AIBU to not let in laws use my villa for free in peak season?

[dilwithvil]

I have a villa in Europe by the beach that I own independently of my husband. It’s effectively a high-end Airbnb in a very popular area and is usually fully booked from mid May until late September. It’s one of my income streams (I’m a SAHM but I manage several investments/assets, and this is part of my income). My husband also earns a very good salary, for full context, but all of “my spending” (coffee with a friend, make up, clothes, dentist) is paid by me from this income. I earn more than my husband.

My in-laws would like to use the villa for a week in peak season for free. My view is that peak season is when the villa earns money. If I block out a week for them, I’m not just “sharing a holiday home”, I’m giving up a week’s rental income.

I’ve said they’re very welcome to use it either in low season, when bookings are much quieter, or at very short notice if a peak-season booking unexpectedly cancels (which almost never happens).

They’re unhappy with this because they want to be able to plan a holiday well in advance, and they don’t want to go in low season because the weather is less reliable. Even if they paid half the market rate this is more than they would usually pay for a holiday, so they don’t want to pay that either.

For context, my parents do occasionally use the villa in peak season. The villa ultimately came from my side of the family (family money/early inheritance), so I don’t really see that as the same thing. Without them, there wouldn’t be a villa in the first place.

Also, while I get on reasonably well with my in-laws, I wouldn’t choose to holiday with them for a week or two, so inviting them while we’re there isn’t really something I want to do either.

AIBU for saying that if they want to use it in peak season, they should either pay the market rate (or even half), or go in low season? Or should family simply be allowed to use it for free regardless of the income I’d be giving up?

It's still cheap for an alleged high end accommodation in an alleged highly desirable European location in high season.

Anyway hope op's come to her senses and is in touch with them as we speak saying of course you can have it for a few days. I'm sure her outfits and lunches won't take too much of a hit.

It doesn't seem that difficult to unpick to me.

In-laws contributed nothing to this asset. They have been offered free luxury accommodation within a particular date range. They said no.

Parents contributed the asset. They have some use of it at more desirable times.

Yes it is a shame really. You'd hope assisting someone to develop income streams and <checks notes> assets would make one generous and kind but clearly not.

Did you not read the part where the parents of op PAID for the villa as part of early inheritance?

Dear mumsnet,
My DH has inherited a holiday home which gives him an income of over £50k a year.
My DPs have asked him if they could have it for a week for free - he already lets his parents have a week for free - but he's told my DPs that they have to pay half the full rate.
I think he's being unfair as we're all family. AIBU?

Mumsnet:
LTB !!!

They want a FORTNIGHT!! Not a few days!!

I completely agree. It is indeed a shitty world when rich people who have been gifted assets behave so ungenerously to their immediate family.

This is why I voted YABU. I was totally on OP’s side until that part.

Crucially, do the in laws know that your parents use it for free?

If OP was working and paying the mortgage and the nursery fees and doing all of the housework you'd think she was abit of a mug. Her contributions are all the housework, the childcare, the roof over their head, her H pays the other bills, all he has to do is go to work, everything else is done by OP. Just because she's found a way of doing that while also having an enjoyable life somehow she's selfish and mean.

No one needs a holiday, if you can't afford a holiday you don't expect your child to pay for one for you. And certainly not your child's wife. People are so entitled "you own something I want so you should share it with me."

'My in-laws would like to use the villa for a week in peak season'

'Dear Mumsnet,
My DH has inherited a holiday home which gives him an income of over £50k a year. His parents gave him the villa as an early inheritance.
My DPs have asked him if they could have it for a fortnight in peak season free of charge - he already lets his parents have a week free of charge - but he's told my DPs that they have to pay half the full rate.
I think he's being unfair as we're all family. AIBU?'

YABU. He'll lose 2 week's peak season rental. His DP are having a week free because they gave him the villa.

Exactly. He's tight, he's selfish, he's horrid. The list would be endless and quite accurate too.

I am surprised so many think she is not being unreasonable. If I were her husband, I would feel incredibly embarrassed over this. Not allowing her in-laws to use the villa for one week in peak time sounds very selfish. Whether she like them or not, they are family by marriage.

Personally I think you are right. Can you offer them a family rate so you still make money and they still get a bargain.

However what they want is you to fund their holiday by losing money and if no one else can see it that way then they are all CF.

If you were that embarrassed, presumably you'd pay your 50% of the villa costs in order to allow them the free holiday. This DH won't.

Where do you get the “very rich” idea from?!?? Have you not read op’s post where she says how much she makes from the rental income? Of which she will have to pay tax, cleaning fees, paying whoever manages the property all the time etc plus the electricity and all the other bills of the villa?!! And on top she’s paying bills for her home that her husband doesn’t have to pay!

op only makes extra £ in peak season not all year round! Even if she got £1000 a week all year round that is only £52,000 a year! Of which ALL the above costs have to come out of it!

But it’s equivalent to giving them £2k. This is op’s job, it’s her income. Why should she loose that sort of money. Friends of ours had a little villa in Spain and although we were good friends and had each as godparents for our kids and still are
good friends we still paid the going rate when we stayed there. It’s a business and an income for them.

Ops family use it for free because they gave it to her.

Inlaws want a free peak week. Not a discounted week or a week at another time.

It’s she sheer grabbiness expectations that puts me firmly on ops side.

She’s offered them a family rate of 50% off and they weren’t happy with it. They want it for nothing and during the school holidays of July and August.

Whereas declaring what you were offered to not to be good enough, demonstrating that beggars can indeed be choosers, and demanding that Op gives up her income stream at peak time is totally reasonable and not selfish at all.

If the husband wanted them have use of the villa on their terms he could cover the reduced cost. He doesn’t want to.

So what if ‘they’re family’? The villa isn’t communal property.

Lets put this correctly

Dear mumsnet,
My DH has inherited a holiday home which is his only source of income while he stays at home and brings up our 3 children and is a SAHM. For clarity, my DH owns our own home outright so I don't have to contribute to any mortgage.
My DPs have asked him if they could have it for a week for free - he already lets his parents have a week for free (but this is because they paid for the holiday home)- but he's told my DPs that they have to pay half the full rate if they wish to stay at peak times as it would be a large loss of earnings, he did however say that they could use it any time in the off peak periods.
I think he's being unfair as we're all family. AIBU?
Mumsnet: Your parents are CF. Have you considered paying for their holiday?

The OP's parents gave the OP the villa, it's her inheritance given early. It has been mentioned many times on the thread. Of course her parents get if for free - they essentially bought it and as the OP has said, it will revert back to them should she die.

Sometimes I don’t understand the double standards on this site.

Here we have an OP being slated for not handing her in-laws a free vacation, at a direct personal cost to her of 2000.

In another thread we have an OP being lauded for her decision to not drive 1 hour to visit her in laws, as the car doesn’t have working air con and there’s no possible work around.

Make it make sense.

I wonder if OP would have had the same reactions if she didn’t disclose that she was wealthy but posted something with the same principles? I don’t think so.

Setting aside whether people think OP should give her in laws this very generous gift, I can’t get over the in-laws cheek!

I can’t imagine embarrassing myself like this over money: I can imagine hoping to be invited to the holiday home but demanding a free week? Never.