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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be seriously annoyed about security of my children in this Villa

74 replies

Bigmissty · 01/08/2014 14:50

I was on holiday last week in a lovely Villa in France with a some friends and their children. It had 5 bedrooms and we were told that one was a bit separate from the others and was a great room for kids. But it was in fact up a separate stair case and over the garage!
I didn't feel safe having any of the children out there, the oldest two are 11 and 12 and maybe they would have been ok but it just wasn't worth risking it. Am I being unreasonable to complain to the agency about this?

OP posts:

Igggi · 01/08/2014 20:33

I don't remotely think they're after a refund! OP said:

The guests gave a load of feedback and this was part of it, most of it was positive

I think they just wanted to know in advance, surprises not always welcomed on holiday. I would never buy as house where we had to sleep on different levels to the dc, unless they were teenagers by then, so I wouldn't want to on holiday either. It wouldn't ruin my holiday, but I wouldn't relax as much and would like to have known in advance - rather than actually being told it was ideal for children!

PandasRock · 01/08/2014 23:17

I do think that an unusual,layout should always be flagged up.

I know what my requirements are. I know my children, and what needs they have (reasonably extensive, for their ages).

It would have annoyed me to turn up to a rental and find that one of the bedrooms was not as 'usable' as the others, for us, in our situation.

Tbh, it isn't up to the person wanting to rent to come up with a list of exhaustive questions as to exact layout. If there is truly no problem with it, then make it known.

The first thing that crosses my mind when I end up in similar situations is that the landlord hasn't wanted to make it known upfront, presumably because they think it might affect rentals - either price wise (if it could only be rented more reasonably as a 4 bed) or because it might turn a lot of prospective customers off.

Glasshammer · 01/08/2014 23:25

Can you put a floor plan on your website and highlight the facts

KnittedJimmyChoos · 01/08/2014 23:33

Its hard for us to say as we can not see the room.

If two seperate families are un happy with it though...I would personally accept that and make it very clear to people making bookings about this room

as for quiet village, I am sure praia de luz was that too.

KnittedJimmyChoos · 01/08/2014 23:34

Tbh, it isn't up to the person wanting to rent to come up with a list of exhaustive questions as to exact layout. If there is truly no problem with it, then make it known.

yep agree

KnittedJimmyChoos · 01/08/2014 23:35

Personally I wouldn't want my 8 year old sleeping completely out of earshot whilst in a different Country on holiday

same here very rarely she gets night terrors and also a sort of sleep walking to loo, not awake.

steppemum · 01/08/2014 23:40

I wouldn't have a problem with it. It is just a house with 2 staircases. but then Granny's house used to be like this, and a bit of a rabbit warren, and staying at cousins the kids bedroom are in the attic and we sleep on sofabed in study on the ground floor.

I suspect that it depends on what you are used to. My kids sleep well and would not be bothered in the least to go down some stairs and then up some stairs to our room.

wafflyversatile · 01/08/2014 23:41

I think it's fine, but if two guests have brought it up then it's a good idea to review the blurb.

McFox · 02/08/2014 00:08

I lived in France, in a small sleepy village with virtually no crime. Then I was the victim of a violent sexual crime and am very, very lucky to be alive.

Slightly off track maybe, but my point is that it doesn't matter how sleepy and quiet your village is, shit happens. Your guests need to feel that they are their children are safe and secure. Just make it clearer in your marketing literature that the room is only suitable for older children/adults and accept responsibility for not fully explaining the situation to those who have already complained. I probably would have in their situation.

Thenapoleonofcrime · 02/08/2014 00:14

McFox so sorry to hear about that:(

I agree, when on holiday, I'm extra alert to safety issues more than at home where I feel more in control perhaps, or know the alarm has been tested or who can hear what when I shout out.

Everyone has given the correct solution- make it clear in the literature that one bedroom is above the garage with a separate set of stairs.

steppemum · 02/08/2014 07:49

wow Mcfox, that is awful.

On a slight tangent, do people really insist on sleeping on the same floor as their kids? So many of the new houses round here are on 3/4 floors, with master bedroom on one floor and kids bedrooms on another. It would never have occurred to me.

Igggi · 02/08/2014 10:02

"People" probably don't insist on it, but I do! More for fire reasons than anything else. I can see the case for teenagers having that bit more privacy (though I can also see the case against it, remembering what I got up to!)
I feel most secure tbh when they are all in the room with me, sleeping soundly - but that only happens at grandparents and hotels, I have not instigated a family bedroom!

differentnameforthis · 02/08/2014 10:57

I can see the security risk in regards to a fire but not otherwise.

Isn't that enough of a risk?

SirChenjin · 02/08/2014 11:58

If the property is well maintained, there is a smoke alarm, and there is no smoking or other naked flame in the property then the fire risk is minimal, surely? Goodness, if we thought that way we wouldn't ever let our children out on their own - far more children die in RTAs and falls than die in fires every year, for example.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 02/08/2014 12:07

I think maybe change the wording to "ideal for teenagers".

If the staircase to the bedroom was internal then I wouldn't have a problem but I wouldn't want a younger child having to use an external staircase if he/she woke or needed the loo in the middle of the night.

steppemum · 02/08/2014 12:35

santa - it is an internal staircase, opens into the living area.

Igggi - really? genuine question. So you wouldn't have a house with an attic bedroom?
Are your kids still young? I am just curious as we have always had/stayed in houses with 2 floors.
We used to let a large holiday home in France - 2 large double beds on first floor and 2 large attic bedrooms with single beds for kids on the second floor. I don't remember what the description said, but it genuinely would not have occurred to me that parents would be unhappy with that. (you could easily hear any noise/crying etc, in fact the house was not well sound proofed at all)

Skina · 02/08/2014 12:42

Can't see what their problem is at all. I'd probably not put my 5 year old in there, but would have no issue with my 8/9/10 year olds. Sounds lovely, might book it next year if you can PM link please OP

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 02/08/2014 12:43

OK, thank you steppemum - I must have missed that .

In that case, I can't see why the room might be unsuitable for 11 and 12 year olds.

GalaxyInMyPants · 02/08/2014 12:44

Mmmm. My 13yo woke up the other night having had a nightmare. Screaming for me and too scared to get out of bed and cross the landing.

I guess this doesn't happen often but is more likely to in a strange place?? Guess I'd like her in earshot.

Igggi · 02/08/2014 14:11

Steppemum - no I wouldn't, looking for a house at the moment and I'm discarding the town house types for that reason. As I said, when I have teenagers (they are 3 and 7) I might feel differently. I don't think so though, is probably use an attic room as a playroom instead.
Anyway I think the issue here is something that some parents would be unhappy about is actually being marketed as ideal for children - just give people all the facts and they can decide for themselves - clearly most people here would not have a problem with the layout.

dalziel1 · 04/08/2014 07:33

I was about as protective a mother as you could ever meet, when my children were little. I really strived to think of their every need and make sure I provided it, generally before they even realised that they wanted it.

However, I slept on a different floor from my children from the ages 0-7 and I never felt it was a problem, even for a second. If they needed me, then I got up and went down to them.

For older children, who've finished with the night terrors etc, I honestly can't see the problem with a bedroom in an extension but connected to the house by an internal staircase. Pre-teens and teenagers would love it, I'd have thought!

whois · 04/08/2014 08:36

It's highly lazy not to put floor plans of your holiday rental up. Unless you've got a shit layout that would out people off I bet bookings increase. I always like to see the lay out before booking - we've been burnt by too many dodgy mezzanine levels not fully disclosed or a separate annexe across the garden and stuff like that. One year the 8 bedroom villa we stayed in had two bedrooms which were linked by am archway (no door) which was totally shit for us as the group was 8 couples. Oh, and the 8th bedroom was in a non air conditioned tent/shed thing at the bott of the garden with no bathroom down there. In Spain. In July.

littlemissmaths · 04/08/2014 08:40

Why don't you just be more explicit in the booking details?

littlemissmaths · 04/08/2014 08:43

I don't think it is a matter of a separate floor... I think that this bedroom is above the garage with a separate staircase and maybe separate front door (the OP talks about it being lockable). I would have issues because if not locked, I would worry about stranger danger, but if the DC locked themselves in, then I would be worried about not being able to check on them. Whatever the situation though, the OP simply needs to be clear about it when people book so they can decide for themselves. There must be a slight problem if 2 families have complained already this year.

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