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.

No, nothing’s changed. I think it’s just bad luck and perhaps because it’s low season, it’s a bit cheaper than normal. I’ve been looking after it since last spring and the overwhelming majority of guests have been great. It’s a shame there are a few that aren’t!

Oh, one bizarre thing - we leave a few washing powder tablets and dishwasher tablets in a couple of plastic boxes for guests and they emptied the tablets out so they could pinch the containers! Who knew that a couple of bits of Tupperware was so desirable. 😂

I’ve stayed in static caravans in Europe, we took our own sheets and towels. (Eurocamp).
All dishes had to be washed and put away, showers, toilets, sinks cleaned, work surfaces cleaned, the floors swept and mopped.
Rubbish bagged and tied and put Ito the bin outside.
Other self catering places I strip the beds, leave bedding and towels in the bath, done the dishes, wiped surfaces, clean the sinks and toilet. swept/vacuumed the floors. Rubbish bagged and the bags tied. Taken bottles to the bottle bank if close by otherwise leave them near the rubbish. Usually only a couple of tinnies and a bottle though, we tend to go out for a drink.
takes about half an hour.

How do people take their own sheets to self catering,w hat if your own sheets are for doubles for example but the cottage has a kingsize bed or vice versa

I wont book anywhere that requires this, or towels, or a good house keeping bond

Good OP

Do they treat their own home in this way?

I mean good that you are charging them not the state they left your house in

If there is a cleaning charge then I would leave beds, leave rubbish in the bin, hair in the shower etc. Places we've stayed in the past often have very specific rubbish instructions which we always follow. Was it clear what they should do with rubbish or no instruction? Likewise, if they ask for beds to be stripped then we would do it. One place we stayed in France had no cleaning charge (a refundable deposit if it was left clean) and asked for it to be left as found. I was mopping floors, cleaning shower etc the morning we left! Then as we left, a cleaner arrived! I prefer a cleaning charge to be honest.

I would do what was required in the rental agreement. However in a rental with cleaning included I wouldn’t automatically strip sheets, I’d clear up spills and leave everything clean but I’d expect the cleaners to clean all surfaces and hoover to the standard for the next guest. Damage such as spills on furniture/ carpets are usually chargeable. What were the instructions for the rubbish? Was there adequate facilities for the size of the property? Half the time you arrive to a half full wheelie bin and then what do you do with the rubbish?

When we went with on the Eurocamp holiday we had the option to take our own bedding, inc. a duvet or hire bedding from Eurocamp, Hiring was going to be expensive, staying at six campsites in five countries, each campsite incurred a hiring fee. It was a driving holiday, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and Lake Garda, finally coming home through France. The duvet folded up flat in a bag in the boot, sheets in the bottom of the case, towels rolled up and in the spaces behind the seats.
This was in a two seater sports car by the way.

Each campsite had a laundrette. No bother.

We didn’t stay overnight in Holland, the ferry docked there, we drove to our our first campsite which was in Germany.

I wouldn’t strip a bed.

we stayed somewhere that said washing up shouldn’t be left on the draining board. However there were several mucky items in the cupboard so it meant no one was checking them. I think assuming the last person has cleaned them properly is wrong (same issue at centre parcs).

I would leave a holiday let like this:

Dishwasher running. Bins emptied as instructed. No food left in fridge or freezer.

I wouldn't clean or strip beds.

I don’t think the cleaners are bothered if the beds are stripped. A lot of people seem to do it - in fact, I do it myself if I stay in a self catering. I haven’t specifically asked that guests do it.

Regarding the rubbish, there are separate bins for general and recycling and there have always been clear instructions left along with bin bags. The bins are your typical large round bins with lids (not wheelie bins) and they get emptied after every stay or every week if a guest is staying longer than a week. Much as I’d like to recycle, I’m considering just having one big bin as everyone seems to ignore the instructions anyway!

I believe in France it’s usual to bring your own sheets and towels when self catering? I have a British friend who runs a gîte and she says she thinks it’s annoying for people and provides it for them. I’m not sure I’d be keen on taking a load of towels and sheets on holiday, especially if flying.

I normally strip the beds (unless requested not to), check the bathrooms are in an ok state, put all used towels together, load and run the dishwasher, empty fridge, wipe kitchen surfaces, take bins out. Hoover/sweep any obvious messes.

Its quite stressful trying to do all of this as well as load a car and entertain children/prevent them from making any further mess before a 10am checkout though! Now I’m even more stressed by reading that I’m not supposed to leave anything in the dishwasher!

I’m really hoping that this is made up because if not Op you have been spectacularly unlucky. I’ve been cleaning holiday lets for nearly six years and we have never, ever had a house left in that state, much less it happen twice! Where is your house? Borstal?

I can assure you it’s not made up! As I mentioned before, the majority of guests have been fine apart from the odd breakage so I think we were just unlucky to get two in quick succession. I posted on here to try and get a sense of what people thought was realistic to do when leaving a self catering and it’s been really helpful.

At least it’s been something I have learned from and we’ve made changes to try and prevent future issues.

I hope you’ve banned both parties from any future bookings. Absolutely incredible that anyone would leave someone else’s house looking like that. I hope you told them why too.

We’ve honestly never had a house look as bad as that.