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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Being asked to strip beds in holiday cottage

380 replies

librarian55 · 09/03/2023 16:29

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.

OP posts:
ItsHannahBackwards · 09/03/2023 20:41

bellac11 · 09/03/2023 20:36

Hopefully its clearly stated on your airbnb/holiday cottage website page?

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Of course.

We’re always booked up and get a lot of repeat bookings so obviously some people don’t mind.

Abracadabra12345 · 09/03/2023 20:41

Porkandbeans1 · 09/03/2023 18:22

I'll just add this to the list of why I would rather stay in a hotel. Hotels are cheaper and far better value in my experience. I'd rather stay in a premier Inn than most airbnbs. And they have Aircon in the summer.

We’re going abroad for our family holiday and I couldn’t get the right kind of holiday apartment so booked hotel rooms. I’m now glad I did: this brought back memories of the stress of keeping everything pristine and the time spent cleaning on our final morning when we already had to check out early. The hotel this year allows early check in, late checkout, luggage storage and has over 2000 glowing reviews. And I cleaning! We always leave everything tidy with towels folded in the bathroom but don’t strip beds because I think it’s helpful surely to quickly check for any stains? Plus..,I’m on holiday.

I remember a similar thread to this maybe last year, where one pp smugly said how all her family got stuck in cleaning on the final morning (lucky them!) and how one owner rang them to say that it had been left the cleanest it had ever been after checkout. PP was very proud. Whereas I thought - why?! What a horrible way to end a lovely stay and poor family who probably had to go along with it

newtowelsplease · 09/03/2023 20:48

I sometimes strip beds but never if I'm specifically asked to. Think it's bloody cheeky with what they charge.

Twiglets1 · 09/03/2023 21:00

DragonflyLady · 09/03/2023 20:24

Because I’m surprised that people don’t do that. Not sure my exclamation mark actually warranted a snooty remark, but there you go.

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There you go!

Maedan · 09/03/2023 21:13

No I never would whether they ask or not, that's what I'm paying them to do. I don't cook my own breakfast either.

lurchermummy · 09/03/2023 21:22

Leaving a holiday cottage clean and tidy and professionally cleaning it for the next guest are poles apart. A full proper clean of a rental takes hours - if you have guests leaving at 10.00 (and often late) and another lot arriving at four (and often requesting early check in) it's not a lot of time to fully clean the kitchen (including oven, fridge, dishwasher) and bathrooms as well as dust, hoover, check light bulbs, test fire alarms, etc etc. If guests do little things like empty food out of the fridge and strip the beds it just helps the cleaner - who is usually not the property owner but someone being paid £12 an hour. Cleaning holiday cottages is hard work - I know because I've done it.

Blossomtoes · 09/03/2023 22:10

Maedan · 09/03/2023 21:13

No I never would whether they ask or not, that's what I'm paying them to do. I don't cook my own breakfast either.

Then who does? Holiday cottages tend not to have staff.

Feelinglikeihadaboringnight · 10/03/2023 01:13

Mirabai · 09/03/2023 19:51

@WombatChocolate

Regular holiday let customers know it’s fairly standard to be asked to strip the beds or empty the bins before leaving. <>

Some people seem to think holiday cottages and houses are hotels with a daily maid - someone who will do the washing up and throughly clear up after you leave a big mess. That really isn’t the deal.

You’re talking about the very bottom of the market.

Most mid market and above holiday lets employ cleaners (if they are not cleaned by the owner) who clean before and after each booking. Cleaning fees are often displayed these days for clarity.

The Landmark Trust ask people to strip the beds and they’re top of the market.

Feelinglikeihadaboringnight · 10/03/2023 01:22

SirVixofVixHall · 09/03/2023 17:58

Yes, the Landmark Trust trained me to always strip beds too.
This recent place asking us not to, came as a surprise for that reason.

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Really!
Everywhere we ve stayed have asked. We stayed at Goddards in January and
they asked so it’s not a recent policy change

Maybe the cleaner where you stayed prefers to do it themselves.

maranella · 10/03/2023 07:32

lieselotte · 09/03/2023 18:20

What people often do t realise is the massive shortage of cleaners in holiday areas

Oh dear, then the second home owners might have to do some work themselves.

Exactly! And I don't see how this is the guest's problem. You charge accordingly for your accommodation and cleaning, the guest either pays that price or they don't stay there. The logistics of getting a cleaner or doing the cleaning yourself are nothing to do with the guest.

Swiftswatch · 10/03/2023 07:40

I hate this. It was never a thing before covid, it seemed to be one of those ‘temporary’ covid mitigating strategies that stuck around, along with a later check in and earlier check out. It financially benefits the business so why would they go back.

I used to always chose airbnbs but now I look for hotels, I’m not going to pay a lot for the stay plus a cleaning and service fee but be expected to do some of the work myself anyway.

londonrach · 10/03/2023 07:46

It's pretty standard to strip the beds in holiday cottages. Even pre covid x

Annasass · 10/03/2023 07:55

I stayed at 2 different places in Wales a few years ago & they asked me to strip the beds & wipe everything down. There was something that looked like piss stains on the quilt at one place. That’s taking the piss. On the other I’d paid a £35 cleaning fee.

JustLikeAStatue · 10/03/2023 08:02

When I go to Northumberland to visit family I use this booking company.

Never been asked to strip a bed ..... and I definitely wouldn't consider it when I'm paying £2k for a week in August.

Delatron · 10/03/2023 08:17

It’s not standard- just many people get some kind of weird sense of pride doing it.

Annoyingly the demands have increased since Covid (plus the early check in)

JMSA · 10/03/2023 08:19

It takes minutes to do and helps the cleaner out. I've never had a problem with it.

Mirabai · 10/03/2023 08:21

Feelinglikeihadaboringnight · 10/03/2023 01:13

The Landmark Trust ask people to strip the beds and they’re top of the market.

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Nowhere near the top of the market. They’re historic slightly uncomfortable properties for those looking for a period experience - their properties range considerably in size, price and grandeur. The smaller properties are generally lower end of the mid market in terms of price.

mydogisthebest · 10/03/2023 09:58

I have always stripped beds in holiday lets unless asked not to. I usually do in hotels too.

Me and DH always make sure places we have stayed are clean and tidy when we leave. Often the owners have commented how immaculate we have left them

Having cleaned hotels and holiday homes in the past I do anything I can to help the cleaners. Far too many people leave a place like a pig sty. I was often amazed at just how untidy or dirty someone could make a room/cottage in such a short time.

Posters going on about not doing chores on holiday make me laugh. It's hardly chores is it?

Also OP moaning about having to strip the beds AND leave by 10am. Good grief it's not like they asked you to leave at 8am

mydogisthebest · 10/03/2023 10:09

We would never leave stuff in a dishwasher either. If we have breakfast on the last morning we wash up by hand. Not a big deal.

Delatron · 10/03/2023 10:42

Cleaning for a good hour plus - having to get up early to do this - including stripping beds- is doing chores! I mean fill your boots if you like it, as some on here seem to enjoy and take pride in cleaning the whole place. But for many it does take the edge off the last day of the holiday. It’s also not something that’s on the men’s mind I find so just more shit for women to do…

When you’ve paid £££ to stay there, I want a holiday not same shit different place.

Catinabeanbag · 10/03/2023 10:48

Eight of us in a cottage in cornwall last year - we were asked to strip the beds, put all the laundry and towels in the laundry bags provided and leave them in the porch. No problem. It was a big place, and stripping three doubles and two singles takes time.

I went on retreat to a monastery last year and not only were we asked to strip the bed before leaving, but make it up for the next person as well. Don't mind in the least doing that. Pay it forward.

Whowhatwherewhenwhy1 · 10/03/2023 10:56

I don’t go on holiday to pay a cleaning fee and clean up myself. With small children its hard enough to get out at stupid oclock in the morning on the last day never mind doing the cleaning which i have already paid a hefty fee for someone else to do. We now own a holiday home instead and no never loan or let anyone else use it as we have it as a home from home.

NeverApologiseNeverExplain · 10/03/2023 11:05

Catinabeanbag · 10/03/2023 10:48

Eight of us in a cottage in cornwall last year - we were asked to strip the beds, put all the laundry and towels in the laundry bags provided and leave them in the porch. No problem. It was a big place, and stripping three doubles and two singles takes time.

I went on retreat to a monastery last year and not only were we asked to strip the bed before leaving, but make it up for the next person as well. Don't mind in the least doing that. Pay it forward.

Other than the fact that you are sleeping in a bed owned by someone else I am struggling to think of much in common between a retreat in a monastery and a stay in a holiday cottage!

We'll have someone on next telling us it's fine because they had to strip their own beds in prison!

Catinabeanbag · 10/03/2023 11:17

@NeverApologiseNeverExplain well I suppose it was a 'holiday' of sorts. We were paying to be there, so it's the same principle - to help their cleaners.

Movinghouseatlast · 10/03/2023 11:17

During Covid it was actually one of the protocols recommended by Visit England, along with not leaving unwrapped tea and coffee and food - I used to leave cake on a cake stand and had to buy boxes to put it in instead for example.

I no longer ask people to strip the bed but I'm surprised and delighted when people do.

Just on cleaning fees, a lot of owners use them to make the cost of a short break viable, not to actually cover the cost of cleaning. If do a 2 night stay then my £30 cleaning fee makes it just about worth it. If I was paying a cleaner and for laundry it would cost £78 for my one bed cottage.