We arrived at our holiday let yesterday for a few days, we do the change over when we’re staying rather than the cleaning company.
We always arrive an hour after check out time so guests never feel hassled.
I had sent the guests an early check in message and a courtesy text to check they had arrived safely and dealt with a special request for them to which I didn’t add a charge, not a single message back.
They then contacted me by phone regarding something they were unable to do and were really quite off hand.
Something told me we would arrive to a mess but nothing quite prepared me for what greeted us!
This was two couples of 60ish, it was honestly like 10 teenagers had been staying.
It took me an hour just to tidy before I could clean, missing items have turned up in odd places, every drawer and cupboard in the kitchen had to be emptied and sorted and they even took the hand washes which we refill from a big container
and other minor items like coat hangers etc.
I immediately called the holiday company to blacklist them.
I wish I could give them a bad review but I can’t, I am now dreading them spoiling our consistent 5* rating.
It seems so unfair.
Rant over, thank you for reading!
As we left there yesterday husband jokingly said “perhaps he killed the wife and put her in the loft.” there was so much blood it makes you wonder. 😱
JenniferEccles
That’s horrific Primrose53 What a shock that must have been for you to have your holiday home violated in such a dreadful way.
I presume you don’t let out through an agency?
We do actually JenniferEccles but they never want to know. Same as when we had some lovely throws and other bits stolen they just say it’s between us and the visitors.
They take 20% of bookings plus a yearly fee of about £150 so they do well out of us. Most agencies charge similarly.
That’s horrific Primrose53 What a shock that must have been for you to have your holiday home violated in such a dreadful way.
I presume you don’t let out through an agency?
M0nica
Turning old farm buildings into holiday lets is a standard farm business diversification. I have, however, never quite understood why local authorities should object to a few scattered homes for locals in the countryside. especially when we see the damage holiday lets and second homes are doing to many tourist base dcommunities.
Our council won’t let many conversions be used for residential, several reasons, they want to promote tourism, previous conversions have been poorly done, higher construction standards for residential.
Nevertheless quite a few holiday conversions are let or used for residential, that’s difficult for the council because if they force eviction they often have to find alternative accommodation.
Sorry to hear this Primrose.
Obviously I know how it feels!
We have not had any bad guests since I started this thread (touch wood) but it’s so awfully upsetting when someone is so disrespectful.
The one advantage of holiday let guests is that it’s never for long.
We have had a rental property but as everything is now weighted toward the tenant we decided to sell.
On the whole our tenants were OK but the last one was not clean, he also was subletting a room without permission I suspect!
Bump
We went to clean our holiday let today. What a mess! Worst in 3 years. Wheelie bin not put out so that now sits there 2 weeks. That is the only thing we ask visitors to do.
OMG The kitchen! At least a week’s worth of washing up on the side. They have been in 10 days. 3 saucepans with burnt on food, a frying pan with burnt on food soaking in water, a couple of big mixing bowls full of congealed food. They must have had the hob up so high that it has now badly marked the hob which was immaculate. Fridge full of food to be binned. Lots of spillages on kitchen floor. Crumbs everywhere. Cooker very dirty.
Everywhere smells of cooking. They were East European judging by their name and also the fridge contents. Lord knows what the culinary delights were in the mixing bowls but it was set like cement.
Upstairs we found blood soaked pillowcases and pillow protectors, a blood stained duvet and duvet cover. I mean lots of blood not just a few spots. A very nice little upholstered chair had make up stains. In the bathroom the newly painted walls had black marks and dribbles of toiletries so that will have to be painted again. Lord knows how they even managed that!
We had recently given notice that we will go back to having proper tenants from October so I know we’ve made the right decision.
The lettings agency my partner used to use was taken over by Sykes. There are massive delays in the homeowners being paid and they’ve increased the commission.
We have just got back from using a Sykes holiday let. Never again. We had no lights in the bathroom whatsoever for 6/7 nights and had to trail a lamp in there. Health and safety would love that. When we tried to claim a small token as refund we were told no and to take the owner to small claims court. We are not going to do that but will never book a cottage with Sykes again
Turning old farm buildings into holiday lets is a standard farm business diversification. I have, however, never quite understood why local authorities should object to a few scattered homes for locals in the countryside. especially when we see the damage holiday lets and second homes are doing to many tourist base dcommunities.
In my earlier post I mentioned some visitors who left us a rusty old mirror and the whole house needed a lot more cleaning than usual.
They have just left feedback. 5/5. Fantastic holiday. Very friendly owners. 😉
True Doodledog but the holiday let is a business add-on and not a permanent residence.
I know of one farm which was allowed to convert an old milking parlour for "business purposes" as a holiday let - where a neighbour had been turned down a permanent residence conversion.
You are right in that a holiday let might retain the original footprint though and that might have been a factor.
We’ve been away for a long weekend to Warners Leisure hotels. We didn’t strip the bed and there wasn’t anything else we could do. Then we came home to do changeover for our holiday let and you would hardly know anybody stayed, lovely and clean. They left us a 5* review too.
Who knows what goes on in the minds of the planning department.
There seems to be no rhyme or reason in many of their decisions
I could be cynical but I shall refrain
NotSpaghetti
Doodledog I would think it's also maybe because a farm is a business so putting a home there is not part of the business but a change of use...
I think we need more info from Gwyllt.
I also think that if another person was needed to work the farm and was going to live there the planning may have been easier.
Yes, but a holiday let is a change of use too. I agree that we probably need more info though.
It makes you wonder what people's homes are like. I hate housework & am not the tidiest of people but I would never dream of treating anywhere like the stories on here. We have just stayed in a lovely air b n b in Normandy. The homeowner greeted us with a bottle of Normandy cider & was very helpful when we had a problem with a car seat for my husband's granddaughter when she & her mother came to stay with us for a few days from their home in Paris. I did strip their bed & cot & wash the bedding & their towels, but left ours. We left everything clean & tidy but didn't vacuum as we paid a cleaning fee. The owner texted us to say we had been perfect guests & we left her a 5 star review. If anyone wants details of this lovely property I can highly recommend it.
Doodledog
Gwyllt
Also about ten years ago a friends daughter wished to convert a building on the family farm. They had been born in the county married a local guy children attended local school and both had full time employment They were refused but told they could convert to a holiday let. They are all Welsh speakers They were not on their own
Would there have been a difference in the conversion had they made it into a permanent home? I’m thinking maybe adding far more square metres or building an upstairs - that sort of thing, whereas a holiday let might retain the original footprint and stay in keeping with its surroundings.
If the objection is to changing the landscape rather than to who lives there it does make a huge difference. If not it seems insane to prevent people from making homes for locals (or anyone who wants to live there as a resident rather than a holiday maker).
Reminded me of Dominic Cummings family farm
Doodledog I would think it's also maybe because a farm is a business so putting a home there is not part of the business but a change of use...
I think we need more info from Gwyllt.
I also think that if another person was needed to work the farm and was going to live there the planning may have been easier.
I have just been reading that “Chelsea on Sea”, ie Burnham Market in north norfolk has held a referendum and it has been decided that no more properties can be sold as holiday lets or to non locals. The average price of a house there is £1 million.
Megslotts
Oreo
You are all very lucky to have holiday homes.
Agree! How the other half live eh
When we were younger and had 4 holiday homes, we ourselves actually lived in the barn and used all the worn-out kitchenware from the properties. We were on call to help 24/7 and I spent at least 3 nights at Urgences to translate for guests. DH also drove to the petrol station to use his bank card to get a guest out of a fix etc etc etc. It was a different type of job, but very much a full time one.
Gwyllt
Also about ten years ago a friends daughter wished to convert a building on the family farm. They had been born in the county married a local guy children attended local school and both had full time employment They were refused but told they could convert to a holiday let. They are all Welsh speakers They were not on their own
Would there have been a difference in the conversion had they made it into a permanent home? I’m thinking maybe adding far more square metres or building an upstairs - that sort of thing, whereas a holiday let might retain the original footprint and stay in keeping with its surroundings.
If the objection is to changing the landscape rather than to who lives there it does make a huge difference. If not it seems insane to prevent people from making homes for locals (or anyone who wants to live there as a resident rather than a holiday maker).
Magslotts. Running holiday lets is a business full of uncertainties Of how many visitors you have etc Just what your income will be with very little coming in during the winter not to mention the damage which numerous of you have mentioned
How does this compare with a regular job with a steady income or pension
Oreo
You are all very lucky to have holiday homes.
Agree! How the other half live eh 
Also about ten years ago a friends daughter wished to convert a building on the family farm. They had been born in the county married a local guy children attended local school and both had full time employment They were refused but told they could convert to a holiday let. They are all Welsh speakers They were not on their own
We did not carry out the conversion. All I know that is what the council decreed in 2002 when it granted planning permission However I do know it is by no means the only one It is a county that protests strongly that there are too many holiday homes
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