Holiday Cottage Nightmare

[AuntySandrasDauphinois]

Please can someone tell me what you would do in this situation?

We arrived at our (much anticipated) holiday cottage yesterday to find that it absolutely stinks. I have febreezed every surface so many times and it still stinks. It's worse downstairs but still absolutely awful upstairs, so bad that I struggled to get to sleep last night. We have been out all day today and just got back and honestly I want to cry. More than £1000 we've paid for the week!

I spoke to the woman in the local shop (when I was buying the febreeze!) and she told us some of the local lads had been putting fish through the letterboxes of any known holiday lets. There was nothing to suggest that's what it was but the smell is very fishy/putrid. The village doesn't feel very welcoming to visitors- she also said last year someone had the wing mirrors broken off their car outside overnight!

The Cornish cottage company have been no help whatsoever- the woman laughed down the phone and told us the fish were an urban legend. There's no way to take a photo of the smell to try to claim a reduction. I don't even know if I can last the week. Currently sat in the garden having a glass of wine but I'm dreading having to go inside.

If anyone has any suggestions bar more febreeze please please let me know. I'm trying to be lighthearted about it but I'm devastated. We drove for 6 hours to get here, I'm so exhausted with it.

Yeah. Cancel Brexit.

They do hate everyone equally. I would hate Mareas to think her children or DH were being singled out because of their skin pigmentation.

Every word I spoke was true. You can feel the animosity.

Also in the morning I’d be happy to draw a parking diagram showing the way I was blocked in by a brand new gigantic Range Rover which had meant I couldn’t get my car out, and I’m a good driver. I think being called a fucking cunt by the local residents was pretty rude.

Do you think we’re making this stuff up?

Got to say that this thread is really putting me off ever going to any of the popular touristy destinations in the UK....

Long-term, it sounds like there is a need for some economic diversification in some of these regions. Renewable energy (wind, solar, tidal) might be good ones for the future.

i would feel the same way. Make sure you leave appropriate reviews of the property agent/company .
if you decide to stay, try some bicarbonate of soda around the front door area, assuming the problem is caused by fish through the letterbox.
the holiday letting agent laughed? I’d be fuming.
As a holiday let owner this sends chills through me and I also feel very sorry for the cottage owner.
Some idiot guest left all the radiators on in our property when they left in 28 degree heat this week and left a nice mess for our lovely cleaner to clear up. What’s wrong with people? 😞

Have you seen Fisherman's Friends? The film. It's a v accurate portrayal of Cornwall as is the film Bait.

@Nahimjustaworm you can just click on the OPs bit at the top ‘see all’ then you can just read her updates. 😁

I own a brand new Range Rover

news alert: WE HAVE NEW CARS IN CORNWALL TOO

This thread wreaks of stupidity, jealousy and xenophobia. All these posters who assume “the Cornish” don’t go on holidays and don’t own new cars. It’s ridiculous. Listen to yourselves. some of us even went to school 😉

THANKYOU ! Didnt know this .

This thread will be on the Daily Mail soon because their reporters are so shit and lazy.

I expect the lady in the shop was winding you up OP 😜 You we’re baited 🐠

I do feel for you OP. It is shit that you have saved for a holiday and someone has ruined it. I can see the other person's POV though as someone who lives on the coast. They probably can't even afford to rent, let alone buy, and have seen their family and social circle leave the area due to outsiders purchasing properties without a care about how the community has been impacted. People are very angry about a lot of things now and it is boiling over, but it is shit that you have been caught up in it. It pisses me off though that we are blaming each other when this property issue has been allowed to brew for a long time.

I personally think the landlord of the property has done a shit job and anger should sit with them. They must have an idea what is going on in the area, instead they let you come to the property without it being deep cleaned and knowing that people can be intimidating. They obviously care more about the money than your experience. I stayed in a property recently and a lot of care went into it. I don't think the owner would have dreamt of their guests arriving with the property stinking.

The housing crisis is caused because social housing, which is needed by people on low incomes, was sold off by Thatcher. And now it is being suggested again, so the little social housing we have left should be sold too apparently.

Because of the geography and economic history of Cornwall there is not a lot of big industry/ corporate presence in the county. It has relied on tourism for decades, its not a new thing. I have a holiday let in my garden that has been used for holidays for over 30 years.

The tory paradigm of every man for himself means that now people notice the housing crisis and start blaming individuals rather than their political masters who have created this mess. We need more social housing with fair rents, not less.

The OP didn't choose to sell or rent the house out. She is an ordinary person just trying to get by and enjoy a holiday. There is literally NO excuse for making her feel unwelcome, unsafe or intimidated. Our Government and the richest few in our countrt are so good at pitting the little guy off against the other little guys. It stops us fighting them which is what we should be doing

How is the cleaning going OP? 😄

The housing crisis is caused because social housing, which is needed by people on low incomes, was sold off by Thatcher. And now it is being suggested again, so the little social housing we have left should be sold too apparently.

The housing crisis is happening because there is more of us, we live longer and more of us are single. The sell off doesn't help, but there are many other causes for it. We cannot build our way out of it in a sustainable way. Once you start building Cornwall will turn into any other Costa Tourism.

I agree and that was my point. I did say in my post that it annoys me that we blame each other, when housing inequality has been allowed to brew for ages. This has understandably created issues with local people. I live in a place where properties sit empty for the majority of the year bar a few weeks as they are desirably located and are an 'investment'. I hope the incoming crash corrects that. I am less inclined to be annoyed at BTL and holiday let properties as they are occupied, as long as a good service is provided, but I do think a lot of people don't care much about the service provided.

I did also mention that I feel for her and her situation and that she has been caught in the middle of it. I do think it is fair to say the owner should have done more though. The government have done very little in my opinion too, and keep trying to trap people in bad mortgages in over priced housing, if they are even lucky enough to get that far. It is a mess. I think my post was pretty fair and balanced really, so I'm not sure what you mean.

I have to say though Nahimjustaworm im really glad to see the rhetoric changing in these forums. A couple of years ago it was all bun fighting and now I'm seeing people think 'hang on a minute, the reason we are in this mess is because of policy and government'. They are wise to the divisive propaganda and divide and conquer tactics and it's great.

@Itdoesntreallymatter what's a bad mortgage?

100% contact director of company. Do not be fobbed off.
Instead of febreeze in wd get bi carb of soda and put essential oils in it. This aborbs smell leave overnight then hoover.

Ps i live inna holiday area. Lots of issues re lets at the mo. They cd be winding you up. This is noy your issue.

OP - I was so furious on your behalf that I have emailed the holiday let company and told them to sort it out before they loose business from Mumsnet!

They should be ashamed of themselves.
Someone should be knocking on your door with candles, sprays and flowers for every room!

@justasking111 I had 2 dead 1s in a cupboard they smelt so disgustingly bad
@mumwon I was going to suggest this as I've heard of people grudgingly putting them in hems of a curtain and took ages to find the source whole place stank of rotting fish

This company offered me a marketing job once. So glad I turned it down 🤣