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Original poster

Should they give a refund and let us cancel?

142 replies

Idolikeanicepieceofcake · 29/04/2019 16:08

I booked a holiday for next week a year in advance for a dog-friendly, quiet, rural cottage. It was meant to be a week of peace and quiet for us after enduring 7 months of building work from the house nextdoor. We are due to go this Saturday.
Yesterday the people who rent it emailed me to say that there would be building work going on during the time of our break, but they have asked the builders to refrain from doing their noisier work before 10am or after 4pm. That to me says that there will be noisy building work between 10am and 4pm, the time that we would have been enjoying the garden/having bbq/reading/sunbathing weather permitting.
I am really upset because it cost a lot of money, and I do not want to go on what should be a peaceful getaway and spend the whole time with building work in the background. They also have only given us 6 days notice that this will be happening!
Do you think that I would be unreasonable to ask for a complete refund so that I can try and salvage this one precious week of annual leave?

OP posts:
Overmaars · 29/04/2019 20:59

Don't be ridiculous Holidayletter. It's not unplanned works if you're having an extension done, so you let the renters know as soon as the builders agree a date for the works. That would certainly not be with only six days notice. As a business person, it's you who has to take the hit, not the people paying a lot of money to stay in your property. It's part of the business costs of holiday lets.

Sagradafamiliar · 29/04/2019 21:00

HolidayLetter would it not cross your mind to get any work done while there are NOT any holidaymakers staying in your property? No one wants building work going on when they're on holiday. The ones you think don't mind are either too wet to say they do, or unable to book elsewhere.

mouldyhousemouldylife · 29/04/2019 21:02

It is absolutely wrong for posters to be saying that people who let holiday properties are CFs for having work done.

That's everyone's mind changed then...

There is no way for the owner to know which camp their guests fall into, if their guests don't tell them

They shouldn't have to. This isn't emergency, unforseen works. They are planned works which they were only informed of 6 days before going...

mouldyhousemouldylife · 29/04/2019 21:03

Unforeseen

RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime · 29/04/2019 21:06

HolidayLetter why do you continue to let out your property when there is building work being done on it?

IncrediblySadToo · 29/04/2019 21:08

HolidayLetter

Maybe you’d be better off in a different job if you think this behaviour is reasonable.

...or maybe your username is just wishful thinking, we can but hope.

Laquila · 29/04/2019 21:09

Holidayletter with respect, that’s kind of ridiculous!

“For some guests, it's fine as they don't have to deal with this stuff at home and are out during the day. But others might find it more difficult. There is no way for the owner to know which camp their guests fall into, if their guests don't tell them (rather than putting it on MN).”

The obvious way would be for the owners to ask the potential bookers at the time of booking (with the vast majority likely to say thanks but no thanks) rather than effectively holding them to ransom 6 days before their holiday. Shirley??!

HolidayLetter · 29/04/2019 21:14

Wow. What vitriol.

Why would I be inventing my job, @IncrediblySadToo?

RubbishRobot, I didn't say I did would let out my property in these circumstances. Why are you saying I did? I was just trying to give a balanced perspective. My holiday lets are, as it happens, long past the 'building works' phase. I recently wanted to have a bookcase delivered, but said no as there would be guests there and I thought it would be a nuisance to them, so rescheduled it around bookings.

I had, however, forgotten how much landlords of any description are despised on MN. Mea culpa.

IncrediblySadToo · 29/04/2019 21:21

Why would I be inventing my job

It’s a forum. It’s hardly unusual for people to do that kind of thing...🤷🏻‍♀️

JFYI - I was & will be probably be again soon, a landlord. I’m just a reasonable one who doesn’t book building work when the holiday rental has guests booked in, or impose on tenants in domestic rental houses. Pointing out shitty landlord/holiday letters behaviour doesn’t mean I despise landlords 🙄 just the shitty ones who give good ones a bad name.

stucknoue · 29/04/2019 21:25

Good to hear. Unless it's emergency work, renovations should be done when properties are empty. My dad has worked in this industry for years and he is usually desperately fixing stuff on changeover day!

mouldyhousemouldylife · 29/04/2019 21:31

@HolidayLetter I didn't say I did would let out my property in these circumstances. Why are you saying I did?

This bit probably confused things:

If work needs doing, I am absolutely not a CF for going ahead and having it done.

🤔

HolidayLetter · 29/04/2019 21:34

@stucknoue, your dad and I would sympathise with one another.

I just don't like the way that there's a general assumption that anyone who lets out property is a CF. I still think it's ok for owners to book work, based on builders' availability, and to ask tenants if it's a problem. However, if it is a problem for tenants, it's up to the owners to reschedule.

@IncrediblySadToo Fair point. But no, I am not inventing my job. And I think it's actually a bit shitty to make assumptions about other people and their motives. I'd be a bit wary of renting a property from anyone who did this, as it happens. Fortunately most LL (including HL LL) and tenants are very reasonable.

HolidayLetter · 29/04/2019 21:40

@mouldyhousemouldylife Why is this so difficult? If work needs doing, it needs doing (and adding a conservatory etc is not a 'need'). I'm talking about essential work, not cosmetic work or work that increases the value of my own property. I'm referring to work that makes the guest's experience more pleasant (which is invariably small stuff, once guests are in situ).

There is acres that could be written about HL guests, while we're at it. But there would be no point. The majority of guests and owners are lovely and obliging and don't, in the case of the guests, leave their humper butt plugs in the bed, complete with identifying wrappers, for the owners to find, and don't, in the case of the owners, schedule intrusive building works during peak season

Wallywobbles · 29/04/2019 21:41

When this happened in our gite I gave a full refund. Our builder promised no one would be on site and I was in another country. I think if you explain you were coming to get over building work they might be sympathetic.

DianaPrincessOfThemyscira · 29/04/2019 21:52

I’m glad they’ve agreed to the full refund OP but I’m so disappointed for you!

Elphame · 29/04/2019 22:13

@stucknoue Yes that is generally me!

I'm just about to leave mine after a few days of routine maintenance (a week I booked out to myself so I could do this with no guests in situ) and this afternoon spotted there was something a bit odd about the landing window curtains.

Yes the pole had been pulled out right of the wall and pushed half way back. So this evening has been spent filling the hole, repairing the plaster damage and I'll be repainting the wall and rehanging my pole and curtains tomorrow morning before the next guests arrive at 3pm.....

SihtricsHorseWitnere · 30/04/2019 08:06

I had, however, forgotten how much landlords of any description are despised on MN. Mea culpa.

Oh, please. Holiday letting and AirB&B isn't the same as people who rent out using ASTs. The clue is in the name, holiday. It's an utter pisstake to assume any client is going to want to be in a house where
an extension is being attached and pay top whack to put up with that!

ShatnersWig · 30/04/2019 08:15

@HolidayLetter you say If work needs doing, it needs doing (and adding a conservatory etc is not a 'need'). I'm talking about essential work, not cosmetic work or work that increases the value of my own property. I'm referring to work that makes the guest's experience more pleasant (which is invariably small stuff, once guests are in situ)

Agreed. If there is a hole in the roof, it NEEDS fixing. That could well be something that crops up unexpectedly and NEEDS fixing immediately with very little notice and I think most reasonable people would understand that.

But the OP isn't talking about a NEED of that sort. This is an extension to the property that will have been planned properly in advance. In other words a WANT not a NEED. So totally different from what you are saying.

Your belief that everyone on MN hates landlords is patently ridiculously defensive and untrue.

Pk37 · 30/04/2019 08:18

Holidayletter
I honestly do not know anyone who would happily pay for the privilege of staying in a cottage somewhere with building works .
It’s not “oh some will” no , nobody would unless they were backed into a corner and could lose money.
If it was like an out house or fence I’d understand but it’s connected to the house !

pepperpot99 · 30/04/2019 18:12

HolidayLetter don't be a dimwit. Who, ever, would be more than happy to spend thousands of quid to go on holiday to a building site? you really are remarkably stupid.

justasking111 · 30/04/2019 18:20

Friends holiday let there was a flood. Both the host and airbnb worked to find them alternative accommodation within an hour. That is what should happen in this case.

Inrestlessdreamsiwalkalone · 30/04/2019 18:21

The issue isn't just the builders being on site doing work. It's also the use of facilities.

Most would need access to water and a toilet at the least let alone access to the property. Imagine them coming in and seeing you in the all together??

Glad you got yourself a refund op and hope you can muddle something together for your annual leave

FancyAPint · 30/04/2019 18:22

I would want a refund, go for it.

wiser198 · 30/04/2019 18:25

I hope you manage to contact them and get a refund , people don’t book time away in a cottage to listen to builders all day . They should have confirmed at the time of booking this would be happening ! How did you pay for this was it a payment through your bank or a debit or credit card payment ? you have protection with a debit or credit card you could dispute the transaction and see if they can get your money back for you x

Hopoindown31 · 30/04/2019 18:32

@HolidayLetter

If it is urgent works then it would only be acceptable not to offer a refund if it did not impact on the habitability of the property significantly or meant that was guests received was not substatially different to what was advertised. So some minor faults only in all likelihood especially if you are marketong your cottage as a 'quiet getaway', guests turning up to a bunch of blocks hammering and drilling all day is misrepresentation.

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