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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to charge a colleague for cleaning my bargain holiday home

97 replies

Lex64 · 20/02/2019 22:33

To be honest, I thought I wasn't being unreasonable, but now I'm wondering... First time poster, so here goes. Sorry it's a bit long but any views would be great.

I have (with a sibling) an (inherited) house in the Caribbean which is being rented out on a major booking platform (not sure if I can use company names) but it''s probably the most well-known. We used all of the money left to us to refurbish the house (a substantial amount to us anyway) so it would stay in the family and could be left to our children as our parents wished. But neither of us can afford to maintain a property abroad from the UK with our own responsibilities here.

Last year, before it had been refurbished, a work colleague who I've been out for drinks with a couple of times after work, said she'd like to book it 'sight unseen'.

As the very first person to book and having no real idea of peak holiday season, holiday rental prices etc. I said she could have it for £250 a week, so £500 for two weeks. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, it's in one of the best possible locations and since July it's been constantly rented with only 5 star reviews.

The colleague is at the house now with 6 other people - her friends and family. When they leave, four people are booked for two weeks and are paying £750. We charge £15 per night extra after 2 guests and a £35 cleaning fee - we've had 5 stars from every guest for value for money because of the house and location.

Despite being self-catering they've had their laundry done because they thought 'it was included', and when the person looking after the house told me, I thought it wasn't unreasonable to send her a message asking for £70 for two weeks cleaning and laundry.

We don't normally do laundry, so I just doubled the cleaning fee figuring that £70 between 7 people £10 for laundry/cleaning would be ok as they're basically staying there for £5 a night each.

In response my colleague has asked exactly what the £70 is for - even though I said it was for the laundry and the cleaning fee which has to be paid for out of the £500 now making it even less than £5 a day.

She has also said that the lack of a BBQ is a major 'mistake' and now says they can't recommend it because of the 'dodgy plumbing' - which no one else has complained about and hasn't been mentioned until now.

I apologise for not asking earlier when I sent her the message about the fee which I if I had asked for before she left would have been £35, but I don't think £35 for washing sheets and towels (all white!) for 7 people is unreasonable is it?

OP posts:

Juells · 21/02/2019 09:07

Consider it a cheap lesson - it's cost you £70, but you've learned not to rent to acquaintances, and to put all extra charges in writing.

Snog · 21/02/2019 10:11

Thank her for her useful feedback and ask for details on the plumbing.

I think you can't reasonably ask for cleaning money as you weren't upfront about this extra charge.

This is good learning for you OP, make sure your charges are clear upfront for the future and move on.

LindaLa · 21/02/2019 10:34

Write it off as a lesson op.

However, if mn has taught me anything it's this:

^If you have a home in a foreign land and lend it to someone, change the locks for Christ sake!
-^ Mexican house thief.

Original poster

Lex64 · 21/02/2019 13:52

Thank you all very much. I'm going to write it off, message her and apologise if the request has upset them all - although, if it were me I would just pay it.

As it was right at the start when we were knee-deep in builders etc. I didn't really think too much about T&Cs etc. which are all covered in our normal rentals via the online platform. It's definitely a lesson learnt!

I did honestly think they'd appreciate the bargain and not kick up a fuss. It has annoyed me though as she knows the whole situation is not about making lots of money off people, and especially not friends just covering the costs. -Maybe I should charge her for the white towels they''ve ruined by using them on the beach!- definitely want to avoid an atmosphere at work and I want to avoid bad reviews - verbally or otherwise.

OP posts:

Fakersgonnafake · 21/02/2019 18:49

That sounds the right thing to do, OP. Not because your colleague is not a massive CF (she is) but because if you make nice with her now, there is every chance she will try to take advantage of you again in the future by asking to book directly again at mate's rates. And at that point you can smile sweetly and refer her to the Airbnb listing, and she will know she has pissed all over her chance of another cheap holiday in the Caribbean by being a chancer and a tightarse. 1-0 to you at that point.

HollowTalk · 22/02/2019 14:08

I don't think you should be the one worrying about a bad atmosphere. I've just re-read your OP and she is really awful. She's not your friend.

HermioneKipper · 22/02/2019 14:33

What an absolute CF . I’d appreciate the bargain and pay anything else without a quibble. I’d get you some flowers too! Can’t believe they’ve ruined your towels as well

ForgivenessIsDivine · 22/02/2019 14:48

Don't apologise!!!

Tell her that she has used laundry services not included in the rental charges and has taken house towels to the beach which means they can no longer be used. Detailthe costs. Leave it at that.

Don't worry about any verbal reviews to work colleagues, you want full paying guests who agree to terms and conditions.

Do not allow her to leave a review on the booking platform, she has no right to do this.

Godowneasy · 22/02/2019 15:30

I'd tell her that the £70 was originally supposed to be for the laundering of the towels, but you'll cover that cost as you hadn't told her specifically that laundry wasn't included because you's assumed she'd realised this as a washing machine is provided
However, as they've ruined the towels by using them on the beach, then you will unfortunately for her have to charge her £100.
She's a cf and you should never rent to her again. What a bargain her family have had from you!

StoppinBy · 22/02/2019 23:08

Sorry but you have a house in the carribean and you expect people not to take towels to the beach when staying at your holiday house? What do you expect them to use?

GiantKitten · 22/02/2019 23:33

StoppinBy

Are you joking? These cheapskates were only paying £35 per night for the whole place - £5 each! What kind of idiot takes house towels to the beach? With what they were paying they could have bought beach towels there!

Have a look at this house in Grenada. Sleeps 4 adults. £268 per night!

Towels Provided
All towels for use in the house are provided. We do not provide Beach Towels but ask our guests to bring those with them

www.homeaway.co.uk/p65820

KC225 · 23/02/2019 00:40

Stoppinby Beach Towels. You take beach towels to the beach. Your colleague is a CF.

HotpotLawyer · 23/02/2019 00:49

She sounds a mean, exploitative, obnoxious bitch.

Less than £100 each for two weeks?

Everywhere says you must not take bathroom towels to the beach and every apartment holiday I have been on I see people using bathroom towels at the beach and pool.

Desperatelyseekinganame · 23/02/2019 05:03

Agree with OP now... just write it off, it’s only £70. If you have a house in carrIbsen 70 quid is not going to break you! It’s not worth hassle or bad atmosphere at work.

SuchAToDo · 23/02/2019 05:48

Op your mistake was not having all the fees for staying there and extras written out before hand and get her to sign ...

Because you didn't do that I don't think you can just add on fees later on...

Also you need to increase your prices alot,

If you have a group staying there it should work.out at way more than £5 a head...if you don't know what the going price is there, Google b&b and self catering and air b&b prices to get a feel for what everyone is charging out there, and then raise your prices according to match or be just a tiny bit cheaper if you want to beat others in price..and make sure that if you have more than one person staying there, you reiterate that the fee is per person, per night...

Notwiththeseknees · 23/02/2019 06:09

I'm reading it as the regular cleaning fee inc laundry is £35 but the CF guests have had it done mid stay off their own back, therefore it's now £70 that the OP has to pay?
They are CFs indeed, but if they didn't book through Airbnb, only direct with you, then they can't leave a review.
But they do sound absolutely horrid. If it were me I would have been paying you extra for such a great deal. Did you know how big their group was going to be before they went?

PineapplePower · 23/02/2019 06:25

If you've been clear that the property is self catering and they have specifically asked the cleaner to do the washing then I don't think it's unreasonable to expect them to pay it.

This. If you were clear that was self-catering then it’s NU. You are again being too generous, it’s not an extra charge tacked on, it’s charges that stem from her being too lazy to wash her own things, as she was obligated to do!

Wallywobbles · 23/02/2019 06:33

There's an excellent holiday rental owners forum called laymyhat which is worth a good look at for terms and conditions.

NaturalBornWoman · 23/02/2019 07:09

If you've been clear that the property is self catering and they have specifically asked the cleaner to do the washing then I don't think it's unreasonable to expect them to pay it.

But self catering doesn't mean washing your bedding and towels, not in any holiday house I've ever stayed in. If someone rented me a place even for mates rates I'd expect them to say you'll need to do your own bedding/towels for that price or pay the extra service fee. And I'd pay the fee, you don't go away to do housework. Obviously you take your own beach towels.

PineapplePower · 23/02/2019 07:14

But self catering doesn't mean washing your bedding and towels, not in any holiday house I've ever stayed in.

I’ve never had the privilege of a Caribbean home but we always had to use the washing machine ourselves for beach rentals.

StoppinBy · 23/02/2019 10:18

@giantkitten, no, not joking at all, I think it is quite ridiculous to ask people who may be flying in to bring their own beach towels when you are offering beach accommodation, the price they paid is irrelevant to this because it was the OP's choice to set such a cheap price.

If you don't want your good house towels used then at the least some older beach towels should be available.

@KC22 .....Then maybe when you offer beach accommodation you should consider stocking..... a few beach towels. People aren't coming to sit inside the whole time, they are coming to enjoy what the area offers, including going to the beach.

G5000 · 23/02/2019 11:19

Offtopic but I really dislike holiday rentals that advertise a cheap rate, and then charge you extra for everything. Oh, you want to use the plates? That's a tenner, thanks.
Fair enough if most of your customers are domestic, drive in and can bring the stuff. But if you know that your customers are flying in and therefore they need bedding and towels (and beach ones) and most other holiday rentals have them included in the price? I've also never been to a rental that asks us to do the laundry at check out - strip beds yes, but not washing.

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