Oh me oh my what a mess!

[garlic]

Oh dear oh dear...........I'm sorry I don't post here often and I hope that doesn't preclude help!.........See, I thought I had it sort of sorted out....Read, shake your heads and wonder about how I could have been so foolish...and then advise a poor fool who just doesn't know what to do...

The story:
Early this year after a very bad winter we were faced with the prospect of trying to renovate our gite whilst at the same time start our llama treking business...We're not rich and it was never to be a luxury gite, we were torn because we needed our savings for stuff but we sort of had the money for a property overhall. It's not the best property but it is fantastically located for walkers and nature lovers it's newly rewired and has a new hot water system, it all works fine...but it's tired, there's cracked plaster and falling plaster at the front, the garden needs work (a lot) ...it's very tired all over. We were appproached by some people who wanted a long let whilst they searched for a property...We hummed and ahhed abvout the downfalls of letting long term but in the end they were prewpared to take the property as it was and although the rent was low it was a guaranteed income up till the winter and we could then spend the winter slowly renovating in time for next years holiday season. Our major worry was that our tenants would move on in July and leave us stranded...We figured that this was unlikely because it would take time for them to complete on any purchase that they agreed..........Well you guessed it! They're about to leave, it's the beginning of July our house is a pit and we just don't know how we'll get any rentals now. They've delayed giving us this months rent and then today we got two weeks from them...so technically they have eight days left in the house. They're sort of making excuses as to why they aren't happy and refusing to commit to how long they're staying...We're pretty much up a creek without their rental and I''m just not sure what to do.........We can't get into decorate or anything whilst they are there...I'm terrified that it's just too late to get any bookings now...........I'm really at a loss...and the bloke just informed me that he didn't get a deposit from them because he knew them! I don't want a divorce so I'm not even going to examine the implications of that............I'm just looking for any constructive (ok tell me how stupid I am) advice that anyone can give........my only idea so far is to get in, get them out, try to blitz the place and advertise it on ebay as 'rent a wreck'............I'm hoping you folk are cleverer than that !

[Hells Bells]

Not a lot of use now, I know, but it may save someone else a lot of bother in the future. How about an agreed period of rental, and upfront payment? As for the constructive bit, how about making sure they will leave by telling them you have a booking Put the place on as many free/cheap sites as you can (i'm getting a lot from holidaylettings at the moment-you can put an ad on there for £25 for 3 months, and add a late deal for another £10). Give yourselves a week to clean it out, tidy it up and give the place a coat of paint. In 2 weeks time you could be ready with a bit of luck on your side.

[enid]

Good advice from Helen - if you don't have a written contract don't waste too much energy chasing something you're not going to get - give them a fixed date and ask for payment for that up front.
The outside of our gites was very sad for the last two years and people still loved them - the outside pointing was only done this winter. Make it cosy and get some interior shots up on your web page. Offer a few extras to sugar the offering. Courage!

[Ju]

Don't rule out getting rentals now. If the property was in a decent enough state for people to live in it for several months, then it is ok for a holiday.

Get a group of friends together to blitz the place, make it as clean as you can, and put a bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine in.

Plenty of people don't get organised to book places until the last minute. Get an advert onto one of the big sites ASAP, maybe consider a ad in the Sunday Telegraph (I think someone here said it cost £75 but that may well be worth it).

You may not be letting the property in the state you want this year, but if it is clean and comfortable and you offer a good welcome then it is a step up from alot of places on offer.

Best of luck.

Ju

[gh]

Agree with HelenB about Holiday lettings, had to let one down today. I know the Tarn is some way down from us, but they are having difficulties finding suitable accommodation for their wheelchair bound child.

I have said to them I would try and find something for them, if you have wheelchair access and want their contact details PM me. August 20th for 10 days party of 4.

Something always turns up, hang on in there.

[Normandy Cow]

Agree with what the others have said - there are still people looking (I think many people think that you can easily book a last minute gite in France ). I've had about 3 enquiries for August in the past 10 days, even though my availability calendar clearly states that we are full.

So.... you have to speculate to accumulate - as the others said, blitz the place then advertise it - I don't know holidaylettings, but I do know holiday-rentals.com and they have been very good for us.

Courage!!!

[la vache!]

If you can get a few internal photos, would you be able to get them on your website quickly? I think rentals for August are still a possiblility - it was me who took out the ad for a week in the school hols fter a late cancellation a few years ago in the Saturday Telegraph and I'd sold the week by 9am, so it is a good place to advertise last minute availability in the summer holidays. Also see if you can get a free trial with any of the main listing sites, rather than have to commit at this stage for a full year. Good luck, and don't forget August is the only month when demand is greater than supply, so you have a good chance of getting the bookings!

[Hells Bells]

Garlic, Homelidays do a free one-month trial which was really sucessful for us, you can update the listing every day too , to make sure it's high up the list.

[Nessie]

Not sure if its of any help or not, but for this year could you not try doing bed and breakfast, As you have 2 bedrooms either let it as a double or as a family suite sleeping 4, Looking at you rates you could most likely rent for say 45 euro per night for 2, we let our family room for 70 euro per night but most in our area charge up to 90 euros. We don’t impose a minimum stay but other around her during July and august impose 2 or 3 nights min. So I think I would advertise it as both gite and B&B.Doing this might cover more than your weekly rental charge, ok a lot more hard work for you.
Also go and see you local OT office and see if they would take your details , ok i know some will not nless you are graded but its worth a try
Just out of interest why are they not happy, is it about the accommodation?
Maybe if you have a week to spare a quick lick of paint some tubs of flowers outside and some pretty bed linen . Get some photos taken and get youself listed on all the free sites or free trails for the next few months.

[garlic]

Thanks all for the constructive advice. Johnel I've pmd you...

I'm going to spend my afternoon looking for free trials...and keep my fingers crossed.

Nessie and for anyone else who's interested...I don't think the accomodation is the problem, at least when they came to view the house we let them stay in it so they had a fair trial of what they were getting. I believe I'm very honest about all the faults so there were no hidden surprises for them. So far there list of problems goes like this...1: 'There are too many flies' Well it's the South of France and it's summer and there are flies...I told them when they viewed that we were always plagued by flies in summer. 2: They've managed to fall out with the elderly and wobbly holiday home owners (French) next door over parking. For want of a better word our house and two others form a sort of cul-de-sac at the top of the village and the little lane is communal...When only our house is occupied we park in front but when others are there we all park in the square 20yds from the house because it's just simpler for everyone that way, again I explained this to them when they took the property. Last night Mr Tenant came to us complaining that the neighbours were being very difficult about the parking and he was about to thump him......Um nice attitude! I tried to reassure him because I've always found these people very polite and reasonable and I was sure it was just a misunderstanding, Mr Tenant was adament that they had been very rude etc and he couldn't possibly have misunderstood the situation. Well, a visit to the neighbours this morning who as usual were polite and reasonable and of course he had misunderstood what they were saying. Mr Tenant doesn't speak French but knew what they were saying to him! The neighbours really are absolutely fine but are probably a wee bit unhappy with our tenants although they haven't said anything, particularly as Mrs Tenant uses the communal courtyard as an ashtray...albeit she does sweep it at the end of the day and doggy tenant likes to poop in the middle of the road oh and kiddy tenants leave sweety wrappers around.... However we think there is another agenda going on with our tenants they are supposed to be here for another six months and we said when they took the place that it would be really difficult for us if they moved out right at the beginning of peak season as it would be hard for us to let then and we'd be without income that we were counting on. Tenants have just bought a house but haven't completed yet but they have been given the key and are working on the house. Tenants are almost out of money and I just think they are trying to find a way to justify leaving us in the lurch...

We've spoken to Mr Tenant who again says he's not sure when they'll be moving on but hasn't payed the other half of this months rent either, he says he has to talk to Mrs Tenant this evening which is what he's been saying for the last week or two. I think we're being reasonable...we can't make them stay and pay the rent if they choose not to but all we've asked is that they let us know what's going on...The bloke has put his hard hat on and has decided that if they don't pay up this evening and give us a firm date then we'll give them one.......I'm going to advertise the house from the beginning of August I think...It really is a pain because they should have been here until November or even later and although we only charge them peanuts in rent it's regular peanuts!

I just need to keep taking deep breaths

[gh]

Details now sent.

[Fraise]

Yeah but...your peanuts might be less than 4 decent weeks rent for August .. Lots of people are still looking for August, I still get people hopefully asking about July- doh !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get'em out, give them the ultimatum or else they'll keep you dangling off their string !!

[vrooje]

How long have those tenants been there? After some period of time, don't the applicable landlord-tenant laws change from short-term (where you, the owner, have all the rights) to long-term (where the tenant has all the rights)?

It doesn't sound like the tenants are planning on paying you again. On top of all of this, you don't want to have to go through eviction proceedings, and if you let the tenants delay long enough, you may have to. So, whatever excuse you have to give (or no excuse at all), I agree that your first priority is getting the tenants out.

[garlic]

Thanks all again,

Vrooje good point but I don't think they would try that one...I just think they are trying to spin us along and avoid being in a situation where they've payed us a months rent and want to move on a week later...because funnily enough I wouldn't be giving them a refund...

Fraise you are right.....Part of me really hopes that tonight they tell us that they're leaving in 10days time...a weeks hard work and we can really make the house pretty...I've been collecting vintage French textiles for eons and have the most beautiful linens for the house...I'd love to use them

[Fraise]

Oh Garlic- that sounds lovely, vintage textiles look so chic !!! You could have your place up and running fairly quickly by the sound of it, go girl !!