AIBU to be a bit taken aback by some of these ‘House Rules’?

[Speckly]

So I’ve booked an Air bnb for a long weekend. Going on this break will be myself (F54) DH (58) and our two DS (29 and 27). Neither of them live with us any longer but will each be meeting us there. In case it’s relevant the price for 3 nights was £346, which I think is a good price. There was no mention of particular rules in their listing (the first image is the list of rules on the actual Air bnb listing) but today (the day before we leave), we were emailed another list of very specific house rules (the second image is the list received from the owner today).
Now obviously we’re going to respect their property and be careful (we always do when we go away), but I do feel like some of these rules are a little bit over the top: Rules 5 and 6 particularly. Out of interest, do you think it’s ok to tell people what they can and can’t cook in the property when they’ve paid to stay there? To not let people cook fish seems unacceptable to me. Personally, I also don’t think it’s acceptable to tell me where in the property I can and can’t eat. Surely as long as I look after the property and it’s left in a good clean condition, I’ve fulfilled my part of the hire contract? I understand the owners want to keep their property in the best condition possible and I will respect their space, but I just feel like I’m not going to relax now and will be overthinking everything we do while we’re there. So AIBU or are these very specific rules a step too far, especially as they weren’t stated upfront?

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It’s not remotely reasonable to tell guests what they can and can’t cook or where they can and can’t eat and drink.

For all the people who think cooking a curry or a piece of fish will apparently ruin a property irreparably with offensive smells, no it won’t. It will be perfectly once the place has been cleaned and aired for the next guests. If they’re not cleaning and airing the property properly, they’re shit hosts.

I’ve stayed in countless holiday lets. I’ve never once stayed in one that had a ‘no curry’ rule, and yet neither have I ever been able to detect even the tiniest hint of a smell of spices ‘clinging to fabrics’ which suggests this very much a non-issue and the hosts are ridiculously uptight. I’ve also stayed in a property on a Hebridean island where the welcome hamper included some kippers - if that property didn’t smell of fish (which it didn’t) I’m pretty sure a cottage isn’t going to stink for months just because someone stuck a salmon fillet in the oven.

Regarding banning dogs from certain parts of the house, it’s reasonable to tell guests that before they book. It’s not reasonable to tell them that only on arrival. If a dog is used to sleeping in the same room as its owner, there’s a good chance it will whine and bark all night if left downstairs alone in an unfamiliar place. If they’re that stressy about dogs, they shouldn’t allow dogs at all.

I rent out my house on Air bnb and have a manual with quite a long list of instructions. Some are more information on how to use things but some are rules and not all dissimilar. I don't tell people what they can or can't cook but once my sister stayed and cooked a very smelly curry that lingered. I don't have back to back bookings though so it's not usually a problem.

To be honest most of my guests have been fantastic and the only ones who have caused issues are friends and family I've let stay!

I didn't have a instruction manual but then found myself repeating info and worrying things might be damaged if I assumed they knew how to use it.

Also the one about dogs upstairs and not allowed on furniture. I bring covers for sofas and for beds because my dog goes where we go and sleeps with us. I would never rent a place with these anti-dog rules. In 40 years of self-catering and 5 different dogs through the years, we have never had a problem. People this picky about dogs should just have a no pet rule.

HRTFT.

What is the point of the rules? If you break them - like staining a surface or getting ketchup on the sofa or they say they can smell kippers - do the owners charge on the basis that there was a rule? Or are they treated as ‘what we’d ideally like you not to do’?

Since they let out their property for money, my view is that all wear and tear and odours are their problem. Obviously breakages and other damage is different - although even then I think they should suck up reasonable breakages.

Seems really petty to me.

The fundamental problem with AirBnb is that the property is often so much more than financial to them. Yes, hotel owners have pride in their establishment, but ultimately it's about profit. If a chair gets damaged, it gets replaced; it had paid for itself over time. But it isn't PERSONAL in the same way.

I just don't think the concept works in some cases. For some owners it is clearly like lending their DH out to accompany single ladies to events.

I would also find this sort of thing very off-putting.Alcatraz regulations vibe rather than a relaxing holidays. If you want to run a business get a suitable insurance and furnishings which are easy to clean and charge an appropriate price.

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Congrats on renting an Airbnb owned by my parents ( only kidding 😆)

Truthfully, I think they sound joyless.
If they don’t want a property to be lived in, don’t put it on Air BnB.

I'm surprised they accepted your booking because according to the first set of rules only dogs can stay there anyway.

All fine in their own home, but they don’t sound as though they should be doing holiday lets.

Tbh I think you are massively overthinking this. Just enjoy your holiday, eat what you want where you want, but treat the property with respect, as I'm sure you would anyway.

Short of rubbing pizza topping into the sofa or bed linen, who's going to know what you were eating and where?

Haven’t RTFT but the name of the cottage/villa is on the list of rules. In case you want to edit it.
The fish and curry rule suggests they’ve maybe had issues with this from previous guests. On the other hand, the vermin and environmental plasterwork comments come across a tad sanctimonious in my opinion.

The owners sound as if they don’t really want anyone in their home at all

That. And the very fact that they'd listed all these rules, would make me nervous that they've going to be ridiculous when I leave.

The 'have a lovely relaxing time' bit at the end made me laugh. The last thing I'd feel I could do after reading that lot, is relax!

I'd be like Hyacinth Bouqet's friend the whole time, terrified and consequently clumsy with the red wine 😱

By the way, I'm a 5* guest with Airbnb, with glowing reviews about how clean I leave anywhere I stay. But you can guarantee that at this one I'd be so terrified, that I'd drop something!

I am amazed such a large number of people find these rules totally acceptable, and conducive to a feeling of welcome and a relaxing atmosphere!
My objections are threefold:

1. Attempting to limit what and where your guests eat is unreasonable - they have booked self catering most probably because they want the flexibility to cook for themselves and eat in relaxed comfort in the property. I would guess that is one of the main reasons people don't choose a hotel!
2. There are a ridiculously odd putting and intimidating number of rules here, when they could mostly be summarises into "please take extra care to keep all surfaces, items in the property clean and undamaged."
3. Nobody who intends to break the majority of these rules, will be deterred by being asked not to. If you are the sort of person who is happy to damage someone else's property, you aren't going to think, "no, actually, better not - they have asked me not to, after all. I didn't think they'd mind, but given that they do....."

If I am ever lucky enough to have a house I can rent out in this way, I think I will just trust to human nature, while also furnishing it with things that look nice but won't cost a fortune to replace if damaged....

Instructions are great. “This is how this works” “If you want to X then it’s best Y”. “”Our 200 year old shed is a bit quirky so you need to …”, etc.
But rules that tell people they can’t do something that many people do in their homes and that you haven’t specified before you accept the booking are not okay.

its also about the tone, though. A big list of nit-picky things is just not very welcoming.

They sent these to your after you’d agreed on the booking. They’re not part of the contract
Irrespective of whether they are reasonable or not they are irrelevant

I wonder if they plan on keeping any deposit you have paid.

You might want to comment back by confirming the date you received these for the first time
i would email back
Dear airbnbhost
Just to confirm this is the first time you have informed us of these rules
Which were received…..(date and time)
Regards
Speckly

That way if they try to charge for smelling the house with fish, they can’t

I bet there’ll be a great big long list of cleaning jobs you’ll need to do on check-out day, with a very early check-out time and you’re probably also paying a big cleaning fee as well.

These are all just common decency, they shouldn’t need to have listed them as it makes it seem a bit much but clearly they have had some poor guests in the past. It also sounds as though it’s not a standard property but more of a heritage, or unique restoration, therefore more difficult to maintain.

Most of these rules are what normal people would do anyway, it’s sad but obviously from experience they have had to spell it out. None seem out of the ordinary (agree that the string smelling good is ridiculous as is eating on the sofa).
I booked a holiday let and there were all these little notes stuck to various things - that really was annoying.

Doing the washing up “ in a timely manner” is a bit much!

What are smelly fish as opposed to fish? I’d definitely cook fish, have my wine and crisps on the sofa and my cup of tea in bed. You didnt agree to their terms on booking and you cant be held to them. Then my review would have a copy of the list and that it was obviously not binding and overall very police like.

I'd break (almost) every rule, then leave the place spotless. Terms disclosed only after the contract has started are not binding, but I'd have more fun dealing with the allegation of 'you cooked smelly fish' or 'you ate on the sofa' when there was no trace. Like, do you wanna confess that you've got spy cameras everywhere now so I can sue you, or are we just gonna play inbox tennis for a bit longer?