Holiday rental, broken toilet, is this amount of compensation reasonable?

[Abustedflush]

I recently had a 3 night stay in a self catering flat.

On arrival ( around 7pm) we found that the toilet flush was broken, I mean completely broken, and as the cistern was fully enclosed behind tiles, there was no way of flushing the loo.
I reported it straightaway to the 'help' team but nothing could be done that night. So I found a bucket and had to fill it with water from the shower to pour down the pan as and when needed. I had to get up several times in the night to do this for my elderly travelling companion who lacked the physical strength to do this when she needed the loo in the night. I also had to 'flush' the loo for her during the day too. We did go out from about 11am.

When someone did come around the next day, I was told it couldn't be repaired during our stay. They then unlocked a third room, that had an ensuite. So we used that for the rest of our stay. ( the ensuite hadn't been cleaned and toilet was urine splattered - fair enough, as it would have been out of bounds normally)

IABU to request a refund equivelent to one third of the cost i.e. the almost 24 hours when we were without access to a properly flusing loo? The amount I'm requesting is £164 ( the 3 night rental cost £491)

YANBU: it's reasonable amount to request as a working toilet is a basic necessity and you only had access to one for two/thirds of the stay

YABU: stop being so grabby!

What's the point of a help team who can't access a room being unlocked for nearly 24 hours.

I think you're being very reasonable, many people who have had to move to a hotel.

I’d be asking for a 50% refund min - why couldn’t the help team have cleaned the toilet. Nasty.

I think you're being more than generous. Have they offered a refund or any sort of compensation?

I think that's reasonable. I think they should be offering something without you asking tbh.

The owner has refused my suggestion and, so far, has not offered me any refund at all. So it's good to get feedback that I am not being unreasonable.

Agree. They should have cleaned it before allowing use. Also checked the toilet was functional before you arrived.

I'd want half. Also if the flat had been cleaned before you arrived, how did they not know the toilet was broken?

@Clymene my thoughts exactly. The button covering the flush mechanisim was even left on the shelf above the toilet.

Did you book it direct or through a third party (e.g., AirBnB)? If through a third party then escalate it to their customer service team. If direct then remind the owner that you have a legal right to accomodation that is "as described" and is also clean and safe, you would have a strong case at a small claims court - a non-functioning toilet would meet the definition for 'not as described', you could also argue it is unclean and unsafe on hygiene grounds.

@IamAlso4eels Thanks, that's really helpful.It was AirBnb and I haven't involved them yet, but I certainly will if the owner continues to be a wazzock.

Ask for half then when they negotiate go only as low as the figure you initially thought fair.
I have found owners and agencies of holiday let's to be extremely difficult,we were swamped in a cottage in Norfolk once with sewage,our shoes and anything touching the floor ruined,we were refused any alternative accommodation or refunds and again in Wiltshire at the filthy pewsey cottage we were threatened with being sued if we published the really disgusting photos of public hairs in butter on shelves in the fridge...
So good luck!!😀I hope you get at least half back.

Thanks everyone, Just an update, the owner was a wazzock so I went through the Airbnb resolution team, who were very helpful. But I only got their standard refund for the amount of time we had the issue which was 30% refund ( about £124)
they did suggest I ‘went after’ the owner for the remaining money, but I just didn’t have the energy to argue, as life keeps getting in the way. And compared to @KarmaStar it was an annoying inconvenience rather than a really gross situation.Your story sounds really awful.