To expect an airbnb to provide a drying rack

[inmyfeelings]

Staying in France at an Airbnb apartment booked pretty much last minute . It's beautifully decorated and also cost considerably more than similar properties but we didn't have much choice as it was a late booking . However there are a few issues .
Firstly there no facilities to actually dry clothing . There's a washing machine but no drying rack for clothing . I thought this was standard but prepared to be told I'm being U. I contacted the owners to ask if there was one someone in the flat ( in case there was in a cupboard or room that I had missed ) but they haven't replied to my message. It's a bit inconvenient as we're at the beach mostly and have lots of towels to dry as well as laundry for 3 children and 2 adults .
Was also a bit surprised there was no electric kettle and the small pan provided isn't compatible with the induction hob so need to use a massive cooking pan to boil water for tea for one person . Surely a small pot should also be provided ? I asked the owner about this too but she doesn't reply .
Thirdly it's advertised as parking 'on premises ' but the Car park is about 750m away? Can be tricky when toddler has fallen asleep or lugging bags late at night etc . Is this misleading ?
I've stayed in bnb apartments all over Europe and find the owners tend to get back to you over queries but maybe I've been spoiled so far . Also assumed on premises means actually on site not the local car park . Thoughts ?

AIBU to think if people won't read the listing description properly or bother to get in touch with the host to confirm things (which couldn't be easier on AirBnb) they probably shouldn't be using it?

Everything you’ve listed would really annoy me, so I feel your pain.

I’m not keen on air b&b, for the inconsistencies.

Being as it’s Europe though, I’d have probably packed my crappy travel kettle.

Not sure why pps are rubbishing your complaints op - I would be annoyed by one large pot only and no drying rack/line too.
We once stayed in a house that accommodated 12 people and were greeted by one undercounter fridge, 3 standard saucepans and a two-slice toaster!
I think hosts assume that no one cooks or washes when on holiday, but we do!
What do they think you are going to do with wet washing if you have no garden, line or rack?

Can you hang the towels over doors? I probably would have packed a kettle as they are not standard but I would assume there is somewhere to hang towels.

You are not being unreasonable. I'd be very pissed off too.. no kettle is a pain in the @$$ and yeah so what if they are not common place in a french kitchen.. the French kitchen is hosting to international guests so I believe it should have one. Boiling water on a stove, balls to that!
And the nowhere to dry clothes again that's a nightmare, especially as I assume you are close to a beach as you're spending time there how do the owners expect you to wash and dry clothes I'd be ringing them nvr mind sending a message. I would make a point of pointing out the issue with the parking. I'd also be leaving a review to reflect the same.

I always thought the idea of airbnb was it was home from home type letting and would expect that I'd renting a property!

How long have you been there that you have all this washing to do? It's supposed to be a bloody holiday OP!!

Surely the beach towels will just dry out in the sun - are you washing the bloody things every day or something? If you were in a hotel you would just use the same beach towel all week without worrying wouldn't you? You are coming across as very fussy.

Have a cocktail and relax

What about towels just from showering?

On the small pot issue, we have a small pot bought as part of a set for induction hobs, that doesn't work on the hob. It is too light. Agreed it is a pain but nothing that can't be worked around.

Is there a decatalon some where close you could find a cheap clothes rail? I know not ideal but they didn't advertise as having one.

The parking, is it a resort type thing that you have to park in the car park and walk to your apartment? I have stayed in ones like these across Spain. The parking is considered "on-site" aright but the walk to the apartment with loads of shopping can be a pain!!

Could you not find a small shop Buy some string /twine and rig up a makeshift washing line?. My mother-in-law takes string and pegs with her everywhere she goes I can see the logic in it

I would be annoyed about all of the things you've mentioned too OP and it's one of the things that pisses me off about Airbnb, that details get glossed over in the listing about things you really need to know. Of course it's important if the entire apartment is air conditioned or not, of course you need to have a place to dry towels on a beach holiday when you have no outdoor space and of course how far away the parking is makes a massive difference. But on a typical listing there isn't a way of checking these things - you have to email beforehand, and tbh until you're stuck somewhere that's unsuitable in these regards you would genuinely be forgiven for not thinking of them in advance. The drying rail is particularly silly imo. If you're providing a washing machine people will use it and if you're at a beach resort people will have multiple wet towels. How much would that cost to accommodate? Fifteen quid or so?

Not wanting to derail the thread (and yes, if there's a washing machine of course there should be an airer / washing line, how else are you expected to dry the clothes you've made wet in the washing machine , and on-site parking means on-the-actual-site) but I stayed in a UK (whole property, with kitchen designed for the preparation of food) Airbnb where the miserly equipment was ridiculous. No tin opener; no coffee press; 2 each of plates, cups, glasses, bowls meaning rinsing / washing up all the time; one lamp in the whole place; 2 crap lumpy pillows. It was billed as 'country luxury' and was not anywhere near cheap. Owner was stupendously slow at responding to messages and seemed utterly astounded that people needed more than one lamp in a house. Cue bizarre lengthy message exchange about her needing to get her electrician to re-wire a lamp from her own house for our use (never materialised, predictably). She obviously had an aversion to spending any money on guest comfort. We ended up buying kitchen equipment and pillows ourselves to make our stay comfortable. Point being, some people are crap hosts and your holiday is not their priority sadly. If you're getting nowhere with the host, just buy the bits you need to make your well-earned break comfortable and easy and chalk it up to experience.

When I went to be an au pair in France on day 1 I arrived and the family said as I arrived “Can we offer you a drink?” and I said I my best schoolgirl French “A cup of tea please!”. Cue much embarrassed scrambling around the kitchen until they came back and admitted that they had no tea, no teacups or mugs and had never made a cup of tea in their lives. I decided to buy a kettle for my room and tried to ask where I might find one- they didn’t even know what the word for kettle was!

I drank a lot of wine in that job!

But OP your complaints about the little pan not working and the drying rack and parking are totally legitimate. They should have thought about how someone would use the washing machine if they lived in the flat.

I have an air bnb
I think if they have a washing machine then surely they should give you something to dry your clothes on
With regards to the kettle I wouldn’t be overly bothered as anytime we have been on holiday in France we haven’t had a kettle
The parking is annoying also
If you don’t get any replies from the owners then you can reach out to air bnb direct and they will try to contact them for you

YABU about the kettle but everything else YANBU.

When we stayed in Bluestone, I was a bit at the lack of washing machine, but the lack of a drying rack was ridiculous. They have a swimming pool on site ffs. Yes there was a heated towel rail but not big enough for a family of 4.

The air con and parking on site are something I would pay a premium for so I would be annoyed at the deceptiveness of it. Mark them down!

Is there a mop? Or a broom? Rest them between two chairs and hang everything from them.

If the small pan fits inside the big pan (or a frying pan if there is one) then you can sometimes use on an induction hob like that.

Yanbu to be irritated about the things mentioned

I’m with you on this OP! Why provide a washing machine if there’s no means to dry laundry? Same goes for pan - why provide if it doesn’t work on the hob provided?! Madness!

Is there a microwave? Last time we stayed with no kettle I'd boil a mug of water and pour it over the instant coffee/ tea bag in another cup. Less faff than a pan.

Amazed at the zen like calm of posters. I’d be put out by lack of the advertised onsite parking, a washing machine but nowhere to dry stuff and a single large pan for cooking! YANBU

The whole point of AirBnb is that there is nothing standard. Some of them are awful, some amazing, most in-between I think. I’ve stayed in mostly awful ones. The owner ignoring you is shocking though, I’d complain about that to Airbnb as well as leave it in her feedback.

Ended up buying some cord which did the job.
Yes I paid a premium because I booked late but it would have been a property ordinarily out of my budget anyway - plus when you add aircon and parking to the filters prices hike up massively so you'd think you'd get what you paid for . When the cleaner came at checkout I told her I'd washed all the towels we used ( not after each use , after days of usage ) and showed her how I'd hung them up and she actually said she didn't understand why there was no drying space because the other properties she cleaned all did . Some posters have asked how many days I stayed and why I was doing laundry but that's beside the point - whether it was a day or a month there was a machine provided , its self catering and I choose to go somewhere I can make a cup of tea and wash and dry clothes for reasons I don't have to specify on here . I now see though that maybe my expectations are too high by expecting the obvious and since I care so much about drying stuff I'll have to specifically ask next time . And if I choose to spend half a day of my holiday doing laundry , drinking tea and posting on mumsnet ( my ideal life I think ) then that's also my own business

Glad you found a solution OP. What feedback/review will you leave?

Largely positive - I hate leaving negative reviews that affect people's businesses unless it's serious . But I'll state parking is not onsite and only one of three rooms are aircon just so other travelers know . Lack of pot to boil water / suggestions for drying space I've sent as a private message .

@inmyfeelings
Would you otherwise recommend?
Please could you post link?