Cottage holiday - Cleanliness

[Spanieljoker]

We have a cottage in the Cotswolds and we had guests staying there. The property is managed by a thirdparty and we had cleaners there staying (4 hours!) and they state they cleaned the property from top to bottom.

The couple left 3 days early because the property was not up to standards…
she claims :

there is lichen on the furniture in the garden

the aga had some dust and one cupboard was dirty (i know this cupboard has chipped paint inside but it was dusted and cleaned) It is an old cottage kitchen and we didn’t renovate

pans with worn nonstick surfaces

floor with paint stains from past decoration

They claim this was too much and they could not have a restful stay and therefore left early?!
I really don’t understand. It is a lovely rural cottage with character. Is this that bad ? It is scaring me and wondering if this business is worth it. If every guest will complain for anything and make our life impossible.

Character means the age of the house.
It doesn't mean paint splattered wooden floors, crap pans, garden chairs with moss on them, dirt and dust etc.

If you are saying these things are true then this is unacceptable. You can't expect guests to pay for sub standard accomodation, it probably spoilt theur holiday. Roll up your sleeves and get it up to standard or don't accept any further guests. Your choice

I have a holiday let snd also use holiday cottages myself. If I arrive at a property and its pristine, not shabby and has been presented well, I tend to overlook any minor negatives. If there’s dust in the kitchen and I can’t sit on the outdoor furniture without risking green stains on my clothes, I’d not be very impressed. It sounds as if your guest found the negatives straight away and then couldn’t see anything but negative. Dust in the kitchen isn’t acceptable nor is unkempt outdoor furniture. Either your cleaners aren’t up to the job or the place is shabby and no amount of cleaning will change that. I suspect somewhere in between.
I’d be pretty mortified if a guest felt they had to leave early and would be wanting to really understand what went wrong and put it right, or stop letting it.
Maybe get some trusted friends to go and stay there and give you some honest feedback.

Some of this is not good if true. A bit of dust on one cupboard etc isnt much of anything. Stain of floor depends, but probably isn't anything to care about.

But either provide good working pans, or don't provide any. And the furniture needs to be maintained to be used immediately, they need checking, cleaning, and storing so they an be used and are clean.

It is pushing it to the limit for leaving conditions, but if someone was planning on cooking a lot and using the outside a lot it would have a bigger impact than some who might just be able to accept it.

Everyone has different standards. My friend has several holiday cottages and they are immaculate. No chipped paint, no lichen on garden furniture. They are all pristine. That is why she gets top price for them and is fully booked year on year. We would complain about the issues you have mentioned as on holiday I expect standards equivalent to my own home I’m afraid.

All of this is about the level of the issue- is there a bit of green on the chairs which isn't an issue or is it impossible to sit on them? Is the cupboard an old one which looks dirty whatever you do?

I have friends in the Air B and B business and they've got out and are back to rentals long-term, as they say it's far too faffy and people complain about everything and want money back.

If they are at the luxury end and paying for a team of cleaners to steam clean and wash down outside furniture every time, buy new pans etc, then fair enough, but that's not 99% of people's own homes, whatever a few mumsnetters can manage in terms of cleanliness. I stayed in an old Air B and B which had an outside area similar to this recently and it wasn't an issue for me that the outside chairs needed a bit of a wipe down, but I see it would be for some. Very different if there's damp indoors or cobwebs or something.

It isn't a great money-spinner for many any more due to cost of cleaners, very high expectations from guests (new teatowels, cleaners for hours a week, replacing any chipped things, 'extras'). Cleaning down outside, inside, replacing whole sets of things...

I've never stayed anywhere that didn't have at least one thing that could have been better, but I've never asked for money back as I'm mostly satisfied, many now travel on the basis they will complain and get some back pretty much every time.

Sorry but I think the market has moved on.
We rented a house on the Isle of Wight a few years ago. It was old, no problem, but it was also grimy and the kitchen had one usable pan in it. It was 4 bedrooms and we went with 3 adult kids and 1 child plus me and Dh. I literally had to go and buy cooking implements and a knife that cut etc etc.
I was taken aback because 20 years ago, id have just packed a box with all that in it. It hadn't really occurred to me how much holiday homes had improved.

OP- I'm not sure if you are aware that there is a quote button on the bottom left of the page. It means that those reading this thread can understand what you are replying to. I can see you have quoted the person, but it means we'd all need to scroll back through pages to find their post, to have any clue what you are replying to.

'Apparently yes' Is one such random reply that I have no idea what the original poster said without scrolling back through multiple posts/pages?

You definitely need to buy new pans. That would be the only not okay from me. I wouldn’t be happy: the rest I could live with easily

good grief, when I go on holiday I expect the place to be MUCH cleaner than my place!!

You have encountered some prissy townie fannies who think smothering everything in Domestos twice a day is the epitome of having high standards. This will happen now and again if you let out a property. Chuck them some money and forget about the whinging prima donnas.

It wouldn't bother me but some people are very insistent all accommodation is totally spotless and 'as new' and you'll just have to take that on the chin. I often notice when looking at airbnb listings that you will see all positive reviews, except for one that says 'It was FILTHY there was DUST on the windowsill and the tiles were grimy' and honestly when I read those I just think 'OK, that's just one of those people' given no one else has complained of it not being clean.

As you have suggested, go back and fix those things and just consider it a learning experience.

Yes that is a bargain. I would notice the pans, but not care about the other things. At a push I might mention privately that they need replacing, I certainly wouldn't to a runner.

Your place sounds great. I’d stay ❤️ who cares about this

With the exception to the paint splatters, the issues you have raised should not be there. Easy to resolve but also easy to not be there in the first place regardless of your standards and what you think is acceptable.

I would NOT want bits on non stick in my food

I'd say just get some new pans in. The rest is absolutely fine especially for that price.

Sounds like a bargain.would definitely stay there for that price.

As most have said, only the pans would piss me off. The rest is easy to ignore or quickly fix yourself. I really wouldn’t be arsed (or likely even notice) dust or dried paint on the floor. They’re clearly finicky.

OP's got a handle on it now though 😀

That's the joy of different opinions

Do you all agree that the cleaners should have visited the guest on the basis of this complain ? It seemed so ridiculous that I didn’t think much of it tbh. Just thinking for the future. The housekeeper told me after a 4 hour clean they would not assist any guest unless there’s a real issue?

Are you saying the cleaners should have gone to your cottage and discussed it all? Yes, if the complaint was raised while they were still there.

Actually, I think you should have if you live in the area. If that's not possible, you can still try to show some good will.

I think that you, in a gesture of good will, should consider some reimbursement of that guest, either a total refund of an offer of a reduction on a future stay (if you make sure the cottage is cleaned and pans etc sorted.)

but are they cleaners or part of the let management system? If I was just employed to clean, then I wouldn't go out to help guests. What exactly is the housekeeper's job?

So you're happy to accept dust?
What about guests with allergies like asthma?

Dust isn't acceptable.