Inadequate kitchen equipment in holiday accommodation.

We’ve generally been lucky with holiday rentals. In West Wales we always rented through the same company and their properties were brilliant. The one time we didn’t, we rented a large house for a family holiday and it left a lot to be desired, including one shower which didn’t work. We were told they were “waiting for a part”. It came two days before we were due to leave! Kitchen equipment was a mixture, but we were cooking dinner one evening when my son picked up a pan of new potatoes off the stove and the handle came off in his hand. The contents ended up on the floor and he narrowly missed being scalded. It turned out that the handle had been stuck on with some sort of epoxy glue, having obviously come off before! The landlord, who lived on site, said they hadn’t noticed. In the end, he refunded part of the rental but if my son had been injured, we would have sued the pants off him.

I always travel with a basic kit of items of my own including an omelette pan. I remember one property we used to rent regularly had Portmerrion crockery and there was a list in the welcome booklet of what replacements would cost for breakages. These were item full prices - for crockery that was ‘seconds’. Cheek.

The worst place I stayed in was in France. Miles from anywhere, no freezer, tv or radio, no laundry facilities even though these were all advertised as available. The on-site managers had just done a bunk, taking whatever they fancied with them.

i remember having a rental for a week with just one t-towel . hardly any cutlery etc

I guess the vast majority of people holidaying don't want to spend the time cooking.

If they're advertised it as fully equipped then complain to the owners

For some years we had a holiday home in France. We didn't let it commercially but let family and friends stay there in our absence. Even though we had the house fully fitted for us to live in as our home, More often or not there was always something another family lived by that we did not have and they would buy one at the local supermarket and leave it behind when they went home. We acquired an electric cafetiere - in the days before modern coffee machines, and various other gadgets

I've recently returned from a week away in Scotland with a group of 6 friends - I must say the house we stayed in had just about everything you could think of from an array of pans, oven trays, roasting tins to a good quality set of knives, kitchen utensils galore.

Ask the host, not us

I guess we have the advantage of living on site so meet our guests I always say if there is anything that you need just ask. The only thing I have been asked for is a set of kitchen scales. Also when one of the guests had family close by they asked for extra glasses and plates as they had their large family for lunch The other bonus is the cottages are left very clean and tidy our cleaners are impressed how they are left

In Italy we checked exactly how far the swimming pool was from the house we rented. It was on an "exclusive" estate where the owner was away for the summer.
I checked twice about the pool.
They said they were next to it - 20 metres.
It was ⅔ mile away...
Not where I'd nip for a quick dip (in a robe before breakfast) as it involved walking past other people's homes.

I checked when it would be drained for the winter - October I was told.
It was about 10th September and was drained the day after we arrived.

This was all worse than not having a pan or corkscrew as it was integral to our treat to ourselves.

Incidentally the house had everything lead crystal wine glasses, vases of flowers, and more besides...

The owner had even said "help yourself to the drinks cabinet"!

On a longer holiday in Italy we checked that a washing machine, iron and ironing board were available. No iron or ironing board! SHOCK HORROR!! We phoned the owner and he sent his mum straight round with both, new, within an hour. Such lovely people. In France we have bought teacloths ... and .... corkscrews!!

This is a bit of a silly comment, Sparky51
If there are 2 hobs and two sets of pans, fair enough, but each pan uses up a ring you know.

If you are cooking for eight you will expect bigger pans.

My daughter’s holiday let is extremely well equipped. If a guest had a complaint she would want to know, in order to rectify it straightaway. A bit trickier if you rent through a company but they are the agents, so complain to them.
Her holiday let was a garage. It cannot be rented out long term, Aveline..

I stayed in a couple of hostels in London last year and the kitchens were much better equipped than mine at home 😆

Amazonia then why not rent it out to long term residents?

If they left you a pan then that is the one you use - if they think it is compatible then their risk.

Vegansrock

Our four bedroomed Center Parcs villa had two fridges

Our four bedroomed Center Parcs villa had two fridges!

Aveline

These were always people's homes before they were holiday lets.

Ours was a derelict barn. Never been permanently lived in. Provides us with an income which we spend locally as well as all the other businesses that benefit from the tourist trade.

These were always people's homes before they were holiday lets.

Loved Sago's post on the dead relations kitchen stuff. May well be true. But could be viewed as recycling and saving the planet.
Ho.ho.

I personally would not rent a holiday place. Or an Airbnb. Has to be a hotel for me

Perhaps some of these places provide crap utilities because they get stolen on a regular basis.

.

The comment about tool boxes made me laugh. This was DH with his repair kit he took to France. We rented a house in a new area for 2 weeks and the hoover tube was broken.

Excuse the knees!

What you have to appreciate is that many holiday homes have planning restrictions and can only be let to the same person for a limited period of time Also even if such restrictions were lifted there could be problems. On our three there is a single hot water and heating system. Put in by previous owners Access to one cottage is trough another cottage patio

Stay in hotels or B and Bs. No wonder there's a housing shortage for homes if houses and flats are used for short term lets.

Gosh..sounds appalling...you poor things....i would sue!!!

We went away for February half term and my daughter took the camping box with the essentials, knives, pans, spatulas, etc. And I took my favourite peeling knife. To find a fabulous kitchen with everything we could need. On the other hand I went to Northumberland by myself last year to a cottage next to a pub and it seemed that they expected you to always eat in the pub because there was hardly anything in the kitchen. The bedding left something to be desired too, with fitted sheets that were obviously for Sunday as they were holey!