Apartment cleaning/deposits

[zag]

I'm just wondering what other peoples experiences are regarding how clean they leave apartments after a few days holiday hire.

We just got a note back from the owner of an apartment we rented last week to say that he was deducting some money from the deposit because the apartment was left in an unacceptable condition. We're not exactly the messiest of people and we didn't leave any dirty dishes in the sink or anything, bins were emptied, etc . . . so I have no idea what he was talking about. There was possibly some dust on the floor, but that's to be expected and I don't think most people would go around sweeping up the floor before handing their apartment over to the cleaners (who we paid €60 to clean the place).

We would normally leave bed clothes, towels, etc . . . in a heap because they are going (hopefully) to be stripped off the bed and stuck in the washing machine anyway, so there's no need to tidy them up. After that, as long as there aren't dishes in the sink, food stuck to the surfaces and the bins aren't overflowing I would have thought that wasn't much more work to be done.

What are other peoples experiences ?

z

 

[ClubMan]

I don't think most people would go around sweeping up the floor before handing their apartment over to the cleaners (who we paid €60 to clean the place).

I don't understand. You cleaned up and then also got in cleaners to do more cleaning up? In that case if the apartment owner is complaining and deducing some of the deposit is it not a case of your gripe being with the cleaners contracted above?

 

[z106]

I don't understand. You cleaned up and then also got in cleaners to do more cleaning up? In that case if the apartment owner is complaining and deducing some of the deposit is it not a case of your gripe being with the cleaners contracted above?

Presumably not.
I think the gripe is with teh owner of tha apartment for setting standards that are too unrelaistic.

My guess is that this lamdlord is teh type of guy who had his mind made up beforehand that if he had any excuse at all, he would keep some of teh deposit.
He probably has it justified in his own head also somehow.

Personbally - my belief is that if you are renting out property, then having to cover teh expense of cleaning it is teh responsibility of teh landlord.

It's simply part of teh gig - if you don't like teh gig then don't get involved !

The landlord should fund any cost of contract cleaners before the next tenants come in.

 

[zag]

Well, the cost was listed as €100 per day plus €60 cleaning fee. Added up for the number of days the total amount was acceptable to me, so whether they split out the cleaning cost or included it in the daily rate didn't matter. I didn't contract with the cleaner, I contracted with the apartment owner.

The owner failed to turn up on the morning we were due to check-out so we had to leave without our deposit. We had little choice as we had a bus to catch to the airport and missing the bus would have cost us more in tickets than the deposit.

z

 

[paddi22]

That sounds like very bad form altogether. My advice would be to go on Trip Advisor and give a bad review because of this, just to warn others.

 

[Sue Ellen]

The owner failed to turn up on the morning we were due to check-out so we had to leave without our deposit.

Perhaps a regular tactic. Convenient for withholding sum from deposit. As a matter of interest how much did they hold back?

 

[emerald lass]

Well, the cost was listed as €100 per day plus €60 cleaning fee.

The owner failed to turn up on the morning we were due to check-out so we had to leave without our deposit.
z

Bad form on both counts - if you paid the agreed cleaning fee seperate to your deposit, then IMO landlord has no right to furhter financially penalise you for cleaning costs.

I rent out properties here in Turkey, and I ALWAYS meet the tenant before they leave - because should there be a genuine reason for holding back a deposit it needs to be addressed prior to their leaving.

Can I ask where you rented? you said you were travelling to the airport so I am guessing (perhaps incorrectly) that it was abroad.

One thing I do notice which happens sometimes (here in Turkey and I've heard of it elsewhere) is that the agent looking after the rental feels they are not getting enough of a cut from the rental (various reasons - one being because they offered a rental agreement to the buyer, and now have to honour ir, but don't feel it is finacially worth their while so try to sky a few more quid. another reason is that the Agent sends a staff member to look after teh key exchange - the said staff member prob obly gets paid a pittace wage and commission. so they try to make a few quid by keeping your deposit). It is unacceptable, but they take advantage of the situation of the tenant is in - i.e have to leave by a set time.

Can I ask how much the deposit was, and how much was deducted? (just to be nosey??

Tip for others renting holiday homes - always tell the LL/Agent that you are leaving at least 4-6 hours before you actually are! that way you have less chance of them making excuses not to show up. also get an address of whoever is doing the key exchange - if its an agent and they don't show, you have time to visit them and get your deposit. I would demand it back, and if they are unwilling to do so without seeing the property, then again you have plenty of time for them to do so without missing your own flight.

 

[BOXtheFOX]

Whenever I book an apartment I usually try and avoid those that have a "security deposit" that is refundable after you return home and those that charge a "cleaning fee". I would imagine that the security deposit is to cover breakages and items going missing and the cleaning fee is for cleaning up the apartment after you have left. In otherwords you are paying for the cleaning of the apartment for the next guy.
I tend to use www.holiday-rentals.co.uk because they now include a review section where you can post things like you have encountered whereas Tripadvisor reviews is mainly for hotels.
We booked an aprtment in Funchal/Madeira that was dirty. We complained to the owner and got back half of our overall fee and we also posted a poor review on Holiday Rentals. They weren't too happy with this.

 

[Colby]

Just had this conversation last week....we have a cleaning lady we use for our apartment in France, she was constantly telling me how dirty the place was how people had mis-treated it etc, another French owner called me to say she just happened to be walking past and saw the cleaner entering and that the place was left in a right state etc etc, when I was on hols this time the cleaner showed me some photos of my house after rental to Irish families and then brought me to two houses she was about to "clean" after French families, these houses had been left spotless by the people leaving loo's bleached floors mopped beds stripped etc she was going to get rid of any finger-prints on the door and remove the used linen and towels and that was considered an end of stay clean by herself and the owner. My house had been left semi-ok in my eyes bins or fridge had not been emptied and but I think there are different standards for different owners most of the campsites & owners in France insist on the place being left as found they dont accept some one else should clean up after someone elses holiday but that should have been made clear at the start to you if it was the case

 

[Bronte]

It's the same in hotels, Irish and Americans the worst, continentals the best.