...about laundry at this holiday let?

[SadieContrary]

When we travel, we opt to rent a house/apartment via booking.com or Air B&B due to having a DC. Main reasons being that we don't have to be quiet when they go to bed at night as they're in a separate room plus we always have laundry as we are away for weeks at a time.
Checked into latest place and went to use the washing machine and there's a note from the owner to message her if we want to use it she will then come and switch it on and it's £5 a load.
Now apparently this info was in the original listing. Not really. Original listing states about washing machine. Charge/switch on not detailed til the confirmation email was sent after payment made.
Anyway, has anyone else come across this? I think it's ridiculous but don't want to include it in my review of the place if majority think it's fine? This would be approx the 20th place we've rented and never come across this.
Thanks for letting me 'air my dirty laundry'

Oh god i’d be tempted to just use it, would she find out?!

V annoying but just send her a message! Then talk to her about it when she comes round.

£5?! Maybe a pound but £5 just indicates that she doesn’t want it used.

PinaColada - can't use it, remotely switched off and she has a key thingy to put the power on.
Best Drummer- I've asked her to come and switch on as I've two loads to do and weather seems most favourable for tomorrow in terms of drying (north of Scotland)

Genuinely just wondered if anyone else who rent houses or apartments for holidays found this as bizarre as I did

She must be some bare faced CF to actually come round and say this to your face!

What a tight cow.

£5??

Not sure what you can do but I would definitely mention it in the review.

£5!!!
Just find the switch and use it!

Never come across anything like this abc we go sc several times a year both in The UK and abroad

Oh x posted

That is really weird and I'd definitely mention it in your review afterwards. £5! That's a rip off!

That’s ridiculous, a wash costs nothing like that in water and electric.

Bit confused about what was in the listing though, do you mean it says there is a washing machine but not that you are charged an additional fee to use it? If so I would complain to whoever you booked through about the hidden cost.

Chamomile, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought it was tight.

Willow, the power source is activated separately by a key. This set up is deliberate!

I'd be tempted to find a launderette instead out of spite.

That is awfully tight!

I’d do it in the sink!

We do Air BnB whenever we go away too - never that had before and wouldn’t be happy about it

I think I would be gutted if I came across this.

I like to take home clean washing whilst away in a cottage, I do a load most days and being summer I can usually dry it outside.

That is very tight, charging £5 a load.

Never seen anything like this, and we've rented a lot of places! 5 pounds seems really excessive and given how steep that is, I would have thought it should have been clearly detailed in the listing. I would definitely mention it in the review, if only under the banner of 'future guests may need to be aware there is a charge of 5 pounds per load'. Then your review isn't negative, just factual.

TheFlis- yes, under facilities the washer/dryer is listed. That's it.
When I noticed the note I checked the listing and was about to complain when DH then found the info about the charge in the confirmation email.

I'd give a very big mention of that in the review. What a cheek!!!

Is the machine just plugged in to a socket? If it is, buy an extension lead and plug it in somewhere else - it'll prob cost more than £5, but you'll have a spare extension lead and you'll have got one up on the stingy cow.

And definitely mention it in your review!

I've never come across this in any self catering property we've had. Most have had a washing machine in the property that you just use as and when. The last place we stayed in france had a washing machine in the out buildings which was shared between the main house and the gite where we were staying, the only restrictions were that we had to supply our own washing powder (not a problem) and the owner said please could we not use it in the evening as it was noisy. Fine.

Asking for £5 extra is ridiculous.

Jesus! Find a local launderette, I haven’t used one before but I’d guess it’ll work out cheaper than spending £5 every time you want old bother boots to come and switch her machine on. I also couldn’t be arsed with her and wouldn’t want to give her the money, so tight fisted!

Yes mention this in your review that's not reasonable. You are presumably paying a fair amount to be there and if the charge wasnt mentioned in the listing then it's not fair to add it later. If course if it was there on the front page people would probably hesitate to book.

Have you checked for notes elsewhere.. no unexpected charges to use hot water for the bath or to switch the TV on?

I wouldn't be at all happy

I’d be fuming. I bet your stay wasn’t cheap either. I do washing pretty much every day on holiday and deliberately choose accommodation with a machine so I don’t have to lug 3 suitcases of dirty clothes home. Also I always end up wanting to wear my favourite clothes more than once

bugger me that's so cheeky! On another note, if the place I rented last week had charged I'd have paid an extra £40! The joys of beach hols with a big family!