Lay My Hat

Just had my first cancellation. Been letting our cottage out for over a year now after a break of 5 years. Never had any problems before but now realise I need to improve my booking terms and conditions, I was too soft before!

My query is, can anything be done - Lady books early this year, struggles to pay the deposit and send the booking form but finally arrived. Two adults plus one child. (Cottage sleeps up to 4 plus a toddler)
Week before payment is due, send her a reminder. Got a pleasant thankyou but nothing else. Day that payment is due, she rings up and explains she is a foster carer and has suddenly taken on 4 extra children so there will be 7 of them. I explain there is no way we can accomodate that many so she cancels. I send her an e mail and state that I feel due to the lateness of the cancellation, she should pay 30% of the balance as a readvertising cost. Total silence. Several e mails later, silence.
I am thinking it was a good excuse to cancel as no funds available.

Is there anything that can be done or I am stuffed?

I'm afraid that no matter how comprehensive or even draconian your T&Cs, it would be extremely difficult to get any (more) money out of them. SMall claims court is an option, but not a very pleasant one.

I'd say, you have the deposit which you aint gonna refund and just move on with your rentals and chalk this up to experience. It does happen very rarely, and it's just part of renting privately.

Good luck in all your other rentals.

Thanks richard, yes, I thought it would be the case, just so annoying as I could have let it times over over the last few months but as you say, I just need to chalk it down to experience and the times we live in

How long have you got before the holiday starts? Although you won't get anything from this guest you may still be in with a chance of a new booking as it seems that lots of people have left it late this year.

When we started we asked for balance payments 4 weeks before arrival. Over the years I've adjusted it - a few late payers made me realise that it just wasn't enough time to re-book. We're now at balance due 8 weeks before arrival. I might change that to 7 but probably no less.

I have always done it as £50 deposit on booking with the balance due one month before arrival. It is now about 2 weeks before arrival so touch and go whether we could get a booking but you never know, as I say, just very frustrating when I know I have had enquiries for the same week and turned them away.
I think as you say, I may have to adjust it to being 6-8 weeks before arrival to give more time to readvertise if neccesary.

sas401 wrote: £50 deposit on booking

We do 30% on booking, with balance + security deposit 6 weeks before arrival. I think the 30% upfront focuses the mind. We have never had a cancellation - although at some point, it is inevitable that someone will experience an unforeseen circumstance and have to cancel. Not so far, though(nearly 9 years).

russellt wrote:
We do 30% on booking, with balance + security deposit 6 weeks before arrival. I think the 30% upfront focuses the mind. We have never had a cancellation - although at some point, it is inevitable that someone will experience an unforeseen circumstance and have to cancel. Not so far, though(nearly 9 years).

This is what I do - 30% is a lot to lose and a 6 week deadline gives me plenty of time to re-advertise.

£50 seems low to me - it's very possible that guests might find accommodation £50 or more cheaper elsewhere and just write it off.

We ask for 50% on booking although we get lots of short breaks so 50% isn't always that much. I would change it to 30% but I like it to be nice round numbers (I know that's not important, but...)

We've had some people pay the balance late, but in over 10 years nobody has ever cancelled at that stage.

We had never had a problem with having to chase balances but, the law of s*d dictated that the very last balance before we handed over to new owners was late. We chased it by email and eventually ended up leaving a voicemail mentioning the possibility of us cancelling the booking. A very irate Mrs Guest rang OH and, suffice to say, was not best pleased (that's putting it mildly!). She said she had paid and had confirmation of receipt. OH was, in turn, not best pleased with me for making him look foolish.

However, I was one million per cent certain that she had not paid and that I hadn't confirmed receipt of any funds. No balance had been received and no such confirmation email sent.....so we called her again. Half an hour later, a very apologetic Mr Guest rang - they thought we were asking about the deposit which was paid months ago - he had assumed that the balance could be paid on arrival. The balance arrived in our account the next day

I love it anne! I seem to get a lot of "excuses" for paying a bit late or trying to stretch the payment by a few days. I am perhaps a little too soft on them but I would rather a booking than to put people off by asking for too much upfront. I do know I need to re-evaluate things a bit just so that I am protected a bit more.

£50 is far too little. We take £150.00 per week booked. Balance 6 weeks before arrival. You need to cover yourself and take more.

+1

I have recently upped the deposit from £100 per week to £150 and from £80 for short breaks to £100. Balance is due 8 weeks before arrival.
I increased the deposit having read so many tales on this forum and because more people seem to get into financial or other disarray.
It is hard to fill cancellations at the moment and so the deposit may be all you will get if they pull out before the balance payment.
As much as I would feel frustrated I am not sure I would want the stress of small claims court for a balance not paid.

I have a sliding scale in my t&c's which sets out what they have to pay in the event of a cancellation, you're welcome to look at it

Sandra

How would you enforce this Sandra, if the guests just decided to ignore your request for money over and above the 20% deposit because they were cancelling and not coming on holiday with you?

This seems to be the situation that SAS401 is in.

zebedee wrote:How would you enforce this Sandra, if the guests just decided to ignore your request for money over and above the 20% deposit because they were cancelling and not coming on holiday with you?

This seems to be the situation that SAS401 is in.

I would send a registered letter with a copy of her signed t&c's and say if she doesn't pay in line with what she agreed to by signing them that I would take legal action

Sandra