AIBU not to want to spend our single morning in Paris stuck in a laundrette?

[AppleCiderVinegar]

Driving back from the south of France this weekend with DH and 2 DC. We've booked one overnight stay in Paris on Saturday night to break up the long drive before we get the ferry from Calais Sunday teatime.

We're staying in a relatively cheap Airbnb. The host doesn't charge a cleaning fee so you have to tidy up after yourself before you leave. So far so good. I figured we'll be eating out and not making much mess during our short stay anyway.

No problem at all about cleaning up, emptying bins etc, and I'm happy to make the beds up when we arrive then strip them for the next guests.

But now an email from our host makes it clear that, in addition to all the usual cleaning up, she expects us to take all bedding, towels etc to a laundrette a couple of streets away (no washing machine in the apartment), to wash and dry them before we leave.

The email makes it clear our host is finding this Airbnb thing increasingly stressful and disappointing, hence her detailed additional cleaning instructions. Eg she says some guests haven't been cleaning up after themselves and it's caused her a lot of distress, for example her husband had to hoover because he found a hair on the carpet!

I reckon I'm generally a pretty considerate guest but AIBU not to want to spend ALL our time in Paris washing and drying this woman's sheets?

Or is this a thing in France? I've done lots of Airbnb and never seen anything like it.

Oh I don’t think yabu no...

Can you cancel and book elsewhere? I can recommend somewhere (which used to be) cheap and central if you’d like me to pm?

Absolutely ridiculous. Cancel and go elsewhere

Oh sorry - just checked my place and it’s minimum two night stay and no dcs.

That’s just bloody daft. Please cancel!!

Who would want to actually have to do the laundry for a one-night stay somewhere? I agree, rebook somewhere else.

yanbu

but yes, for holiday rentals in france it's normal to clean before departure and to either bring your own bedding or pay extra for a cleaning/linnen service.

Cancel and get a cheap Travellodge type place. What a a carry on!

Stayed in many Airbnbs in France, always had bedding and towels provided and never expected to do more than the usual surface clean before leaving. The most we ever needed to do was take the rubbish out. No stripping beds, hoovering etc - and this was in six different places all around france. Find somewhere else!

If you're within a cancellation period, I'd cancel and rebook elsewhere.
If not, could you try suggesting to Madame La Airbnb that you drop the sheets off at the launderette and pay for them to be laundered, but that you will not be collecting them, as you will have left for the airport, so they will remain there until she collects them herself? Obviously, more politely than I've put it.

Cancel and get a cheap hotel.

What on earth would you do if you needed to leave sharp for a ferry or tunnel train? I would be tempted to e mail back and say that it was not in the original booking agreement and that you won't be doing it.

YANBU - that's an outrageous suggestion by the host!

A degree of cleaning in French run and rented self catering is pretty typical but this is just a night, more akin to a hotel, you should cancel and get something else. Cheap hotel chains in France are Ibis budget, B&B, formule 1, or go for a last minute deal.

She didn't mention this originally so I would refuse to do it, tell her it's that or you cancel - ridiculous

Oh dear! Cancel!

Just cancel and stay elsewgereb

No, that's ridiculous!

Cancel if you can

Nope.

Can you take your own bedding so you don’t have to use theirs?

If not, cancel.

Another one who wants their cake and to eat it (air b n b person not op)

That's a crazy expectation, if you can't cancel and book elsewhere I'd just take my own bedding and not use theirs at all.

A hair on the carpet?!!! Unless the hoover is kept near the door to leave how do you guarantee no hair leaves your head like mine does all the bloody time whilst putting it away and getting bags together?! Sod that, cancel if you can OP but don't bother if you can't. Tell them it's not in the terms and your ferry times won't allow for it

she didn't mention this in the initial booking so if you can't cancel, tell her no.

but yes, for holiday rentals in france it's normal to clean before departure and to either bring your own bedding or pay extra for a cleaning/linen service.

Yes, this. I've stayed in a lot of AirBnBs internationally, but never in France, but have stayed in a lot of French gites, and the culture is that nothing is supplied.

We just stayed in a wonderful slightly crumbling and not inexpensive chateau in the south-west, and were fortunate that our Paris friends (who were sharing the rental) have better memories for this kind of thing, and had arranged linen and towels with the owner for an extra fee (150 euro for a single towel per person, and a set of sheets and pillowcases per bed, and another 150 euro for a cleaning fee) and brought a box with toilet paper, washing up liquid, dishwasher capsules, dishtowels, salt, a corkscrew etc, as nothing at all was supplied, even a single roll of toilet paper, the nearest town with any kind of shop was a long way away, and we arrived at midnight after being on the road for two days.

No wonder these friends are charmed and tickled when we rent a Cornish cottage and there is linen provided, toilet paper, a couple of dishwasher capsules, some basic stuff like salt and spices in the cupboards, milk and butter in the fridge, and a welcome pack of bread, scones, jam etc.