owner or cleaner to come and clean or replace all the items. If you're at the end of the holiday and this hasn't been offered I'd expect some compensation but if you've not discussed it during the week it's unlikely to happen.

34feeling54 · 14/04/2026 06:21

THisbackwithavengeance · 14/04/2026 05:22

I used to work with a woman who as soon as as she went to a hotel or similar would look for a “fault” so she could make a big fuss just to get a discount. She would brag about it.

is that was this is? I CBA to go on holiday and start wasting my precious time complaining about lack of wooden spoons and scratched pans.

Get a grip OP.

Quite an assumption!

Notmyreality · 14/04/2026 06:26

didntlikeanyofthesuggestions · 14/04/2026 00:03

A bottle of prosecco isn't going to cut it. I'd be getting my ducks in a row.

“You keep using that phrase. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”

RockaLock · 14/04/2026 06:27

Some of the replies on here are nuts. 15% discount - the equivalent to a free night, essentially - for a few dirty dishes and some older kitchenware? What exactly would the compensation be for - the 5 mins it took you to wash the dishes/oven tray?

You’ve brought it to the owner’s attention; they’ve apologised. I suppose you could ask to be refunded the cost of the stuff you bought. But if the rest of the cottage was OK (and given your outrage at there being no wooden spoons, I’m sure you’d have mentioned any real problems) then asking for a discount just seems like CF territory tbh.

LazyCatLtd · 14/04/2026 06:37

Mischance · 14/04/2026 00:09

The cleaner who did the changeover should check that all kitchen utensils, plates etc are clean.

This. It’s standard to check everything for cleanliness. There is somewhere I have booked in the past though where the cupboard doors were covered in fingerprints and the kitchen was full of flies. Same price for the rental! The next time we went the bath leaked badly through the ceiling below through a light fitting! We had to endure several visits from a plumber. Not what you want on holiday. Their gardener also turned up unannounced one day when we were sitting in the garden. We had to go inside on a lovely sunny day.

LazyCatLtd · 14/04/2026 06:39

RockaLock · 14/04/2026 06:27

Some of the replies on here are nuts. 15% discount - the equivalent to a free night, essentially - for a few dirty dishes and some older kitchenware? What exactly would the compensation be for - the 5 mins it took you to wash the dishes/oven tray?

You’ve brought it to the owner’s attention; they’ve apologised. I suppose you could ask to be refunded the cost of the stuff you bought. But if the rest of the cottage was OK (and given your outrage at there being no wooden spoons, I’m sure you’d have mentioned any real problems) then asking for a discount just seems like CF territory tbh.

I don’t agree. At that price dirty dishes and no wooden spoon are unacceptable.

Missingducks · 14/04/2026 07:24

I think i would tell the host that it didn't feel like a 'luxury' experience and a £10 bottle doesn't feel like they appreciate the disappointment levels - it would have been OK for the overlooked crockery, but added to that the dirty oven pans and the sub-standard cookware merits a part-refund.

Edited to add : we absolutely did not request a refund but got a generous one when the Airbnb we stayed in had not had the bins collected that week ... Still plenty of room for our rubbish.

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