Stained Bed Linen

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Morristhedog
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Stained Bed Linen

Post by Morristhedog »

My guests left happily, saying that they had enjoyed the region and their stay, apart from the last three nights when a rave festival had arrived in an adjacent field. About six hundred people in rough vans parked up and played a loud din for the whole weekend. I had said how sorry I was that this had happened. The Gendarmes and local mayor said they could do nothing about the noise and ensuing squalor. The village residents were all very upset by the invasion.

After the guests had left I washed the white things first, but discovered after washing that a new John Lewis duvet was badly stained. I checked the sheet, and found more stains, and then went to the bedroom where they had stripped that bed, and found that the new duvet was also stained. I soaked the Egyptian cotton sheet and duvet cover in Vanish and re-washed them but the stains have remained.

I then noticed when cleaning the bath that the push mechanism plug had been broken. The mechanism from inside the plug was missing.

I wrote to the renters stating that I would be charging for the bed linen and duvet since I cannot use stained linens, and advising them that the plug was broken, and that I would let them know of the cost to repair this. In fact it seems to be a great cost since I need to put in a complete new waste system. I have not told them this yet.

The man wrote back saying the stains were probably from sweat because he had not slept for three nights and needed compensation from me for this. He also said that the plug was not fit for purpose, and he had broken it when it didn't work after he had been standing on it.

He wrote the following end to his reply: -
"Given the huge inconvenience to our holiday caused by 3 days of continuous unacceptable noise from the mass gathering on the land adjacent to your property I feel that your actions in with holding return of our deposit (less cleaning costs) are totally inappropriate. Perhaps we should discuss the compensation that we are due for this?

I will defer leaving an honest and thorough account of our stay on owners direct website until you have reconsidered whether to apply the charges detailed in your email below."

I feel that I am entitled to charge for blood stained bed linens, and for the damaged plug. He had not mentioned that it did not work during his stay, it has always worked, they are standard in France. I have not mentioned how much the plug might be however. Only the replacement cost of bedlinen new on their bed.

He seems to think I am responsible for the illegal festival, and that I should offer him compensation for this. Is this a normal response when someone has damaged items at a property. They plainly knew of the damage they caused, but did not mention it.
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edinburgh
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Post by edinburgh »

I would certainly not appreciate the blackmail, and would instead simply withhold what you need to, and let him do whatever he's doing to do - he's going to bitch about you online anyway, so you might as well pursue the compensation for damage to your property.
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teapot
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Post by teapot »

Make the deductions, Guest in the Inlaws grazed his elbow and slightly blooded the sheet and duvet cover, They got up in the morning and washed both with stain remover. That's real guests with real feelings.

As for the noise tell him to write to the Mairie and chase his compensation as it was nothing to do with you. It wasn't your field you let. I am sure the Mairie will know who's it is and then he can write to the owner.

Black mailer is what should be written on any bad review, keep copies of emails just in case.
Why do these morons get a voice?
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Casscat
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Post by Casscat »

Sorry I've missed a point along the way - are these mysterious but extensive stains sweat or blood?
Morristhedog
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Post by Morristhedog »

The stains seem to me to be blood. The renter suggested if the linen was stained it would be from his sweat. I am sorry if I did not make it clear. It is a reddish brown fluid stain, that is on several places on the duvet cover, splurged on the sheet, and soaked through onto the duvet itself rendering it useless. I haven't even tried to wash the duvet since it needs the laundrette because of its size.
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Post by la vache! »

Blood is easy to remove, I have to do it fairly regularly, and have never charged guests or had to replace bed linen.
K2 mousse, Vanish powder + a 60° wash get rid of blood stains easily.
As for the bath plug mechanism, it is one of those things. I wouldn't have charged for that either. They often go.
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French Cricket
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Post by French Cricket »

Well. I'm going to put another side to the equation.

Stains on bedding are a part of rental life. Destaining sheets is a part of an owner's life. Just read back though the endless threads on here, morristhedog, and you'll see just how inventive we all have to be! It's frustrating, yes, but pretty much any stain can be removed with work and the right formula, especially from white cotton, and personally I would never dream of charging a guest for stained bedding.

As to the music - it's summer. It's France. It's the festival season. Music happens, anywhere, anyhow, in all shapes and sizes. (At least it does round here - it's one of the things that I love about it. Dordogne is possibly less anarchic :lol: ). There can be little noisier than an 'official' village fête with obligatory 1970s disco playing at full decibel level.

I think what's happened here is that your guest - who was apparently happy when he left - has been upset by being charged for the bedding and for the plug (charging for a plug? What's that about?), and has retaliated. This might sound harsh but I can't say I really blame him :?
Morristhedog
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Post by Morristhedog »

The plug is one with a mechanism specific to the waste system installed in the bath. I went to La Peyre this morning but they do not stock that type any more. The bath is a year old. I went to Leroy Merlin but they pointed out that I would have to buy the whole waste fitting in order to get a new plug. As yet I have not found a supplier with this particular system, but I will speak with the manufacturer tomorrow. Until I find a replacement the bath cannot be used and new people are due in next week.

I am sure blood may have come off sheets, I have washed the items twice at 60 degrees and they have been soaked in vanish as per instructions. The stains, whatever they are, are exactly the same as they were originally.

I would much prefer that the stains came out, but they are not coming out.
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Nemo
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Post by Nemo »

I think it's certainly worth looking back at the many stained linen threads to see if they can be salvaged. Sometimes washing at high temp is not the best thing as it can set the stain in, but there are lots of options to try before you give up.

It's a shame the plug is so specific and potentially difficult to replace; ideally in a rental property you want easy to find replacement parts, as accidents will happen.

The guests were upset by the music; not at all your fault but nevertheless it spoiled their holiday. I certainly wouldn't offer compensation but I wouldn't be upsetting him further by retaining some deposit. I'm with FC on this one.
Morristhedog
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Post by Morristhedog »

I now have a further mail from the renter. I live on site in an apartment in a barn. The house is separate. I visit the site each day to test the pool and water the plants, usually when the guests are out. The guests sometimes speak to me, and often ignore me, which suits me fine. I am in his mail accused of overseeing his holiday. They continually called up on me and I responded, I thought positively, providing directions, etc. and later information about the terribly noisy none stop Festival din that carried for miles.
This is the latest letter. Frankly stating that the house smells is ludicrous. It has been let all summer and my dog has not been in it since last June. No other guest has said such a thing.
I sent photographs of the stains to them.

"You appear determined to retain the deposit money. I will conclude with the following points:

1. You are renting a holiday home. I can imagine you will have many unhappy guests in the future if you continue to apply this protocol. White linen certainly does not seem a sensible choice. Furthermore it seems that we must take your word for it that the sheets were not stained prior to our arrival.

2. The plug was not damaged by standing on it. I was merely highlighting its susceptibility to damage given its extremely fragile construction. When removing the plug to let the water out of the bath it became separated. On previous occasions we were lucky that the separation occurred without the lower portion escaping down the waste pipe. I highly recommend not to replace with the same plug to avoid a repeat scenario.

3. Your advert makes no reference to the fact that you live in the property. When renting a property it is normal to expect to have exclusive use without the owner 'overseeing' the holiday. I suggest that you make this abundantly clear so that future guests do not feel misled.

4. If you keep animals in the property outside of rental periods you should clearly state this. The odour in the lounge is undisputedly that of your dog and less than welcoming to guests.

I will ensure that my review on Owners Direct website is purely factual."
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Morristhedog
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Post by Morristhedog »

I wondered Nemo, if my first wash, before I know of the stains, did in fact fix the stain, as you suggest. But I do not examine the laundry, I wash it. I would have thought they might have said something, or cleaned it themselves.

The stains have been soaked washed scrubbed and remain stubborn. I feel entirely justified in claiming for the damage. Currently they are suggesting that the stains were there before they came?

The plug is a plug. I do not think it more fragile than any other plug, it is just what was supplied with the bath. I doubt anyone supplies a plug destined to fail. Surely consumers buy baths with very little interest in the plug mechanism, it is a small part of life and has always worked fine.
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Post by Hells Bells »

I think all laundry should be examined before washing. That way any stains can be treated before. Blood is easily removed by soaking in cold salty water, as any teenage girl with a period should know. Follow with a wash in biological powder and you would never know it had been there. However once the stain has set, you will be very lucky to remove it as the protein in the blood will still be there after a hot wash.
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Post by Hells Bells »

Surely consumers buy baths with very little interest in the plug mechanism, it is a small part of life and has always worked fine.
but they do fail, and I am not sure you can say that it was wilful damage.
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French Cricket
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Post by French Cricket »

Morristhedog wrote: But I do not examine the laundry, I wash it.
Then you need to start, Morris. You're a professional now, and that means taking a different approach to things that you may have done all your life. Helen is spot on.

And yes, of course plugs fail. They're consumables, which is why you can buy them separately. It's no big deal. If yours is irreplaceable then it would make sense to change the whole waste unit anyway - it would cost you less than 25 euros. All of this stuff needs to be written into your rental costs - as (if?) you continue renting you'll find that you're replacing endless little things all the time. You can't keep on charging the guests if you want to have a business. Your guest has said it all:
You are renting a holiday home. I can imagine you will have many unhappy guests in the future if you continue to apply this protocol.
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Post by lorca »

MTD - I can only agree with what others have said

You will get plenty of soiled linen - the vast majority will either be because your guests have used a product they're unused to (eg sunscreen) and have no idea that it will cause problems, or due to normal bodily, um...excretions... which cannot be helped. I could spell out examples of the latter but I'm sure I don't need to - but to be clear I'm not talking about an illness of any sort. I certainly wouldn't charge for any of these sort of stains. But as owners we DO have to expect them to happen and learn how to deal with them.

It is not a good idea to supply appliances that are in any way out of the ordinary without supplying VERY clear instructions re how to use them (if necessary in several languages) right next to the appliance in question. Personally I've just come back from a short stay in a very nice hotel with a shower of such high-tech sophistication that I was terrified to use it. On the first night I manged to wash my feet, the next morning I asked reception for a lesson. Don't do this to your guests - it won't be their fault if it gets broken.

We have fiestas in our village that go on for 3 days until seven or eight in the morning. We usually know when they're happening and make sure guests know about them when they enquire. Most carry on to book. But occasionally they happen with little warning (it's the Spanish way...). OK this is beyond our control and not our responsibility. Nonetheless, we'll always contact the guests (we're on site or very near) to explain. The same goes for anything else that may happen - eg power or water cuts. They may not be our responsibility, but we do what we can to lessen the impact on them.

Your guests are not the enemy. On the whole they're just decent, ordinary people wanting a hassle-free holiday.
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