Holiday Rental?

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telboy
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Holiday Rental?

Postby telboy » Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:01 pm

OK I know this forum is not Holiday Truths, but, is this usual practice for people running a holiday rental? There must be a few of you out there!

My brother came over here recently and booked a week in a villa with pool in Frigiliana for him an his wife. On arrival the owners requested 250€(cash) as a deposit as well as 75€(cash) to clean the property when they leave.

The welcome pack consisted of a pack of cheesy snips. When my brother questioned the Dutch owners about the extremely poor 'welcome pack' their answer was - 'Dutch holiday makers don't expect a welcome pack'

The owners said they would lose their deposit if -
There was evidence they hadn't used pool shower before bathing, so, resulting in tide mark around pool edge. The bed wasn't stripped before they left. Anything was broken regardless of whether it was due to wear & tear. On arrival they failed to mention that the washing machine door latch was broken and wouldn't close, and the microwave failed to work.

The owners said they would send their deposit to their home address after they left. Well we'll see!!!
They obviously don't want return guests.

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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby carrowcrin » Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:25 pm

was there a booking agent involved? to me it does not sound like a nice start to a holiday....

frank
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby frank » Sun Oct 21, 2012 3:55 pm

If they want a villa with a pool anytime in or around Frigiliana, I could PM you some great Spanish owners, they get deserved rave reviews on all their properties. An a brilliant welcome pack! :D
Regards, Frank

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anis
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby anis » Sun Oct 21, 2012 4:09 pm

..terrible service. We are on site owners , in business for 12 years. I would not have lasted 12 months running the properties in that manner. We are suppose to be offering holidays, ideally ones which people will remember with pleasure, not that sort of service.

We have had many Dutch guests and I can assure you, they use all of our welcome packs and enjoy them, just like the rest of our guests of differing nationalities.

Fortunately, this is not the norm. I know quite a few people in this line of hospitality work and none of those behave like that, I think your brother was very unfortunate.
Most of us take a refundable breakages deposit - mine is 125 € for two houses but that is usually in cheque form and returned before they leave.

frank
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby frank » Sun Oct 21, 2012 4:59 pm

I was reading on tripadvisor of a grumpy git that had a rental place in the Alpujarras, and two people said they cut short their stay and left after a short time.I think some are simply in the wrong job, they are not cut out for the job. I must admit I can't remember ever paying a deposit, and any place that charges for a welcome pack, final clean etc simply doesn't get my business.
Regards, Frank

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Julie
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby Julie » Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:07 pm

When we have rented we have been asked for a deposit usually 100 euro and always returned before we have left the property, some people do ask for a amount for cleaning, but one who always be aware of it before booking, I think they have been unlucky, maybe they should put a review on tripadvisor in order to allow others to make an informed decision, its sad that people go on holiday to be treated so shoddily :(
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby Free at Last » Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:24 pm

When we rented an apartment in Madrid for a few days recently, I paid the rental cost by credit card on arrival, and the 100€ deposit against breakages/damage in cash. When we were checking out the 100€ was returned to us in cash, they didn't even bother to check the apartment (not that we had trashed it!). That's the kind of arrangement I've normally found, and if I was looking for somewhere to rent that had the kind of stipulations outlined by the OP I would look elsewhere.

telboy
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby telboy » Sun Oct 21, 2012 10:55 pm

Thanks for all your replies

My brother booked through 'Owners Direct' so as the title implies no agent involved. Some foreign rental property owners we know just leave a bottle of Cava for their new guests.

Yes, I guess my brother was unlucky, though they did move on to Bubion in the Alpujarras for 2 weeks after their stay in Frigiliana. Again they booked via Owners Direct but this time the hospitality was faultless.

Now back in the UK, my brother says he is still awaiting his refunded deposit, he also states that the rental property in Frigiliana had no name just a REF number, so would be pointless rubbishing it on Tripadvisor.

Cheers to all repliers
Terry

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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby markwilding » Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:17 am

I've never had a problem. I've usually paid a deposit but made sure I got it back before I left.
In August the owner said he trusted us so wouldn't be asking for the deposit and could we leave the keys in the kitchen when we left.

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Roz
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby Roz » Tue Oct 23, 2012 8:07 am

Sorry to hear your brother had such a bad experience. We have a holiday rental villa and over the last 6 years have promoted it on three rental sites including Owners Direct. We do however have an agent in the village to meet and greet our clients and assist them with anything they need whilst staying in our villa. We do not take a breakage bond or charge for cleaning and have found our guests to be most respectful of our property causing to date no problems. We also provide a good welcome pack which our clients are not charged for and this provides sufficient for them to have something substantial to eat the day/evening they arrive and also for breakfast.

I do hope your brother has not been put off by his recent experience and I suggest he checks the reviews and if there is a local agent.

Your brother should send an honest review to Owners Direct and also check to see if they advertise on other sites where reviews can also be submitted.

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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby frank » Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:53 am

Roz wrote:Sorry to hear your brother had such a bad experience. We have a holiday rental villa and over the last 6 years have promoted it on three rental sites including Owners Direct. We do however have an agent in the village to meet and greet our clients and assist them with anything they need whilst staying in our villa. We do not take a breakage bond or charge for cleaning and have found our guests to be most respectful of our property causing to date no problems. We also provide a good welcome pack which our clients are not charged for and this provides sufficient for them to have something substantial to eat the day/evening they arrive and also for breakfast.
Yours sounds like the type of place we look for when renting. Decent welcome pack, always good if you arrive late and don't have time to shop, and no breakage bond. As you say, if it's a nice, well presented property, people tend to respect it, if it's a cheap tatty rental then perhaps a bond is necessary. We have been doing it for around 25 years, many times a year, and in that time we've broken an ashtray,which we replaced before leaving. The owners said there was no need to replace it, they just like to know of any breakages so they can replace it. As for a final clean, I'm amazed people have the cheek to ask for that (even more amazed people book such a property), you never see an hotel asking their guests to pay to have the room cleaned.
Regards, Frank

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Roz
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby Roz » Tue Oct 23, 2012 11:06 am

Thanks Frank, your comments are spot on. Of course we have small breakages, glasses, plates etc., but these are normal wear and tear. We work hard at making our Spanish home just that!

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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby frank » Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:37 pm

Roz wrote:Thanks Frank, your comments are spot on. Of course we have small breakages, glasses, plates etc., but these are normal wear and tear. We work hard at making our Spanish home just that!
And I bet your hard work is rewarded! I've said before we have Spanish friends that rent out 5 very nice properties, their feedback is full of messages saying that their friends (with them, they are friends not clients!) wish to return and he has a large percentage of repeat bookings. They provide a brilliant welcome pack, we tried to think of something we could need that wasn't there, we never use it all. His prices include free wifi, electricity, gas, logs, all have pools, A/C and heating. As a consequence we have used their properties at least 15 times, it all just seems to work. Looking at your location, we have stayed many times in a country hotel not far from you, we have become friends, and again, they are lovely people and everything works! I'd hate the thought of a Ryanair type experience, a quoted price and then start to add electricity, final clean, deposit etc to the price.
Regards, Frank

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Roz
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby Roz » Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:11 pm

Once again I am in total agreement with you Frank. nothing worse than having a budget in mind for a holiday or flight to find out that the final price is nothing like the initial one.

We also have many repeat bookings so hopefully are getting things right!

Re the hotel you visit is a converted mill in Benaojan? If it is it is a favourite haunt of ours,we have being going there for over 20 years!

Salud

Roz

frank
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby frank » Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:19 pm

Roz wrote:Once again I am in total agreement with you Frank. nothing worse than having a budget in mind for a holiday or flight to find out that the final price is nothing like the initial one.

We also have many repeat bookings so hopefully are getting things right!

Re the hotel you visit is a converted mill in Benaojan? If it is it is a favourite haunt of ours,we have being going there for over 20 years!

Salud

Roz
No, it bit further away from you than that, it´s just off the Ronda-Sevilla road, Cortijo Las Piletas. The owners, Elisenda and Pablo are a lovely couple.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Revi ... lucia.html
Regards, Frank

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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby carrowcrin » Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:25 pm

I am curious as to why there is not more information on these people so as to discourage people from using them but it may be that "the forum" will not allow this.
I am also curious as to the name of the hotel in Benaojan as doing a few days in that area is on my list of places to visit.

thanks

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Roz
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby Roz » Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:43 pm

Molino del Santo Benaojan, closing for winter next month.

katy
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby katy » Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:53 pm

Looks good Frank, would trust your recommendations :wave:

We have stayed a couple of times at the Molino del Santo,that is good too. Nice to eat dinner on the terrace by the river. They provide tea and coffee in the rooms too, a rarity in Spain.

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Roz
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby Roz » Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:04 pm

And only a five minute drive from our house!

frank
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Re: Holiday Rental?

Postby frank » Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:20 pm

katy wrote:Looks good Frank, would trust your recommendations :wave:
We have stayed a couple of times at the Molino del Santo,that is good too. Nice to eat dinner on the terrace by the river. They provide tea and coffee in the rooms too, a rarity in Spain.
Never stayed there, MDS, but have sat alongside the river and enjoyed a drink. Probably the reason for the tea and coffees in the room is the owners are Brits, or they were, two school teachers. Last I heard they were pretty much hands off and spending time in UK.
As you can see Katy, Cortijo de las Piletas gets excellent reviews, it's a place to chill out, no TV in the rooms, sit in their big lounge with a roaring log fire, using their laptop, loads of books and magazines, sipping a wine from their courtesy bar. No, I'm not on commission, all those reviews in tripadvisor can't be wrong! :lolno:
Regards, Frank

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