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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Holiday cottage cleaning - is this agent taking the piss?

127 replies

Bunpea · 14/04/2023 20:29

Is this agent taking the piss? I’ve just booked a 2 bedroom holiday cottage for a week in July, in St Ives in Cornwall. £1600. Just spotted in the agent’s fine print that I must “i) on the End Date, remove belongings and refuse from the Property and leave the Property clean and tidy so that the Property is ready for immediate re- occupation“. It’s that last bit that gets me - and there is a threat of retaining my deposit. Checkout by 10:00 is usually a scramble, I expect to wipe surfaces, sweep floor, basic bathroom clean etc but that’s it - always assumed a housekeeper would be in. How clean is the place likely to be when I check in, if it depends on the previous guest? Want to cancel now.

OP posts:
elm26 · 15/04/2023 00:19

That's vile, who's cleaning before you? Just your average Joe? Like me? I take pride in my home and I'm a clean and tidy person but I wouldn't go on holiday to somewhere that hadn't been properly cleaned between guests 🤢

I always strip beds, take rubbish out, make sure there is no dirty dishes etc but that's taking the piss. Glad you cancelled.

JMSA · 15/04/2023 01:04

That is SO bloody cheeky!
Surely they cannot mean that cleaners won't be in. I can't get my head around that. If it's left to guests, there's no guarantee of cleanliness or consistency of standards.

knittingaddict · 15/04/2023 04:41

Rewis · 14/04/2023 22:11

It's been like this on most places I've looked up in the past few years. I just stopped with air bnb, holidays let's, cottages etc. And now go to a hotel. Can't be asked to wake up early and deep clean and pay the premium.

I don't know where you are booking. We've stayed in air bnbs and cottages through agencies (at least twice a year) and have never seen what the op describes.

saltysweet · 15/04/2023 05:29

If you go ahead with the booking, take photos on checkout so you can publicly (just in review section not necessarily sm) dispute them withholding refund if it happens

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 15/04/2023 05:49

faffadoodledo · 14/04/2023 22:03

We have a rule with our holiday let: when people arrive at 3pm on a Friday the place must be as if no one was in the previous week. Not a smear on a mirror, not a hair in a plug hole, not a crumb on a counter or spill in the fridge. Only a professional cleaner can achieve that level of cleanliness

Its just a higher standard as you're paying for it!

Any number of non professionals may do this... But would not want to as they're on holiday!

CrispCleanCotton · 15/04/2023 06:16

We once had to vacuum on arriving at a cottage in Wales, years ago.
wash the sofa loose rug cover and cushions as they were covered in dog hairs.
The bathroom was horrible and we had to lay towels over the quarry tiles in there as they were disgusting, and I didn’t want anyone to walk bare foot over them.
And I looked everywhere, locally to buy a new toilet seat to replace the horrible worn one, that holiday
Complaint emails, of corse , were ignored.

Cuwins · 15/04/2023 06:31

We left a holiday cottage yesterday and like every time we have previously stayed in 1- (about once a year except covid years) the instruction was just to leave it in a decent state (can't remember the exact wording but something similar). It was really clean when we arrived- although I have to say I know we aren't as fussy as some people.
Before we left we tidied up the couple of cupboards/drawers the baby had been rummaging in (pots and pans!), put the dishwasher on and emptied all the bins out to the main bin. No instructions to strip the bed (only time I have come across this was 2021 when extra pro cautions where in place and bedding had to be put in a sealed bag) and it would never occur to me to do that.
Only other thing I did was give the highchair a scrub as toddler is messy!
Otherwise I would clean up spills etc as we went but would expect the cleaner between guests to do any other cleaning.
That wording does seem very strange to me- the bit about being ready for another guest suggests no cleaner in between to me.

Flakjacketon · 15/04/2023 06:49

I once rented a mobile home for a week. When we arrived there was a long list of jobs we had to complete on leaving which included taking everything out of the kitchen cupboards and washing the cupboards and contents

Rosula · 15/04/2023 07:14

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 14/04/2023 23:05

Sounds OK to me, we usually cut the grass, give the fences a quick lick of creosote, re-grout the bathroom tiles (and kitchen - if necessary), make good any loft insulation, rake the gravel drive, and a quick rod of the drains and then make our way home.

I assumed everyone did this, are we being taken for mugs?

You mean you don't give all the upholstery a complete steam clean and rewire the place? It's you taking the owners for mugs!

MrsMontyD · 15/04/2023 07:17

Rosula · 14/04/2023 22:31

Try Aspects in St Ives. We've booked with them a few times without problems.

Me too.

Rosula · 15/04/2023 07:17

OP, did you tell the agents why you cancelled? If by any chance they don't mean that phrase to imply what it does, they might as well know they are putting potential bookings off.

red78hot · 15/04/2023 07:42

I would be cancelling and asking for a full refund stating that I'm not happy that I'm renting a cottage that will not have been properly cleaned if they expect the previous guests to clean.
Sweeping up and a wipe down and emptying bins is one thing but a thorough clean should be done by a cleaner or owners.

LlynTegid · 15/04/2023 07:56

Good of you to cancel.

If the government is genuinely wanting to regulate holiday/short-term lets (i.e. not an announcement just before local elections to try and get votes), then there must be laws that outlaw some of the unreasonable or unachievable conditions for those that are being let.

Sworntofun · 15/04/2023 07:56

Surely they don’t mean a full house clean? You couldn’t change the beds for example as you wouldn’t have the new bed linen and towels. I think it’s reasonable to ask you to wipe surfaces, empty bins and strip the bed but that’s all. I rent a lodge in the Lake District ( at nothing like those prices!!! That’s crazy) and I wouldn’t expect a full clean, that’s my job. If so they’re CFs. I pay professional cleaners to turn the lodge around for future guests as I don’t live locally. I’d be interested to know which agency too as I rent with one and they take the piss out if owners too with all their charges. I’d seriously consider cancelling if you have to do a full clean. At what they’re charging they have more than enough to use a professional cleaner. You’d effectively have to use the last afternoon or night to do the cleaning. Not fair!

BrandNewBicep · 15/04/2023 08:09

I would also recommend Aspects and St Ives Holidays - both have been really good.

Original poster
Bunpea · 15/04/2023 08:30

Thank you. Am looking at them now. Think I have found one I like.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bunpea · 15/04/2023 08:35

Thank you. Have booked now thru Aspects. Website and listings certainly seem professional, and I know the cottage is in a perfect spot, so I hope for the best.

OP posts:
Luredbyapomegranate · 15/04/2023 08:38

Cancel it. That’s ridiculous.

Original poster
Bunpea · 15/04/2023 08:38

Rosula · 15/04/2023 07:17

OP, did you tell the agents why you cancelled? If by any chance they don't mean that phrase to imply what it does, they might as well know they are putting potential bookings off.

No I didn’t think to do that. Agree I should have done. The fact they had buried the requirement in their Ts and Cs tells me they think no-one will spot it so they can get away with it.

OP posts:
Luredbyapomegranate · 15/04/2023 08:38

Luredbyapomegranate · 15/04/2023 08:38

Cancel it. That’s ridiculous.

Ha - sorry - didn’t RTFT. Glad you have an alternative.

Original poster
Bunpea · 15/04/2023 08:39

Luredbyapomegranate · 15/04/2023 08:38

Cancel it. That’s ridiculous.

Done

OP posts:
Original poster
Bunpea · 15/04/2023 08:41

MrsMontyD · 15/04/2023 07:17

Me too.

Show quote history

Thank you. Booked!

OP posts:
CwmYoy · 15/04/2023 08:46

A cottage owner tried that on with us after we had arrived.

I told him I didn't do my own housework due to disability and certainly wasn't doing his. If it wasn't included in the price that was his fault and he'd get a stinking review if he tried to keep the deposit.

Bloody cheek.

Original poster
Bunpea · 15/04/2023 08:46

saltysweet · 15/04/2023 05:29

If you go ahead with the booking, take photos on checkout so you can publicly (just in review section not necessarily sm) dispute them withholding refund if it happens

I’m not going ahead. I’ve cancelled and found another cottage with a different agent. I don’t want to risk walking into a holiday cottage that’s not been properly cleaned, nor have to spend the last day of my holiday cleaning. I’m cross this agency hid this extraordinary cleaning onus in their fine print. Do they think their customers are stupid?

OP posts:
gogohmm · 15/04/2023 08:54

Putting your rubbish in the main bin is literally all I expect to do. During covid I did stay at a place you put your sheets into a bag provided and put outside the unit by 9.30am but they didn't ask us to clean (a lot cheaper than that too)

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