Executive housekeeping & holiday lets

I've ranted about scrubbing executive housekeeping before but seriously................. it seems like I have to have a RANT every August.  I soooooo hate holiday makers in August.

I'm probably going to RANT about the same old things that I ranted about last August and probably the August before that and the August before that???  But August holiday makers are an absolute nightmare.  The respect for other people's property is non-existent!  I know - I've looked after two holiday lets for more than 10 years.

Most of the year looking after holiday lets is a well paid, relatively easy job.  Outwith the school summer holidays, visitors seem to look after the properties they are staying in and there are never any major incidents.

That all changes in August.............................

In August the whole world seems to arrive in the South West and the whole world arrives with squealy brats, dogs (that they haven't actually told the letting agents about, but that's a whole other rant) and extra people (that they haven't actually told the letting agents about: again a whole other rant).  And every meal they have is either a takeaway where they just leave the remains strewn around the kitchen.  Or a fry up where they think it is totally acceptable to just shove all the greasy pans back into a cupboard.

Much as I don't want to have to wash horrible greasy pans; I would far rather they had been left out so I knew what I had to wash, rather than having to trawl through cupboards and re-wash every single item.  Oh and while I'm having a bit of a rant about dirty pans...................... why do holiday makers feel the need to 're-organise' every single cupboard and every single item of furniture???  I totally understand that the 'owners' of the property may not have organised their house in the way that holiday makers may have done.  And I totally understand that holiday makers may like to rearrange things to suit their weeks' stay.  Actually I don't understand that - you're on holiday................... does it really matter which drawer the cutlery is in, or if a chair is somewhere that you wouldn't have placed it?  But what I don't understand is...................... if you're staying in a holiday let and you move stuff around; why would you not have respect for the owners and move it back when you leave???

I've actually discussed 'August holiday makers' with quite a few people and one of my friends (who lives 'up country', has three kids and has stayed in holiday lets in the South West on numerous occasions) said that perhaps because the rentals are so high in August that people on holiday don't feel they have to do anything.  I can totally understand that but there's a difference between 'not doing anything' and totally disrespecting someone's  property??

Is it really ever OK to 'over occupy' (that will invalid the insurance should anything happen), allow dogs to poo on a balcony or in a communal area and just expect someone else to pick up after you leave, allow children to eat sweets/other stuff in bed and throw all the wrappers and discarded food under the bed, move the furniture around and change where all the crockery/cutlery is stored?  To say nothing about leaving a bath so dirty that soaking it in 3 hours of bleach and then scrubbing it for another half an hour still doesn't get it cleaned............................  Grrr...................

Renting a 'holiday let' IS expensive in the South West (it's a desirable location to go on holiday) but owning a holiday home here is not as lucrative as one might think. 

.................Most of the holiday let agencies are charging almost 20% for the privilege of owners renting out their properties.  Cleaning charges are about £20ph.  Then there's council tax, gas/electricity bills, wifi, TV licence, water bills, etc, etc, etc.  And also the charges for ridiculous 'call outs' where visitors say that there's something wrong, but it turns out that there's not?  Take today, for example; I'd finished cleaning property No.1 and was busy cleaning property No. 2 when I noticed that a maintenance man was in property No.1.  Letting agent had sent him to look at the shower hose because visitor had written on the feedback form that it was leaking.  As I'd just cleaned the shower using the shower hose I knew that it wasn't leaking.  And maintenance man confirmed this.  Why holiday letting agents hadn't just called me to check if there was a problem I don't know? But who is going to pay for this totally unnecessary call out?  The owners of course.  Not the holiday makers, who've had their holiday and are now on the way home.  And not the holiday letting agents who have absolutely no qualms about spending someone else's money.

Renting a holiday let in the South West is very expensive.  As I've said before, it's a very desirable location.

......................BUT .............................. just  a note to all you holiday makers......................  I know someone who rented out their two bed-roomed property for almost £1000.00 for a week in August.  Letting agent took 20%, visitor left iron on floor, new carpet was £300.  Why would you put an iron on a floor?  And with all the other bills that they had to pay they made £89.45 for a week long booking that had cost the visitors more than £1000???

Just saying................................