Security deposit shocker

How to communicate with your potential renters - how to turn site visitors into enquiries, and enquiries into bookings.
Martha
Posts: 2289
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:01 pm
Location: Chamonix

Post by Martha »

Well, I have found that in twelve years I have had the chalet left in a mess twice. This one was the worst immediate mess. (The other was after children destroyed our board games and tore up Monopoly money and stuffed it into every crevice in the woodwork. After four years we are still finding it sometimes! I didn't charge for the destroyed games, these things happen)

I don't wish to be the kind of owner that leaves a check list of what needs to be done. I make a bit of a joke of it, say that I don't expect them to spend their last day cleaning but please to leave everything tidy with no rubbish and the dishwasher on if needed. Only two people in twelve years have not respected this. It's not hard to understand.

As I said, there's really only an hour's variance between a normally clean chalet and an immaculate one though I do really appreciate people who leave it super clean. An hour's extra isn't something I'd charge for or refund. To clean our chalet to the standard is twelve person/hours so an hour is really neither here nor there.

Why on earth would I not decide unilaterally? Who else is going to decide? If I had a deposit I would of course have let them know, sent the photos, and they would have been able to say their side (not sure what!)

I think we have different attitudes on this I'm afraid :)
Chalet la Foret, Chamonix
Kilm
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 4:23 pm

Post by Kilm »

I charge £300 deposit for the booking which then rolls over to become the breakage deposit.

I'm with Martha - it's in my T&C's that the house should be kept to a level of cleanliness and hygiene that a reasonable person would expect and that if extra cleaning is required above and beyond what would normally be expected, then deductions will be made.

My two girls can get through my house in about three hours, slightly longer if a dog has been (which we charge £35 for anyway).

So I generally give four hours.

Ultimately, as with the picture posted earlier, you know as soon as you walk in, whether the guests have respected the property and left it in a suitable state. If not, it's time for picture evidence and a charge.

I find that whilst it doesn't stop everyone, the high deposit makes people look after the place a bit more. People need to understand it's not a hotel - it's a private furnished holiday let, often run by individuals with limited capabilities to manage disaster sites!
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