Perhaps we are coming at this from the wrong angle? Until recently, our cleaner came and cleaned after the guests, despite the fact that we request they should leave the property as they found it. Anyway recently, we decided to change this and have the property cleaned before the clients come.
I do not think it a bad idea to expect clients to leave the property clean, otherwise perhaps they may think they can leave it in any old state.
In our booking conditions we state that clients will be charged for extra cleaning (to be deducted from security deposit) if the property is left requiring cleaning.
We would be interested to know your views on this.
Is this a rather negative way of doing things? I note that some people say that they include cleaning, others make an optional charge. We feel we price our property in the average price band, and being in Normandy, there is plenty of competition. However, since we only booked around 9 weeks last year (our first booking year), we are reluctant to increase the weekly rental.
Should cleaning be included or extra?
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musicmonkey
- Posts: 86
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- Location: Manche
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DivineMrsM
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:16 pm
- Location: The Dordogne and London
We like our guests to know that what they pay is what they pay - no hidden extras. To me that includes cleaning. I hate cleaning at the best of times, let alone when I'm on holiday. That's not to say that we would leave the house in a terrible mess.
Typically, when we leave a holiday home, the beds are stripped, the dishwasher is running with its final load, the sink and surfaces should be wiped down, we may have given the floors a cursory sweep and the house will be tidy. I don't expect to hoover, clean bathrooms, wash floors, dust surfaces etc.
Equally, when I arrive at a holiday home, I expect it to be spotless. It's what I'm paying for.
I'm a bit confused about the before and after bit musicmonkey. Do you mean that you have more than a day between rentals? Before and after is pretty much the same thing on changeover day for us .
Typically, when we leave a holiday home, the beds are stripped, the dishwasher is running with its final load, the sink and surfaces should be wiped down, we may have given the floors a cursory sweep and the house will be tidy. I don't expect to hoover, clean bathrooms, wash floors, dust surfaces etc.
Equally, when I arrive at a holiday home, I expect it to be spotless. It's what I'm paying for.
I'm a bit confused about the before and after bit musicmonkey. Do you mean that you have more than a day between rentals? Before and after is pretty much the same thing on changeover day for us
.Lynne
for Metropolitan Retreat in London https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6712284
and
Le Cheval Blanc in France https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6714302
for Metropolitan Retreat in London https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6712284
and
Le Cheval Blanc in France https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6714302
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musicmonkey
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As I said, we had only 9 or so weeks rented this year, and they didn't run consecutively. Hence the dilemma of cleaning before or after the guests.
If you tell guests within your booking conditions that they are expected to clean (or pay a penalty), this can't be considered a hidden cost.
Like you Divine Mrs M, I expect a place to be spotless, though I have yet to find a place that is as clean as I like it to be. I invariably end up cleaning the cooker.
We do as you do and strip the beds when we leave a property, but also clean bathrooms, etc. I wouldn't say though that we do it as thoroughly as we find it, and in reality wouldn't expect guests to. As long as they have made an effort to leave it passably clean, that is satisfactory.
If you tell guests within your booking conditions that they are expected to clean (or pay a penalty), this can't be considered a hidden cost.
Like you Divine Mrs M, I expect a place to be spotless, though I have yet to find a place that is as clean as I like it to be. I invariably end up cleaning the cooker.
We do as you do and strip the beds when we leave a property, but also clean bathrooms, etc. I wouldn't say though that we do it as thoroughly as we find it, and in reality wouldn't expect guests to. As long as they have made an effort to leave it passably clean, that is satisfactory.
I agree with Mrs M... I prefer an inclusive price. From a personal point of view I find things like charges subject to a condition such as the place being clean enough freak me out a bit as everyone's standards are different so it's subjective.
A place I stayed in France withheld money until they checked the place was clean enough, even though we left it much, much cleaner I felt nervous when they were checking just in case they were awkward with us. It was just a stress I didn't need at the end of a holiday and embarrassing to stand around waiting for your deposit back when you're being assessed - as I say, that's my personal feelings though as a "customer".
We don't request guest do any cleaning but I'd say only one set of guests really (see my ebay guests from hell post) in 3 years caused us grief.
I clean my cottage much, much more than my own house (!) and once it's "bottomed" as my mam would say it's not hard to keep on top of weekly. I'd never actually ironed bedding until we started the rental. We don't ask that guests strip the beds but I love it when they do... gets you off to a real flyer I love it when there's only 2 folk in as well and I don't have to make all of the bed up x 2!
A place I stayed in France withheld money until they checked the place was clean enough, even though we left it much, much cleaner I felt nervous when they were checking just in case they were awkward with us. It was just a stress I didn't need at the end of a holiday and embarrassing to stand around waiting for your deposit back when you're being assessed - as I say, that's my personal feelings though as a "customer".
We don't request guest do any cleaning but I'd say only one set of guests really (see my ebay guests from hell post) in 3 years caused us grief.
I clean my cottage much, much more than my own house (!) and once it's "bottomed" as my mam would say it's not hard to keep on top of weekly. I'd never actually ironed bedding until we started the rental. We don't ask that guests strip the beds but I love it when they do... gets you off to a real flyer
I love it when there's only 2 folk in as well and I don't have to make all of the bed up x 2!-
DivineMrsM
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:16 pm
- Location: The Dordogne and London
Sorry - I didn't mean to imply that you hid the costmusicmonkey wrote:If you tell guests within your booking conditions that they are expected to clean (or pay a penalty), this can't be considered a hidden cost.
. The place I stayed where I felt compelled to thoroughly clean before we left had something in the booking form about leaving the house as clean as it was when we arrived and that we would forfeit our damages deposit if extra cleaning was required. Now I would have thought that most owners would only levy that if "significant" additional cleaning were necessary (such as badly marked furniture or walls for instance) but as Sue said, peoples' standards are all different so it can be difficult to interpret.
If the guests know that they are expected to leave the property in tip top condition for the arrival of the next guests unless they wish to pay extra for an end of stay cleaner then that's fair enough. But psychologically, I would rather that cost be built into the rate rather than feel that I am paying extra for it. Otherwise I would probably go with the "cheaper" option.
Please don't think I'm trying to say that what you do is wrong and what we do is right. I'm enjoying this discussion.
Last edited by DivineMrsM on Fri Dec 10, 2004 9:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
Lynne
for Metropolitan Retreat in London https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6712284
and
Le Cheval Blanc in France https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6714302
for Metropolitan Retreat in London https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6712284
and
Le Cheval Blanc in France https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6714302
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DivineMrsM
- Posts: 155
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:16 pm
- Location: The Dordogne and London
[/quote]soodyer wrote:same here - as I say it's my opinion too! There's no right or wrong way, its what works best for the individual at the end of the day.
Changing the subject - how do you use the Quote thing as I wanted to quote the bit of Mrs M's post?
You click the quote button at the top of the post in question. Or you can copy and paste it into your post and use the quote button at the top of the "post a reply" window.
Lynne
for Metropolitan Retreat in London https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6712284
and
Le Cheval Blanc in France https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6714302
for Metropolitan Retreat in London https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6712284
and
Le Cheval Blanc in France https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6714302
thank you! I think I've got it..!! I tried it once and copied the full post instead of the sentence I wanted. I've done that this timebut just deleted the rest.. I hate to be beaten by techie stuff!DivineMrsM wrote:[
You click the quote button at the top of the post in question. Or you can copy and paste it into your post and use the quote button at the top of the "post a reply" window.
[quote="musicmonkey"]Perhaps we are coming at this from the wrong angle? Until recently, our cleaner came and cleaned after the guests, despite the fact that we request they should leave the property as they found it. Anyway recently, we decided to change this and have the property cleaned before the clients come.
I do not think it a bad idea to expect clients to leave the property clean, otherwise perhaps they may think they can leave it in any old state.
In our booking conditions we state that clients will be charged for extra cleaning (to be deducted from security deposit) if the property is left requiring cleaning.
Good discussion, we ask people to leave as they found and it has not proved to be a problem so far. However I thought that musicmonkey has a good point about reversing the thinking. So I maybe we should continue to state this but also offer a 'cleaning' service as a chargeable extra. I can see some people include this but I am not sure Michael (my husband and the gite cleaner) would agree with that so what do people think of a charge of £25 ?
Just realised there is another page of discussion and that lots of people include in their overall price perhaps I need to do a persuasion job
Helene
PS Well if people do not come back how we would know if it was a problem or not I am thinking but we do have a very high return rate so probably no
I do not think it a bad idea to expect clients to leave the property clean, otherwise perhaps they may think they can leave it in any old state.
In our booking conditions we state that clients will be charged for extra cleaning (to be deducted from security deposit) if the property is left requiring cleaning.
Good discussion, we ask people to leave as they found and it has not proved to be a problem so far. However I thought that musicmonkey has a good point about reversing the thinking. So I maybe we should continue to state this but also offer a 'cleaning' service as a chargeable extra. I can see some people include this but I am not sure Michael (my husband and the gite cleaner) would agree with that so what do people think of a charge of £25 ?
Just realised there is another page of discussion and that lots of people include in their overall price perhaps I need to do a persuasion job
Helene
PS Well if people do not come back how we would know if it was a problem or not I am thinking but we do have a very high return rate so probably no
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HolidayWebs
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2004 11:12 am
- Location: Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca
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It had never occurred to me to charge extra for cleaning or even expect guests to do the cleaning but maybe it works differently for Gites in France. We have an apartment in Mallorca & use a management company as most people do. We pay an annual charge for a weekly check on the property & pay for weekly cleaning on an hourly rate, plus laundry costs. The changeover clean is normally about 3-4 hours & during a longer let is only about 2 hours as it just covers a linen change & some general tidying.
The intention is that the property is cleaned thoroughly on a changeover day between 10am & 3pm for when the next guests arrive. If it is extra dirty & that does happen with families in the summer, we are charged more. Some owners keep back a deposit & use this if extra cleaning is required but we have never needed to. We just accept the odd extra clean or mishap.
Our rates are fully inclusive include weekly cleaning, a good welcome pack, all heating & air con etc. I am pretty sure this is standard in Mallorca & Spain & is similar to that provided by Tour Operators.
The intention is that the property is cleaned thoroughly on a changeover day between 10am & 3pm for when the next guests arrive. If it is extra dirty & that does happen with families in the summer, we are charged more. Some owners keep back a deposit & use this if extra cleaning is required but we have never needed to. We just accept the odd extra clean or mishap.
Our rates are fully inclusive include weekly cleaning, a good welcome pack, all heating & air con etc. I am pretty sure this is standard in Mallorca & Spain & is similar to that provided by Tour Operators.
Visit http://www.puertopollensa.com ... you'll love it!
The most beautiful resort in Mallorca.
The most beautiful resort in Mallorca.
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Christine Kenyon
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Our cottages are let on an all-inclusive basis so that there is an up-front payment and nothing to pay on departure. I have considered charging extra for heating and electricity, but never cleaning. I've never charged extra because I don't want the hassle (as described above) when people leave. I prefer to have a chat about their holiday and whether they'll book again, rather than demand more money!
If I'm renting a self-catering cottage, I would expect it to be clean and tidy when I arrived and to do a quick "tidy-up" when I leave - wash up (and dry up - why do some folk leave pots for you/the cleaner to dry up?), hoover round and put everything back where it was. I wouldn't expect to be scrubbing the floor and cleaning the bath! But then again, I'm not a professional cleaner. Our holiday cottages are cleaned well, but at home we have to invite friends round for a meal to make sure we give our house a good clean once in a while
Like Sue, I love those visitors who strip the beds (which also has the added benefit of you making sure that your duvets/pillows/mattresses are in good condition!) and folk who leave the place spotless. I wouldn't expect it, but it's lovely when it happens. It's sad, but it can make my day! The best one was the family who even cleaned the cupboard under the sink and organised all the washing up liquid, etc into an orderly row!
Christine (the reluctant Mrs Mop)
If I'm renting a self-catering cottage, I would expect it to be clean and tidy when I arrived and to do a quick "tidy-up" when I leave - wash up (and dry up - why do some folk leave pots for you/the cleaner to dry up?), hoover round and put everything back where it was. I wouldn't expect to be scrubbing the floor and cleaning the bath! But then again, I'm not a professional cleaner. Our holiday cottages are cleaned well, but at home we have to invite friends round for a meal to make sure we give our house a good clean once in a while
Like Sue, I love those visitors who strip the beds (which also has the added benefit of you making sure that your duvets/pillows/mattresses are in good condition!) and folk who leave the place spotless. I wouldn't expect it, but it's lovely when it happens. It's sad, but it can make my day! The best one was the family who even cleaned the cupboard under the sink and organised all the washing up liquid, etc into an orderly row!
Christine (the reluctant Mrs Mop)
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musicmonkey
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- Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 12:37 pm
- Location: Manche
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Like Sue, I love those visitors who strip the beds (which also has the added benefit of you making sure that your duvets/pillows/mattresses are in good condition!) and folk who leave the place spotless. I wouldn't expect it, but it's lovely when it happens. It's sad, but it can make my day! The best one was the family who even cleaned the cupboard under the sink and organised all the washing up liquid, etc into an orderly row!
Christine (the reluctant Mrs Mop)
That would be me! When we rent, we have often left the place cleaner than we found it, and would often strip beds if time allowed.
We have also encountered many places where there is an extra charge for cleaning. Is this a Country thing - we have mainly rented in France?
We say in our booking conditions that we do expect the property to be left clean, and reserve the right to deduct extra costs from the breakages deposit. The apartment is quite small, has tiled floors throughout, and we planned it so that cleaning could be quick and easy, as well as supplying plenty of cleaning materials and equipment. In reality, most people leave it clean and tidy-ish, which is fine by us and our cleaner.
I've only once made a deduction from the deposit. The guests had smoked like chimneys in our non-smoking apartment, used food dishes as ash trays, and piled up a weeks-worth of rubbish in the kitchen! Our cleaner, who is excellent, described the mess they left as 'disgusting', and the photos backed this up. We spent a fortune on air fresheners, Febreeze, her husband came to help, and the curtains had to be washed, dried and ironed, all in 3 hours. She also replaced all the plates/dishes that had been used as ashtrays - would you want to use them after they had been misused in that way?!
Needless to say, the guests were very unhappy that I had made the deduction, and accused our cleaner of running a scam. I received 2 acrimonious letters from them, the second one ended with their 'threat' never to book with us again. I was devastated to hear that!
I think that asking for the place to be left clean and tidy is not unreasonable. We always used to clean right through when we hired holiday accommodation, I couldn't really see why others should have to clean up after me. Perhaps there is a Puritan hidden deep inside!
Happy New Year to everyone,
Maggie
I've only once made a deduction from the deposit. The guests had smoked like chimneys in our non-smoking apartment, used food dishes as ash trays, and piled up a weeks-worth of rubbish in the kitchen! Our cleaner, who is excellent, described the mess they left as 'disgusting', and the photos backed this up. We spent a fortune on air fresheners, Febreeze, her husband came to help, and the curtains had to be washed, dried and ironed, all in 3 hours. She also replaced all the plates/dishes that had been used as ashtrays - would you want to use them after they had been misused in that way?!
Needless to say, the guests were very unhappy that I had made the deduction, and accused our cleaner of running a scam. I received 2 acrimonious letters from them, the second one ended with their 'threat' never to book with us again. I was devastated to hear that!
I think that asking for the place to be left clean and tidy is not unreasonable. We always used to clean right through when we hired holiday accommodation, I couldn't really see why others should have to clean up after me. Perhaps there is a Puritan hidden deep inside!
Happy New Year to everyone,
Maggie
cleaning included?
I always quote a price for the appartment and a separate price for cleaning "front and end". For this a guest has a clean house, beds, made refrigerator and hot water is on at arrival. When leaving they can drop everything behind them, the cleaner takes care. The Lumpsum for this usually is 80 eu based on 6 hrs cleaning at 8 eu = 48 + laundry at plm 20 eu = 68 plus a little reserve (Portugal prices).
No cleaning during the stay but a double set of bedlinen etc when staying two weeks or more.
Till now this works fine, maybe also as we do not rent to everyone, we're a bit picky.....
No cleaning during the stay but a double set of bedlinen etc when staying two weeks or more.
Till now this works fine, maybe also as we do not rent to everyone, we're a bit picky.....
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jules goulet
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should cleaning be included
we think it is better to take a day or two before returning the damage deposit, in order to fully inspect the house.
we used to make a quick tour with the rentors at the end of their stay and give the deposit right away. until one time, we realized that a group had planted five nails in our pine kitchen kitchen floor to mask a water damage.
since then, we take our time and send a check the next day.
we used to make a quick tour with the rentors at the end of their stay and give the deposit right away. until one time, we realized that a group had planted five nails in our pine kitchen kitchen floor to mask a water damage.
since then, we take our time and send a check the next day.