To feel unwelcome in holiday let

[WelshDragonCheese]

Just arrived in a seaside holiday let. We go self catering three times a year and normally collect the keys from a lock box. On this occasion the owner met me there to ‘welcome’ us.
The first thing she said after hello was please leave your shoes outside the flat, i.e. in the communal hall as “we have new flooring”. Then there were some other rules and she left.
I sat down to sign into the WiFi and read the welcome booklet. Again we do this multiple times a year and are used to being left some information about things to visit locally, nearest shop maybe some food menus. The ‘welcome’ book only contained rules about staying such as if you don’t empty the bins we will fine you.
So AIBU to not feel welcome at all and wonder what is wrong with this woman?

I mean it’s hardly the friendliest of welcomes but I couldn’t get upset about it enough to start a post about it. If the accommodation is fine that’s all I’d be worried about.

I wouldn't be happy at leaving my shoes in a communal hall. I would mention that in my review.

Try not to let it spoil your holiday. Some people just have no social skills. And perhaps she is new to hosting and these things will come in time. As long as the flat is as advertised etc. Is it nice? Have a lovely time 😀

"Wonder what is wrong with this woman" is going a bit far surely
Maybe leave feedback on what you think they're missing, it may be that they've just started out. Or maybe there's another folder with the stuff you think you're missing elsewhere?

Stayed somewhere similar. So many rules to follow it would have been exhausting if I’d given a 💩

No way would my shoes be left in a communal hall.

How’s she going to know if you wear shoes indoors? Is she spying on you?

Sounds like this woman is totally unsuited to having a holiday let. Careful, it sounds like she’ll seek to fine you for some minor infraction or other at the drop of a hat.

Shouldn't you be busy getting drunk and just enjoying your holiday rather than worrying about the welcome book

I don’t think it’s that unusual for self catering - most places I’ve stayed at have had rules like no outdoor shoes in living areas and bedrooms, dogs fine downstairs but not upstairs, take your trash out to the wheelie bins when you leave etc. I think self catering used to be a lot more onerous: when we went on holiday as kids, my parents often had to take our own bedsheets and towels and things like bin liners, toilet paper, cleaning supplies etc.

We do a lot of holiday cottages with our dog. Our reaction to places with loads of "do this, don't do that" instructions is to ignore most of them (we leave places clean and tidy) and not return.

With the shoes thing - I'd ignore it.

Ah the reluctant holiday home owner who regards their guests as some sort of unnecessary encumbrance, whilst simultaneously enjoying the rental money.

Thankfully only encountered a couple of these, worst I think was arriving late after a long days travel to our French gite only for the central property owner ( British) to give us a row for the car dislodging the pebbles on the drive when we parked ( this was a parking place). She also accused me of breaking a 1 euro Ikea mug that I found in the back of the cupboard with the handle off and appeared from behind a bush one evening to shout at us for having the temerity to bring out one of the candle holders on the outside bench for some illumination.

A definite pattern is that those doing their own cleaning which I think makes them grumpy and ill disposed towards their paying guests.

Read this with a smile. Yesterday on women's hour on radio 4 they read from a new book set in 1953, the bit being about the rules set in a guest house! It seems a bit similar.

back in the day you'd go away and stay at a b and b and be locked out all day!!! Baths only on certain days. No food in the room. Doors locks at 10pm!

personally I'd live with it and leave an honest review.

btw how can she fine you for not emptying bins?

Get on with enjoying your holiday, empty the bins, leave feedback.

I don’t actually see how she could fine me. Years ago we used to pay a damage deposit but I think they got canned because letters were nit picking and trying to keep them for minor issues.
I am curious about the review system as all the reviews I saw were very good. It will be interesting to see if my honest review gets published on Airbnb.

Honestly just rise above it.

forget the rules, just do what a normal person would do and tidy up after yourself.

enjoy your holiday, it’s cost you enough so make sure you are enjoying yourself and don’t be that weirdo that leaves a bonkers “honest” review

Surely she means no shoes in the property, fair enough. You can still take them off and carry them in. I think a welcome book isnt needed when you have google.

I guess they have had to put rules in place due to some crappy holiday makers. I remember a friend who worked in a hotel, cleaning rooms after they’d been vacated, and some of the stuff she described were unbelievable. Some people do live like pigs unfortunately, and probably carry that over to their holiday lets.

We stayed in a place like this when our insurance company paid for temporary accommodation while our house underwent emergency repairs. The insurers were having to pay ££££ a week for us to stay in a mediocre Airbnb in a humdrum town.

The landlady came to meet us to “welcome” us by barking at us to remove shoes, and then proceeded to tell me off for opening the patio door in an improper way to let the dogs into the garden.

To top it off, the oven was so old all markings on both the function and temperature dials had long been rubbed off, so trying to cook at all was a completely Russian roulette.

We felt so unwelcome, we would have felt less uncomfortable staying in our roofless house. We couldn’t complain at the time because we were literally homeless and we couldn’t risk being told to leave at a moments notice.

I left an honest review, which went down like a bucket of sick, so have always lived in fear of another catastrophe hitting our house and having to ever return there

Anyway, hope your holiday improves

This. And wouldn’t leave my shoes in the communal hall either. Completely unreasonable request.

The welcome book/local info has died really with tripadvisor etc etc on your phone. The shoes thing I'd ignore and I would never stay in a place where you have to meet the owner tbh!