Asking to pay for holiday home when she said it would be free

[Momhope15]

Am I being unreasonable?
My friend has been telling that she wants to sell her holiday home in Italy to which I said I knew a couple looking for a vacation home abroad.
She told me that they could go visit the 2 bed apartment and stay for free for a couple days maximum a week as the flat was empty anyway due to it being winter.
I reverted that same information to the couple to which now they say they wish to stay 2 weeks to know the area a little bit better and also they are travelling all the way from UK to Italy. I know 2 weeks was never the agreement and I was not expecting them to stay there for free so I asked my friend to give me rate.
She first quoted me 450 euros.. a week! Of course I looked surprised and she eventually said no less than 200 euros per week. That's still 400 euros. I completely do understand that she has costs like electricity, cleaning etc but I thought the rate was a bit too high and not expected. I felt as if she is now renting as a "business" and is deviating from the original agreement. I am embarrassed to be in the middle as I feel really bad to tell the couple that the visit will cost them 400 euros at least and I don't wish to tell my other friend that they thought it would be less .....

I agree she should charge for the 2nd week. But That would still be 400 euros as she is charging for 2 weeks.
In any case I don't think I should be negotiating rates with her as it's completely her decision. But I just feel that the owner deviated more from her original agreement and is charging a bit too much .... considering that she said the house is empty in the winter and offered for them to stay for free

All very good advices! I definitively learned my lesson!!!

Well if she normally charges 450 euros for a week and she is charging 400 euros for two weeks for them, then they are getting a week free plus a little bit more.

I don't see the problem.

The friends are taking the piss wanting two weeks free when they were offered a few days! I'm amazed villa owner is still willing to let them stay at all

Just put them in touch with each other and stay out of it!

If they are interested they'll pay, if they're not they won't.

Your friend may be cutting off her nose to spite her face over 400E if she loses the chance of the sale to them.

Or she might be rightly testing their commitment to the idea of buying it by charging them...

Either way, just stick them in touch with each other with a cheery "Probably best if you talk to each other direct" message and stay out of taking sides.

Where's the property?

If they wanted to see the area they would have to pay to stay somewhere. I think expecting to stay for free in a flat for 2 weeks is taking the piss really. I think it was good of your friend to offer the free week to start with.

They don’t need two weeks to view the property, therefore they are trying to get a free holiday and are cheeky. €400 sounds bargainous to me.

So she offered them a couple of days free ( maximum a week ) and they’ve now asked for 2 weeks and they don’t want to pay 400E. Sounds pretty cheap to me. How does the owner know that they have any intention of buying ANY property in Italy? ( or anywhere else for that matter). They could easily turn around after their 2 weeks and say no thanks. I would suggest they pay as a show of good faith with the caveat that the amount be deducted if they go ahead and purchase - that way no-one feels conned. However, that being said it’s not your job to negotiate.

You only need 2 days (maximum) to evaluate a property. They could then stay elsewhere in the area to judge the area. 2 weeks is ridiculous. But put them in direct contact.

Ask your villa-selling friend if you can pass her contact details onto your friends. Then step away and allow them to discuss it together.

What's the problem? Just tell them its first week free and second week is €400 (normally €450). It's their choice to stay the extra week. Give them each other's number to make arrangements and stay out of it.

I think the problem is you feel that 400Euros for a week renting a 2 bed apartment is too much

Given they have a week free then that O am not sure how it could be. I wonder if you are not a little out of touch as to how much renting it would be

She did not deviate from the original agreement they did = really think about how much out of pocket she would be for 2 weeks free stay and how much your friends are getting a free holiday

and then pause and wonder who is really (a) getting the best deal and (b) really being cheeky about it

Because its not the flat owner

I agree that a few days staying in the villa (you don't move into a house in the UK before buying, you just get a tiny bit of time to look around it!), then they could stay elsewhere in the area.

I think your villa-selling friend has realised your friends are potentially taking the piss asking to stay for 2 weeks, one week free and one week on the cheap.

Step away from this. Link them up with each other and let them take it from there. You have no role in this going forward and you can't control either of the other parties, so the best thing is to remove yourself.

I think friend should have stuck to one week. If they want to see the area more they can book into a hotel nearby.

They are cheeky fuckers and sound like they might be more trouble that it's worth.

For example what if they break/damage something. What if one of them in injured on the property and sues. Does your friend have insurance to cover holiday lets?

Sounds like they want a free holiday. You say they're traveling all the way from UK to Italy? That's nothing, it can be done in an afternoon. It doesn't need to be 2 weeks, they've decided that because they want a proper holiday. And that's completely fine, but they should expect to pay if they're there for that long. And I don't think 400e is a lot for the whole week if it's a nice apartment.

Regardless, just do what others have said and step out of the situation. It's not your concern what happens, just share their contact details and let them figure it out on their own.

Perhaps they thought it was cheeky that they requested 2 weeks when they said maximum 1 week . I would tbh it's very nice to let them have it but some people push there luck . Tell them is €400 and if they are not happy tough. I think it's very generous offer and I'd bite their hand off at that price .

I don't see the problem. They want to stay an extra week then they have to pay. £400 euros for two weeks is reasonable.

“It’s empty in the winter” and?
I wonder how many piss-taking relatives and friends using that same line she’s had to fend off in the past all wanting to use it for free. It’s amazing how many people think they can take advantage of other people’s property because ‘its empty’ or ‘you’re not using it right now’. Your friends are CFs, or you’re being a CF on their behalf, they’re getting two weeks for 400 euros when it would normally cost 900 and it’s too much? Tell them to suck it up or don’t go.

They do also sound like they're trying to get a free holiday out of this!

Nope. OP hasn’t told them. She is assuming they will think it’s too much. They might be absolutely fine with it.

OP, of course she is renting it as a business, that’s what holiday home owners do. It makes no difference that it is usually empty. If there is a summer week they haven’t filled, do you think they should let it for free? She’s offered a free week as she wants to offer them the chance to stay there. The second week they pay for, as they would with any other property if they wanted to go explore the area. They might go explore and discover another home they want to buy, why should she pay for their trip? 400 euro for a 3 bed off season sounds entirely acceptable for me. And they have the choice to take it or leave it.

Put them in touch with each other and walk away. It seems you don’t understand enough to be doing the deal.

If they want to see the area more they can book into a hotel nearby.
Ridiculous! It makes perfect sense to say they want to stay another week can they rent it the following week rather than packing up and moving mid way through their stay.

There is absolutely no suggestion the friends are expecting to stay for free.

They were offered 2 days, maxium a week free and have asked for another week? That’s pretty cheeky.

Tbh they should have offered to pay going seasonal rate for the week.

Sounds like the flat owner is trying to discourage chancers which seems reasonable to be.

Sounds very reasonable of your villa selling friend actually. Realistically, if they want to stay two weeks, she has to suspend other viewings of the property while they are there. If they don't end up buying, she may very well miss a sale with a genuinely interested buyer while your other friends are enjoying a cheap holiday at her expense. I would be heartily embarrassed to be honest to even ask for two weeks free in someone's place. But agreed, you should just remove yourself from the situation and let them sort it out amongst themselves.

They don't run it as a business though. It's just their own holiday home. So there is no reason to offer more than the original free week with a view to potentially selling the property.