Holiday let and bin

[kirstlatta]

Hi guys

After an opinion. We paid a £250 deposit for a holiday let deposit. They are charging us £125 for over full kitchen bin, not emptying the bedroom bins and a bowl of dried leaves the kids left behind(as a present for the next people, which obviously we knew they wouldn't want but kinda thought they would just empty it!) The kitchen bin did have the stuff from the kitchen but their guest book said no need to worry about your bins (we emptied them daily until the last day) but they meant putting them out to be collected when I asked for clarity. No breakages, no stains, just a unemptied kitchen bin, some rubbish in the bedroom bins and some leaves in a bowl. They are charging us £125 for this. It's our first holiday for 3 years as our son has being shielding so can't describe how this has marred it.

@ChateauMargaux

And if they don't.... write a letter of complaint to all of the platforms they list their property on.. especially any local tourist listings as they are likely to have local residents approving and vetting their listings.

I’d do that except i would offer 5£ And if they still took the full amount they would lose business afterwards costing much more.

@JayAlfredPrufrock

That’s ridiculous

We’ve seated in a cottage a couple of weeks ago. They expected us to drag the wheely bins to the end of the lane for collection.

Aye right.

Considering the entry and exit times had been reduced thereby taking 3 hours off us they had Bob Hope and no hope.

That seems really selfish and petty of you. How else did you expect the bins to be emptied?

I would not admit fault. I would seek clarity on what ‘do not worry about the bins’ means. I would say you interpreted it as being fine to leave a small amount of rubbish in them. You’d emptied them the day before leaving.

The only issue then would be the leaves. Rather than say they were left for the next guests, I’d say you inadvertently forgotten to put them in the bin whilst packing up your ds’s ventilator and equipment as he is severely disabled. However, disposal of a few leaves would take less than a minute.

Ask them for photographic proof and and a breakdown of costs. If they don’t back down, I’d take them to small claims.

The owners are obviously 'those' people. You naturally assume that your deposit is 'just in case'; they see it as an extra bonus for them to dip into.

If it hadn't been that, I bet they would have found something else to excuse keeping your money. They were probably disappointed that you'd left it as clean and problem-free as you had, so half the money was all they dared to try getting away with, even though that is outrageous.

I'd do as PP says and ask them for receipts and detailed cost breakdowns (with timings) for the 'remedial work' that they had to have done following your vacating the property. That might just shame them into backing down and refunding 'as a gesture of goodwill' or some such rubbish.

I would also make it very clear that you will leave honest, factual reviews and feedback on whatever sites are available, as you feel that this is something potential guests need to be aware of before deciding whether or not it's the right place for them. Even if you could name them (or maybe drop some heavy clues) even on this thread, that would be loads of MNers and anybody they warn who will likely decide they would rather not rent a cottage from people like that.

It's utterly stupid business sense, apart from anything else, as their reputation will spread every time they do this. You could probably get away with this kind of sharp practice in the pre-internet days, when people had to apply for a brochure and book by phone, but nowadays, they really are risking painting themselves into a corner.

What was in the bins?

I would not admit fault. I would seek clarity on what ‘do not worry about the bins’ means. I would say you interpreted it as being fine to leave a small amount of rubbish in them. You’d emptied them the day before leaving.

Yes, this; but to be honest, I would seek clarity from them on what ‘do not worry about the bins’ doesn't mean, if not 'no need to empty the bins'.

You've done nothing wrong - it's them who should be having to justify themselves.

@Fleurtjeblau

I really wouldn't be leaving bad reviews everywhere like one PP suggested. I own a holiday let and bad reviews everywhere would literally destroy my business. I expect bins to be emptied but wouldn't charge £125 for it. Have you looked if this is mentioned in your contract? If its not then definitely speak to them about it and try to come to a compromise, but if it's in the contract then you've no choice really.

A trader who tries to charge you £125 to empty bins and throw some leaves away deserves to have their business trashed.

I have no concern about a deposit which is kept for proper damage/dirt like the pp who described used sanitary towels, dog waste etc. That is a different issue entirely.

I don't know why people stay in self-catering accommodation. it just seems like one big rip-off where the owners just see the £ signs but don't want to do anything for it (though I can see if you have a child with complex needs it's easier than being in a hotel room).

its not a private landlord its a hotel!

Odd question but given the things you said your child required, is it possible there were nappies and medical waste/sharps? Kitchen scraps, wrappers or tissues are one thing, but could they have thought there was medical waste since you said about peg feeds etc? Some cleaning companies charge extra to dispose of medical waste.

That seems really selfish and petty of you. How else did you expect the bins to be emptied?

I agree with this. As long as they make it clear what to do and when and ask nicely. I don't know anywhere that has Saturday as a regular bin day, so if nobody who is living there in the week ever puts the bin out, how will it ever be emptied?

Renting a self-catered property means treating it like your own home, which does include having to do things like the cooking, washing up and putting the bins out.

Can you write a review stating what has happened.

Odd question but given the things you said your child required, is it possible there were nappies and medical waste/sharps? Kitchen scraps, wrappers or tissues are one thing, but could they have thought there was medical waste since you said about peg feeds etc? Some cleaning companies charge extra to dispose of medical waste.

That’s my guess, which is why I asked.

A trader who tries to charge you £125 to empty bins and throw some leaves away deserves to have their business trashed

Couldn’t agree more.

I don't know why people stay in self-catering accommodation. it just seems like one big rip-off where the owners just see the £ signs but don't want to do anything for it

Because it’s a nicer experience than a hotel where you only get privacy in your bedroom. And most owners don’t rip you off. We regularly rent a cottage where we don’t pay any kind of deposit and the rates are reasonable for a well appointed and maintained property in a beautiful place.

To be clear, I would NOT advocate leaving a bad review in a vindictive or blackmailing way - I hate it when people do that, as it can indeed threaten honest, small businesses who are genuinely doing their best for their guests and acting reasonably, sometimes in the circumstances of guests who are not acting reasonably as their part of the deal.

What I AM saying is that somewhere that charges you £125 for emptying the bins at the end of your stay (which is surely a standard task for the between-lets cleaner anyway) is NOT an honest business, they are fraudsters - and just like with any fraud, you want to warn people to avoid it.

You were not messy OP. You have it in writing from the to not worry about the bins, and that is exactly what you did. It is not on you to interpret that.

I think the leaves is really sweet. Either as the owner, or the next visitor, I would think that was cute.

I hope you get the chance for another break soon.

£125 is ridiculous (also speaking as a holiday let owner)

If I had £125 for each time the kitchen bin was left unemptied I'd be retiring! We just roll our eyes and get on with it.

And this is one of the reasons I never pay money to holiday in the UK. Assuming final cleaning is included in the price, emptying bins is part of that. I always try to leave places clean and tidy but consider that the property owners actually use my cleaning fee to clean. I will empty bins as I go along and make sure all final rubbish is tidied up in tied bin bags at the end of a stay but I certainly will not be dragging wheeley bins down little lanes before a (usually) a mid-morning checkout because it makes someone who is operating a business life easier.

France is a bugger for this so totally avoid this requirement unless the price is good or pay the cleaning fee. But this is made very clear on booking and seems to be accepted as normal. Considering the price of self-catering accommodation in the UK and included final cleaning is pretty much standard, why the hell should OP be paying anything?

Op I would have emptied the bins and wouldn’t have left the leaves. But charging £125 is ridiculously excessive.
I’m sorry this has spoiled your experience of your well deserved holiday

@Dameputtingonabraveface I think you'll find that other countries in Europe particularly France, can have much more egregious cleaning and penalty clauses.

I think you'll find that other countries in Europe particularly France, can have much more egregious cleaning and penalty clauses.

True - it's not like all of the nice, honest, reasonable people in the world live in one country and all of the horrible, unreasonable scammers live in another. Every country will have its share of nice and nasty people (hopefully with the former making up the vast majority).

Emptying the bins is surely part of the cleaning fee?

I would not say you misunderstood the instructions.

I would say that you understood the instruction of 'blah blah blah' to mean the rubbish bins would be emptied by the cleaners, what else would it mean?

The leaves... I wouldn't have done that or let my kids put leaves in dishes to start with but it's not a big deal at the end of the day.

I would contest the charge.

Sorry haven't rtft but if you are booked via air bnb then leave an honest review quickly. I had a dispute last year and avoided leaving a review as I felt it might prejudice my case but what actually happened is they stalled, we got no come back and also weren't able to warn others that about the problem.

How are they taking the money? Surely they don't have your credit card details? Tell them to whistle for it.

Holiday let deposits just come off the final payment, it's not something the owner holds back and then returns.

I own a holiday let. Nothing you have described would be considered any additional cost. I've had it four years, only once have I had to charge extra, believe me it was left in a terrible state and nothing like you described. They should be ashamed of themselves.