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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this property owner had a cheek?

129 replies

EngineeringExcellence · 30/10/2013 12:20

We're just back from a lovely weekend break with extended family.

We rented a house costing £1300 for the 3 nights (10 of us) It was lovely and we had all mod cons etc.

At night i have a bedroom window open, the curtain blew in the breeze (not the great storm!) and knocked a trinket box off the windowsil. It was a heart shaped mirrored box marked made China.

Anyway owner has just called asking for cash to replace it.

AIBU to think there was/should be enough profit there to cover minor damages, which are to be expected, things left in windowsills are always at risk, it was a bit of cheap tatt and it's highly unlikely that she would bother replacing it?

OP posts:
PattyPuddy · 30/10/2013 14:09

The owner left it on the windowsill and it was blown over by the wind. I can't see how that is the OP's responsibility.

I think the owner of the house needs to get a grip. It's a £5 - £10 (max) trinket in the realm of a £400+ a night rental.

Handbagsonnhold · 30/10/2013 14:18

I think she has made a point of asking for the money as you didn't tell her it was broken. Reckon if you had of she wouldn't have given two hoots....

Handbagsonnhold · 30/10/2013 14:20

Just read that you left a note explaining....providing she read it, would have thought she would have accepted the apology really....

ivykaty44 · 30/10/2013 14:26

something got broken whilst you were staying in the property then you need to pay for the breakage, read the contract and see what it states about breakages. The owner may have left it balancing on the bannister - but you need to think about what you will have to pay for if something breaks.

I stayed with two other families in a cottage in france and they had expensive ornaments - we collected them up and put them in a safe place for the length of our stay so that we would not have any type of accident with these pieces - they did look expensive. We had dc ranging from 3 -12

We broke a kitchen glass and just brought another 4 in the supermarket -the owner was happy with that when she came to inspect.

jollygoose · 30/10/2013 14:53

I cant believe how self righteous most of you are in regard to the ops situation, so the wind broke an ornament which could have happened just as easily had the owner been on the premises - and I cant believe her cheek in asking for damages after receiving payment of £1300 just plain greedy imo.
omg you are all too bloody good to be true!

MelanieCheeks · 30/10/2013 15:01

Something gets broken while you are staying in rented accommodation. Is the default position:

"oh it doesn't matter, they're making a huge profit from us so they can afford it", or

"it got broken while we were here so we should pay for it to be replaced"

I agree it does seem a little petty of the owner when you compare the price of the item with the rental fee - but it's not unreasonable.

intitgrand · 30/10/2013 15:07

I wouldn't pay in a million years. It is a trinket not essential to the let, you didn't break it you just happened to be there when it broke, and he should have insurance or build a cushion into his rental price for this sort of thing.

Mckayz · 30/10/2013 15:10

I'm really pleased I don't own a rental place. Most of you are awful.

Of course the OP should pay for it. She broke it, she opened the window. It didn't jump off.

Awomansworth · 30/10/2013 15:11

It does seem petty of the owner given the alleged value of the item and the fact that you left a note explaining how it happened.

How much is the owner asking for?

Caitlin17 · 30/10/2013 15:19

I rent out a couple of flats, although they are permanent lets not holidays. Unless a tenant had been truly awful I expect that from time to time things get broken. I'd never leave anything truly valuable in them.

And bear in mind I can set any costs, including a general 10% " wear and tear" deduction off against the rent before I pay tax on my profits. And if every other owner doesn't do that, they're bonkers.

So yes, I think owner is unreasonable.

parakeet · 30/10/2013 15:34

The £1300 rental price is irrelevant. The estimated cost of the trinket box is irrelevant. Whether or not the OP told the owner is irrelevant.

What does it say about breakages in the contract?

FannyMcNally · 30/10/2013 15:38

Anyone who pays £1300 for 3 nights can surely leave a tender in a damages

FannyMcNally · 30/10/2013 15:39

...or even a tenner.

FannyMcNally · 30/10/2013 15:40

And to be honest if I was paying that much I'd expect nothing less than Faberge ornaments on the window sill.

cakebar · 30/10/2013 15:41

I think the owner should write it off.

I have yet to rent a holiday place that doesn't have various bits of rubbish and tat cluttering up the place to some extent. I always wonder if it's stuff the owner doesn't want in their own house but don't want to chuck out. I don't mind if it's in display cases or on high shelves but it shouldn't be on tops of chests of drawers or windowsills where it is just in your way and liable to damage.

Jolleigh · 30/10/2013 15:45

If I was at home and the weather was causing the curtains to blow around like that, I'd either move anything that might get damaged or close the window.

The cost of the item doesn't matter at all.

As a child I broke my nana's vase. I gave money out of my pocket money until I had covered the cost of a replacement. It was a good life lesson.

You should replace any item that you break that isn't yours where at all possible.

And if it's as cheap as you seem to be making a point of, where's the problem?

Itsaboatjack · 30/10/2013 15:52

YANBU. The OP didn't break it, it was an accident.

The owner is being ridiculous and not to mention not very business minded. She is now potentially going to miss out on your repeat business but also that of anyone you may have recommended the place too.

I work in he service industry and wouldn't ever piss off a customer over something so trivial.

earlesswonder · 30/10/2013 15:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fleta · 30/10/2013 16:00

The thing is, the OP saw it as an accident waiting to happen. Surely anyone with a modicum of common sense would have therefore ensured it didn't happen by moving the item......

woozlebear · 30/10/2013 16:04

Yabva. And really weird about it being 'made in china' and snobby about it being 'cheap tat' and totally presumptuous and judgy about whether she's likely to replace it. It's someone else's posession. You broke it. And if it's so obviously a stupid place to put it, why did you leave it there when you opened the window? Confused

Most places have a deposit for breakages, so surprised she has to actively ask for cash rather than just take it out of that, but it's unreasonable for you to think she 'should' just take it out of profits. A lot of people might say 'oh never mind', but you can't expect that!!

I'm with Melaine about the 'what if everyone did it' rule of thumb. You presumably think it's ok but it's just you, and just one breakage. But what if something got broken during every stay? You wouldn't expect her to let it slide every time.

NewtRipley · 30/10/2013 16:08

How much has she asked for?

SoupDragon · 30/10/2013 16:11

If you break something, you offer to pay for it. It is as simple as that.

UriGHOULer · 30/10/2013 16:16

cakebar that's a great attitude if you're staying in someone else's house.

Whether or not its a holiday home, you're there as a guest. How do you know what's tat? Is that how you view other people's property?

If you know things are liable to get damaged, why don't you move them out of harms way?

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 30/10/2013 16:18

I read the 'Made in China' thing as being a short-hand way of saying 'probably not a hugely valuable antique' - not anything snobby.

NewtRipley · 30/10/2013 16:19

Yes, me too SDTG

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