Renting a UK holiday cottage after Coronavirus

I think the problem with Scilly Isles is that it is a bit like saying they are SILLY.
There's a good programme about Devon and Cornwall on Channel 4 on Monday evenings. They have visited IOS in each episode so far and next week it is beautiful Tresco. In addition the series is narrated by John Nettles (Bergerac) who has a lovely Cornish accent.

It isn’t a place I know much about, even though I lived in Cornwall for a while. Is calling the Isles of Scilly the Scilly Isles the same as calling South Well Suthel ?

Maybee the Isles of Scilly attracts lots of wealthy, youngish visitors, but not of the clubbing type!
The vulnerable people who have been shielding would have to get there on the ferry and spend a couple hours cooped up with other passengers, (no cabins in which to self isolate).
I hope the news item didn't call it them The Scilly Isles, they would be very cross.

Just briefly caught the tail end of a news item about the Scilly Isles and how they needed to open up for tourism again but we’re Covid free and concerned that tourists would bring the virus to them. Maybe they should only open up for people that have been shielding or self isolating. That way the vulnerable people would feel safe and the risk of them having the virus would be low. Especially as the Scilly Isles isn’t the sort of place that young people go to (I assume, anyway.....).

I’d rather just stay at home. I’m afraid I won’t be boosting the economy any time soon.

No desire to go away on holiday, visit a pub or restaurant, or go on a shopping spree.

I can imagine several problems in a set-up like this. The chalets will have been closed since lockdown (and possibly since last winter) and will all need a thorough clean. The cleaners will have been furloughed or laid off. I've just been reading that it is expected that furloughed workers should be given at least 1 week's notice of returning. Some won't be able to return because their children are still off school. There will be grounds to sort out and maintenance issues. They will need to make sure they comply with all the guidelines, get cleaning practices in place, contact guests to let them know the rules....10 days isn't long!

Sorry, not like you MayBee. The owners interviewed lived on site and had 3 or 4 holiday chalets. The other couple owned a campsite but all they had done was to close their toilets and showers. I guess they don't want to pay for cleaners all day long when they don't know what the demand will be.

Because, as holiday home owners people like me and DH had to break lockdown by travelling to our holiday home to get it sorted before the paying guests arrived. We shouldn’t, legally be here, but we had no idea when the government would suddenly lift restrictions. As with everything else this government has done people are given such short notice when things are about to change that everyone has to be mind readers. Joan Bakewell said something similar on breakfast tv this morning.

Why on the BBC news are all the holiday home owners now complaining July 4th doesn't give them enough time to get up and running? Several posters on this thread have thought for themselves and offered solutions. Do these businesses really expect someone to lead them by the hand? Can't they be proactive, they've had long enough to think about it?

Yes, I agree, I would do the same. In addition to cleaning and sanitising, we will be leaving disinfecting wipes and disposable gloves for our guests.

Smileless2021 it sounds as if Sykes have behaved appallingly. We were with a major holiday letting company until two years ago and that company have also had very bad press over this. I have been really pleasantly surprised at how honourably Airbnb have handled it, considering they often get bad press. I'm very glad we changed.

I agree. I’d wipe down all the things that could have been touched. Handles, light switches, on off switches on bedside lamps,taps remote controls etc. I’d probably wear a mask on entering the property and open the windows to get a flow of air.

My son has a holiday rental. It already gets a thorough clean between guests. I’m confident it will be as safe as possible.
I would say though that if I was renting a cottage I would take my own disinfecting wipes and hand sanitiser.

We completely trust the cleaning company we use but don’t want to put the cleaners themselves at risk: there’s also the worry that one of the cleaning staff might be presymptomatic. Our lettings company had to contact all the cottage owners to see if they’d agree to transferring the bookings to the following year so if they won’t agree it isn’t the fault of the company but the owners. It’s a nightmare for them. Because we’ve cancelled this years bookings they have to deal with the people that are booked in. We’ve asked them to apologise profusely about our decision and hope that people understand.

I was wondering who I'd trust the more to monitor the cleaning and carry it out scrupulously. A holiday lettings company which organises cleaning staff or an individual owner following their own instincts.

The letting company we used is Sykes Cottages and they are receiving thousands of complaints. Initially on their web site there was an option to re book for next year; that option was then removed.

We wanted to do that rather than cancel altogether. Rather than risk them taking the final payment, we cancelled and lost our £325 deposit.

We're in the process of trying to get it refunded as the option to re book having initially been made available was subsequently removed.

I feel really sorry for holiday home owners who use this booking company as in all likelihood, their terrible reputation is likely to impact on the home owners businesses.

Despite cancelling this years holiday, we did like where we stayed last year and would book again for next year, but not if the owners are still using Sykes Cottages as their booking agent.

Viral particles can stay in the air for several hours so unless cleaners have full hospital grade PPE they would be at risk. It’s why they ask people to ventilate the house as much as possible before they leave.

The Airbnb guidance says:
"Check your local authority for guidance on how long to wait before entering a space occupied by a person who may have been exposed to COVID-19. For example, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests waiting 24 hours. If that’s not possible, we recommend waiting at least 3 hours, which is what the European CDC recommends. This waiting period is for your protection and helps to ventilate the room, to limit your exposure to aerosolised virus droplets that may be in the room. "

I am very puzzled about this three hour gap before cleaners can go in why??? Where else does anything mention three hours with regards to this virus?
S
surely, cleaners must be proved with appropriate PPE,masks, gloves, apron - all of which should be disposable and used just once in each place. Really cannot understand why they cannot go in to start cleaning process soon after guests leave..

Who invented this three hour period and to what purpose?

Kate if people are happy to be flexible, that’s fine. What I object to is bring expected to be flexible and pay for something that isn’t what I contracted for. I think it’s appalling if owners expect all the flexibility to be one sided. Owners on here sound flexible and thoughtful but there are plenty of others who don’t share your views and are just hard nosed business people. If I were to go away I want it be relaxing and not start and end in a kerfuffle.

I thought that reopening my business was hard but I think it will be a doddle compared to this.
At least I have control over my clients, to some degree anyway.

We spent a week ‘locked’ in a hotel room in Perth, Australia, before getting a flight home. We changed our bedding ourselves and put our used items in a yellow hazard bag. Very 5star?
If I was coming to stay I would be very aware how hard it is for you and appreciate your difficulties but I’m not sure I’m typical. Good luck.

That sounds lovely MayBee but a nightmare to sanitise it, at the moment.

We had a cottage booked for August but have cancelled. We stayed there last year and the overall cleanliness was OK but could have and IMO should have been better.

On that basis we decided to cancel.

I'm sure any guests will appreciate the necessity for a later arrival time and a prompt or even earlier departure time in the present climate GrandmaKT

When we first bought the little house with some inheritance money we redecorated and refurbished it and turned it into our dream home: mostly upcycled furniture and charity shop Knick backs, all from local shops. It really pained me that summer to know that other people were enjoying the fruits of my labour which had been done in winter with no decent heating (I slept with 3 hot water bottles). But when I read the wonderful comments in the visitors book I felt really proud that people had loved the little house as much as we do. So it’s really awful to cancel people’s holidays (some had cancelled anyway). The lettings company we’re very understanding, though. Holidays that we’d booked ourselves have been transferred to next year. Even the information booklets we leave out would have had to be removed. Books and DVD’s also (not sure about other people but I always love finding a good selection of books in a holiday property, which probably goes back to my childhood when we stayed in a caravan one year that had lots of paperbacks). The only rooms that could be easy to clean thoroughly would be rooms in travel lodges: I think if I did stay anywhere this year they’re the only ones that I’d consider. I mean, even things like the switches on bedside lamps will have to be disinfected. Remote controls: keys. If only there was a Covid equivalent of the flea bombs that you can use to de flea your home. But then I worry about the amount of nasty stuff we’re inhaling when trains and buses are fumigated. Nightmare.

AirBnB properties, in particular, can be very variable in cleanliness at the best of times.

Sitting on chairs is not the same as snuggling your face into a pillow and duvet that someone else has used.

I won't be holidaying away from home in a hurry.

Good idea Suzywoozie about leaving arrival for 24 hrs and dropping the price. I have happily transferred some bookings until next year. Don’t see a problem with that.
Most of my bookers seem pretty desperate to get away that they’re happy to be flexible.