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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that holiday let owners with 'unusual' house rules should have to make them clear on the advert?

338 replies

bsidecside · 03/08/2022 09:12

We're regular holiday let-stayers as a we have loads of kids (5), and so have seen a variety of 'house rules' over the years. We're currently staying in an otherwise lovely holiday let that has a house rule that 'all refuse and recycling must be removed from the property'. We're not staying very remotely (small town on the coast close to other small towns) so I can't see any 'need' for this rule other than to cut down the cleaning at the end. Having to remove all our litter (which I'm trying to keep on top of as we go) is making me increasingly cross. I'm not saying I definitely wouldn't have booked if we'd seen this rule, but I certainly would have considered other options more carefully first!

Cheer me up with your tales of the weirdest - unexpected - house rules you've come across in a holiday let!

OP posts:
miserablecat · 03/08/2022 09:31

I'd think it was fine to request rubbish removed from inside the house but pretty unusual for them not to have an outside bin. The last air bnb I stayed in didn't even tell you what the deal was, (the bins were in an outside shed and it wasn't obvious which was for rubbish/which for recycling) I had to email to find out what to do.

I can't be dealing with long lists of rules or 100 notices with polite requests on them but a simple guide of what day is bin day/how to dispose of rubbish...along side a few bits of other info is handy.
My pet hate is when a place has a washing machine and washing powder etc and no obvious means of drying clothes.

MistyFuckingQuigley · 03/08/2022 09:32

I mean unless the owner is coming and checking the wheelie bin daily what harm can it do to use it? I suppose they can withhold your deposit?

Original poster
bsidecside · 03/08/2022 09:32

SuperCamp · 03/08/2022 09:29

So are there no wheelie bins?

I recently stayed in a cottage that had a front door in perfect working order, opening on to the high street. A family member was staying across the street. The back door opened on to two sets of steep stone steps and a walk up the back, round the block and back down an alley.

The Handbook demanded that we never use the front door, at all. (We did).

Oooh - that is a 'good' weird rule. Was there any explanation about why you weren't to use the front door? Were they secretly letting the place?!

OP posts:
Original poster
bsidecside · 03/08/2022 09:33

MistyFuckingQuigley · 03/08/2022 09:32

I mean unless the owner is coming and checking the wheelie bin daily what harm can it do to use it? I suppose they can withhold your deposit?

Actually not sure we paid a deposit.

OP posts:
billyt · 03/08/2022 09:34

When we stay at our usual place in Tuscany I do a last morning drive up to the main road where all the bins are with any rubbish we've created.

I do it as more of a favour than a requirement. Takes me ten minutes.

And not generally smelly that is stinks the car out.

Is it such a hardship?

Quia · 03/08/2022 09:37

OverrunWithPigeons · 03/08/2022 09:21

Surely it's standard to empty the bins when leaving a holiday rental?

But it's also standard to provide dustbins and outside recycling bins, which the owners of this property don't do.

Blossomandbee · 03/08/2022 09:37

Could you use a carrier bag and just put it in a public bin every time you go out?

Caravanheaven22 · 03/08/2022 09:38

Having read a few of this type of threads it has hardened my resolve that I am not doing these weird things that make it less of a holiday for us and easier for the renter
Our holiday house is costing a fortune and they can blooming well do some work for it
I am slightly peeved to discover that a house that sleeps 8 ( 4 bed ) has a normal size fridge and one drawer freezer.
But fortunately we didn’t have to pay a deposit

Original poster
bsidecside · 03/08/2022 09:40

Blossomandbee · 03/08/2022 09:37

Could you use a carrier bag and just put it in a public bin every time you go out?

This is what I've been doing. But with a toddler and a bunch of young kids we have our arms very full leaving the house as is. It might in principle seem fairly minor but in practice it's a real faff.

OP posts:
ermagerdabear · 03/08/2022 09:40

That's ridiculous. When I rent a holiday cottage, I will happily empty the inside bins into the outside bins, but there's no way, I'd take the rubbish home with me in the car. The list of local recycling centres and rubbish dumps is pointless too, as a lot of them nowadays require go to be a local resident to use them. Ours won't let you in unless you have a permit or proof that you live there.

illiterato · 03/08/2022 09:40

Issue is you probably need a council tax bill or driving license to use the local tip. We do in our county anyway. Our guests use the wheelie bins. Sometimes we have to go to the tip with extra rubbish/ recycling but it’s just a cost of doing business.

Schooldil3ma · 03/08/2022 09:40

I've never used a holiday let as a family.....are they much cheaper than hotels / caravans etc? As it sounds like you're pretty much expected to carry out all the housework you would ar home. Doesn't sound like much of a holiday 😕

mumda · 03/08/2022 09:40

I'd be asking the local council about it.

I'd assume they are supposed to pay business rates of bin collection and don't want to.

JustLyra · 03/08/2022 09:40

It’s ridiculous when you go somewhere and they have stupid rules that are not on the advert.

We’ve also been somewhere that expects you to take your rubbish home with you. There are no outside bins. Presumably so they avoid a charge for business waste collection. We’re lucky as we were staying near a family member so we could put stuff in their bin, but anyone else would be stuffed as the local tip needs to see something with your address before you’re allowed in.

Its corner cutting, which is ridiculous when prices have boomed.

Though not quite as bad as BIL & SIL - they arrived at their (expensive) holiday cottage and discovered a £1 meter for electric that cost them a fortune they weren’t expecting.

illiterato · 03/08/2022 09:42

Mind you I also don’t require guests to empty the inside bins. I view that as part of the cleaning. My only request is to not leave washing up.

MistyFuckingQuigley · 03/08/2022 09:42

bsidecside · 03/08/2022 09:33

Actually not sure we paid a deposit.

Show quote history

Oh I'd just use the wheelie bin in the garden then, what can they do?

Brigante9 · 03/08/2022 09:44

Thought that was standard? Stayed in a massive house with the entire family and at the end of the stay, my uncle always takes away all of the recycling as stated in the rules. It’s not near a recycling centre so I can understand the cleaners (neighbours) not wanting to schlep it miles away (Lake District)

Original poster
bsidecside · 03/08/2022 09:44

JustLyra · 03/08/2022 09:40

It’s ridiculous when you go somewhere and they have stupid rules that are not on the advert.

We’ve also been somewhere that expects you to take your rubbish home with you. There are no outside bins. Presumably so they avoid a charge for business waste collection. We’re lucky as we were staying near a family member so we could put stuff in their bin, but anyone else would be stuffed as the local tip needs to see something with your address before you’re allowed in.

Its corner cutting, which is ridiculous when prices have boomed.

Though not quite as bad as BIL & SIL - they arrived at their (expensive) holiday cottage and discovered a £1 meter for electric that cost them a fortune they weren’t expecting.

Ouch! yes, fuel is one thing you would expect to be included unless otherwise - very explicitly - stated.

OP posts:
Saltyaire · 03/08/2022 09:44

We had exactly the same thing and had to take our rubbish to the local tip before we left and if we didn’t we would be charged €30!

also, the tip was closed on the day they told us to take it so we had to use google maps to find another tip 5 miles away. It was such a faff and quite stressful.

Squirrelsnut · 03/08/2022 09:44

I just wouldn't it, OP. That's too much.
We had this once, I didn't do it. Everything else was clean and tidy.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 03/08/2022 09:45

@miserablecat , that’s my pet hate, too.

Family sized seaside property in the U.K., no means of drying anything except a washing line. So unless it was exceptional weather, no way to dry soggy beach towels overnight.
I’ve heard that holiday let owners don’t like installing tumble dryers, because tenants put sandy things in which causes breakdowns, but haven’t they heard of heated airers like the Lakeland one? Especially when there’s plenty of room for it.
Just too tight to shell out, IMO.

Mennex · 03/08/2022 09:45

Does it explicitly say you cant use the external rubbish bins? That is ridiculous if so. Id be putting it in the surrounding public rubbish bins and perhaps and resulting complaints from residents will get back to them. I can't believe anyone would expect you to drive to a dump on holiday!

Seriou · 03/08/2022 09:46

No way would I be doing this, and I’d be leaving a stinking review about being asked to.

The thread about cleaning your ABNB, and the early check outs (to allow for cleaning!) puts me right off anyway.

Give me a Premier Inn any day.

Poppyblush · 03/08/2022 09:46

That’s just taking the mickey.

Gaveitall · 03/08/2022 09:46

I think it costs extra to have rubbish & recycling removed from holiday lets.

I think they mightbe pulling a fast one with the local authorities.
A bit naughty really if that’s the case.

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