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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think you do not do this if you are letting out your flat?

101 replies

IamAporcupine · 12/08/2018 23:37

I am on holidays abroad with my family. A friend of a friend is renting us his flat, privately, not airBnB or any other letting system. They do not do this all the time but they have rented to us in the past before.

He just called me to ask me to switch off the TV as they want to watch Netflix in their other house.

I was so shocked I didn't know what to say.

IABU to think if you are prepared to rent out your flat for extra income you suck it up or deal with it differently??

OP posts:

aaarrrggghhhh · 13/08/2018 08:13

But netflix is nothing to do with the house - and you can watch the tv without it. I imagine he has his own AIBU about some CFs thinking that renting my house means their entitled to use my Netflix account.

Its not common for holiday lets to include a Netflix account!

AjasLipstick · 13/08/2018 08:14

Long it's not petty! I wouldn't want anyone having access to my viewing history thanks.

Kidssendingmenuts · 13/08/2018 08:15

Just use the normal tv and not Netflix perhaps

SchadenfreudePersonified · 13/08/2018 08:21

You’re not unreasonable though OP - of course you would use whatever was in front of you

This ^

I think he's being unreasonable. He's rented you the flat, at full rate, with all facilities,

Unless you want to rent the place again, I would tell him Sorry - we want to watch and we had the telly on first. And then I wouldn't switch it off until I went home

Willow2017 · 13/08/2018 08:22

You are not supposed to watch tv on holiday?
Damm I have been doing it wrong!

We spend days going out and about exploring, and doing things. When we come back we want to chill out. That might mean board games, chatting or watching tv. This year I was delighted that the cottage had a huge range of tv channels I cant get and watched endless NCSI/SCI once kids had gone upstairs to bed play on phones. It was an added bonus (And specifically mentioned in the 'welcome pack')

If you are renting out your house at proper holiday rental rates then you expect the occupants to watch tv at some point surely? Unless you specifically state you are not allowed to watch 'our netflix' then how are they to know? It would never occur to me that I could only watch certain channels on a tv in a holiday rental. I dont have netflix (used to but gave it up) or sky so wouldnt give it a 2nd thought that it was 'off limits'.

But if the password was 'saved' on to the tv you wouldnt actually see it, you would just automaticaly be logged in so its nothing like getting someones email password and spying on their emails.

Original poster

IamAporcupine · 13/08/2018 08:41

Thanks everyone.

I understand now that he was not unreasonable to not want me to watch it and I will discuss (apologise?) with him today.

I do think as a couple of pp said that he should have a) logged out first (and of course I would never dream of complaining I didn't have access to Netflix) or b) let it go for one or two nights and then call during the day explaining the situation etc.

It was the "can you get off Netflix now" that really shocked me.

OP posts:

Centreparcsooheer · 13/08/2018 08:41

Longit's not petty! I wouldn't want anyone having access to my viewing history thanks

Then he should have logged out!!

BertieBotts · 13/08/2018 08:44

Most people don't only use Netflix on a TV, they also have it for their tablet, laptop, etc.

It's not like Sky because Sky is linked to the TV and can't be transferred, Netflix is portable.

I know the email analogy isn't perfect because email is much more personal but I don't know how to explain the Netflix thing any other way if you're not familiar with the idea - the account goes with the person who owns it, not the device it's originally installed on. And yes although you could switch to a guest profile, the software looks at what you've been watching and suggests new things to watch so it would be quite annoying to have random people watching stuff on there that you weren't interested in.

I do agree if it was a proper holiday let then it would have been unreasonable of the hosts but since it's not, and OP has an account the solution is perfectly simple and there is no reason for anybody to be annoyed.

FWIW when we stay at MIL's we watch her Netflix and not our own because it would be too much hassle to log in and out. So I can see why you would just use the one on the TV but I don't think the house owner is BU to request that you stop.

LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood · 13/08/2018 08:52

I see you have accepted (largely) his point if view now. He was rude to say “get off it now” - just like that. But It certainly would not have been right to expect him “to wait a day or two”. Actually some people do go on holiday and watch TV. We have Netflix. Don’t get much time to watch TV when working, children at college/school. But we are off to a cottage in Wales next week. Planning on lots of walking / exploring during the day. And we have already listed the things we each want to watch in the evenings, together, after supper. We will be using our own Netflix account to do so. A lot of people do this. Especially when on holiday after a busy day out.

TeaStory · 13/08/2018 08:57

Why should he “let it go for one or two nights”? You using his Netflix means that he can’t! Why do you think your desire to use his Netflix trumps his?

LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood · 13/08/2018 09:04

Oh and re-reading your last post. I don’t think there is anything to discuss really. A simple apology is in order. You made a mistake. Not a dreadful one. But a small one. Discussing it will seem like you are still harking after using his Netflix account.

In terms of the logging out - he has disadvantaged himself by not doing so. He now has your choices on his account. Which is annoying. And was delayed in being to access his own Netflix account. But you weren’t disadvantaged by his not doing so. So whilst he “should” have done so I dont think he was “wrong” not to. To be honest I would not expect someone staying in my house to access my Netflix account whether I had logged out or not. Any more thank I would expect them to wear any clothes I had left behind.. As others have said - it’s not linked to a device. It “belongs” to the account holder.

spotspot · 13/08/2018 09:13

It's an interesting example about how a lot of "CF" stuff can just be a mismatch in knowledge and perceptions rather than a fundamental personality flaw.

If you perceive Netflix as a personal account, then OP is the CF for using it without asking and being pissed off at it not being included in her rental.

If you don't understand/agree that Netflix isn't like Sky or regular TV then you'd think the guy who owns the house is being unreasonable.

FWIW I agree with the people using the email analogy or similar. Netflix is a finite resource in that you can have only a limited number of screens, like Spotify too. They're personal accounts with logins and passwords and you've been granted a favour if you've been allowed to use someone's. It's not an automatic right. And I'd see it as a bonus in a rental property.

Original poster

IamAporcupine · 13/08/2018 09:32

Thanks for the comments everyone, it has indeed been enlightening!

I hate being perceived as a CF but I can see now why you might think that. I am also tempted to think that he was not so sure about the personal account thing himself, as when he showed me how the TV worked he said "here are the air channels, here is Netflix". There was no mention of 'if you have a Netflix account you can use it'

@Lady, @Teastory - you are right, not "one or two nights" but if I was him I would have let it go for the first night and then mention it the next day. I would never call someone at midnight for this.

Anyway, I will apologise and learn from the experience!

OP posts:

HollowTalk · 13/08/2018 09:33

If he'd logged out before he left the place, then this wouldn't be an issue! Also, he could just change the password - that's what my son did when he couldn't get into his account because too many people were on it.

Punta · 13/08/2018 09:49

Is he asking you to switch off the TV or is his Netflix logged in and he’s asking you to log off? I have a holiday let and log out before I leave. People who rent can either log in with their own account or we let them know that Netflix have a 30 day free trial.

Having said that, we also have other ways they can access the TV. If Netflix is your only source of entertainment, he should be sorting out other means of accessing TV etc.

Original poster

IamAporcupine · 13/08/2018 10:05

@Punta - sorry my mistake, he asked us to come off Netflix, not the TV.

OP posts:

VladmirsPoutine · 13/08/2018 10:12

I don't think either of you are being unreasonable. He should have perhaps worded it better from what you say; I gather he was quite abrupt about it.

And who said that going on holiday doesn't mean going to watch TV! FFS! The puritanical MN grammar police have reinvented themselves over the holidays as the 'fun' police.

FinallyHere · 13/08/2018 10:43

The mismatch in expectations re how to access Netflix is entirely understandable side effect of casual rather than formal arrangements for renting. If you still do 't know how to login, please google, its really very simple, once you know how.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 13/08/2018 11:12

Longit's not petty! I wouldn't want anyone having access to my viewing history thanks

I, too, an ashamed of my "Gilmore Girls" addiction.

ChaosTrulyReigns · 13/08/2018 11:24

You'll be arsing up their recommended viewings as well!

Just log in to your own account

SchadenfreudePersonified · 13/08/2018 11:41

The "recommended viewings" are rubbish anyway - many of mine are based on programmes I watched five minutes of and thought- "Bollox!" and switched off.

Others seem to have only a very loose connection eg "Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares" recommended because you watched "Babette's Feast" - that sort of stuff.

FourFriedChickensDryWhiteToast · 13/08/2018 11:44

just don't watch Netflix then

BertieBotts · 13/08/2018 11:57

If he showed it to you then he probably expected you to use it as is.

Maybe he didn't realise that it's limited to a certain number of screens and when he realised, he thought well, it's my account, so I get first pick. That's a little bit discourteous but not hugely unreasonable.

It's not really unreasonable of him to call at midnight seeing as he knew you were awake as you were watching his Netflix!

Incidentally this is how we discovered DS was watching it on his tablet when he was supposed to be asleep...

steff13 · 13/08/2018 12:41

How petty can anyone be?

If he can't watch it where he is because the OP is watching it, how is that petty? Surely his desire to watch his own Netflix trumps hers.

IceCreamFace · 13/08/2018 12:44

I would assume if there was netflix set up on the TV of a holiday rental I was allowed to use it! If he accepted your money to stay in his holiday home he should treat you like any other paying guest!

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