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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Holiday Let Complaint

32 replies

LessMissAbs · 02/11/2013 18:15

DH and I run a holiday apartment. This week we have in a booking from what we expected to be 9 people, but when they arrived, they had 3 young children (4 - 7) which they didn't tell us about. We don't normally let to families with children, but we wouldn't see them out on the street, so simply sucked it up, didn't comment and let them in. I'm unsure why they didn't mention the children, perhaps they thought it would have cost more.

Have had a number of phone calls from them, asking where things were, etc but last night or rather early this morning, at 1.20am to be precise, got a call which woke me up while I was in bed. They were complaining that they had run out of hot water. Now the hot water tank is pretty large, and we've never had people actually run out of hot water before, but they were at a local event which ended late and all wanted baths, including the children, that night.

AIBU to have been a tad frosty with them and told them there was nothing I could do?

OP posts:
heidihole · 02/11/2013 18:22

YANBU

steff13 · 02/11/2013 18:24

So, 9 people plus three children, 12 total? That is a lot of baths, no wonder they ran out of hot water. I am confused as to what they expected you to do?

Fairenuff · 02/11/2013 18:27

You will have to learn from this. Next time, send out a booking form asking for names, addresses and ages of everyone who will be staying. If they turn up with extras, you would be quite within your rights to say, 'Sorry, this accommodation is not suitable for that number' or however you want to phrase it.

I think tomorrow you should ask them to pay for their extra guests or leave.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 02/11/2013 18:27

YANBU, they sound bizarre. Black list them!

mummymeister · 02/11/2013 18:31

there are some people out there who think children don't count when booking a place. know this from my days as a chalet maid. you wouldn't turn up to easy jet with 3 extra people so why do it for a holiday let. what does your fire risk assessment say? that should have a set number on it. in future ask for the names of everyone including babies and children staying there. people do it because its cheaper and you cant blame them if they get away with it. however, if it is in your terms and conditions then you must be prepared to turn people away if they turn up with more than the right number. when advertising your place make sure you put sleeps 10 including any babies, toddlers or children so that people are in no doubt.

Original poster
LessMissAbs · 02/11/2013 18:33

I do that already Fairenuff. I didn't have the heart to turn away a family with children.

There are 3 bathrooms for 5 bedrooms. Never ran out of hot water before, even with bigger groups!

I'm just kind of taken aback at being phoned at 1.20am!

OP posts:
Fairenuff · 02/11/2013 18:40

If you are going to let them stay without any extra charge then you could just explain to them that the accommodation is not designed for the number in their party and they will have to muddle through as best they can.

CarolineKnappShappey · 02/11/2013 18:43

Do you state no children? If not, a frosty ticking off is required

WestmorlandFireSausage · 02/11/2013 18:43

oooh LessMissAbs i feel you are in for an interesting week ... keep us posted!

oldgrandmama · 02/11/2013 18:44

Perhaps, after their night out, they were pissed out of their minds a little the worse for wear, and thought phoning you at that goddam awful hour was a right laugh. Agree with Fairenuff - and actually, I hugely admire your forebearance!

FunkyFucker · 02/11/2013 18:45

Or charge them extra!

Lottiedoubtie · 02/11/2013 18:46

Yanbu they are loons! You don't phone anyone at that time of night unless the place is actually on fire.

Original poster
LessMissAbs · 02/11/2013 18:50

Oh dear, I fear it might be an "interesting week"...

I don't state no children Caroline because very few families with children are interested in a city centre apartment which doesn't provide cots and doesn't have a garden. And the ones who do I simply usually say its not available to, unless they specifically state they are very good at stopping child-related damage!

This lot are from Dubai. I wonder if that makes a difference - is "service" different in Dubai perhaps?

I did express "surprise" at the arrival of the children, but they countered with it being advertised to sleep 12, hmmn but that's not what I quoted you for...

OP posts:
LaGuardia · 02/11/2013 18:52

Who bathes children at 1am anyway? unless they are covered in poo or vomit

Original poster
LessMissAbs · 02/11/2013 18:56

Who bathes children at 1am anyway?

I did wonder but honestly couldn't be bothered asking for the details. I assume the children had baths earlier but not that early and the adults came home later and by that time all the hot water had been used up. Or perhaps they are staying on a different time zone?

OP posts:
CarolineKnappShappey · 02/11/2013 18:57

I would call them, say you will check the tank for them in case the numpties have switched it off or anything.
Say you want to make sure all is fine for them, and have a nose around as they sound weird and may be trashing the place.

£5 bet they won't strip the beds when they leave...

paxtecum · 02/11/2013 19:01

Maybe they don't understand that the hot water tank takes time to reheat.
They may only be familiar with instant hot water systems, so could have thought the hot water boiler had failed.
But they still shouldn't have rung you at 1.20am.

I hired a house last year that slept 14.
I had to sign a document to the effect that there would not be more than 14 people staying at one time.

siilk · 02/11/2013 19:01

Are they Emerati (sorry about the spelling)? This could make a difference as well. Not being mean but standards of service are very, very different. 1pm also doesn't surprise me. When we lived in the ME we regularly saw little children out VERY late.

paxtecum · 02/11/2013 19:02

Caroline: Why should they strip the beds when they leave?

ibbydibby · 02/11/2013 19:03

Does it invalidate the insurance if there are more people than specified/unnamed people (both in this case)?

Original poster
LessMissAbs · 02/11/2013 19:08

Some guests do choose to strip the beds when they leave! Its very nice of them, but not expected.

Most guests are fine but I find holiday lets run at quite a high level of damage. I've had showers prised off a shower enclosure and stuck back on (unsuccessfully) with No More Nails I don't like to think too much about how the tiles came loose in a shower and guests who sat on the radiators and broke the pipes causing a tiny flood and broken system! But they still didn't phone me after midnight!

My agreement does contain a list of names based on the booking through the agency that they made. They claimed "children don't count".

Unsure if they are Emarati or not. All I know is that they come from Dubai.

OP posts:
Twoandtwomakeschaos · 02/11/2013 20:28

Presumably, they also need to pay for the three they didn't count, but can you claim this via the agency you mentioned? Can you also, via that same agency, prevent future unexpected children?

CarolineKnappShappey · 04/11/2013 22:55

Hope all is well.

We always strip the beds at self catering places, and put used towels and bedding in a big pile.

Just to be nice.

kilmuir · 04/11/2013 22:59

Being out til 1ish at weekend with young children is not that unusual in the middle east

HeadsDownThumbsUp · 04/11/2013 23:12

Three children aren't going to make a massive difference to the volume of hot water required by 9 adults.

What's the terrible problem? That they called at 1:20? That's inappropriate, but the rest, not so much.