to be angry with our holiday let guests

[birdladyfromhomealone]

As Holiday makers, have you ever wondered why you are asked to pay a refundable damage deposit?
The reason is - not every one is respectful or treats rental homes as they would their own.
Just a month ago we posted pictures of our newly refurbished studio apartment in our villa in Spain with a brand new day bed that pulls out to two singles or a double.
With thanks to our first guests of this season we will now have to refurb again although the deposit may not cover the cost of their "the bed just broke"
We have a great team of cleaners that keep our Villa in immaculate condition but they should not have to clean up what has been left.
Why would anyone leave a holiday villa in this condition?

any structural breakages will be charged for (beds/equipment etc.) so if you get on the bed and the slats break (which has happened to my husband!) it is your fault?

Let's hope they don't fall over the cracked tiles/fall off the broken bed and sue you!

any structural breakages will be charged for (beds/equipment etc.)

Well you won't get many people willing to stay in your holiday let if your provide sub standard furniture then charge for breakages! Furniture is going to eventually get broken anyway through wear and tear, the cheaper and flimsier you buy the quicker it will get broken. If I haven't done anything wrong and something broke there's no way I'd be paying for it! Those kinds of replacements are part of running a business.

If I've paid to stay somewhere I won't be disrespectful but I wouldn't expect to have to walk on egg shells in case the flimsy furniture falls apart.

We broke a bed once when we stayed in a holiday let in this country. I say broke, the slats fell through and we ended up on the mattress on the floor.

Did I tell them? Did I heck. We are both abit chubby and so embarrassed about it!

I am with you on this.

We have a solid brass bed in ours, with a lower bottom.end. Someone has obviously sat on it, or jumped on it, or done something on it because it is buckled. We will have to get a new bed.

Last week, someone opened the microwave door (which they had moved near the cooker) across the electric hob. This was of course my fault because I should have put a note up. The woman was yelling at me down the phone at 11.30pm!

The microwave door is melted. I bought a good one because I wanted my guests to have nice things around them.

I bought a lovely patio furniture set. Week 1 there is a deep gouge out of the table. So £400 down the drain.

If you leave damaged stuff people complain. I now understand why so many lets have rubbish furniture, which I really didn't want to do.

It is very upsetting, because you want to give your guests a good holiday.

On our honeymoon the four poster bed which was we discovered a bit rickety loose bolts made me worry so I told reception who fixed it. OH was too embarrassed. Always report immediately is my advice

Not enjoying reading the horror stories here as I am a few months in to my first season as a cottage owner (in UK). No damage so far (other than wear and tear stuff you'd expect and can rectify - pull in carpet, ring mark on wooden worktop, scuffs on walls) and had a mixture of levels of cleanliness left, but certainly nothing terrible. We have 5 hours changeover between check out and check in, and it takes me the full amount to clean and prepare between guests. I'm hoping to get faster though!

Would any holiday let owners be up for a dedicated thread (maybe in Property?) to talk hints/tips etc?

Tis is me admitting guilt, in one cottage we went out leaving our dog in her cage.

It was one of those fabric ones and she broke the zip got out an had chewed a door frame. We spent the last two days filling and painting woodwork so it looked almost good as new. We have only even taken metal crates with us since that day.

Origami most people are so lovely, tis only a tiny fraction who cause problems. If you take the deposits, have a breakages agreement, make sure your contract is spot on. Only buy furniture you would love in your own home, robust, the feedback you get will encourage more lovely people to your let. On Airbnb you can give feedback on your guests.

Origami - would love a dedicated thread in Property or elsewhere to chat about holiday lets.

PassiveAggressive, holiday lets that allow dogs usually say the dog is not to be left alone in the property.

When we have taken out dog on holiday we have never left them alone. Of course it means you can't visit certain places and can only eat outside unless you find somewhere that allows dogs in but that is all part and parcel of being a dog owner

(why would someone move a tumble dryer on holiday??)

People move the strangest things. One recent guests moved my large cast iron woodburner out of position by 6 inches. I had a large bill for the repair of the damage that caused. No way can that sort of issue be rectified in a 6 hour change over window either.

Hollow laugh at those who think holiday lets are easy money - they are not and I suspect many owners barely break even.

Origami, yes I too would live a dedicated thread!

Have you looked on Lay My Hat forum? Lots of hints and tips on there!

We don't take a damage deposit. Our thinking is that £250 doesn't cover big stuff. People threaten bad reviews if you take off smaller stuff.

I am thinking of changing our policy though as it is scary the potential damage that can be done.

Elphame Mon 25-Jun-18 13:37:42
(why would someone move a tumble dryer on holiday??)

People move the strangest things. One recent guests moved my large cast iron woodburner out of position by 6 inches. I had a large bill for the repair of the damage that caused. No way can that sort of issue be rectified in a 6 hour change over window either.

Hollow laugh at those who think holiday lets are easy money - they are not and I suspect many owners barely break even.

Crikey break even, our friends are looking at minimum 25k per property per annum.

Something interesting, friends rent properties say £500 per month, upgrade them and then let as a holiday property, with permission of landlord. Landlord happy to have a reliable rent, holiday let people happy to get £500 a week in high season.

£25,000 gross income yes in some areas. Profit though is a different matter especially if you are mortgaged, use an agent (they'll take 20%+VAT) and have to outsource your cleaning, laundry, gardening and maintenance.

For those who have to pay for a changeover it averages £100 a time give or take depending where you are.

Add in cost of insurance, business rates, gardening, heating, lighting, wear and tear, damage and theft, mortgage repayments (commercial rates), boiler servicing, electrical inspections, annual redecoration, gardening. advertising etc etc and the profits can be very small.

There is also much more competition than there was now and the likes of Sykes and AirBnB are pushing prices down with many lets struggling to get the occupancy they once had. I'm happy with my returns but I have no mortgage and do not use an agent. I also do my own maintenance and repairs.

Thread for holiday let owners set up below!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/3288227-Holiday-let-owners

Loveka Yes, I frequently lurk on Lay My Hat (although have never joined in) and learned loads! Interesting that you don't take a deposit - I don't either (my agency would facilitate it, but would charge me a handling fee of £10 each time for the privilage, and they tell me it puts people off booking - very few of the properties on their books request deposits (local boutique agency, though part of a bigger national group). They say it's very rare that there are problems, and they do pursue (although not sure with how much success?) when things do go wrong). Reconsidering after reading some of the horror stories here....

Yes, I have heard it puts people off booking too!

We are doing air b and b on our 2nd one. Still umming and aahing about the deposit.

The person who says it's 25k... well yes, if you don't have a mortgage. We have a mortgage on ours so after paying everything we don't make much. And we work at it, so it isn't easy money at all.

Bed linen alone costs £2000 for a 3 bedroom house!

I wouldn't stay at a place that requested a deposit. I wouldn't trust the owners to return it.

How can it cost £2000 for bed linen?

3 lots of everything, plus duvets, toppers, protectors, anti bed bug stuff, pillows, blankets, pillow proectors and towels (2 per person and 3 sets used on rotation) is how it comes to that .

Or maybe you have a holiday let yourself and know better than me?!

I only take a deposit now from Tripadvisor as they do not allow me any contact with the guests until close to the rental date. When I used Sykes I had a larger damage deposit as the level of theft and breakages was unacceptably high. It was strange how it reduced after that.

TesstheTimid" I would be handing you the keys to a £250K property + all its contents and trusting that you don't trash the place. Trust works both ways and I have far more to lose than you do.

I've heard that about Sykes customers Elphame...

I wouldn't be put off by being asked to pay a deposit but when I mentioned it to my parents they said it would put them off and they would feel a bit ''affronted' by the request. So might depend on the demographic. I probably would take one, if it wasn't for the fact that my agency would charge me £10 each time I did so. I'd rather save up those £10 and self-insure

Maybe the bed wasn't assembled properly in the first place? It's easy enough for the slats to pop out if they weren't firmly inserted into the frame

If I had rented somewhere with a bed that poor, I would be seeking a refund. If you withhold any of the deposit, IMO you are inviting a counter claim and certainly a poor review.

Personally in the UK I would be talking to the store about compensation

I have this bed from ikea in my holiday house in menorca and it’s not €700 euros. In fact most single beds from ikea aren’t anywhere near that???.
Lesson learnt- I never put expensive items in a holiday rental and 2: it’s part of the territory with holiday rentals either privately or through places such as owners direct. For the majority most guests are lovely but a few will be idiots. Sorry for for the crap you’re dealing with, but hardly rocket science that this is something that might happen. It’s part of the package.

@Simcat you might have the bed from Ikea but the one OP showed isn't, it's a £70 frame and a cheap mattress.

@tildaMa that’s my point basically. That bed is not €700 euros and if it was I certainty wouldn’t be putting it in a holiday let.