How would you leave a self-catering house?

[Littlechickenhead]

For transparency, I manage a holiday let (it’s not my house, it belongs to a company) and I’m trying to work out if I’m being unreasonable in applying an additional cleaning charge for some guests. I’m relatively new to doing this so still finding my way.

I’ve regularly stayed in SC over the years and I would always strip beds and leave sheets in a pile next to towels in the bathroom, wipe down surfaces, get rid of food, put the dishwasher on, put the rubbish out etc.

The guests left a mountain of 15 open bin bags in the garden which had nappies, food containers, general rubbish, food waste. Despite instructions, they’d left all the food waste outside so foxes got at it which meant I had to spend 30 mins litter picking all around the house. One bin was completely full of bottles and too heavy to lift. The oven is going to require a professional clean, the fridge and freezer were filthy, there were spills of food/drink everywhere (floors and furniture), blood on the sheets and mattress protectors and dirty dishes in the sink. The cleaning company were (rightly, imo) pissed off. They’re extremely conscientious and do a fantastic job.

The same family have booked in again for next year.

I am tempted to chalk the last one up as experience but ask the agent to apply an additional cleaning charge for their next stay.

Is this really how families expect to leave a holiday let? Or am I being a bit precious and if you pay then you should be allowed to leave it how you want? The thing that keeps nagging at me is that they surely wouldn’t have left their own home like that.

I wouldn't be stripping beds. I would leave it in the standard I would leave hotel.

Bins all placed neatly. Towels in the bath. Would wash all dishes.

I don't strip beds. I empty and clean fridge and freezer, do all washing up and leave everything wiped down. I would empty bins.
As far as I'm concerned I pay for the use of the property which includes a cleaning fee so I'll leave it in decent condition but i don't clean

I just treat it like a hotel. Wouldn't wipe down surfaces, strip beds or take bins out, but equally I wouldn't chuck nappies and food out the window.

But I'd try and clean the oven if I'd fucked it up that much

The instructions about the rubbish are very explicit precisely because we’re in a rural location. We even say in the guide that if guests have rubbish which won’t fit in the bins we can collect it it they text us.

When I say family, I think this was an extended family, I.e. grandparents, parents, kids.

The bedding thing isn’t a particularly big deal, just in my experience so far the majority of guests have stripped the beds.

What do the booking instructions state the occupants have to do?

Are they required to strip beds? If not, then you can't expect it as standard. It's a nice bonus if they do.

Is there a secure place for rubbish to be put? 15 bin bags is a lot, but how many people can stay in there for Christmas / New Year? Is there sufficient space for this volume of waste to be stored until changeover day? If not, it needs to be provided if you know there's a problem.

Bodily fluids on bedding is a nuisance, but par for the course - periods and flooding, picking at spots or scabs, scratches - let alone semen, urine etc are something I would expect to be dealing with in a bed. And I'd expect an experienced cleaning crew to be more than familiar with this and be prepared for it.

Dirty washing up in the sink - again, what are they required to do? Can occupants leave a full but clean dishwasher (i.e. run it as they leave)? Or does it all have to be cleaned and put away with all surfaces cleaned down?

I agree that I'd not accept another booking, but I'd also be looking at my own instructions and whether they were reasonable and whether they could actually be complied with.

Towels in the bath, pots washed, sides wiped and generally tidied - any spillages wiped etc. I probably wouldn’t strip the beds but if there was any staining I would. Bathroom left free of stains or mess.

I’d hoover if it looked like it needed it, but if I only usually stay a weekend and it doesn’t get that messy.

I’d assume the cleaners would be hoovering, changing the beds and giving the kitchen and bathroom a proper clean.

I’d be mortified to leave it in the state you describe and wouldn’t accept another booking from those guests.

We always leave places how we found them (as best as we can), usually take bedding off and leave in a pile, never leave washing up and would wipe down all surfaces. Only thing I don’t do is hoover or deep clean the bathroom.

I would cancel their booking or ask for a cleaning deposit (they get it back if left in a good state).

I don't go all out as I assume that most places have a cleaner in between lettings however, that said:
I leave the oven and fridge clean
I wipe over the work surfaces and cooker tops
Floors swept/hoovered and no stains
Towels in shower/bathtub
Pull all bedding back and strip beds if nothing specified
Rubbish baggage up properly and binned or taken away with me

The guests you mentioned sound horrendous and I would refuse their booking.

I’ve never heard of anyone stripping beds, vacuuming or cleaning a fridge in a holiday let. That’s what the cleaning fee is for surely?!? We leave all towels in the bath, make sure all of the dishes are clean and away, all rubbish is in the outside bin and everything was where it was when we arrived. I tend to wipe down the sides as I go anyway but wouldn’t do it specifically to clean before I left. However, it sounds like these people were slobs so I wouldn’t rent to them again.

I don’t strip the beds. That’s beyond usual expectations! I do wipe down bathroom and clean kitchen surfaces etc and check all is tidy and bins emptied.

Wouldn't strip the beds, but all used towels in the bath, kitchen cleaned down, rubbish taken out to communal bins area, fridge and freezer emptied, left a load going in the dishwasher.

Like others have said I'd be inclined to refuse their booking.

I have four holiday lets and probably about one in 10 guests leave it really untidy (bins unemptied, sheets stained, washing up etc), about a third strip the beds (thank you!) and these usually leave it pretty clean and the remainder don’t strip the beds but it’s clean and tidy.

My particular low point was cleaning vomited up super noodles out of the hot tub 🤢

Even Center parcs dont expect beds to be stripped now

I would tell the agent you won't accept the rebook.

That's grim.

I've just left a rental clean, bins empty and beds stripped, vacummed and dishwasher on.

The cleaners can spend the time doing a proper deep clean which is what I expect on arrival.

I’d never considered stripping the beds until I’d read it on MNs a million times. Hopefully I’ve not upset too many owners!

I wouldn’t deep clean as this cleaners should be coming in to do that anyway, but always wash up, wipe all surfaces, empty bins etc.

I’m not sure the blood on the sheets could be helped (depending on how bad it is) but the rest isn’t right at all.

Strip beds

Leave everywhere clean and tidy

Made sure rubbish was correctly bagged or put in recycling

Dishwasher on

Treat it carefully like my own home

I wouldn't have them back OP

We make sure all dishes are washed and away, all rubbish in the right places, all surfaces cleared, beds stripped and linens all piled up near the door, all furniture in the right places etc.

We strip the beds and leave bed linen and towels in a pile, quick hoover, wipe the surfaces, empty the fridge & bins, dishwasher on. A quick going over so it’s tidy. Takes 20 mins or so.

I used to have a holiday cottage and had one family who left it in a state. When they tried to book the following year I said no as they’d left it in a mess. They came back asking for a list, I gave some examples, they said they felt it was reasonable. I wished them well in finding somewhere that matched their standards.

Cancel the booking if you charge an additional fee they will feel justified making even more mess.

Rubbish out properly and all food and stuff taken

Wipe around sinks and loos, kitchen worktops

Pick up large bits on the floor but not hoover unless spilled something

Don't always strip beds but often do, all dirty towels and linen in the bath

All dishes washed and put away unless the dishwasher is running

I follow the T&C's. Self catering abroad when skiing said empty bins, strip beds and mop floors- which we did and didn't pay any additional fees.

Recently stay in Air B&B in Edinburgh. Put bins out as requested, bought my own foil to not dirty the oven/grill, washed and put all utensils, cutlery, plates away etc. Folded additional duvets we needed due to it being absolutely freezing. There were multiple other issues I didn't mention in my review- yet received a scathing review from them saying it was left filthy, we'd moved furniture and left the kitchen covered in crumbs! To say I was shocked is an understatement, considering we used Air BNB for years with brilliant reviews before this one!

I don't strip beds in a hotel/self catering/Air BNB unless its requested. Unless your self catering states that is required- maybe they didn't know? You said you have instructions re the rubbish, THEY didn't follow the T&C's- therefore don't allow them to book next year. Its YOUR property OP. End of IMO!

1. take a security deposit
2. deduct everything extra from that

We try to leave holiday lets spotless.

But some people really have no idea about foxes. Imagine living in a flat or houseshare. Maybe they are flat dwellers

Either strip the beds or at least make them. Clean our fridge and freezer and wipe out, vacuum, wipe down surfaces, run the dishwasher and put clean crockery/utensils away, take all rubbish out. We leave the place so it's easy for the cleaners to get in and do their job properly. I wouldn't rent to these people again.

Same here.
just booked a villa for a week which has a €250 cleaning fee !! Definitely won’t be doing any more than a quick wipe down of the sides, put the dishwasher on and empty the bins when we leave. Plus obviously clean up anything that needs it during our stay.

Tbh I get quite annoyed if they ask for beds to be stripped. They have just had hundreds if not thousands of pounds for a villa, it’s not butlins in the 1970s.