To be puzzled and upset over holiday rental complaint

[violets17]

I rented a villa last month and a week after I had left I received an email from the villa owner's husband saying that I was the messiest renter they had had in 2 years and not to bother trying to rebook (which I hadn't). I emailed back asking for more details and he emailed back saying "it was a mess" with no further detail.

I've really racked my brains and asked my eldest son who was with me to help me remember everything. This is what I did/didn't do:

Positives
I took out all our rubbish and put it in the correct public bins
Emptied the fridge of our leftover food
Put most things back where they were (see negative list)
Didn't use BBQ therefore no mess
Roughly wiped down sides in kitchen
Checked all over for obvious spills/toothpaste etc

Possible Negatives
I didn't put all the towels in the bath because there wasn't instructions to do that so wasn't sure
Left dishwasher running with a few morning things
Replaced coffee I had used with half a jar I had bought, replaced sugar I had used with some sugar packets
Left a lilo (still working) by the pool for next guests
Left a half used bottle of laundry liquid in the laundry room
Left a brand new (unused) insulated cool bag on top of cool box

Negatives
Did not put clothes horse back in correct place
Did not put hairdryer back in drawer
Placed sofa throws on correct sofas but didn't fold them
Didn't wipe outside table (a bit tacky)
Didn't wipe glass coffee table (a bit tacky)
Didn't actually clean anything just looked for obvious toothpaste/spills/toilet stains and dealt with that - ie didn't sweep/mop/get out the cif

I then got a "guest rating" which only gives star ratings out of 5. They gave me the following

Overall experience - 1 star
Cleanliness - 1 star
Communication - 2 stars
Following house rules - 2 stars

I'm flummoxed - house rules were no smoking inside (I didn't), no house parties (of course not), no excessive noise (um - I don't even drink and had no music on).

Communication was ordinary until he emailed me to complain and I asked for details which he didn't give and neither of us communicated further.

This is about the 10th holiday villa I have rented and it has always been positive with owners asking me back and refunding my deposit immediately - luckily there was no deposit with this one.

I know I have given this too much thought but I honestly feel like I don't know what he was talking about. Why did he wait a whole week after I left to email me?

Sorry for long post - didn't want to drip drip

Zoejj77 - not all fake tan washes off! I had to throw an entire bedding set and towels out because it didn’t and I didn’t charge for it.

Quite a bit of fake tan does not wash off. I have to throw x number of towels and sheets per year.

I’ve also had people bringing ‘well behaved’ dogs who peed all over the furniture and carpets, dog hair everywhere - they wouldn’t pay for drycleaning curtains so I had to bin them. No dogs now. I’ve had blood, faeces and sperm on sheets - no charge, a shower which was ripped off the wall and they denied it, got £30 refund for that, entire cafetière of coffee spilled on light coloured carpet - they denied it and after 3 professional cleans it’s still visible as they’d messed it up trying to fix it, door handles pulled off and left hanging as if they’re still attached, takeaway cartons left festering on worktops, fridges full of liquid lettuce, vomit all over feather duvet - had to be replaced, no charge. Do you see how it cuts both ways?

Yes but that's not what the op (or any of others like my sister) berated for not doing a deep clean have done - not in the same ball park..

I host paying guests - smoking in the room and leaving vomit for me to clear up my "highlights" so I see it from the other side too.

Franzipanny - isn’t that what the security deposit is for?

Tatiana - yes, it is of course. But on some occasions if they flatly deny it was them eg coffee stain they said it was there on arrival, it’s difficult to prove otherwise. And in some cases because I’m so busy I really don’t want the hassle of days of back and forth over a duvet/ sheets so I just move on. These are not common occurrences, I’ve been hosting for 4 years and had very few bad ones. My point is the onus is on the individual to check what’s required of each party and I suspect some pp’s are not telling the whole truth, as thats happened to me. If you book with a pro, you’ll get good service. The pros have several hundreds of ratings and bookings. It’s just unfair to keep picking away at a small part of the tourist industry if you’re not suited to that type of accommodation. Just smile and wave and don’t do it again.

Me too also homeaway and I had paid for housekeeping 60 euros for a very small duplex. She told me we were lovely guests until the clean up and then gave me 1 star for everything... among the dreadful crimes I apparently committed was to leave crumbs... and dishes in the dishwasher (that was the 2 coffee cups and glasses we used literally as we were leaving... I didn't put the dishwasher on in case she wanted to do over any of the other bits) I had used this company for years, never had anything taken from a security deposit and had no idea about the review feature. I have told them to delete my account I don't need to be looking over my shoulder all holiday for this nonsense. I am particularly irritated that she didn't just contact me, I would have told her that I was quite happy for her to take a bit more housekeeping money if the clean up had taken longer, in fact she returned my deposit before raising any of this! I completely agree that it makes you feel crappy about your holiday.

Some of you have been pretty unlucky with Airbnb. I have been using them for a good few years now and never had any problems at all.

I have used them in France, Sweden, Belgium and Holland. In the UK I probably use an Airbnb place at least once every 6 weeks.

I love them. I always opt for the "whole place" option and then I know me and DH have our own bathroom and a kitchen so we can cook if we don't want to eat out.

I don't like hotels. Tied down to breakfast time. Have to go out even if you don't want to so your room can be cleaned. No comfy sofa to relax on to watch tv. Far too often other noisy guests who come back at 2am and make as much noise as a herd of elephants. No thanks.

Also I always find Airbnb to be cheaper than even the cheap hotels like Premier Inn or Travelodge. We stayed in a penthouse apartment in Canary Wharf for £60 a night. The cheapest hotel nearby was £110 a night.

All those of you talking about "deep cleaning" a holiday let before you leave. What do you mean by that? Me and DH keep it clean as we go along like we would at home - wiping down sink and bathroom and sink in kitchen, sweeping or hoovering any crumbs, wiping worktops. We always clean before we leave accommodation but it doesn't take hours if you haven't let it get dirty during your stay

mydogisthebest - you’re welcome at my places anytime!

Cleaning charge should be priced in. I will sweep obvious floors, rinse sinks and a quick wipe on sides. When my toddler was going though a very touchy stage I did wipe off finger prints from the glass doors. I’m not doing a full clean it’s a holiday.

Our first (and last) airbnb was a recently requisitioned old people's complete with smell of wee and hideous decor. Our kids were tearful it was that bad. Dh and I have roughed it round India and that was not far off. Owner was a loony and started telling us about her daughters financial problems on arrival. Never done it since!

I have been using them for a good few years now and never had any problems at all

I haven't either and I use them all over the world. In fact one we use when we're holidaying together as a family and there's 18 of us is no longer available on AirBnB but the owner still rents it to us. Its a farmhouse and her and her husband move into their apartment in town just so we can still stay in the farmhouse.

All those of you talking about "deep cleaning" a holiday let before you leave. What do you mean by that? Me and DH keep it clean as we go along like we would at home - wiping down sink and bathroom and sink in kitchen, sweeping or hoovering any crumbs, wiping worktops. We always clean before we leave accommodation but it doesn't take hours if you haven't let it get dirty during your stay

I clean regardless but like you Im wondering what a deep clean is. Its why I asked a few pages ago and I think what's a normal clean to some is perhaps the equivalent of a something like a spring clean to others.

I don't like hotels. Tied down to breakfast time.

Ive had my fill of hotels for a lifetime and Im past the age of drinking tea that isn't made properly and not served with fresh milk just because its the way the hotel does it. Its why I'll only stay in holiday rentals now unless Ive absolutely no other choice and even then I take a bottle of frozen milk with me that lasts till I can get some locally.

Glad to hear some good Airbnb stories. We’re not all monsters.

“I take a bottle of frozen milk with me that lasts till I can get some locally”.

I leave fresh milk and a small breakfast basket of croissants, jams and fruit for my guests. I even check if they have allergies.

Kerala - didn’t you see the hideous decor in the pics online?

Your kids were tearful at some hideous decor? What are they - the interior style police?

Franzipanny, I would be happy to stay at your Airbnb. Whereabouts in the country is it?

Most of the places we have stayed have provided shampoo, shower gel (although we always take our own) and at least milk. Quite a few also have provided cereal, bread, butter, jam, tea bags.

We stay at one in Essex fairly often and they provided about 5 different cereals, milk, loaf of bread, butter, two different types of jam, tea bags, decent coffee for a cafetiere, usually about 3 packets of biscuits and a couple of bars of chocolate It's a lovely spacious bungalow with a big living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. The people who own it also provide shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, handwash. There are also loads of cd's. dvd's and books. It is £47 a night. The Travelodge down the road is £70 at least (goes up to about £120 for weekends).

Kerala, it's a shame you let one bad experience put you off. Did you not read the reviews and study the photos? I only book places that have good reviews and I always study the photos. I want to make sure they have a shower as I hate baths and also a proper oven. Lots abroad only have a hob and a microwave.

I leave fresh milk and a small breakfast basket of croissants, jams and fruit for my guests. I even check if they have allergies

You sound like a lovely host.

I can't stand anything other than fresh milk but It can be very difficult to find in a lot of places I travel to and taking some with me means I can have a nice cuppa the first few days Im away from home and settling in.

The farmhouse we stayed in also has big garden and I have a family party there every year with about 45 guests. The owners love what we use it for, they're just really nice people. We get to use as much of the produce from the garden as we want and we can use the surplus she keeps in her her freezer as well. We like it when the owner comes round to collect some of her veg so we help her cut the grass and have a potter around outside with her. Afterwards we have a cuppa with her and swap travel stories because like us she loves travelling.

I have to say I like having contact with our Airbnb hosts. We've met lovely people and its all part of the trip.

I agree Hattie. We too have met some lovely Airbnb hosts.

I forgot to say that the apartment in Sweden we stayed in had a fridge and cupboards full of food. The host left a note (we never got to meet her) that we could use whatever we liked as long as if we used something up we replaced it. I thought that was lovely and was great as Sweden is so expensive that we ate in the apartment most of the time and it saved us having to buy a lot of things - spices, herbs, lentils, eggs etc.

My family and I have also had good experiences with Airbnb.

Thank you Hattie. I take my business very seriously. I also leave toiletries, cooking basics like oil, herbs, salt and pepper, a fresh bag of ground coffee, selection of teas, washing detergent.

I understand that there’s bad hosts out there and also that some guests don’t want too much interaction but I can read that by talking to them and the ones that do, I’m happy to help. I actually had to replace some bed slats yesterday and while I was there I did this guests breakfast dishes - she’s a solo traveller on a business trip so I thought it’d be good to come home to them done.

I once stayed in an airbnb in Lisbon, where upon arrival the 'host' opened the fridge, and pointed to half opened packs of cheese slices, a half used loaf of bread, and a pack of dried out cured ham and cheerfully remarked 'oh, the last guest left these, so I thought you might be able to use them'.

No thanks.

I have a holiday cottage next door to my house. I do all my own cleaning and laundry. I advertise on OD/HA. I don't expect my guests to clean. Or strip beds. I am very grateful when they have run the hoover round as they go, and not left the surfaces and bathroom messy, but it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to my cleaning. I still do it all thoroughly, and if it's not too bad to start with, it just makes it less of a struggle.
Most guests are lovely and they get as much interaction with me as they want. Some want very little, and others want long chats and cups of tea. It's not difficult to work out which is which.
I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience, and everyone else on the thread who has complained. It is a bit of a lottery and I used my own experiences of holiday lets to design mine.
I've stayed in two Airbnbs myself. Both fantastic.
My main complaint with OD/HA is that they charge every guest a booking fee. That's on top of what I pay them in my yearly subscription, plus the cut they take from the money they take on my behalf. They claim it is a sort of insurance for guests, but they should be checking out their owners better and paying out of their profits when it goes wrong.
If you see a cottage you like on OD, Google it and see if you can book directly. It will always be cheaper as you won't be paying the booking fee.

Op that is absolutely disgusting. Surely this is some type of data protection breach??? How dare they reply to you publicly like that. A review is a review. I'd be complaining bitterly about this. Sorry op

Isn't that a data protection breach?