Being asked to strip beds in holiday cottage

[librarian55]

We have just returned from a long weekend in the Lake District which was organised by my DD. We stayed in a very nice cottage. The day before we left, the letting agent texted my DD asking us to leave the place clean and tidy (fair enough, we would do that anyway) but they also asked us to strip the beds. AIBU in thinking this was very cheeky? The cost of cleaning would be included in the rental price and since we were expected to vacate by 10am, we didn't have that much time in the morning. I know it doesn't take much time, but I go on holiday to get away from such chores.

I prefer hotels myself, but now and then if there are a few of us, a holiday let works better. I honestly don't know how you all get up, shower, have breakfast, clean up, strip beds and pirouette around the garden with the rubbish - all before 10 am!

On the rare occasions three or four members of the family have rented a place for a few days, it would be within a two- three hour journey from home. So, (kill me now!) on the night before we are due to leave, we go for an early dinner, or make one, do the clean up, sit around for a bit at leisure, and head home about 8 pm or thereabouts. Much more relaxing and no real rush to do everything when bleary eyed in the morning. We are all adults BTW and we see no advantage in staying till morning. Others might, and be annoyed at having paid for the last night!

But hotels are still the first choice for me.

I've stayed in lots of Airbnbs abroad and cottages in UK. I've never been asked to clean and rarely asked to strip the beds. If asked I would as it only takes a few minutes but I'm lucky enough to be fit and active and appreciate that isn't the case for everyone.
In a past life we did property management abroad and never requested it but was quite happy if people did.
Although I'd never clean I always wash up/ put on the dishwasher, wipe surfaces in the kitchen and generally leave the place tidy ready for easy cleaning. When we did property management it was clear that many people don't do that and feel entitled to leave people's property in a dreadful state because they are on holiday. The tales I could tell!

just checked my next AirBnb booking - check out at 10, check in 4. Guests can of course ask for early check in, but host doesn't need to accommodate. This should leave quite a bit of time for cleaning, consiering I'm being charged 200 eur to clean a 3-bed villa. I certainly don't pay my own cleaner 200 eur per time, and she will strip the beds.

I mostly do weekly cottage stays rather than weekends, sometimes stripping beds is asked, others not. I can't get that worked up about it if it's requested - how long does yanking a sheet off the bed & tipping out the duvet from the cover take?

Plus I occasionally take my own duvet cover because of the cat hair.

how long does yanking a sheet off the bed & tipping out the duvet from the cover take?

Well exactly so why can't the cleaner do it? I am being charged a cleaning fee for their services after all.

In most rural dreams of Scotland there are no more cleaners or any with spare time. It’s not about paying more, it’s sheer availability. Same reason many hotels aren’t serving non residents in their restaurants - not enough staff. Without EU young people non of these services will return to pre-brexit levels.

I agree with you OP, it’s an absolute piss take to charge an extortionate cleaning fee on top of extortionate accommodation fees hiked up for the holidays then expect the place to be pristine and beds stripped. I never leave a mess because I don’t want a bad review, but frankly there’s no way it would ever cost as much as I’m charged to do the amount of cleaning required on these properties after I’ve left. I’ve stopped using self catering now because it feels like a rip off and like I’m paying to do as many chores on holiday as I do at home.

It's not (just) Brexit - the Spanish have the same problem.

To be fair, if I go to a cafe and they expect you to put your used crockery etc on a tray and put it on a rack, I do it. But there again, they don't charge me a cleaning charge!

Pretty standard thing to do in our experience. I never thought of it as being cheeky at all.

Doesn't take long if everyone does their own.

They need to clean the place thoroughly for the next set of guests, normally arriving on the same day.

Went to a lovely airb BnB recently who didn’t even ask us to clean or empty the bins let alone strip the beds. I did leave it clean but went away with a very nice feeling about the place. Left a glowing review and will stay there again.

A holiday should resemble a holiday - especially if you’re paying a fortune for it. Thank goodness some owners recognise that rather than barking ridiculous demands at you.

We are currently staying in the Lake District and came on to do a search as guessed someone had asked a similar question before…

we got here on Friday evening (check in is normally 16:00 - we didn’t get here until 19:00 and are leaving on Tuesday - so just a short 4 night stay before continuing up north for more visiting/holiday.

I was reading the book last night - hadn’t got time before - and was shocked to read that they expect us to do a FULL clean, hoover, strip the beds and clean the bathroom before we leave - with a check out time of 10:00am! What on Earth!!

we always keep things clean, give a wipe around, especially kitchen and bathroom, empty bins, and would definitely clean anywhere that we got mucky etc but a full clean?!!

absolute CF! It isn’t a cheap place at all and we are visiting FIL in a care home two of the days so very limited time for us and I certainly don’t want to use up my holiday time cleaning when they should surely be having cleaners in to do a full clean at the end of anyones stay.

This also makes me realise that if they insist on this for everyone then the previous occupants were the only cleaners before us and it perhaps hasn’t been cleaned as deeply as it should before….

Always do this. Usually the provide a bag. Be less precious

Sorry @Abbimae I don’t understand your reply? You mean they supply a bag for rubbish? Yes there is a bin bag in the bin and happy to clear out rubbish but cleaning the bathroom, hoovering and stripping beds is not what I would expect when you use a holiday rental. Or was it something else you meant?

She meant that most holiday rentals provide a bag for dirty bedding. I’d expect to strip the beds. I wouldn’t expect to Hoover or do any more than wipe the kitchen and bathroom.

If you are told at the time of booking, before you pay, reasonable. Same as you know you will be charged extra for a whole host of things if you self-flaggelate and fly with Ryanair.

Not to be told only when you arrive or even afterwards.

This exactly, holiday lets need to accept covid is over and stop taking the piss.

I really don’t think asking you to strip the beds is taking the piss.

That's not the point though is it. You paid to stay and paid for cleaning. You wouldn't expect to cook your own Breakfast at a b&b.

So why are owners charging guests extortionate cleaning charges is they haven’t actually got enough cleaners and expect guests to do more and more?

In my experience they’re not. The cleaning’s wrapped up in the overall charge.

I worked as a chalet maid doing ski and summer seasons abroad for a good few years and it's almost like it's ingrained in me to strip beds now! No matter where I am. I remember how delighted I felt when someone had done it already as it helped you get through the room that bit quicker.
I even do it in hotels.
Should the OP have been asked? I'm not sure. I don't feel like it's a big deal but clearly others do.

NO NO NO FUCKING WAY I AM STRIPPING BEDS
I am on holidays to get away from the mundane shite that is life, do enough cleaning at home. i am not cleaning when i have paid good money to stay somewhere. Its taking the piss. What's next you go out for diner and your are expected to carry in all the dishes into the kitchen and wash them ? Don't go into the hospitality business and do a half arse job

Really agree with the restaurant analogy. It’s not just stripping the beds - actually if it shows which ones we’ve used then ok ish but to do a full clean including hoovering and bathroom is going far too far IMO. We work so hard all year, this is a break and even then have family responsibilities during that time and the last thing I want to be doing is a whole load of cleaning and at a rush to get out by 10:00 so that they can spend six hours doing what to prepare for the next guests who aren’t allowed in until 16:00!

I know we are privileged to be able to get away at all but it isn’t a small cost and you do expect a bit of service as part of that I would say that was unreasonable?!

Not if you are staying with friends/relatives. When you are paying a lot of money it is a bit of a mickey-take.

However, it doesn't take long. I wouldn't really mind that as long as that was all it was and they didn't expect me to put new bedding on!

There's no way I'd be going round with a hoover or cleaning the place. But I don't make much of a mess in places anyway. If I eg dropped crumbs all over the place then I would sweep/hoover them up, but I wouldn't do a routine clean - that's what I pay the rental fee for.

I don't think it's a new thing...my parents always did this on holiday going back to the 80s. I do it too as I guess I just assumed that's the 'done thing'.

Thinking about it, I agree I dont see why it's particularly necessary but it takes 2 mins so not really a big deal IMO.

In general I wouldn't leave somewhere in a state but wouldn't do any actual cleaning. I'd expect that to be done by the cleaner. So bedding would be one of the few things I'd do.

I guess my thoughts are that even if I cleaned the kitchen I'd still assume they'd have to clean it again. Whereas stripping a bed is actually doing someone a favour. Also everyone can strip their own beds...so a few mins per person for us but might save 10-15 min for the cleaner.