Rules when renting a holiday place - bonkers or completely normal?

[DragonMamma]

We are renting a large property for over New Year (for a total of 3 nights). There are 10 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms. We rent houses regularly and have done for many years. This 3 night break is costing just under £3.5k so it’s not exactly cheap.

We’ve just received the list of do’s and don’ts from the owner and it reads like nothing we’ve ever come across before. It’s like they are reluctantly giving us use of the place and barking instructions at us.

Some examples below copied and pasted from their 7 page (!) instruction manual.

*YOU ARE EXPECTED TO LEAVE THE PROPERTY IN A SIMILAR STATE OF CLEANLINESS AS YOU FOUND IT, IF THE PROPERTY IS NOT SO, YOU WILL BE CHARGED AN EXCESS CLEANING CHARGE.
Including all floors to be hovered or swept, bathrooms and toilets cleaned, kitchen to be cleaned, all washing up done and put away.

Hot water will be on in the morning from 7am until 10am, briefly at lunchtime and again from 5pm until 10pm. Options for extra heating and hot water are available please see our website. These must be booked in advance.

NEVER LEAVE THE WOODBURNER UNATTENDED. IN INTERESTS OF SAFETY UNLESS YOU ARE EXPERIENCED USING WOODBURNERS WE SUGGEST THAT YOU DO NOT USE IT.

Swimming pool - Shallow end depth of approx. 1metre, deep end depth approx. 1.9 metre. STRICTLY NO JUMPING, DIVING OR OTHER BOISTEROUS BEHAVIOUR*

AIBU to think that if you’re charging over a thousand pound a night and absolutely insisting on a 10am check out (OR face yet another additional charge) then you simply cannot expect the occupants to clean 9 bathrooms and do all of the general cleaning. There’s also a strict list of what cleaning products are to be used where.

We always leave properties in a decent state - we will set the dishwater off after breakfast, give the bathroom a quick wipe so it’s not excessively dirty. We’ll bag all the rubbish up etc and make sure it’s tidy and do whatever else we have time for before leaving (strip the beds etc.). But this reads like they want us to clean it to a professional standard all before 10am!

AIBU to think this is a bonkers and that it’s not the responsibility of the occupants to do the cleaning for you? And to also have to book extra hot water in advance?

How on earth are we supposed to know when we are going to want hot water? What happens if we go swimming after lunch, do we have to sit and wait for it to come back on at 5pm? They have take a £500 security deposit and based on the list of things we may get charged for is endless and it’s really put us off going 😞

Puzzledandpissedoff no, sadly not available before. Only emailed to us a couple of days ago (we booked months ago). We wouldn’t haven’t bothered otherwise 😕

MrsMillerbecameababy it’s through an agency we’ve used before but the owners are now contacting us directly with key instructions. There’s no reviews for this one, but we hoped it was because it was a new rental. I’m glad you didn’t get charged after your stay, we don’t fancy our chances of getting all our deposit back. The shouty instructions are so explicit!

We rent holiday cottages/large houses a couple of times a year.

Cleaning thoroughly before leaving has never be a requirement. We strip beds, empty bins, put our recycling where it belongs and load the dishwasher. We usually vacuum the last full day rather than the morning of departure as no time.

We certainly do not (!!!!!) clean bathrooms or kitchens or mop. Absoloutley ridiculous.

Aside from the swimming pool, which sounds safety related as it’s quite shallow and the wood burner which is probably a liability thing too, those rules are utterly bonkers. If stuff like the cleaning fee and the ridiculous rationing of hot water wasn’t mentioned when you booked then I don’t think it’s ok for them spring it on you days before- who did you book through and can you complain? And yes I would be asking if it will be clean when you arrive if the standard cleaning procedure is a pre 10am rush job by the previous guests 🤢 For that amount of money I’d expect a hell of a lot more and would be inclined to tell them where to stick their rule book and insist on a full refund instead.

That's ridiculous. Completely ridiculous.

You're paying a large sum of money to enjoy use of the house for quite a short period of time. These rules are going to affect that enjoyment and also demand that you use a good portion if that time cleaning.

Of course part of the money you pay is to cover a cleaning fee! You're don't usually pay £3,500 to scrub the bogs yourself, do you? You'd imagine the hosts could spare £15 an hour from that sum to get someone in to do it

Not having the water on is also not OK. Fancied a lie in till 10.30? No chance, you slob. You're to be up and dressed well before then. And that's before starting on all the other eventualities!

Honestly, this sounds awful. Renting a house should make things easier and probably also be a treat. It should dispense with all the rules people have in their houses, developed to fit their own routines, like when the water/central heating comes on, so that that stress is removed and you can just get on with spending time with your family without being irritated by such things.

Honestly, if I received a set of rules like that I'd be horrified. It wouldn't necessarily be that I'd be doing anything vastly different to what they specified, but I'd be completely unable to relax.

Those rules are ridiculous

A property should be left relatively neat, rubbish put away, washing up done etc. But you shouldn't have to clean

The hot water rules are ridiculous as well

Honestly I really wouldn't want to stay there with rules like that. Is there anyway you can cancel and find a hotel? Given these rules have only just been presented to you?

All I will say is take photos before and when you level. Generally they have cleaners that come in, never been asked to clean before (although I usually do a bit)

Is it air bnb versus a normal holiday cottage?

What on earth does that mean? Many cottages that you see advertised on the major sites are also advertised on AirBnB. What is a "normal" cottage?

FWIW and as an ex holiday home owner, their rules are nuts - especially re the cleaning.

I would contact the rental agency as they may not be aware of these ridiculous rules if the owners are contacting you directly.

I ha e never left a holiday rental in a state but equally I have never washed floors or cleaned bathrooms.

I rent cottages, one sleeping 12 and I have never restricted hot water that is completely unreasonable. I don't mind jumping in the pool either, I hate having lots of rules which could ruin a holiday. I write that I expect the cottage to be left clean and tidy but have a 10am checkout to clean thoroughly - even if guests say they have cleaned it is never to my standard and I would never expect the oven, fridge, bathrooms to be cleaned by guests.
Saying that I have on occasion regretted being so relaxed when I have young families who allow their DC to eat everywhere and smear yogurt on the TV screen, the sofas etc.

Does it have cctv all over the place? Sounds like one we stayed in a year or so ago.

I would imagine the hot water is heated in a tank system, so it's on in the morning and evening rather than heated on demand with a combi boiler. This doesn't mean you can't have a shower outside these times, just that if everyone had a shower at lunchtime for example, it would run out.

I’d be really pissed off. You should expect constant hot water / heating and there shouldn’t be a wood burner if they don’t want it used.

(T&Cs) sadly not available before. Only emailed to us a couple of days ago (we booked months ago). We wouldn’t haven’t bothered otherwise

Yes, and I suspect they worked that out

It's true that renting such a massive house is a risk for them, and true again it would be an expensive professional clean, but unless guests absolutely trashed the place I reckon they're still quids in at the price

There also seems some ambiguity over whether you're renting it direct or via the agency, so I'd contact the office to clarify exactly where you stand, making sure to mention the water situation as well

I never rent of properties without a good amount of reviews, they often point out stuff like this.

I'd be complaining to the agency now about the hot water, that is absolutely not acceptable at all. I leave clean and tidy but I don't leave it clean enough for the next guest. You are hiring a holiday rental, not being employed as cleaners. Which lucky renter gets to be the one that has to pitch in and dust the light shades and skirting boards?

Honestly I would ignore this, have a great time, leave the place as you would your usual holiday rentals and not worry. It's probably just to stop crazy new year's eve behaviour and the place being trashed.

We own two holiday homes and rent them out through rural retreats who are marvellous at insisting owners standardise their requests - that list is batshit.

If you're renting out a 10 bedroom house exclusively, the heating and water shouldn't be dictated at all! I always expect people to tidy/load dishwasher and empty bins but not to clean the house - you will be paying for their cleaner factored into the price of the house hire so why on Earth should you clean 9 bathrooms.

Personally I'd email back a very anal and long winded response addressing each point. Did you book through someone or with owners direct?

it’s standard to have a leave how you found it which does really mean spotless as when you arrive you expect immaculate

It really isn't. The 10am checkout is to allow time for a thorough clean before the next guests check in

^^ completely agree with this and previous poster raising the point that under these terms, the house has not been professionally cleaned prior to your tenancy. Unacceptable.

We rent cottages and houses all the time and I have never once been ordered to conduct a professional deep end of tenancy clean !

I think sometimes people forget that renting out a property is a business, which incurs costs as well as income. And cleaning holiday keys is part of that cost of business.

Also, take photos when you leave. Lots of them.

I don't do the cleaning in my house. I'm buggered if I'd do it in a holiday let.

Check the terms and conditions re cancellation though, I bet you won’t get a refund this late.

We regularly rent cottages.

We leave them clean and tidy but I expect cleaners to come in once we have left to vacuum, strip and make up beds etc.

These conditions seem unreasonable to me especially considering the amount you've paid.

OP: I would complain to the agency. If the owners are genuinely insisting on 'as you found it' standard, then this should have been made clear prior to booking. The threat will hang over you your whole stay. Definitely mention it in your review.

I’m glad the general consensus is that these rules are a bit OTT.

I accept the point about the pool, they also threaten (another) charge if the water level drops below a certain amount.

The whole things smacks of somebody who is reluctantly letting out a family home and wants you to have zero fun and live exactly how they want you to.

For those who are asking, it was booked via one of the sites (think Cottages.com, Skyes, Blue Chip), which we have used many times before.

I also appreciate that it’s not extortionate when you cost it per head but the total cost is split between 5 families so it’s not overly cheap per group, if that makes sense. We could have had a decent hotel for the same or cheaper but we like the flexibility (!!!!!) group accommodation provides.

I can’t see that we’ll be allowed to cancel this late (we are due to arrive on Sunday) but I will raise it with the agent as we are all now on pins as to whether the £3.5k will rise to £4K when we lose our deposit for not performing a thorough clean upon leaving.

I think sometimes people forget that renting out a property is a business, which incurs costs as well as income. And cleaning holiday keys is part of that cost of business

Exactly

@TreesSandSea I’m not sure - I bloody hope not. Where was yours based?