more a wwyd - cutting holiday short

[Auntieobem]

Am on week long stay in rented house, with elderly mum, dp, dB and nephew and my 2 daughters. Last night was our second night here - first was uneventful. So, kitchen at back with big windows/ doors to garden which leads to public path and beach. Around midnight there's a very bright strobe light shone through kitchen. DB goes outside- its a group of kids. So we try to ignore. Goes on for about 20 minutes. Then there's knocking at front door - noone there. Light appears again and then we hear what we think are stones being thrown at back. Front door then gets kicked and windows knocked on. By now my youngest is terrified, as is my mum. DP and DB follow the kids at front and get abuse shouted at them. DP and DB stay at front door until after 1.30, when it all goes quiet.

We didn't call police, very rural here and assumed that by time they'd arrive it would be over, and that police would escalate

I messaged house owner last night to say we'd be leaving today. We don't feel safe.

This was first time I've spent time with DB and DM in years. So disappointed.

Would you leave? We spent over £1500 on house. What refund (if any?) would you expect?

For goodness sake. She's had an unpleasant experience. You've now posted several times seemingly just to put the boot in.

That doesn't really entitle you to a refund when you haven't actually done anything to try and solve the problem.

And kindly, it's not the homeowners fault your mum was broken into several years ago and is now too anxious to stay.

You don’t have any grounds at all for a refund - save for if it is a persistent, known problem (but how to establish that?). I would have logged with the police and I wouldn’t be leaving.

This was my first thought 😬

Thanks @ilovesooty I certainly don't think it's the homeowners fault at all - all reviews v positive. She's due to call me soon.

If the kids got there then the police could have too

im afraid you should be careful thinking you will get a refund as I can’t see you have any grounds

Those of you who say we were wrong not to call the police- what would you expect the police response to be?

Can you check to see if anywhere else in the area has availability? Seems a shame to cancel the holiday completely.

What on earth are you on about? My Mum paid thr lion's share of the stay. You ate really pretty unpleasant aren't you?

You make light of it go the children and say it's bigger boys and girls being silly so that they are not terrified but you also call the police as that is what they are for!

I would chalk it up to a drunken group of kids partying on the beach, and report it to the homeowner and the Police. But then I'd put it out of my mind and enjoy the rest of the holiday.

We had this once. A load of kids running round the back of the house. It only happened one night. I'd not leave.

I dont think you can expect a refund, the home owner can't control what local kids are doing. But I wouldnt be happy at all staying somewhere where that's happened, I'd have called the police.

This.

I'm also sick of the way that "having anxiety" has become such a thing. It's normal to feel anxious in some situations, but it isn't an illness for the vast majority of people.

Why don't you call the police now to report it, and ask for advice about what to do if you stay another night.

No I'm not unpleasant. I'm just incredulous that it would even enter your head that you would in anyway be entitled to a refund.

Leaving early isn't an issue.

The problem you're going to have in getting a refund is that you have neither contacted the owner nor the police. You may have video of flashing lights and damage to a door. But in the cold light of day these aren't going to add up to much. Your mother's previous experiences aren't relevant to the situation. The one thing that could strengthen you position for a refund, you refuse to do. As a PP has already said, speaking to the police as a non-urgent non-emergency matter might let you know if this is a particular problem in the area.

As things stand, you're leaving early for your own reasons and those reasons for that are nothing to do with the owner therefore a refund isn't relevant.

Re-read any reviews looking for hints of trouble in the past. I think any refund will depend on how desperate the owners are to avoid negative reviews and whether you'll agree not to leave one. Problem is you'd then be potentially passing the problem onto the next holidaymakers.

Why do you think a holiday home owner should lose out because of anti social activity in the area? They are responsible for the property not anything that goes on around it. It is just one of those things, this could happen absolutely anywhere.

Op sounds like your mum won't be able to stay, is there an option for her to go home by train or will you all have to go? It is so unfortunate,

Maybe other guests have used the property as party central and the locals are sending their kids around to get their own back.

Living next to a rental with a constant influx of random guests, some of which may not be well behaved must be hell.

I don’t think you’re overreacting at all. I would be phoning / emailing the owner all day until you get a response. Jesus this is a holiday and you’ve got people throwing stones and kicking the door! Fuck that.

I wouldn’t leave. It might not happen again - you said the first night was quiet so it might be a one off.

id stay and if it happened again I’d call the police.

If you choose to leave that’s up to you, but I’d not expect a refund.

Call the non emergency police, you may need a case number for the refund.

What utter bastards.

I would have called the police.
I wouldn't leave, and I certainly wouldn't expect a refund. It's not the owner's fault the house was targeted by local kids, and they wouldn't be able to get another family in for the rest of the week, so there's no way they should be out of pocket.
I'm surprised you'd sacrifice a holiday over this.

Same