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

Shocking. Weirdos!

Frangipani the pictures were of the garden only I was a airbnb virgin and panic booking in a seaside town at a busy time for a family event. Don't appreciate your snarky remark about my kids the place wasn't just dodgy decor it was really really bad - and we are not precious types we are happy to muck in when needed. You may run a lovely airbnb but take my word for it not everyone does.

I'm an Air BnB virgin and using one for the first time in Canada next week!! After reading this thread I'm going back over the website and booking info with a fine toothcomb so I know what I need to do!!

Any advice? I'm not a messy person - do I strip the bed? empty bins? I would normally wipe down and get all washing up done before leaving anyway but wouldn't have cleaned bathroom or dusted and polished anywhere

Blobby, I have used Airbnb lots here and abroad and never had any problems. I do always read the reviews carefully though and study the photos - I definitely won't stay anywhere that doesn't have a shower and also want a proper cooker not just a microwave.

I usually strip the bed but that is just me. Unless the owner has given instructions to do so I wouldn't worry. I would just make sure all washing up is done and preferably put away, the place is tidy and maybe just give the kitchen and bathroom sinks a quick wipe.

I don't dust or polish but do usually sweep and/or hoover but again that is just me. If the owner wants you do certain things they will either leave a note or email you,

I am sure you stay will be fine. I am honestly surprised that so many posters have had a problem with Airbnb as not only have I only had positive experiences of them so have my friends and family

OP I sympathise.
Am in the midst of a similar situation and waiting to get a huge security deposit back.
It is totally biased towards the owners - as you have said it's not a blind review - and I have uncovered zero stories about HA being helpful in retrieving deposits.
Again in my case it's an individual running it and making a huge profit, but cutting corners and claiming damage where there is none.
It has really put me off using HomeAway again which is a huge pity as where else is there to look abroad?

Mariniere - try just googling location - the more specific the better - and "Cottage" or "village house" and you will probably find individual properties coming up. I'm a Hone Away owner and thoroughly fed up with their money-grabbing policies (both from guests and owners).

Basically trying to market outside of this giant organisation, which has zero customer service.

Mydog thankyou!!! My brother and sister in law have used them loads with no problem but I panicked after reading this!

MyDog we’ve used HA lots and never had a problem, but we did use holidayrentals (owned by Tripadvisor) once and had the same issue, plus claiming for damage we hadn’t done. There was a huge deposit at stake (very expensive beautiful property). We are the kind of renters that sweep, mop, hoover, wipe all surfaces (kitchen and bathroom), tidy everything away (we don’t ‘clean’ but it is left tidy and organised). However the HL owner claimed we’d left the house in a mess, she and her cleaner had spent ‘hours’ putting things back in the right place, we’d broken something in the house and something in the garden (hundreds of £ each in both cases). We entered into a long drawn out complaints process through the website, asking for specific proof etc.

It turned out that the house was this woman’s own home, which she rents in high season. Everything in there is what she uses day to day, wedding presents, her kids own toys and books etc. Because we didn’t put every toy in the right box, every plate back in the right cupboard she was furious. Remember we were two families, a party if 10 and often no one knew where someone else had got something from. It’d all have been tidied away in the right room though in the correct ‘type’ of box or cupboard. It also turned out she didn’t have a system for checking for damage, so previous guests must have broken the items, covered it up (badly gluing something in one case) and I think as she’d decided we were messy sods she went looking for damage, and found it.

My point it, mess is in the eye of the beholder. I’m sure you left the property how most people would, expecting a cleaner to come in.

I think some people are far too personally attached to their rentals rather than seeing it as a money making amenity that you need to set up as such (leave totally clear instructions, don’t leave anything you are attached to in the property). I’ll never use holidaylettings again, as I don’t want to stay in a non-professional let, it ruined my summer too, it felt like such a personal attack!

Whoops blobby10 that was also for you! Don’t sweat it.

@violets17 I meant you. I’m not on form today

@mariniere do you think it’s a reflex by some owners to try and make a bit extra by trying it on to get a portion of the deposit? Ours was thousands, and I wonder if being so high they think it’s worth a punt to hold onto a few hundred each time as a tidy bonus. If nothing appears on the reviews about it (I don’t think you can if there’s a dispute) there doesn’t seem to be a downside?

MadameElephant, I would guess about half of the Airbnb places I have rented have actually been the owner's home.

I rented a really lovely apartment in Sweden. It wouldn't have been everyone's cup of tea as very quirky with pictures, ornaments and plants everywhere but me and DH loved it. The owner asked that we water the plants and we were fine with that - we have around 50 house plants so well used to looking after them.

The storage was a bit difficult as the wardrobe and chest of drawers had all the owners things in and we had quite a few clothes as we were staying 10 days but we managed.

I think it gives more personality when it someone's home but I realise not everyone agrees.

Mydog if it was just me and DH, fabulous! Totally my cup of tea.

But if you sell yourself as a family holiday let suitable for up to ten guests, accepting five kids under 6y/o, then it’s pretty daft to leave all your precious things and be surprised if things wnd up in the wrong cupboard or there’s wear and tear. It seems unfair to the renters, especially when you don’t alert them to your expectations...

MadameElephant, oh I definitely agree. Two adults as opposed to a family are totally different.

Not everyone likes staying in what is obviously someone else's home though. I read a couple of reviews on a place we stayed in and were more than happy with and they were quite negative. It was really down to the owner's things being all around but you could see that by the photos.

I fell in love with the apartment in Sweden. I wish I was bold enough to be so quirky

Thanks everyone - I've calmed down now.

I complained to HA that they had published my full name in the review and HA says "you cannot make a rebuttal to an owner's comments. The review is not the place to air disputes".

What? I didn't want to make a rebuttal, I'm done with them (the owners). HA did not address using my full name on a public review system. Am I crazy, is that normal?

I feel I have to address PPs who are owners and say I am really sorry for you to have to keep fighting your corner on this thread, you all sound lovely and I wish I had picked one of your properties.

I have been renting on OD/HA for 10 years and never had anything but positive or at worst neutral experiences. It's not fair to good owners that 1 experience has put me off but I can't take the risk again of feeling so dreadful.

This has just put me off renting anyone's "home" (is it commercial or not!) ever again. I have booked a hotel for next year's holiday.

Complain to HA about a data breach on their website under GDPR and you want them to address it before you go to the ICO to complain.

HA says the only way to remove my full name from public view is for me to remove the whole review. Interesting.....this leaves only 5 star reviews for their property.

Chat between me and HA:

Me
I just want my name removed from public display. How many people will see it before you have had time to investigate it. It's a data breach on your website - a breach of my data

Agent
I can send you the request form for the removal of the whole review.

Agent
That is the best thing we could do.

Me
Fine. Do you realise that it leaves potential travellers unaware of the perfectly fair points I raised. It means nothing negative is left on view if the owners responds by publishing someone's full name. A neat trick

I hate the concept that you should clean to a professional standard holiday lets as the customer. Making sure dirty cutlery/crockery is washed and nothing nasty, quick wipes over fine, but people are utterly taking the mick if they expect you to clean ready for the next customer. They should have a cleaner come in. If they can’t afford to at that price, put the price up, but don’t expect people scrub the floors. Ludicrous, I’m not sure why it’s become something people should have to do.

Totally unreasonable that HA cannot make a simple edit to remove your name from the review.

Also very unreasonable to expect a high level of cleaning when you have paid to stay somewhere. Leaving it tidy and decent is all that should be needed.

Given that they have literally named and shamed you, OP, why not do the same to them on here? Maybe this should go viral

We had a similar experience, we rented a place which had no oven gloves and used a tea towel in place of the oven gloves; they complained in writing at the end and asked for the money for a new tea towel.

do you think it’s a reflex by some owners to try and make a bit extra by trying it on to get a portion of the deposit? Ours was thousands, and I wonder if being so high they think it’s worth a punt to hold onto a few hundred each time as a tidy bonus.

Totally. After all, that's what normal residential landlords used to do all the time. That's why tenancy deposit schemes were created, to stop landlords from ripping tenants off.

That's shocking OP and I'm so sorry for you that HA are responding in this way. Disgraceful.

When I booked through them it gave me comfort (and stupidly I even checked and was satisfied their guarantee covered security deposit) - now I know it's completely worthless.

I hope this thread is picked up by the media but funnily enough I suspect the newspapers get ad revenue from HA and its parent company so I won't hold my breath.

I may go camping next year!

Report them. Gdpr is massive just now. Tell them you want to report them ask them for their ico number

Flowerylampshade - I will thanks. I threatened HA regarding DPA and ICO yesterday and they didn't give a monkeys. I haven't asked them for their ICO number though, I'll do that.