Very untidy guest

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debbuck
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Location: york

Very untidy guest

Post by debbuck »

i had guests check in on Saturday, she sent me a message to say they could not get internet and a problem with the freeview channels. I asked if she would like my cleaner to go over to sort it out. My cleaner went today and all sorted. The guests were out, my cleaner said it looked like world war three had broken out, there was stuff all over. Would you say something to the guest.
AndrewH
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Re: Very untidy guest

Post by AndrewH »

debbuck wrote:...Would you say something to the guest.
I think not, debbuck, unless the state of the place is causing damage to your property in some way.
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Cymraes
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Re: Very untidy guest

Post by Cymraes »

debbuck wrote:i had guests check in on Saturday, she sent me a message to say they could not get internet and a problem with the freeview channels. I asked if she would like my cleaner to go over to sort it out. My cleaner went today and all sorted. The guests were out, my cleaner said it looked like world war three had broken out, there was stuff all over. Would you say something to the guest.
Not at this stage - it's how they leave the place that matters. Some people are just untidy!
KathyG
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Post by KathyG »

Yep agree with Cymraes :)
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Joanna
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Post by Joanna »

+1

Untidiness won't do any lasting damage and may actually make it easier for them to scoop up all their stuff at the end of their stay than if it was all put away out of sight.
Jo

Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
Ecosse
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Post by Ecosse »

+2

I have a friend who's incredibly messy... last time I saw her in a holiday let, it looked like she'd been there for 6 months, not 6 days. However, it was all clean the day she left.
Riponnewbie
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Post by Riponnewbie »

It depends on the mess. If they hadn't washed up, left clothes or towels on the floor, bed unmade that is one thing. However, in my recent situation they couldn't be bothered to even close a kitchen drawer or cupboard, they left a bag of frozen oven chips out on the worktop so they defrosted and left a pool of water trickling down the cupboards, spilt stuff all over every surface, stuff literally everywhere. There is being messy and there is being neglectful, and my guests were the latter. They closed the curtains on arrival and never opened them again, they left windows open when it was pouring with rain, the person who booked it was not staying in the cottage so I had no idea who they were. After they left I found bogeys wiped on walls, curry type stains on bedlinen, they'd eaten choc ices in bed, they spilt stuff on curtains, they actually put coasters away in drawers and then put drinks directly onto polished furniture, they spilt a bottle of water on a mahogany chest of drawers and left it, they did some deep frying in a shallow frying pan and splattered a lot of fat up the walls, I could go on and on with the things I found. Mess and neglect are different, and I'd call in and have a look yourself. say you're dropping off a table cloth, or a new can opener, or something similar.
The differences between mess and neglect are subtle but I wish I had gone with my initial gut reaction. Legally, you are perfectly entitled to make an inspection if you have cause for concern. And if you find neglect or damage you can ask them to leave. My guests broke a roman blind, and with retrospect I should have used that as the excuse to immediately get rid. My two lots of guests since have sent me lovely personal messages about the cottage and how much they enjoyed their stay, which helped me feel it was all worthwhile.
Martha
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Post by Martha »

It sounds like you had such a nightmare, Riponnewbie, I do sympathise. What an experience for your first let :(. I'm glad the next two have been better.

In over a decade of letting our place I have regularly seen it in the most frightful states. The first couple of times it did upset me a bit. I'm used to it now though. But it's really, really rare for it to be left in a bad state, (I would say maybe four times ever?) and the worst culprits were not very scruffy during their stay!

I would never say anything unless there was damage. I'm frequently amazed at how people holiday. I've actually been there when it was quite hard to move around the floor because of the stuff all over it. And it's not at all unusual to go into a bedroom to change a bulb, to find that apparently the occupants opened their suitcases and just threw the contents around at random. Some people just like that :)
Chalet la Foret, Chamonix
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