AIBU for not replacing a broken wine glass on holiday?

[OtterlyMad]

My DH and I have just spent a week in a rural holiday cottage. We accidentally broke a wine glass while washing up on the last night of our trip, so we messaged the owner the next morning to let them know and apologise for the inconvenience.

After we checked out, we received a text from the owner complaining that it’s the norm to either replace breakages ourselves or leave a £5 note. Is everyone else aware of this “rule”?Because we weren’t! In fairness I don’t think we’ve ever broken anything in a holiday let before so no experience of this situation. Obviously if we’d damaged something big or stained a carpet or whatever then I would expect to reimburse them, but I suppose I assumed that breakages of small/cheap things like glassware, crockery etc. would be super common and therefore factored into the price. It’s also quite difficult to buy a singular wine glass. Would they not care about it matching the rest of their glassware? Or do you think they would expect a whole new set?

It got broken around 11pm and we had to check out before 10am the next morning, so frankly we wouldn’t have had time to buy a replacement even if we’d known that was the expectation. The rule wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the online listing or in the welcome pack. We also don’t tend to carry cash, so as above, couldn’t have left a £5 note even if we’d wanted to. Most irritating of all is that lots of the kitchen sets were already incomplete e.g. there were only 3 wine glasses to begin with (the property is advertised for 4 people). We didn’t mind as it was just the 2 of us, but it’s clear the owners don’t actually check and replace items that get lost/broken… makes me think we just shouldn’t have mentioned it. Too honest for our own good!

I feel guilty as we strive to be excellent guests, but I also think it’s a dumb rule and I’m annoyed that they’ve cast a shadow over our holiday for the sake of a £1.50 glass (especially as we paid over £500 for the cottage).

Did we act unreasonably?

YABU - the owner is right, and you should have carried change on you to leave in case of a breakage.
YANBU - the owner is being petty, a broken glass is normal wear and tear.

As a guest I would replace something if I broke it, or at least apologise and offer to replace it. As an owner though I would just replace it. I broke a cheese grater after a bit of enthusiastic Parmesan grating last year and offered but they declined.
Also if you don't let them know and they discover it they may wonder what else could be missing or broken and be slightly less trusting next time.

It's not someone's home though, it's a business premises. It's more like breaking a glass in a restaurant or hotel.

Nah the person you responded to has got it bang on.

Omg thank you for actually getting the point!! If they’d messaged me and asked me to transfer £5 I would have done it immediately no questions asked, but the insinuation DH and I have made a horrible faux pas by not knowing m this unspoken “rule” is what has rubbed me up the wrong way.

Of course you replace it, I’m quite shocked at the result tbh.

The point is, the owner was unreasonable to expect her to replace it, and by extension, to pay for that replacement.

I think, like OP, I would have felt that it wasn't so much about being asked to replace the glass (although I disagree strongly that she should, because it was probably more than covered in the rental price) as being made to feel gauche.

There's almost the implication that the OP obviously hasn't stayed away from home anywhere, as she didn't 'know' about this unwritten 'rule'.

In fact, it might almost make me feel tempted to say that actually, I'd left £1 to cover the cost- but not say where that £1 coin actually was in the cottage...

As it's "nothing" perhaps the OP should give you the holiday let's bank details so you can pay 😆😆

@AP5Diva

I have stayed in many more than one cottage, but the ones I stay in don’t have IKEA, Argos or charity shop 50p glasses in them.

I'd love to know where all these holiday homes are advertising with their listings saying they don't have cheap glasses!

In the real World, it's luck of the draw as to what quality of cutlery, crockery and glassware. We've stayed in very expensive "high quality" places that were kitted out from Tesco! Likewise, we've stayed in cheap and cheerful with much higher quality stuff.

Never have I ever seen the quality/source of glassware mentioned in the websites/listings!

The price charged is no indicator at all of the likely quality of the glassware!

If I broke something large and/or expensive I'd replace it. Did exactly that earlier this month when I assumed a casserole dish to be suitable for the hob. It wasn't and cracked to the extent that liquid dripped out. Replacement in Pyrex was £15 at the town's general store.

A chipped plate or broken glass is something I'd expect a landlord to accept as wear/tear. We've stayed in the same place on/off over 20+ years and I'm pretty sure the owner has a stock of spare and matching plates, glasses etc in the locked area where linen etc is stored. Crockery etc is mostly IKEA stuff.

You have been entirely reasonable @OtterlyMad.