Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How would you leave a villa on holiday

66 replies

Singinginthesnow · 10/08/2022 21:27

So we went on a much needed family holiday. We rented a villa. Haven't done this before so maybe we didn't know what was expected.

So they didn't provide any cleaning supplies just an old broom and dustpan and a mop. No hoover etc.

We bought cleaning supplies, dishwasher tablets, fabric softener and bin bags.

Prior to leaving I cleaned the fridge emptied and washed. I cleaned the stove. No oven. I washed all sides and swept up and stripped all beds and put them in a washing basket and all towels in a separate basket. He charged us 4 euros a towel for the pool. And we obliged and paid

We sweet up and took all rubbish to the communal bin daily.

No rubbish left anywhere.

Anyway. We left him a good review and he left us a bad review as guests saying 1 star for cleanliness! I left it as spotless as possible. 3 cleaning ladies turned up as we where leaving... so not sure why I did as much as I did now. He gave us 2 stars for communication. He whatsapped us twice and I replied within 2 minutes with what he asked for.

And one star for house rules..... his only rules where no bbqs. No towels left by the pool and general tidiness

Are we awful guests? We will struggle to rent through the site again now as their reviews are public. I left him a glowing review even though we weren't 100% happy with what was supplied.

Are we absolutely filthy people? Or did we do the norm?
Just to reiterate we didn't leave any rubbish and we sweet tidied and mopped before we left. Nothing left by the pool etc

OP posts:
MoonlightMedicine · 10/08/2022 21:30

Could he have confused you with another guest?? I'd have to contact him and ask for clarification!

Discovereads · 10/08/2022 21:30

You did more than the norm. I’ve never washed a fridge or cleaned an oven in a holiday villa.
Can you contest the review with the site management? Did you take photos of the villa as you left it?

underneaththeash · 10/08/2022 21:30

No way would I have done all that on holiday, especially with no cleaning supplies

I would ask the website to remove his review and it was untrue and potentially slanderous. Did you take some photos?

Bien22 · 10/08/2022 21:34

You went above and beyond what I would expect. As PP said, I would ask him for clarification as he may have mixed up reviews if he has multiple properties possibly. Or he might just be a bit of an idiot.,

FlatBottomedGirl · 10/08/2022 21:36

He's either made a mistake or taking the piss. You did more than I've ever done in self catering. I wouldn't clean fridge. I wouldn't make sure all the bins were empty.

Want2beme · 10/08/2022 21:36

I have holiday cottages and don't expect guests to do any cleaning. There's no difference with a villa. It sounds like you left it in a better state than average.

AuntyMabelandPippin · 10/08/2022 21:37

I leave the beds stripped, and the floor brushed. I check the fridge, and wipe it if it needs it. That's it.

Email them and discuss it. They're taking the piss.

Original poster
Singinginthesnow · 10/08/2022 21:40

To be fair we will unlikely use the site again but it is a possibility. More the cheek of it. I whatsapped him and said I ha dleft him a good review but it only shows us the guest review after we left ours. And that I'm not sure what we had done to cause the review. He has completely ignored me. Not the end of the world but was worried he might try to make a claim on insurance we had to take out. Don't know if it would effect us but don't want to pay a premium when not needed.

3 ladies turned up to clean. So I felt a bit silly that I had cleaned. I took photos when we arrived but the cleaners rushed us out of the door as it was 11 am check out.

OP posts:
bloodyunicorns · 10/08/2022 21:42

You went above and beyond! Were there any instructions for what cleaning to do?? And no cleaning products - wtf???

We're in a villa in France. We're paying €150 for cleaning so I'm going to do bugger all. Bins out, recycling done, tidy up, no surface dirt, that's it. Bloody greedy of the owners otherwise.

GoAround · 10/08/2022 21:46

Bizarre. I’d run the dishwasher and take out the bins if the instructions specifically requested it but other than that I’d nothing. Definitely no fridge or hob cleaning. The rental includes professional cleaning hence why cleaners turned up as you were leaving.

DogsDryWineAndCheese · 10/08/2022 21:49

I strip beds, give kitchens and bathrooms a quick wipe up, used towels in bath & give the floor a quick brush.
Sounds like you and I do similar!
The cynic in me would probably put this down to the fact that three cleaners are all trying to justify their hourly rate - it’s very likely they have exaggerated just hour long they were at the property! I wonder if he’s using a new changeover company?

Original poster
Singinginthesnow · 10/08/2022 21:49

Nothing about cleaning. Someone turned up half way through our stay to clean the pool but didn't know anything about it and was a bit apprehensive but let them do the job. Dh checked on them regularly and he was there for 3 hours! We went out in the end. The kids where ready to use the pool. So it changed our plans. Every 3 days he would message to say a gardener would come at 7pm but I never saw them. Just strange. I messaged him when we left thanking him and he said he hoped we would return. But guessing he wanted the good review.

It was a very old a dated house. Beds made creaking noises. Kitchen was very dated as was furniture but the place itself was nice.

He had bottled water and towels locked in cupboards and the first aid kit was empty. One of the rules was to tell him if it was used to restock but the solutions where out of date and no plasters. Ds 9 cut his foot so needed them but had to drive 20 minutes to the pharmacy to get supplies. It was out if the way in the mountains so it was lovely.
He was generous enough to give us a bottle of water when we checked in from his locked stash. Lol because the water was pumped from a well not the mains.

Thinking back he sounds quite stingy and if it was us we would have provided cleaning supplied and maybe a small fruit basket or equivalent and enough drinking water for a day at least. We are in a similar industry but not accommodation.

OP posts:
Original poster
Singinginthesnow · 10/08/2022 21:50

I also emptied the dishwasher and run it on a quick wash empty to be sure.

OP posts:
LadyWithLapdog · 10/08/2022 21:52

150 for cleaning? I remember paying about £40 and still thinking it’s a pisstake (include it in the bloody price, don’t run my nose in it).

OP sounds like you did plenty. Owner is an arsehole.

Original poster
Singinginthesnow · 10/08/2022 21:53

I'm not a domestic godess by any means but I didn't want to leave someone else's place un tidy. Thought we where reasonable. Put me off renting again though! I will forget about itby next week I'm sure. It just pissed me off!

OP posts:
liveforsummer · 10/08/2022 22:04

Possibly the cleaners reported it as worse than it was to get their full fee. Doesn't sound like you left a lot for a team of 3

Original poster
Singinginthesnow · 10/08/2022 22:06

I mean 4 beds needed new sheets and all towels needed replacing. Not that I saw them bring any replacements... maybe I was supposed to wash them all!?

They didn't have a lot of cleaning supplies. I didn't scrub the bathrooms. Just made sure no tooth paste in the sink and toilets where clean.

OP posts:
user1471447863 · 10/08/2022 22:52

What country was this in?
Some countries are a bit wierd about this in that they expect you to leave a place cleaned top to bottom ready for the next guests - despite you paying a cleaning fee.
Cleaning fee should be baked into the price and anything over and above reasonable cleaning is (part) loss of deposit. You can be sure that if you had left it cleaned as though Kim and Aggie had been staying with you you wouldn't have had the cleaning fee refunded.

mondaytosunday · 10/08/2022 22:57

No you aren't supposed to change the sheets, just strip the beds.
Why did you leave a glowing review if it was obviously not that great?

SwedishEdith · 10/08/2022 23:05

I was going to say I hate them itemising the cleaning charge but, we're away now and have just realised I'm glad they are as I know there is no chance of us doing any real cleaning now.

Becky6758 · 10/08/2022 23:18

If you book another place just use a new email address and make another account.

Twiglets1 · 10/08/2022 23:27

You did more than most people would. When we left a holiday lodge a few weeks back all I did was load the dishwasher and clean the kitchen in a basic way. Didn’t strip the beds. We got a 5 star review as guests and the owner said Thank you for leaving it tidy. I did think some people must leave holiday homes in a right state if my efforts were so well received.
Maybe he mixed you up with someone else or maybe he is a bit crazy.

pannikin · 10/08/2022 23:30

He sounds like a dickhead. I would contact the site and explain what you've posted here. If you want to use the site for another holiday, just make a new account.

CelestiaNoctis · 11/08/2022 02:10

I would strip beds, put towels in a pile, sweep and make sure there's nothing left behind and all trash is in the bin and the bins are mostly empty besides maybe a few stray items I find when doing my last look around. Definitely would not wipe it down or use any cloths or sprays once my holiday was at its end. That's what the cleaner is going to do.

MintJulia · 11/08/2022 02:16

You did far more than I would.

I sweep the kitchen floor, make sure the sink, loo and bath/shower are clean and empty the bins. Anything else is the cleaner's job.