Horrible holiday lets

When you spend a large amount of money renting a property, you have a right to expect everything to be perfect. We were pleased this year that we had found a cottage that six adults and our GS could share and each bedroom had its own bathroom, except that one shower didn't work and the owner kept promising the plumber was coming and, accordingly, held on to one of the two front door keys, which made life difficult if we were all going off to do different things during the day and were not sure what time we would be coming back. It was a logistical nightmare. The plumber finally turned up on Thursday. The last day we we there, DS was boiling some eggs for a salad. He drew some water into a saucepan and the handle fell off. Closer inspection showed that the handle had broken previously and had been stuck back on with glue! If it had happened after the eggs had been boiled he could have been badly scalded. Over the years, we have had very little to complain about. The things that go wrong, you take on board for the future and do what you can to sidestep them. We once booked a (lovely) property which was adjacent to a farm and we were plagued by flies which are a pet hate of mine.

We once hired a caravan near Ardnamurchan. When we arrived, and opened the door, a hen walked out. The kitchen area was greasy and the lights were covered in a thick, dusty greasiness! Much frying had taken place, over the years, for sure! However, the owners had very kindly left us a nice plateful of (uncovered!) cakes. We didn't eat them, as we weren't sure if the hen had already had a peck at them!
Then, there was the caravan on Islay....we'd driven back and forth, looking for it, and laughed when we drove past this kind of crooked, twisted caravan that looked as if it had been scrapped....but it was ours ...The cushions on the seating area were all holey, and the roof leaked. However, when the owner showed us into the caravan, he proudly waved a plunger in our faces, saying it was brand-new, as the other one had worn out due to the sink always blocking up! Also, of course, there were midges by the million....

Just recently there was a programme on TV in which low paid workers tried sampled other low paid workers' jobs. Most of the jobs were absolutely awful and the people were paid a pittance.

What really annoyed me was the way in which some guests treated their hotel rooms - leaving filthy nappies lying around, weeing on the bathroom floor, etc. etc. Don't these people ever think that some poor soul has to clear all this filth and mess up?

Echo those people who have found Pontins a bit grim. Our last holiday was in a very nice cottage, pricey but we could take the dog so didn't mind paying a bit extra. The double bed squeaked so badly that I had to go and sleep in second room leaving my husband to sleep on the less squeaky side of the bed. No response when this was mentioned on the feedback form. But my real dislike is a little note asking that beds are stripped and bedding left in sitting room. Possibly unreasonable, but no, I don't want to pay a large rental and have to strip beds.

As well as looking after gardens my wife and I manage 4 holiday cottages for an owner who lives abroad. They are very nice with an indoor swimming pool in the grounds and offer complete privacy.Over the years we have had beds/cots/saucepans/televisions/cutlery/ plates/teapots/sofas/plants/tables/ and even swimming pool chemicals stolen. When booking we always take the card details so if we find anything is missing we charge it to the persons card informing them by letter what we have done and why. The best ones who rent are naturist and artist groups, we have never had any problems from them and they book year after year making block bookings. We have very good feed back from most of our bookings. We also employ a daily cleaner.

A cottage in Torridon, in the Western Highlands, sounded just the job for me (3 months pregnant), OH and 16 month old toddler. I should have known about the possibility (near certainty) of rain every day. I should have known from experience about the clouds of midges that emerged from the heather when the rain stopped. And if I had read between the lines of the advertisement for the cottage (traditional, West Highland croft house or words to that effect), I could have predicted the leaking roof, the outside privy, the lack of drying space for DS's nappies, damp bed and bedding - oh and a multitude of other drawbacks. We had booked it for a fortnight and stood it for five days, then back to sister's in Dundee where it was warm and dry.

Many years ago my dh and I stayed in a holiday house in Belgium. The road leading to the house was lined with houses with women of ill repute sitting in them!! The windows of the holiday let were covered with mosquito net type curtains and we wondered why. Found out soon enough when we saw some mossies in a nearby nasty looking pond. The final straw was when the bannister rail on the steep staircase fell apart. We decided to leave.

On the other hand there can be terrible tenants too. My sister has a cottage that she lets out. She has very high standards and it is immaculate and beautifully furnished. Sometimes people leave it in the most disgusting state. Dog poo all over the place cigarette burns filthy kitchen with unwashed crockery burn out pans etc etc! Obviously no GN people would ever do that but there are some awful people out there who seem so respectable and reliable -but aren't!

Years ago we booked a holiday house on the Sussex coast advertised in the Lady magazine ( recommended by my mother ! ) I was 7 months pregnant with our second one . We went with my parents and my 88 year old granny who lived with my parents . What a nightmare ! The tiny kitchen was so dirty and greasy and totally unequipped, and every room was dirty and smelly .The final straw was the sleeping arrangements . Although it was supposed to sleep 6 in 4 bedrooms , it turned out there were only 3 double beds one of which was a bed settee. One bedroom had no bed ! It would have meant our 3 year old would have had to sleep with her great granny! We finally got hold of the landlord who informed us that it had been let to students , which he seemed to think explained all .We had to stay that night - we fortunately had provided our own sheets, with our 3 year old squeezed into our sofabed with us which we had made up on the floor. My parents spent the night lying awake convinced there were mice in their room ! We went out that night and got fish and chips that we could eat out of the paper and beat a hasty retreat the next day .Sad though as my granny was not well enough to have another holiday.Took ages to get our money back and never used "Lady" again .

We have for a number of years until recently (because of my partner's age and health) let off part of our home in a beautiful part of Wales by the sea to couples or small families with not more than 2 children. We have had to maintain high standards of cleanliness as defined by the agency used,did one load of washing and drying free of charge per week using our own equipment, and from the start determined that we were going to treat our visitors with the same consideration we would show our friends. Our welcome pack would always include (as a minimum) a bottle of wine,fresh locally baked bread, milk, fruit juice and home-made cake or scones.

Most people coming on holiday to enjoy themselves are great. We have many happy memories and a number of real friends we would not have made otherwise. However,I am tempted to tell you all about the two high ranking, arrogant hospital doctors who came one year and left the place in an absolutely filthy state (were they used to having other people clean up after them all the time? i wouldn't want them operating on me!)...Conversely, we had a Polish family with small children one year who were the complete opposite. These were on a relatively low income and took nothing for granted. They were appreciative of every little thing done for them. They spent every day on the beach, and still left the place like the proverbial new pin. Not a grain of sand or a smear of grease anywhere.And a thank you letter, too.

DH's mother had a B&B (guest house, as she called it). He refuses to stay in one regardless of how many star ratings it has!

I don't care for B&Bs in general - much prefer SC but sometimes needs must...

We stayed at a B&B in rural Devon which was so pristine, I swear any germs unfortunate enough to get trodden in would commit mass suicide on the spot. But I kept expecting to see Hyacinth Bucket - it had that sort of feel. There were frills everywhere and even the frills had frills on.
And breakfast was at 8.30 sharp, which is another reason I prefer to go SC if poss, unless we just need a bed for the night, in which case I'll usually go for a good old Premier Inn, if there is one.

Oh dear this sounds familiar, this happened to us many years ago with our two young children, it was just as horrendous as you describe. Thank goodness that just down the road was a caravan site and what joy they had a van to rent for the week. heaven!! Put me off this type of holiday for years.

Our horror was a Devon B&B with evening meal. At 7am every morning we were woken by a knock on our door telling us breakfast was in half an hour.Evening meal was 7pm on the dot and if we were going to be out after 10pm we had to ask for a key which we were expected to pay a deposit for.To make matters worse it must have been the wettest august bank holiday ever.

nannyinthekitchen if only everyone was like you

I'm also a bit dubious about Tripadvisor, I know someone (an ex-colleague) who would "test" accommodation with a white glove for dust and dirt (I kid you not) and post negative reviews on Tripadvisor. He seemed to derive a great deal of pleasure from having a high profile on the site (you get badges or something) and he would take photos of "misdemeanours" around the properties and post them.

Another important thing about holiday rentals is that it doesn't help either having great accommodation if the surrounding area (town or village) is disappointing. We rented once in a coastal resort in East Sussex, it was lovely during the day when the sun shone but when the "night-time economy" came out to play, oh my, that was another story.

It's actually quite a depressing subject, given the cost of holiday accommodation in many parts of the U.K.

Our holiday accommodation is always perfect - whether home or abroad, north or south, summer or winter. How can we be so sure? Because it's ours and we take it with us. We tow or caravan wherever we want to go. This year we have been to Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, London, north Devon, north Wales, Anglesey, Herefordshire, Humberside and the Isle of Wight !

But if you must use rented accommodation then I would echo the advice about TripAdvisor but with one important consideration: remember that not everyone tells the truth. "Good" reviews can be written by friends of the owner, and just as easily "bad" reviews can be written by competitors, or disgruntled ex-employees. You have to learn which ones too ignore.

I don't think that is correct in all cases. We have a holiday let in South West Scotland and all our reviews are 5*, we work very hard to keep them that way too!

Stayed in a fabulous holiday let just outside Pwllhelli two years running, you could have eaten off any surface! Had an awful house in the middle of a field next to a firing range in Devon, filthy and rotten wooden windows and internal door frames it was so damp! A filthy very old caravan on a luxurious park in Germany, what an embarrassment that was, we stayed 2 nights until we found somewhere else then left! Sometimes there's no place like home!

Re Trip Advisor, as well as reading the actual reviews, once I've found one I like, I now also see what else the reviewers have written about and if their other reviews seem reasonable too.
I'm always wary of people who don't have a mix of 'star' ratings. My experience is that not everything is 5*!

It's not just tumble dryers. My sister lets a holiday cottage and is on thr third fridge in 5 years and second oven. guests keep breaking the ice box door/handle, and one guest pulled off the oven door handle -repairman shattered the glass and she ended up having to replace the 4 year old oven. I guess people are inclined to have trouble with unfamiliar appliances. Expensive and hassle though - wiped out any money she might have made on those lets and tricky to manage to get fixed in time for next guest.

DiL and family had a similar experience at Pontins in Camber Sands. It was so awful that they left after on night. Being a single parent with 3 kids and disabled DF, it was a real shame... She fought and got her money back. But she had to fight hard!!!

Also have noticed that Trip Advisor is far from complete, in surprising ways. E.g. A cottage letting agency in St Ives has quite a large portfolio of properties on their website, but there are no reviews on Trip Advisor. Seems a bit odd. Wonder why none of their guests have posted anything.
But: We booked a villa last year in Florida, through a German letting agency, last minute and a bit in desperation. It too had no reviews on Trip Advisor but was absolutely fab! So have come to conclusion Trip Advisor is not as useful as it used to be ?

Trip Advisor used to be great but it doesn't seem quite as reliable now. We've had one of two disappointments where glowing reviews didnt match reality. I wonder if some reviews are 'sponsored' somehow but that doesn't seem how Trip Advisor is supposed to work.

I think the worst cottage we ever stayed in was part of a farm near Goonhilly in Cornwall. We shared it with our friends and their two young boys and they had booked it, which surprised me because they were the fussiest, most fastidious couple on the planet, and this place was spectacularly awful. There were no mod cons; even the tiny kitchen had never been updated, and had practically no cupboard or work space and very little equipment. Everything was worn and dated. At that time our friends lived in a house so large and sumptuous we could have dropped our semi into it and struggled to find it again. I'm surprised they didn't leave after the first night, especially when there were strange scrabbling noises coming from the loft! But we all stuck it out and had a nice holiday. I noticed, though, that in all the time we knew them, they never took a cottage holiday again! We use holiday cottages regularly but always book through the same trustworthy company.