Injury claims

[teapot]

Just looking at your photos on the web site (beautiful place BTW) is it the open stair (winestore lounge?) Only the height of the rising treads does look quite high 220mm I think is the max so it must be close. There seems to be another staircase and from the angle if it is the handrail does look quite steep?

[FelicityA]

Don't all those regulations about height of rise etc. apply only to new buildings or current conversions of buildings? There is not much you can do about an old building and I have always understood that what was allowable then (in our case in our cottage which was converted from farm buildings sometime in the last century) is not allowable now but you are not duty bound to rip the whole place apart. I warn that our staircase is unsuitable for under fives, the infirm or those wobbly on their legs (covers all causes of wobbliness!) and has only a rope handrail on one side for the top 5 stairs.

[teapot]

Yes Felicity, that's true but in order to deem what is or is not in the opinion of a guest steep better to be armed.

If the comment is this staircase is a bit steep and the reply is it complies with the 220 rising dimension they aren't likely to say much more. It's about being one step ahead (did you see what I did there)

[CSE]

At a loss here. This conversation is about stairs, in France. Not stairs in any other country.

Insurance will cover you not only for problems with stairs.

[bessie]

This thread has got me worried,I have always stated the cottage has steep cottage stairs,but my last guests pointed out a different problem his size 12 feet overlapped the step so only half his foot fitted on the step.
I asked my OH why he had not mentioned this problem with his size 12 feet,answer you make me take my boots off before I go into the cottage and I always come down the stairs at an angle so my feet fit.
So do we have to say steep stairs and the dept of the step itself.

[French Cricket]

In the world I inhabit, it's very simple.

If you want everything new-build-safety-nanny-state compliant, then book somewhere that is.

If you want character, you'll get quirks.

End of.

Sometimes I seriously despair of the 21st century ...

[la vache!]

In the world I inhabit, it's very simple.

If you want everything new-build-safety-nanny-state compliant, then book somewhere that is.

If you want character, you'll get quirks.

End of.

Sometimes I seriously despair of the 21st century ...

I definitely agree. However regardless of the fact of whether your property is nanny state safe or full of character, unlimited public liability insurance is essential.

[Hells Bells]

For goodness sake, it is an old property with attic rooms, of course the stairs may be steep.

[alcooper]

we have a staircase with spindles which are 4 inches apart which was always the legal safety requirement. When converted to metric, they are 10.16 cm apart and the legal safety limit in metric is 10cm. So we have to draw guests' attention to the "gaps between the spindles which are more than 10 cm apart and extra care may be needed if you have small children in your party." Scaremongering in the extreme because of a difference of .16 cm!

[greenbarn]

So do we have to say steep stairs and the dept of the step itself.

If you have an access statement it should include that level of detail - eg "staircase is Xmm wide with a straight run of 14 steps and a handrail on one (which?)/both sides. The risers are Ymm and the tread depth is Zmm. The treads are bare wood/carpeted/whatever etc etc"
You are stating facts, not giving your opinion as to suitability for a particular guest. If you consider the stairs to be steep etc, mention this in the main part of your description "as you'd expect in an old cottage with character the stairs are a bit steep" and then refer the prospective guest to the detail in your access statement if they think it might be an issue - and they can always ask you more as you're "a caring owner and not a faceless agency".

It's all about covering bases and managing expectations, without getting unnecessarily negative or alarmist.

When you look at the minimal information on many agency sites that is the only information a guest gets prior to booking, it gives pause for thought.

[CSE]

I wonder what these guests would do if they stayed in a Dutch house?

[pambon]

This is what public liability insurance is for.

+1

+2. Responsibilité civile is something that you must have as a renter of property.

Totally agree

[lacoyere]

It's definitely a food for thought.
It is true that with older properties, you get quirks like these.

Guess it's up to us to try to provide as best info to our potential guests.

It is just some guests are more difficult than others.
I once had a huge guest who booked into our Wine Store. I cannot imagine how he could fit into the shower. I'm petite in frame and was banging everything in the shower, he was 6ft 2 and of large frame. Not once did he complain about it to us, and also the stairs would have quite a struggle for an abled but large framed gentleman. Not a tinker again from him.

[lacoyere]

Just looking at your photos on the web site (beautiful place BTW) is it the open stair (winestore lounge?) Only the height of the rising treads does look quite high 220mm I think is the max so it must be close. There seems to be another staircase and from the angle if it is the handrail does look quite steep?

No they are actually in the cottage, not the wine store. The stairs is not as narrow or as steep as pictured in the Wine Store.

And thanks for the compliment.

Anyway the guests are pleased we acknowledged his complaint and impressed that we dealt with it in a fast manner. I have requested our handyman to put in a hand rail on the wall. There is on handrail on one side. That way you have more stable support with both handrails up the stairs.

[Hells Bells]

Many older French houses have steep staircases. We stayed in one on the Ave de Champagne last year that had a very steep and winding one.
Our older dog couldn't manage and needed carried down, although she managed to get up after a couple of attempts. The younger one just threw herself down.
We had trouble with the luggage.