To ask why people do this when staying in holiday cottages

[TellerTuesday]

I look after and clean a holiday cottage for a family friend.

I'm having to take an early lunch at the minute while I wait for a friend to come and help me because - for reasons known only to themselves - the guests that have left this morning decided that the massive set of double drawers would be better on the next floor up.

You honestly would not believe how often something like this happens! It's ridiculous!

Once, I walked in to find the dining table and 4 chairs missing from the kitchen, they'd been moved up a tight set of stairs (with a turn) and plonked in the middle of the living room.

Please, please, please if you're staying in a holiday cottage, leave the furniture where you find it.

And if you really can't bear the current arrangement and insist on moving things around..... put them back before you leave!

I've stayed in a couple of places where we were using them for photoshoots. We'd move items around to get a bit of variety, and sometimes we'd forget where things were.

That was a long time ago, I wouldn't do it now 😆

I regularly rent the same cottage - has an amazing garden, and french windows that open out onto it.
the space in the lounge directly in front of the windows is completely empty, it's bizarre. It's my favourite place to sit if it's a bit chilly in the garden - there's a small chair in the bedroom that I always move there so that I can sit & watch the garden and keep an eye on my cat.
I think I mostly remember to return it tot the bedroom.

People like me usually rearrange kitchen cupboards because you usually find them with all the things spread out and no place for the guests to put their own food/stuff. I would put them back if I could remember where they went. Perhaps you could leave a plan or leave empty space for the guests. I can’t remember moving furniture.

My DM does this too - cutlery in one drawer, cooking utensils in another drawer, random things like paper napkins, tablecloth in another. Don't think she bothered to make the drawers in a random state again.

Two years ago we went to a place where is was for 5 people for my parents and myself and only had ONE, yes, ONE wine glass. I went into the town centre, a ten minutes walk from the rental. Went into a charity shop and got 4 glasses for £1.50. They looked neutral and acceptable for the rental. DF commented that owners should check the numbers of items in the kitchen as they get broken, replace. They gave us a £10 M&S gift card as apology.

I think that was the reason why DM moved things about. As one cupboard had two things in it - cheese grater and a teapot. Then another cupboard has the crockery and an empty shelf. Then a few rentals we stayed at had things like vinegar, salt, pepper, dried herbs etc. I think its a mix of the owners and what previous renters left behind.

We stayed in an AirBnB near Richmond last year. I think it was probably new to the market. It was very sparsely furnished. It had a lovely roomy kitchen full of cupboards that were mostly empty. There was one frying pan, one saucepan, three plates, three mugs, one bowl, a couple of glasses, a handful of cutlery and that was it. Not even an oven tray or a bottle opener. No sharp knives, no cookware, etc. Bizarre.

I help a friend look after a holiday cottage. We were there one day when the owner popped in to do something in the kitchen. I asked him where a food shopping delivery would go as there was no cupboard space. He said well there’s plenty of worktop space. There isn’t, actually. And even if there was it still wasn’t ideal.

Reorganising at least some of the kitchen cupboards is often one of the first things I do on holiday., because it’s rare that any cupboards have been left empty for guests to put food away in.

We usually arrive at a SC holiday let with a big shop. I’d rather spend 10 minutes rationalising the cupboards than have all my food out on worktops for a week.

I think as long as people put things back and there’s no damage then what’s the issue

I think as long as people put things back and there’s no damage then what’s the issue

I hate it when they have precisely 4 measly small mugs; when I go away I want big steaming mugs of tea all day, that what being on holiday is for. I don't want to spend the day washing up mugs!

I always give that on my feedback. Please have enough crockery so I'm not washing up all day you Airbnb misers!

In my family that would happen if someone told my teenage son to "take the duvet covers and pillowcases off the beds and put everything in the bath".

Our last holiday cottage specifically asked for all bedding and towels to go in the bath so putting the pillow cases in there would make more sense.

So when do you think the cleaning happens?

Absolutely no issue with that. The issue is that they don't put it back and I turn up single handed to clean and change bedding, I don't have the physical strength to carry extremely heavy furniture up and down staircases on my own

Wherever takes a deposit??

If people move things for their own convenience that's fine, but clearly they should return to the default position.

It's just like cleaning, you should leave reasonable clean and tidy, even if there is a non negotiable cleaning fee.

Never moved furniture and I do try and leave the place as clean as I found it. However it baffles me that holiday cottages are so cheap on the cleaning equipment - I’ve stayed in 4 places this year and there has either been no washing up liquid/ bin bags/ kitchen roll/ hand soap/ loo roll or the absolute bare minimum - 4 dishwasher tablets and 2 loo rolls for a week. Surely it’s in the owners and cleaners interest for adequate cleaning supplies and soap to be provided for the place to be left clean!

Fabulous! Did he keep it the same colour? What did the owners say?!

I think the chest of drawers/sideboard being moved was to separate 2 children who didn’t get on and were not used to sleeping next to each other. It should have been taken back though.

What an odd thing to do. Especially if you don't put it back.

I just make do in holiday cottages. I'm on holiday, not setting up home.

Why isn’t it put into the contract with photos so that if all isn’t correct extra charges can be asked for?

I've never moved furniture but I hate (as in really hate) those "LIVE", "LOVE", "EAT" decor things, so if they're made up of individual letters I always rearrange them (EVIL, VOLE, ATE etc). I know it's really childish but it makes me very happy and apart from that I'm very clean, tidy and well-behaved.

This thread was started by someone who ends up having to move furniture by herself, or has to get help, in addition cleaning the property. I would not feel ‘completely fine’ about that.
So many posts on here suggest that people are forgetting it is not actually their property.

@Nannamia - I do that too! If with friends I like to see how long it takes for them to notice!

I run a holiday cottage and have a small polite notice to say that guests can leave at a specified later time, provided that the beds are stripped, all garbage has been taken out, and the dishwasher has been run. It works every time. In three years the only furniture that was out of place was a garden trestle bench table which I decided to keep where the guests had rearranged it. Sometimes another eye does help but the place should be left exactly as it was when the guests entered the cottage. Cleaning up after people is hard enough without having to move furniture back in place.