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?

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.

But you’re making part of the (generally increasing) value of the property with each mortgage payment you’re covering, aren’t you?

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

I took bed linen to mean duvets, sheets, pillowcases not all the other stuff you included.

Elphame - no problem, I just wouldn't rent from you. Never been asked for a deposit and we rent lovely holiday cottages in the U.K. a couple of times every year.

Boom boom,people think holiday lets are easy money and they aren't. I have a mortgage, bills, business rates etc.

I offer a service to people who want to go on holiday. What is the problem with that?

Most buildings are owned by someone. If you stay in a hotel that is owned too. Possibly by shareholders who don't clean the toilets as well as get their dividends.

I have a home in Devon I have often thought bought renting out for some much needed extra cash. But when I do I think of how my sister let her three children treat rented accommodation. Breaking them by jumping up and down on wooden slats was the first thing they did to my own children's beds and it went downhill from there. Being in a hotel or a rental place encouraged further encroachments.

So, while I sympathise, you could have done much worse. You could have had my nieces to stay.

TesstheTimid well assuming that you don't book via TripAvisor you may already have stayed with me! As my post says that's the only source of guests that I do take one from.

Actually very few do now - TA charge such huge guest fees you would be paying £200 a week more than by booking directly with me. It's always worth trying to find to find your chosen cottage's own website. Most of us have them and we try to leave enough clues in our listing for us to be easily found.

(And it's a fallacy that it's safer by booking via TA. If something goes wrong then they just don't want to know. By booking direct with me by credit card you have Section 75 protection)

Holiday lets are bloody hard work, and a big risk. It’s basically like running a hotel in a different country.

Boom boom,people think holiday lets are easy money and they aren't. I have a mortgage, bills, business rates etc.

I don't think anyone thinks you don't have expenses. But you were implying that the profit you were making was limited to the revenue from rentals minus expenses (including the mortgage). I'm pointing out that the capital you are accumulating in the property is also part of the profit you make from the venture. It's not different than people who get mortgages on buy-to-lets.

Boom, it will be many years before any of that capital growth is realised. And at the moment there isn't any anyway.

I don't see the problem with it though? I really don't understand whay it is an issue.

It is my job. The profit is my wage for the work I put in. In my case, it is my only job.

sorry, Elphame - I misread your post and thought you said you wouldn't let to me if I didn't pay a deposit!

loveka There's no problem with it all. It's how capital makes money in our economy. I was only pointing out that your "poor me" post was a bit disingenuous. The fact the profit is a long-term return rather a short-term one doesn't mean it isn't profit. And if you are covering the mortgage it isn't just the potential of capital growth - you are covering the cost of the property at its original price, which is an asset even if it doesn't grow in value.

Decent capital growth in S. European countries - good luck with that.

There was no 'poor me' at all. I am very happy with running my holiday lets.

I was answering someone who said there is 24k profit to be made from a holiday let. It is not true. I was putting that myth right.

Just because there are enough beds in the main bedrooms, some people don't like to share. We always rent a bigger villa so that people don't have to share rooms. I wouldn't buy a bed thinking it won't get used !

As a holiday-maker, I have always known why we have to pay a deposit. Mainly because I'm not actually particularly stupid.

OK, that's got my irritation out of the way....

Yes, it's a bad state, and I'd certainly contact them and detail damage, perhaps with putative costings in time and money to put it right. Then, when they leave you a bad review - and they will - you can put a 'public' explanation in response.