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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

tobe annoyed that the owner of our self catering cottage turns up an hour and a half early on check out day?

46 replies

NigellaTufnel · 04/07/2009 21:49

Just had a lovely holiday, but when we were doing the frantic packing and cleaning to leave the (incredibly posh) owner turned up at 9am, just to say 'hello and see how we were getting on'.
Why? Why? Why?

OP posts:
Pennies · 04/07/2009 21:54

I hope you handed him a pair of marigolds with a smile and said "not bad, but TBH we need all the help we can get".

Original poster
NigellaTufnel · 04/07/2009 22:04

I should have handed over ds and said 'Can you just keep him entertained while we stripped the beds?'

OP posts:
Mspontipine · 04/07/2009 22:20

I would hate that!!

Earlybird · 04/07/2009 22:27

Did he just hang about for 90 minutes while you worked?

CornishKK · 04/07/2009 22:33

I have a holiday let and would NEVER do this to guests.

Although guests drive me mad by never, ever leaving on time on check out day 30 mins/ an hour OK but a lot of people drag it out longer which gives us bugger all time for the change over before the next guests arrive - usually early.

Meanwhile if you strip the beds Nigella you would be welcome to stay! YANBU.

Is it let through an agency? If so I'd mention it to them.

discoball · 04/07/2009 22:35

Yes, I must admit, I would have found that very irritating! If check out time is 10.30, then the owners should not have turned up until then! He could have followed it up with a phone call to see if you've had a good holiday! We tend to leave all the tidying-up until the last morning and it's all done in a manic last hour!!

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 04/07/2009 22:41

This happened to me once. Posh woman turned up to check what time we were leaving as she had the cleaner coming in.

Then, a week later, I had a letter via the agency as she insisted they write to me and complain that there were grease splatters on the hob and we'd left stuff in the dishwasher.

I imagine holiday lets are sometimes left in a worse condition than that. I think she must have been new to it.

DebInAustria · 04/07/2009 22:43

Being in the business myself, YANBU but it was nice that the owner wanted to see if you'd had a good time. We live on site so we know that time to pop in isn't on the last morning!

DebInAustria · 04/07/2009 22:45

Marymother - you wouldn't believe the mess that some people leave, I have to say that the Austrians and Germans are the cleanest!!

Original poster
NigellaTufnel · 04/07/2009 22:53

It was a bit strange. She basically hung about the property that they owned next door until the housekeeper turned up on the dot of 10.30am.

We could have really done without it, as things always look worst as you are packing to leave. But I'm pleased to say that we finally made it out on time, with washing up done and beds stripped, after having a lot of holidays where we let the time slip.

Can't believe people would make a fuss about cleaning the hob. I can understand about leaving the place tidy, but I'm not going to clean the fridge!

OP posts:
MaryMotherOfCheeses · 04/07/2009 22:56

And then there was the cottage where the owner went through our bin, with me watching, so that he could take out the recycling. And he commented on the wine bottles.

Weirdo.

DebInAustria · 05/07/2009 07:54

Nigella - come to us next time, I LOVE guests who strip the beds

bigchris · 05/07/2009 07:58

you stripped the beds? we nevrr do that

motherbeyond · 05/07/2009 08:15

we stripped the beds and left all towels in the bath,as specified in the manual!..
we were annoyed by something like this too op.as anyone with children knows,every min counts in those situations.we had been told to vacate at 12.30(the mini bus was coming at 2pm to take us to malaga airport)the maids rang the bell at 10.30 and handed us a mobile phone,with the owner telling us we had to be out in 30min!!
well fecked off.i usually leave the place immaculate,but thought sod you..am not emptying the bin,or washing the dishes!!oooh i'm a rebel

also our friends rent apt's in marbella and they say all the rich russians are the worst!!!but they also said they're so loaded that they don't give a stuff what they leave,so a veritable designer treasure chest is to be found on most occasions,channel sunglasses etc ...score!!

mumblechum · 05/07/2009 08:31

Can we have a poll from all you owners on whether yuo expect people to clean the oven out?

I generally give the hob a quick but not 100% perfect scrub but leave the oven shelves etc.

Also I'll sweep/hoover the floor but don't mop kitchen & bathroom floors, don't clean the bath or sink out unless they're noticeably mucky.

Is this generally acceptable?

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 05/07/2009 08:40

I don't do the oven (more than a wipe over).

I strip beds, empty bins, clean kitchen, microwave and wipe out fridge and wipe the bathroom.

Would hoover and sweep but not mop.

purepurple · 05/07/2009 08:41

bugger that mumble, I don't clean the bath when I book a hotel room, so why would I when I book a cottage?
I left it neat and tidy but I would expect not to have to clean it.
That's why they charge such high rentals isnt it?

mumblechum · 05/07/2009 08:47

Good point actually, I've just paid the balance on a 2 bed cottage in Devon. £2,620 for two weeks is comparable to a hotel, isn't it.

Right that's it, no more than a tidy & hoover this time!

BoffinMum · 05/07/2009 08:52

If I know a cleaner is coming in, which let's face it I will have paid for in the letting charge, I just strip beds and do the washing up, while DH empties the bins. I try to get it in a state whereby someone could whizz around in an hour to get it ready for the next people. We are pretty domesticated anyway so this is not usually hard. If a cleaner is not available, then I will get it ready myself to hotel standards.

I have sympathy with landlords as some people live revoltingly, and I have had to clean up after them myself after letting out houses on assured shorthold tenancies. It beggars belief sometimes. I no longer let to single men or bankers, because they were always the worst by a long shot.

That having been said, even I have been accused of being messy, which is always wholly unjustified, and usually only done by people with ridiculous notions of what should be expected and who are far too possessive of their property, i.e. not professional landlords.

thirtypence · 05/07/2009 08:59

I stayed in a lovely cottage that had very strict rules about what you had to do - but the rental for a week doing the tidy was only 3 nights at the full we tidy for you rate. To save 4 nights accommodation charge I will do quite a lot of cleaning.

In the end the owner said if i put a load of sheets in the machine when I got up she would mop the floors. Other than that though I left the place spotless, just like when we arrived. She sent an email and complimented me on my cleaning skills (should frame it).

She gave a realistic check out of 11am though and we only had a short drive home. I may have been able to do less with a longer drive or a 10am checkout.

rookiemater · 05/07/2009 08:59

Goodness, we go self catering a lot and I never do more than the minimum specified in the brochure.

I know they will have a cleaner going round so while we will stick stuff in the dishwasher and strip beds if requested to, I never hoover or clean out the oven or fridge.

I do make a real effort when we do house swaps, I hate the morning when we leave, because I'm not domesticated and worry in case its not up to the standard of our swapees, for our most recent one I know this is true because she brought her own marigolds with her !

DebInAustria · 05/07/2009 13:28

People pay us to do the cleaning so I never expect guests to do it, I do expect the washing up to be done though! The last 2 Mumsnetters we've had stay have left the place clean and tidy as you'd expect!!

gemmummy · 05/07/2009 13:31

where is your cottage deb?

lisad123 · 05/07/2009 13:35

we always make sure allw ashing up in done, beds stripped, hoover and wipe over bathroom. Will clean grill and hob but not oven.

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 05/07/2009 13:38

Can I ask Deb, if paying for cleaning is standard practice in Germany do you know ? We're going to Germany in the summer and I think it said something about 25 euros for cleaning in the contract if I have translated correctly. Does that mean I don't have to worry so much about cleaning as I usually would ? - obviously I'm not planning on leaving it in a complete tip !