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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think you shouldn't have to spring clean a holiday cottage?

396 replies

Takemetomiami · 06/05/2021 08:56

Staying in a cottage booked through one of the large companies. I use a lot of air bnb and it's standard to leave the place as you found it which I always do.

In a holiday place booked through a company I clean the sink/loo, rinse bath, make sure fridge and bins emptied, wipe down kitchen surfaces. I assume they have professional cleaners coming in who will do a thorough job.

This morning got email from the holiday company with a long list of jobs including stripping beds, mopping through, cleaning shower, basically "leave it spotless". Is that now expected?

OP posts:
4PawsGood · 06/05/2021 08:57

That’s usual.

4PawsGood · 06/05/2021 08:57

No!!! UN usual!!!!!!

KarmaStar · 06/05/2021 08:59

That's a bit cheeky but I'm not one to ask as I do all that anyway.😄

osbertthesyrianhamster · 06/05/2021 08:59

I would unbook that fast and get my money back. 'I am a customer, not a cleaner.'

bert3400 · 06/05/2021 08:59

I've never heard of that, we do what you do apart from strip the beds and leave all the towels together . But they should have cleaners come in after each new holiday let as each individual has different standards to what is clean . Have you read the T&C's of the booking ?

GrimDamnFanjo · 06/05/2021 09:00

I've had this before at an apartment in France. Basically we were cleaning for the next family to come in. And it was inspected before we could leave.
We'd never leave a holiday place in a mess but being expected to be the cleaner took several hours and a lot of stress. Never again!

MrsBroccoliBigHead · 06/05/2021 09:00

And that's a holiday???

Kokeshi123 · 06/05/2021 09:01

I'd expect reduced charges if they wanted me to do all that.

freeandfierce · 06/05/2021 09:01

It's normal in France but not UK. I always have a clean around and strip beds but would never mop the floors! Usually these places aren't cheap so should include a professional clean on guest departure.

HoldontoOneMoreDay · 06/05/2021 09:01

I've had that once at a country house kind of place, which we'd hired for a hen do for 14 women, when we had to be out by 10am on the Sunday.

Never again. It's just not worth the hassle. We all did it because we didn't want the MoH to lose her deposit but feck me, what a hangover stress fest.

Mumdiva99 · 06/05/2021 09:02

It would depend on what I paid. If I paid market value then mopping floors is too much. If I got a bargain I might suck it up.

Was it a large company? Or is it a private rental through an umbrella company?

mermaidsariel · 06/05/2021 09:02

I am about to stay somewhere where I have been asked to do this. It’s bonkers. The owner tells me the cleaners take 6 hours to clean the place in between lets but I’m still expected to do all of the above. This has never happened before but I’m desperate for a break so have agreed. The owner is elderly and paranoid about Covid. I would never normally think this reasonable.

LadyCluck · 06/05/2021 09:02

We usually use the same holiday cottage company who ask for beds to be stripped and empty bins.
I don’t mind doing that. Asking you to do more than that is taking the mick imo.

AhNowTed · 06/05/2021 09:02

No that's ridiculous.

Last year we were asked to strip the bed and leave bedding in a black bag - but it was COVID related.

And how are you supposed to get all that done before your 10am leave time.

Kittytheteapot · 06/05/2021 09:09

20 odd years ago, I used to do all that by 10am with toddlers in tow, but only because we were on such a shoestring budget I couldnt afford £30 on top of the holiday to pay for a cleaner. Yes, you were leaving it ready for the next guest. Stripping beds was the least of it - they were my own sheets anyway, as I wasn't hiring laundry!

Nowadays though, the cleaner seems part of the package, and if it isn't, I would happily pay whatever the fee is to have one come in. I would still strip beds and tidy around, but only out of courtesy. If your let is expecting you to clean the property, I would say they were about 20 years behind the times.

CounsellorTroi · 06/05/2021 09:10

That’s not normal. Normal is to leave the place as you found it, worktops clean, no dishes on the drainer. We don’t even strip the bed. In any case where we’ve stayed there have rarely been cleaning materials other than washing up liquid. We do empty fridge and bins though.

MoreAloneTime · 06/05/2021 09:12

I'd expect to have to strip the beds and leave the used bedding and towels in a heap to be bagged up for laundry and the bins emptied. I'd feel like I had to give everything a bit of a wipe down.

Beyond that it's cheeky fucker.

MusicMenu · 06/05/2021 09:15

I'm not cleaning a holiday cottage no matter what they instruct. If they told me in advance, I wouldn't book.

I leave it the way my house looks when it needs a weekly clean. We'll have respected the place and spills etc will have been cleaned up as we go, the toilet wiped round daily as I do at home, workstops wiped after each use, but I'm not stripping the beds I don't want to know what the mattress looks like or cleaning the bath/mopping floors.

Seeline · 06/05/2021 09:16

I've always been asked to strip the beds and leave towels in the bath or similar.

I usually wipe surfaces and hob, do the washing up, empty the bins and usually vacuum the living area if there is a vacuum.

Agree that cleaning materials are rarely provided - even bleach for the loo! If they want more than a brief wipe down, they need to provide all the equipment and materials - I'm not taking all that away with me!!

We've booked a cottage this summer and all the sites we looked at wanted us out earlier than usual with a later check in time to allow for extra covid cleaning, so I'm blowed if I am going to be spring cleaning before a 9am check out this year!!

GameSetMatch · 06/05/2021 09:19

I’d strip the beds and leave all the towels together dumped in the bath a quick hoover and wipe down the kitchen sides and that’s about it. It’s a holiday I wouldn't expect to do more than that. Do they not hire a cleaner?

MinnieMountain · 06/05/2021 09:20

Ridiculous. We’ve been told to arrive later and leave earlier to allow more time for cleaning.

It’s like Covid has become an excuse for ripping people off.

ClarkeGriffin · 06/05/2021 09:21

No I wouldn't do that either. I've got a cottage booked for my honeymoon next year, they can bog off if they think I'm doing all that after my honeymoon. And how are you meant to have all that done before you leave, get up at 5am? Hmm If they can't afford a cleaner, maybe they should sell their second home.

Reinventinganna · 06/05/2021 09:23

We always do this anyway.

Walkerby · 06/05/2021 09:24

I have a holiday let - I wouldn't ask guests to mop the floors etc, I think what you already do sounds really nice and respectful. Wish all my guests were like you! However stripping beds is a new thing for Covid, it's to help protect the cleaners from aerosols etc from your bedding.

MrsTulipTattsyrup · 06/05/2021 09:24

@LadyCluck

We usually use the same holiday cottage company who ask for beds to be stripped and empty bins. I don’t mind doing that. Asking you to do more than that is taking the mick imo.
Same here. We also make sure we’ve wiped the kitchen worktops down and emptied the fridge and dishwasher, but I’m not doing actual cleaning! It’s my holiday, for one thing; and besides that, I want to arrive at a professionally cleaned cottage, not one where someone else has rushed round cleaning resentfully as they try to pack their car by 10am.