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?

Not sure why you enjoy insulting random posters Gladys123?

I think we all still want to know where we are to dry our washing.

we have run a lot of holiday lets overseas in the past.
You have had really bad luck with your first tenants.

One thing you quickly learn is to treat it as a business. Don't be emotionally invested in it if it is to be let.

All items should be sturdy and washable.
I think you have been given a really hard time on here though, that bed is a standard bed, what did they do to it to break all the slats!

I don't think they should have broken the bed, but I would be much more angry about the wires and the broken tiles, which are really hard to fix.

All those saying they would clean before they leave.
Waste of time, you can be as sanctimonious as you like, the cleaner still has to come in and clean, as they have no idea if you have done it properly or not.

We ask - all rubbish be taken to bins. Anything you have moved eg chairs, beds, be returned to their original place. Leave it tidy and ready to be cleaned.

Over the years we have had some real shockers. And some really fussy tenants who phoned up on Sunday because the iron was broken, when actually they hadn't plugged it in properly etc. That is all par for the course.

No the op doesn’t deserve it but she may need to readjust her expectations slightly.

If she’s just refurbished then I don’t see why a previously untested piece of furniture would automatically be down to their misuse. Sometimes we just buy a dud and learn the expensive way.

The stains on white furniture is unfortunate but that’s a well known downside of using white. Hopefully being out in the sun will help somewhat but it’s UR to expect people to not use sun cream. In Spain. By a pool. On holiday.

The tiles and electrics make me wonder if the op shouldn’t be looking into the quality of the workmanship if her refurb. I can’t fathom a reason why anyone would go pulling wires out of the wall. Granted there are some vandals in the world but that’s a risky one to play about with.

I think we all still want to know where we are to dry our washing
in your own home, you do what you want. When you are renting, not on the radiators and cover the house in mould!

If you are really that fascinated, I am South East, have 4 kids, must do at least 8 loads a weeks, and I still haven't got round to buy a dryer because I haven't needed to use it once in the last 3 years. I thought I would, but the weather has not been that bad yet. Never once have I put stuff on the radiators at home.

You can if you are the owner, but why would you want to create that horrible damp condensation in your home?

what did they do to it to break all the slats!

Correct me if I'm wrong but OP's photos don't seem to show any broken slats, let alone all.

Ikeepafork- I clearly have magical powers because I dry laundry on radiators and have never had mould in any house I've lived in. Why don't you live a little and try it - you too might have magical mould free powers!

The bed needs explanation, whatever happened they should have contacted you about it

That's actually a pretty good point, considering OP said they called about plenty else. If the bed genuinely was unsuitable, why not have complained about that too ... unless they knew the breakage really was their fault and wanted to avoid being charged?

I probably shouldn't say too much about clueless renters, though; I once had a home exchanger who emailed to say the loo didn't work. He had a push-button type at home and apparently couldn't work out how to operate an utterly simple handle flush

I think we all still want to know where we are to dry our washing

Well, at least in a holiday let we've just been told there should be a "heated drying room"; apparently tumble dryers aren't good enough and lack of such a room suggests that the owner isn't really up for doing the job

Stop the world somebody, I want to get off ...

Tumbletussocks, well I never had a list when I cleaned holiday homes and gites. I used my common sense as to what needed doing. On the very rare occasion someone had actually made an effort to clean before they left it meant that instead of maybe taking half an hour (or more) to hoover it would be quicker.

Also cleaning a bathroom that has been kept clean and/or cleaned by guests before they leave is a lot easier and faster than a bathroom that has not been touched for a week or even two and looks like pigs have been living in it.

I get that a lot of you don't clean before leaving but I always do as do all my family

Tell me ikeep , I really need to know: where are you drying all this washing? You don't tumble dry. You are seriously telling me for all these years , your clothes are line dryable every time you do a wash?

Give over.

The first time you mentioned clothes on radiators, you di not mention you were talking about rented properties. You made it sound like this was awful behaviour by slatterns in their own homes. I presume your rented properties have ample dying facilities for your tenants to avoid radiator dying, but it doesn't sound like it. I have dried jeans , jumpers etc on ads for years and never had a damp issue, must say. So you may be need better glazing.

The whole thing is entirely irrelevant to holiday lets abroad in hot countries anyway.

the bed is NOT flimsy and it took a real beating to bend back the legs and buckle the hinges and snap the slats
furniture is bloody expensive here unlike the UK
INC mattress that was the price.
there is more I can tell you about these guests behaviour that has come out via our agents but quite honestly I cant be bothered if all MNetters can do is make negative comments.
As for a 9 year old would you let them sleep in a studio away from the main house next to a pool? NO

Steppemum, yes I realise the cleaner is still going in to clean BUT there is no way if someone has already cleaned it will be anywhere near as much work. I think they can see how well someone has cleaned!!!

As I said, I used to be a cleaner so was grateful if the guests had actually left the place tidy and remotely clean. I was capable of seeing whether they had hoovered the floor before they left or it was covered in crumbs, old newspapers etc.

It's not a matter of being sanctimonious. I have never ever stayed anywhere that I have not cleaned before I left. I have stayed in cottages, gites, Airbnb places and cleaned them all. When I have been on holiday with family or friends they too have always cleaned so it is not just me and DH.

In a hotel I will always strip the bed, leave the towels in a tidy pile and give the bath/shower and basin a wipe round. Doesn't take a few minutes. Why not help the cleaner out? I know hotel cleaners have very little time to clean each room so if I can help slightly why not?

When I was cleaning if any food was left I would take it home. I looked upon it as a perk of the job. I wouldn't usually use anything that had been opened though especially when the guests had left the place in a disgusting state.

from our agent today

from our agent
Pulled out the TV ariel

OP you are fighting a losing battle with some on here. Just hope most of them never stay in your holiday home.

In my experience the British and Americans are the worst. Leaving places not only filthy (I could never work out just how they could make them so filthy in such a short time) but also leaving things like newspapers, magazines strewn all over the floor, dirty cups and glasses left all over the house. Indoor items left outdoors.

The Dutch and Germans are the cleanest guests

All the wires behind the TV were bound together and hidden underneath.
They have all been pulled out ,
All the leaflets for guest attaractions screwed up
BBQ left dirty
Pool tiles cracked
The two bottles of wine in the wine rack were part of the welcome pack we leave for our guests,

I just think lots of us don't get why that bed is thee in the fits place OP. You have said you are angry so you are clearly venting, which is fine. But because you are angry, you are sounding a little disproportionate. Tbh, I'd be complaining to IKEA : but they will just tell you you should be ensuring the safe use of this strange thing I still don't get of the Day Bed, I guess. If you but another one , you need to clearly stipulate its purpose and use and any restrictions. The 9 year old would have been the lightest person in the party though so I doubt it was them!!

I presume you deposit has covered this damage and if not you will be recouping the costs as the owner who claimed I damaged his loungers (with suncream) and doors (with wind!) did from me last year.

Is it possible they just forgot to empty the fridge? Did they have a really early flight? Maybe they were first time renters? I am sure I left the first villa I rented in a worse state than I would now.

and tumble dryer

Did they book directly or through a portal?

There are 2 weeks worth of rubbish in the kitchen, the fridge is full of old food.
The day bed has been jumped on or who knows what,
Metal legs cracked and wooden slats under the mattress snapped in half.
The bed put on its side and two mattresses left on the floor.
White cushions on our ratten garden furniture covered in stains
tiles broken in the pool
wires pulled out od sockets
But yes thats OK it just a holiday villa

Horrendous, OP, that's so sad:(

Piggywaspushed Im not angry just overwhelmed by the response from MN glad none of you have stayed in our villa if you think this is acceptable.
I have said BEFORE this is not flimsy, it took two to turn it back over.
How strong someone must be to bend metal poles and break hinges.
I will let you all snipe on!

I used to deal with holiday rentals. It’s not worth the hassle, holiday makers who steal thing anything from all the cutlery to the bloody bedside cabinet. Fridge/freezer/microwave/oven full of decaying food. I once put my hand in the bow cupboard to freshen up the bowls and put my hand straight into mouldy baked beans.

I always found it those who complain most leave it the worst and I don’t mean genuine complaints eaither ones like 24 clothes pegs is not enough for the washing line, the heating is too hot/to cold. It’s too loud being near X but being near X is clearly advertised and a selling point. The sites gas men where out too early fixing another rentals gas (9am on a weekday). The beds where too small, standard size.

That furniture looks incredibly flimsy. You need robust furniture for a holiday let.

Horrendous. There are really some filthy people out there.