I have always been wary of long bookings (more than 2 weeks) mainly because i like to know everything is ok in the property and it’s a good way of keeping the place as it should. However from time to time i get tempted to let for longer but say to guests the property will be serviced cleaned once a week which is a great way of keeping on top of things.
I have never had a problem with people not wanting this and most people are really grateful. I have a USA guest in at the moment and rang her today to see if everything is ok and she complained bitterly about having someone coming into clean. She is in for three weeks and frankly i am not going to stop the cleaner going in the do the clean because i am now suspicious of why she is so anti the service clean.
This is now worrying me because i once had the Americans from hell who were only there for a week and they wrecked the place. It took my cleaner 6 hours to clean when they left and she removed 5 bin bags of rubbish which she had to clear up.
Anyone else had this problem with service cleans.
Anna
Service cleans for longer lets
Anna
I've not, but would deal with the problem in the same way that you are. It might however be that the lady is worried about a stranger coming into the property if she has valuables with her. I don't know the circumstances. You might ask her why she objects.
In future it might be worth stating clearly so in ones terms and conditions in regards to lets of 2 weeks or over, so there can be no disagreement on this matter. Should she leave the place in a bad state and you have guests soon after, then it will cause huge problems and possibly extra expense for you. I can see no reason other than her fear of a stranger in the property on which she can object. If you state that you have a weekly service clean then she has no right to object.
Good luck
Chianti with no flannel
I've not, but would deal with the problem in the same way that you are. It might however be that the lady is worried about a stranger coming into the property if she has valuables with her. I don't know the circumstances. You might ask her why she objects.
In future it might be worth stating clearly so in ones terms and conditions in regards to lets of 2 weeks or over, so there can be no disagreement on this matter. Should she leave the place in a bad state and you have guests soon after, then it will cause huge problems and possibly extra expense for you. I can see no reason other than her fear of a stranger in the property on which she can object. If you state that you have a weekly service clean then she has no right to object.
Good luck
Chianti with no flannel
hi anna - I can imagine it's a worry for you.
I'm on site so slightly different, however I offer a mid-week clean for the same reasons you do.
I have had the occasional 'oh we don't need that' but I insisit it's part of the service. So far I haven't had anyone dead set against, and I can't understand why someone would be if they knew upfront that this was part of the service.
If they were unhappy with it it should have been raised before they took the let.
I would continue with it. I'm sure your cleaner can give you a feel for how the house is being treated and hopefully put your mind at rest.
Perhaps you could ask if there's a time each week when the house is vacant, to minimise the disturbance. I do tell my guests the time/day of mid-week cleans so they can choose to go out if they feel it necessary.
good luck
Mouse
x
I'm on site so slightly different, however I offer a mid-week clean for the same reasons you do.
I have had the occasional 'oh we don't need that' but I insisit it's part of the service. So far I haven't had anyone dead set against, and I can't understand why someone would be if they knew upfront that this was part of the service.
If they were unhappy with it it should have been raised before they took the let.
I would continue with it. I'm sure your cleaner can give you a feel for how the house is being treated and hopefully put your mind at rest.
Perhaps you could ask if there's a time each week when the house is vacant, to minimise the disturbance. I do tell my guests the time/day of mid-week cleans so they can choose to go out if they feel it necessary.
good luck
Mouse
x
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Alan Knighting
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Anna,
On the contrary, my long term tenant who now been with me for 17 months has his own cleaner who comes in once a week. I know what the property is like because I am regularly invited as a guest for drinks, lunch or an evening meal. If I insisted on sending in a “service cleaner” both my tenant and his cleaner would be highly offended and rightly so.
Alan
On the contrary, my long term tenant who now been with me for 17 months has his own cleaner who comes in once a week. I know what the property is like because I am regularly invited as a guest for drinks, lunch or an evening meal. If I insisted on sending in a “service cleaner” both my tenant and his cleaner would be highly offended and rightly so.
Alan
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catherinedonegal
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anna if it was very important to you that this be done then presumably the tenant was told this prior to booking? and if so, then she really has no cause for complaint. kill her with kindness and say 'no, no i insist, you are entitled to it' and assure her the cleaner is a person you trust. another thing - perhaps she thinks she will have to pay extra for this service?
Alan
With respect your circumstances are entirely different. Anna is letting the same property on the short term, so if that client leaves it in a state then she could end up with an awkward situation, which is what she's trying to avoid. You live on-site and she doesn't.m You can't compare a 3 week let with your very long term let.
She's trying to do her best for both the client's and her own benefit and think she's been given very good advice.
You are lucky to have such a good tenant, if only all were the same.
Chianti with no flannel
With respect your circumstances are entirely different. Anna is letting the same property on the short term, so if that client leaves it in a state then she could end up with an awkward situation, which is what she's trying to avoid. You live on-site and she doesn't.m You can't compare a 3 week let with your very long term let.
She's trying to do her best for both the client's and her own benefit and think she's been given very good advice.
You are lucky to have such a good tenant, if only all were the same.
Chianti with no flannel
Maybe twice people have asked for the cleaner not to come on the weekly clean, which I have respected because I can understand that to some people it is an intrusion. Those that refused it didn't leave a mess. I think if it was a rental of 3 weeks or more I would be more forceful because it is important to know your house is not being turned into an opium den.
Paolo
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Hells Bells
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Alan Knighting
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Chianti,
I accept that my circumstances are very different from Anna’s but I very much appreciate her concerns.
If I did not live on-site I think I would be inclined to include a weekly clean along with a change of bed linen and towels as being an integral part of the letting and sell it on the basis that “Your Holiday Matters” and I am “An Owner Who Cares”.
Alan
I accept that my circumstances are very different from Anna’s but I very much appreciate her concerns.
If I did not live on-site I think I would be inclined to include a weekly clean along with a change of bed linen and towels as being an integral part of the letting and sell it on the basis that “Your Holiday Matters” and I am “An Owner Who Cares”.
Alan
Re: Service cleans for longer lets
I also worry every time I let my apartment as it is also my much loved home and wasn't originally bought as a rental property. I have just had a couple who have stayed 11 weeks and they left my apartment spotless, in fact they are coming back next year for 12 weeks! I've also had people staying 3 weeks and they treated the property with great respect. As you pointed out Anna, they can wreck the place in a week, so I think we all just have to keep our fingers crossed that we have decent guests. It can happen however long people stay and I don't believe having a cleaner in would change their attitudes.annafern wrote: I have always been wary of long bookings (more than 2 weeks) mainly because i like to know everything is ok in the property ..............
This is now worrying me because i once had the Americans from hell who were only there for a week and they wrecked the place. It took my cleaner 6 hours to clean when they left and she removed 5 bin bags of rubbish which she had to clear up.
Anna
Thanks for all your comments- always useful to hear other people’s opinions.
I manage 5 properties at present, 2 are owned by me and the other 3 i manage for other owners. They are spread over 3 locations and I am 2 hours driving time away from the properties. I have 3 excellent housekeepers so a mid stay clean for longer stays is essential. When people book for a longer stay i always point out at the time of booking that there will be a weekly service clean. But i think i good point is to include this in my signed terms and conditions.
My responsibility is to the owners of the property so a service clean i think is essential and part of my duty as a small bespoke manager.
Service clean should happen Friday so i will keep you all posted.
Many thanks
Anna
I manage 5 properties at present, 2 are owned by me and the other 3 i manage for other owners. They are spread over 3 locations and I am 2 hours driving time away from the properties. I have 3 excellent housekeepers so a mid stay clean for longer stays is essential. When people book for a longer stay i always point out at the time of booking that there will be a weekly service clean. But i think i good point is to include this in my signed terms and conditions.
My responsibility is to the owners of the property so a service clean i think is essential and part of my duty as a small bespoke manager.
Service clean should happen Friday so i will keep you all posted.
Many thanks
Anna
Re: Service cleans for longer lets
alifrank1 wrote:Aliannafern wrote:
As you pointed out Anna, they can wreck the place in a week, so I think we all just have to keep our fingers crossed that we have decent guests. It can happen however long people stay and I don't believe having a cleaner in would change their attitudes.
You've missed the point. It has nothing to do with changing attitudes. All of us either manage our own properties or those of others and have a duty to ensure, if at all possible, that damage doesn't take place and one of the ways of doing so is to clean the property weekly. It's not good enough to sit back and wait until the damage has been caused, especially when the property is booked soon after. It comes under the title of damage limitation.
The other point is that those who stay that bit longer use the property in a more "settled" way and are likely to do more cooking etc.
The point is to catch a problem before it can catch you, however cleaning is a standard weekly service just as it is a daily one in an hotel and one should ensure that it is given to ones clients.
Chianti with no flannel
Chianti
I don't think I have missed the point, I just have a different opinion. I live in UK and have to rely on my cleaners/managers in Spain to look after my apartment when I am not there and it is being rented out. My rents are at the lower end of the market because of the location, but my apartment is certainly not a "budget" apartment.
I cannot afford to pay my cleaners for extra cleans, especially if it is in order to spy on my guests. In the two years I have rented I have only had one minor problem and that was someone taking my settee throw down to thew swimming pool area and it coming back muddy! I would say that most guests are very considerate if you give them a comfortable home.
What I was trying to say is that if you get bad guests, having a cleaner in will not neccessarily stop them treating your home badly. If you read back through the posts you will find that there has been some real problems when renting.
I'm not sure what point you were trying to make by saying that people who stay longer are more likely to do more cooking. I've had two very long lets and quite a number of 3-4 week lettings. My oven and hob still look good.
On another note, my daughter manages two prestigious apartment blocks in central London. They are serviced apartments renting from £600 - £1200 per week! Even with the kind of clients she gets, she has problems from time to time and the cleaners come in twice a week.
I don't think I have missed the point, I just have a different opinion. I live in UK and have to rely on my cleaners/managers in Spain to look after my apartment when I am not there and it is being rented out. My rents are at the lower end of the market because of the location, but my apartment is certainly not a "budget" apartment.
I cannot afford to pay my cleaners for extra cleans, especially if it is in order to spy on my guests. In the two years I have rented I have only had one minor problem and that was someone taking my settee throw down to thew swimming pool area and it coming back muddy! I would say that most guests are very considerate if you give them a comfortable home.
What I was trying to say is that if you get bad guests, having a cleaner in will not neccessarily stop them treating your home badly. If you read back through the posts you will find that there has been some real problems when renting.
I'm not sure what point you were trying to make by saying that people who stay longer are more likely to do more cooking. I've had two very long lets and quite a number of 3-4 week lettings. My oven and hob still look good.
On another note, my daughter manages two prestigious apartment blocks in central London. They are serviced apartments renting from £600 - £1200 per week! Even with the kind of clients she gets, she has problems from time to time and the cleaners come in twice a week.
Ali
Cleaners are not spies, their task is to clean, but while doing so, if they notice any problems then they can report them. Those on a longer let are more likely to use the cooking facilities and therefore more cleaning may be necessary.
Weekly cleans will allow the owner or manager to know if there may be any problems and if that's the case they can be sorted before they become a problem. If a client is coming into the property the day a long renter leaves, then the cleaning is likely to take longer than normal. Regular weekly cleaning will avoid this problem.
It's also about giving the right impression. A property needs dusting and sinks, loos, etc need regular cleaning. It is also stated in the contract and it's to the advantage of both the owner and the client.
Chianti without the flannel
Cleaners are not spies, their task is to clean, but while doing so, if they notice any problems then they can report them. Those on a longer let are more likely to use the cooking facilities and therefore more cleaning may be necessary.
Weekly cleans will allow the owner or manager to know if there may be any problems and if that's the case they can be sorted before they become a problem. If a client is coming into the property the day a long renter leaves, then the cleaning is likely to take longer than normal. Regular weekly cleaning will avoid this problem.
It's also about giving the right impression. A property needs dusting and sinks, loos, etc need regular cleaning. It is also stated in the contract and it's to the advantage of both the owner and the client.
Chianti without the flannel