Would you rent a holiday cottage with a stair lift?

[Lettucelet]

Just that.

Would you rent it if you didn’t need it?

Would it put you off?

Would it be a plus if you were elderly or wanted a family holiday with elderly parents/grandparents?

Why wouldn't I?

My mobility worsens each year and I'd love to try one out.
Wouldn't put me off but I don't have kids.

I have a stairlift ... my GC love it ( as do their dads who all wanted a ride!), but they are deeply disappointed by the lack of speed!! 😀

My Mum had a stairlift and while it was necessary for her it was a pain in the arse for the rest of us trying to squeeze past it and unless I was looking specifically for a holiday cottage with one then yes, it would put me off.
We will be selling her hosue soon and we are trying to decide whether to get rid of it before viewings in case it puts people off

It wouldn't put me off as we have nobility issues but to be honest we tend to look for ground floor accommodation because of this. I'd rather have everything on the one floor and easily accessible that the faff of using a stair lift.
If it was being rented through Sykes Cottages then I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole

Steep, narrow stairs made more narrow by having a stairlift is definitely not a selling point for us. I would also wonder about the overall accessibility of the rest of the property as houses with steep narrow stairs don’t usually have wide landings and doorways etc which may also be needed if someone struggles to climb the stairs.

It would make getting our bags up and downstairs awkward and possibly dangerous depending on the set up.

If you’re serious about having an accessible property there is lots to think about, but for the stairs aspect would a through floor lift work better?

I wouldn't as someone who genuinely needs it might fancy a last minute break and I would feel selfish for booking somewhere with a facility that I didn't require.

It would put me off but mainly because I sometimes have balance issues and having to negotiate a lift at the top of the stairs is a hassle I don’t want on holiday.

I also agree that I would feel a little guilty booking it as someone who needs it would not be able to use it.

And I am heartily ashamed to say it would also depend on the rest of the house. If you bought this house and could not be arsed getting rid of it, but the rest of the house was lovely, then fine. But if the rest of the house looked tired because you couldn’t be arsed getting rid of it, it’s a no.

I think you might also have to benchmark your property against others. If you are going for high-ish end, so people are paying £3k plus for a family of four for a week, I don’t think you’ll get many takers if it obvious you didn’t want to take it out.

I'd want to view the pictures etc and see how it impacts the place, but if it wasn't obstructive/obtrusive, probably be OK with it.

Not sure it's particularly necessary though as lots of modern accommodation, such as converted farm barns etc., often have a downstairs disabled access bedroom and bathroom. In fact there are so many of them, I wonder if it's now a condition of planning permission for new builds/conversions aimed at the holiday home market.

We do a couple of UK holiday home holidays each year and I'd say over the past few years, around half we've used have had an accessible downstairs bedroom/bathroom, but we tend to use purpose built modern holiday homes on farms and other conversions, rather than, say, town centre flats or let out homes in the middle of housing estates as we like the peace and quiet and having a holiday surrounded by working neighbours just doesn't sit well with us, hence we do look for particular kinds of holiday homes, which is perhaps why we often see them with accessible downstairs facilities.

Epic spelling/autocorrect fail

As long as the rest of the place fitted my criteria, it wouldn't bother me on it's own.

If the stairs were narrow and I was going to have to squeeze past it (including with my suitcase at the beginning and end of the week) then I'd probably scroll on unless the rest of the place looked really fab and/or there was nothing else in the area I liked the look of. So, it wouldn't be the end of the world but if I had a choice of a few, then I'd probably go elsewhere.

I once rented a holiday cottage that had a stair gate fixed in position (as in we'd have needed tools to remove it) one of the ones with a small opening in the middle that we had to shimmy through every time we went up or downstairs and lift our suitcases over it! Would have been great if we had a toddler but we didn't so it was a pita. I wasn't on the photographs or mentioned in the listing which annoyed me. I might have booked it anyway (as it was great otherwise) but I'd have liked to know so I could decide for myself.

I don't think it would be a particular selling point as parties where someone had mobility issues would probably search for bungalows.

I'd probably remove it unless you need to keep it for someone in your family who might stay there and needs it.

I’m intrigued by your nobility issues. But on a more serious note, what is wrong with Sykes?

That would be a concern to me too if I was renting a property out. I'd also worry about groups of drunken adults damaging it and themselves.

Would it be an insurance issue do you think?

Wouldn't put me off as they fold up. Its not like you have to squeeze round them.

If you're thinking of putting one in to make it accessible obviously the rest of the cottage needs to be equally accessible.

@Lettucelet
I think this thread would be a lot more useful if you were clear behind the reason for your post - as you've had to respond a couple of times to people that they were making incorrect assumptions .

People may have more specific advice for you if you are the holiday let owner .

And if you are - see my previous post re ensuring the chair is thoroughly inspected in between lets. I am envisaging whole families riding up and down the stairs for the fun of it and someone with a disability coming to harm because of a damaged lift .

Re Sykes Cottages - I can remember the number of threads around lockdown where people who had rented through AirB&B, holiday lettings, Booking etc all got their money back and people who booked with Sykes didn't . They seem very inflexible as a letting agency . I'm sure other people have their own reasons for avoiding .

What a bizzare take. I mean it couldn't just be there to aid accessibility for people renting it

As a former carer for a disabled parent, I remember how hard it was to find holiday cottages suitable for her.

I'd love to see all holiday cottages have basic additions such as a removable ramp to the front door, a stair lift, and some handles in the bathroom.

Eventually my parent needed so much more than that, but I know dozens of people who then could access a cottage. And I'm struggling to think of anyone who couldn't then access it.

Is it just that people don't like the aesthetics of these basic adaptions? Such a shame when it makes such a difference to so many people whose lives already include extra challenges.

If the stairs are narrow, are the upstairs doors wide enough for a wheelchair anyway?

I'm another who would be put off as I'd worry someone with mobility issues was missing out. We've had to look for e.g. restaurants with ground floor seating and loos to accommodate family members so I know how frustrating it can be when something like that makes or breaks your plans.

I don't get it either.

There are lots of people who struggle with stairs but can manage on the flat, especially indoors.

So the house wouldn't be sufficiently adapted for some, but could be enjoyed by far more people than if there were no stairlift.

I was interested to read the posters with respective concerns about depriving someone of the cottage who needed it, and worrying that their children might break it. Good points that I hadn't thought of.

But as for not wanting "old people's home vibes" and the like? Ableism is alive and well! My disabled sibling is 43. I had a friend who became semi-paralyzed when a teenager and another who's never been able to walk. Maybe they should just bugger off to old people's homes?! 😡

If you are booking a cottage because you NEED the stairlift, then the owner has to guarantee that it is in full working order for each party arriving. If it's a very rural location then this could well be tricky if the checks and maintenance has to be done by a specific engineer. And expensive. If you are depending on that lift working, you don't want to run the risk of it breaking down or not working when you get there at 5pm on a Friday and then spending the weekend trying to get it fixed. Wouldn't you just book somewhere all on the level or with downstairs facilities?

If you are booking a cottage because you NEED the stairlift, then the owner has to guarantee that it is in full working order for each party arriving

This is a good point. You need to be a bit careful about this- most mobility equipment that carries someone's weight needs to be tested regularly to ensure it's safe. If it broke down mid stairs I am not sure if you'd be liable as if advertised as a working stair lift you'd have to ensure it was actually in a fit and proper condition.

Also, I’d check whether it’s subject to LOLER, as it’s installed for business purposes.