AIBU to expect a dining table?

Some friends rented a flat for a weekend birthday celebration in Canary Wharf; very good accommodation and furnishings, including dining table and fully equipped kitchen, but no wine glasses or corkscrew.
Apparently the owner was muslim.

It is ridiculous for them not to provide any sort of table - everybody has to eat, even if its only breakfast. I do wonder if they had a table at some stage that was damaged so they removed it. And no working oven? I think that you are due for a refund.
Not sure if you are in the UK or abroad, but I'd take it up with the booking agent immediately.

My Malaysian friends who live in London like to go home at Christmas to see family, so needed to book a place to stay. On Air B&B there was a flat available on the ground floor of the high-rise building in Kuala Lumpur where the grannie lives - sounded perfect, apart from the mosquitos (you don't get them if you're high up, and they thought they could deal with that). Just as a precaution, my friend asked if her brother could check it out, which is against Air B&B's rules, but they said OK. He found the place filthy, with the ceiling about to come down in the bathroom, and a large dead lizard in one of the drawers, so needless to say they will NOT be booking, but some poor unfortunate might. Scary.

I have looked at the pictures, and some clearly show a table and chairs, others, perhaps the smaller apartments, do not. I would have contacted the owner through Booking.com and specificly asked to be accommodated in an apartment that had a dining table. I have found contacting the owner to be very useful myself, for example, I’ve frequently asked for extra pillows as I like plenty, and they’ve always been provided. Also I’ve asked for a kettle and cups, and I’ve asked if specific items are in the apartment/room ie a washing machine (when on holiday.) At least then you can decide whether to upgrade or cancel and choose other accommodation if it doesn’t suit. Overall, based on the pictures, I don’t think you’re being unreasonable.

I cannot understand why, if you are only in the apartment for a week you are bothering about the lack of a table. If there are kitchen work tops use those to prepare food then put your plate on a tray, or go out and enjoy your holiday. I have stayed in several self catering properties and they have all had their eccentricities which we smile about and carry on.

Not at all.

I went to look at a ground floor flat when I thought I might downsize. Two adults and two children lived there so I asked where they ate their meals, the answer "in front of the tv on our knees" I was horrified.

Isn't it a matter of choice.? I have no problem eating breakfast or any meal while sitting on a sofa or in bed but that's me.There are many 'lets' where I live, coastal south west, who unless specify ' dining room' will only provide a table / breakfast bar in the kitchen. If you wish to be formal then check the photographs supplied with rental properties before you make a decision.

Good luck with Booking.com. I recently booked a hotel with their promise that I would get the money back if I had to cancel. No fee if I cancelled within 3 hours. I couldn't get flights so I cancelled within 1 hour. When my credit card statement came through, the hotel had taken the payment and hadn't refunded. I rang Booking.com and I had to go directly to the hotel to get a refund, they didn't expect to do anything, it was all down to me. Very disappointing. I won't make the same mistake twice.

mabon1 that is exactly how we eat, no room for table and chairs...

The extra wine glasses and bread knives are so that you can forget the lack of table! You are intended to throw a party which includes Highland dancing over crossed breadknives!
Sloppy management and no checking of kitchen equipment by the sound of it.

My son's ex tried to go plateless! She would hand you a sandwich or whatever on a sheet of kitchen roll.

I have 2 dining tables plus an eating area in the kitchen but I eat 90% of my meals on my lap in the sunroom. I’ve just got used to it.
However, I would expect a holiday venue to have a proper table.

I like to dine at a table all year round and especially so on holiday when I have the time to enjoy lovely long leisurely meals and conversation with The Wonderful Man. If it was just for a weekend then I could cope, but no longer.

Before you booked presumably you checked what it did & didn't have in the apartment & yet you still chose to stay there. Sorry but yes you ABU

It sounds as if either the management company don't really have a handle on the condition of the apartment (broken oven, incomplete set of cutlery, and have not thought through how people would eat a meal in the place), or as if these are subtle (perhaps not so subtle) ways to reduce the wear and tear, and cleaning required, by getting guests to eat out . You should let the management know, perhaps they don't realise. If they don't respond, leaving some feedback would certainly help others.

NO, you are not being unreasonable! My neighbor always joked that if she ended up homeless, all she would need was a ".....bed to sleep in and a table and chair to eat".

No you're it unreasonable. Why would you check for a table?? It's standard. I'd have a mug of tea using a side table, always eat a a table. As does our son 22.
What next? Is there a loo? A chair to sit on? A bed?
In my first flat a studio, I had a consul table which could open up, or not as rewuired

I expect a dining table and chairs as I cannot abide eating from a plate on my lap. I'm not sure that it's a generation thing as my late MIL used to get very sarky whenever I laid a table - accusing me of being posh. It's just civilised, surely?
I think I'd comment, a table should be provided if an apartment is meant to be luxurious.

We have a large dining table which can be extended to sit more and we have a large garden table which will sit about 8. For Christmas dinner, we bring the garden table in and use it for seating.

I don't mind a snack sitting in a chair but anything more and I need a tray otherwise I spill most of it down me!

You are definitely not bu.
Maybe a previous tenant stole it or swapped it for bread knives.
A bedroom should have a bed. A kitchen/diner should have a table.

I recently stayed at a travelodge. It was ok so I gave them a good review. A week later I stayed there again but was very disappointed. When I tried to leave an honest review I was told it couldn't be accepted as I had already given them one!

I don`t have a table, there isn`t room for one, the only time we ate at a table was when we had the caravan, it always felt lovely and different eating at a table. At home it`s a tray on my knee, sitting n the sofa.

Is there a number to call and ask if they can provide one,even if only a small one??

Thanks for all these comments. Many other problems have now emerged including a faulty cooker and 2 broken smoke alarms. I'll try harder to contact the management company when I get home. I've failed so far. When I've given them a chance to reply, I'll leave a review.

I have rented many houses and apartments over the years and a table is not on my list to check for - I would expect one! Parking and more than one bathroom are my priorities but so would a table be if I had realised there was a likelihood that there wouldn't be one! Smoke alarms are surely compulsory in a rental property! Have I missed the name of the management company on the thread, broadwater? It would be interesting to know.

Perhaps “name and shame” broadwater?
Twitter, FaceBook too. These organisations tend to respond more promptly to social media than a polite letter or email after you are home again.