Lay My Hat

Here's what our would-be guest said:

I’m just a little concerned about such a big security deposit - it doesn’t sit right with me, so we won’t be going ahead.

It's not as if she has accidentally added a zero on to the end of the deposit amount as she mentioned the amount in an earlier email and I confirmed it as well as confirmed that if it's a cheque, we tear it up, if it's a bank transfer we return it within 2 days after their stay.

No, that's not good enough. The security deposit amount is £100.

What was she expecting?

Mine's £300!

KathyG wrote:Mine's £300!

Ours is a similar amount, depending on which gite is being booked.

Not big enough to be an obstacle, but big enough so that guests have an incentive to respect the fixtures and fittings.

Sounds like trouble to me...potential serial complainer. Mine is also 300.

Bye bye and good riddance... definitely sounds like trouble if they're complaining about such a small amount. Mine, albeit for a much larger property, is 600€ + 200€ cleaning deposit.

Ours is £100 too, although we don't always apply it.

I reckon it's about enough to get a plumber/electrician/locksmith etc. out to make an emergency repair so that the next guests can start their holiday. It doesn't seem worth charging less - I wonder what they've been charged in the past? I don't think I've ever paid less then £100.

Ive never charged a deposit. In 14 years Ive had one smashed window (guests paid ) and that's it.

I don't charge one either. Total damages in the first year, 2 chipped dinner plates, 1 chipped bowl, 3 smashed wine glasses, 1 smashed water glass, 1 smashed cafetiere, 1 slightly chewed cushion. All of them either left me an apologetic note and some cash or bought replacements before they left.

We've just increased our deposit to €300 this year since having it set at €200 since 2005.

Last year just two groups of guests caused €620 of damages, of which we only managed to recover €200 (the full security deposit paid. The other group did not pay any security deposit at all).

For the first time ever we are now having to collect security deposits via VR and HA as well. If they are unwilling to pay a security deposit, we really don't want them staying. Too many things can get broken and from experience, the greater (including cost) of the damage, the less likely they are to own up to it.

Biggest concerns for us our indoor trampolining kids and guests of all ages who do not understand how to operate electrical equipment.

This is an argument that has raged long on LMH. Damage deposits are a personal decision and very much depends on your client base.
4 older people staying for 3 days in a UK place isn't going to have the same risk as 8 people (including kids/teens) staying for a week/fortnight in the med.

There's no right or wrong.

I've known people not take them because it's too much hassle, or because they trust people.....and then they experience damage and it changes their mind set. I've known others who make excuses for bad guests by saying it's the first experience of damage/extra cleaning they've experienced so they let it go (IMO this gives them carte blanche to do it again). I've also known those lucky owners who've yet to experience anything bad.

Do what works for you. Until it doesn't.

Mousie
x

Mouse wrote:This is an argument that has raged long on LMH. Damage deposits are a personal decision and very much depends on your client base.
4 older people staying for 3 days in a UK place isn't going to have the same risk as 8 people (including kids/teens) staying for a week/fortnight in the med.

There's no right or wrong.

I've known people not take them because it's too much hassle, or because they trust people.....and then they experience damage and it changes their mind set. I've known others who make excuses for bad guests by saying it's the first experience of damage/extra cleaning they've experienced so they let it go (IMO this gibes them care bLanchester to do it again). I've also known those lucky owners who've yet to experience anything bad.

Do what works for you. Until it doesn't.

Mousie
x

I go along with what you say Mousie. We don't ask for a security deposit, but at the back of my mind I think that it is probably unwise of us to be so trusting.

I prefer the term "Security Deposit" as opposed to "Damage Deposit" because it has a broader meaning to my mind. While most of the time money is retained from the deposit because of tangible and obvious damage, there are occasions when there is no "damage" as such but still there is an expense for the owner arising from the folly or negligence of the guest.

As a case in point, last year a guest tried tweeking our wifi router to the extent that it stopped working correctly. We discovered this after the guest had left, and it cost us €70 for an expert to come out to us with his equipment to put it right.

Agree, Mouse! I just let a deposit slip a week ago, they said they would pay it and then didn't. I haven't always insisted, when people are already in and in holiday mode, and I'm there all week.

They seemed so very nice and respectful of the place, super chatty and appreciative of all the details in the chalet, so I didn't chase it up. They had actually read all the info I sent and asked sensible questions about it. They had a great week. I went round a couple of times while they were out to put away some laundry that I had done, the place was always tidy.

I let them have a very late checkout as it was possible and they were relaxing on the terrace for a lot of the afternoon as the weather was so nice. I saw them taking some boxes to the recycling during the day so assumed all was well. They thanked me and said it had been so lovely to stay in such a beautiful place, they had really appreciated all my help and advice, and left.

I sauntered round after they left thinking I'd strip the beds that evening....

The kitchen was piled high, dirty dishes everywhere, old food on the table, in the sink and in the fridge, bags of rubbish piled around the bin. I've never seen anything like it in 12 years of renting. I had to go to the UK the next day but I couldn't leave it like that for the cleaners so I started work. I cleared TEN BAGS of rubbish from the house.

I'm going to send a 'more in sorrow than anger' email to them as there's nothing else to do really. Except never trust people to be decent again, of course, even people who seem completely wholesome.

LMH is full of these cautionary tales so there's mine.

(edit - email sent. I sent photos and asked them to donate the amount I would have deducted to the Cyclone Idai appeal. We'll see what happens.)

The scene that greeted me



The aftermath

Apologies for asking. But why would you be deducting anything from the deposit? Im not saying they should have left the place in the way you have described. But some guests will have left the place immaculate and probably required little in the way of cleaning, others don't. If I were to take a deposit, and I don't, it would be more for breakages etc, than just the level of cleanliness. That's why I charge 75 euros for the cleaning to be done

Because I say to all the guests (and it's in my T&Cs) that the cleaning is included on the basis that the chalet is left in a reasonable condition, and that excessive cleaning will be deducted at the hourly rate. It's not an unusual proposition! It's a big place so if it's a real mess, the time is considerable.

I think that, as Mouse says, if people think this is OK they will leave other's houses like this. If you're happy to just say "oh well, some you win, some you lose" then that of course is up to you. Those who get away with it will be inclined to do it again though, do we really want to be encouraging this as an OK attitude?

If this had happened on a normal changeover the incoming guests would have been seriously inconvenienced and would have paid the price for the outgoing guests' inconsiderate behaviour by having to wait to check in, no joke for a family after a long journey.

Even in the case that people leave it really immaculate, every surface still needs wiping etc etc. I find the variance in time between "they left it normally tidy" and "they left it super clean" is really only about an hour in time.

Three hours removing actual rubbish and returning the place to the state in which a normal clean can start is a very different thing.

Sorry, I fully understand your position, but I also have been in this game just as long. And you get guests who leave the place in different levels of cleanliness. I just don't think its correct that you decide unilaterally if a visitor has left it in a state that you consider how long it takes you to clean. Does it specify in your Ts & Cs how long the "expected" clean is paid for?
If guests leave it where it doesn't take you too long, do you reimburse them? If you do, then I agree you can then charge for excessive cleaning. Otherwise, maybe you cant if you don't.