We have learned many lessons.
1. People lie about how many people they are bringing. They cram too many people---I guess to save money. That's really hard on a place. A few weeks ago, our cleaner told me that there had to be a dozen people in the place for the mess. I believe someone brought a little league baseball team because she told me they had to get back for a game. She didn't say how many little boys she had with her, but they put 2 adults and 4 kids on the inquiry.
2. People don't care if you have just had the place painted from top to bottom. Apparently, throwing a cup of coffee to the waste basket by letting it bounce off the wall so that coffee runs down it, is acceptable in their book. After all, it's only a rental. Ditto for the coffee runs by the dresser. We used the Magic Eraser, but it took off the paint. It needs to be re-painted now.
3. People think that if they like something we have, they can just take it along with them! We have replaced sand toys 3 times. I don't get it. They are cheap. The pool noodles have also disappeared. I just bought them for the third time. If they disappear, then there just won't be any for the next guests. As it is, we did not replace the sand toys again. Our beach chairs are old, so people leave them behind. We're down to one beach umbrella. I don't know if the other two were stolen or broken.
4. People don't care if you have just put in new furniture. They think nothing of eating and spilling all over it. We had the new furniture delivered in April and it already has 3 spots on it.---and I don't mean little spots---they are about softball size. That makes me think they didn't even bother to wipe it up as we had the Scotch Guard put on for extra protection. Butch Scotch Guarded himself on the loveseat, so we know it is on there. After this past week, the upholstery in our other place needs to be professionally cleaned.
5. Even if you tell people to bring their own beach towels, they still take the bath towels to the beach. All of the nice towels have been ruined. Now we have cheap white towels. We also have some cheap---fairly ugly beach towels now, so hopefully people won't steal them.
6. People lie about their circumstances to gain sympathy. I am an honest and trusting person. I believe everybody and their story. I've reduced the rental fee, allowed the fee to arrive late, held checks for deposit and waived the security deposit. No more!
7. It's not worth trying to have a nice place because people don't care. This past week, our cleaner reported that one of our units was completely trashed. She had never seen it that bad. Sunflower seed shells were all over the balcony, sand was everywhere including inside both the washer, dryer and bathtubs. Trash was just left all over. Our brand new washcloths were ruined by makeup. And a decorative shell dish was broken. She had to call for more help with the cleaning. To me those people were pigs. I'll be keeping the security deposit for sure. I just hope that the check doesn't bounce.
8. Even if you've "donated" a week for a worthy cause doesn't mean those people will take better care of the place. In fact, when we donate the place (which we do a few times a year), it costs US money as we have to pay the cleaning and taxes. I don't think I'll be donating time at either place any more.
Personally, we have rented places all over the country for 40+ years with our family. Never once, did it occur to us to treat someone else's place any differently than our own home. We don't allow the kids to do anything they want just because it's a rental. They are not allowed to jump on the beds or furniture, or drip all over with wet suits.
Our places are very nice. I wouldn't want anything less.
This is our Santa Rosa Beach place. Santa Rosa is my favorite beach and area.
These are the towels that are now gone.
This is our Panama City Beach place---personally I do not like Panama City---way too crowded.
We have many repeat customers. I'm looking forward to the day when that's all we have. Some people are so nice. It's the few bad apples that I'm talking about. We're already thinking of limiting our rentals.
Maybe it's too much to ask, but I just want people to treat our places with the same respect they would use in their own homes.
Oh your places look really nice. It is a shame that not everyone knows basic manners and respect for other people's property. And the sad truth is that then you have to adjust for the bad apples, which means things cannot be quite as nice for the good eggs! I don't know the solution to that.
ReplyDeleteIt may be that those people ARE treating your place just like they treat their own - with no pride of ownership whatsoever. I used to be amazed at the mess my sister's kids could make of a hotel room. But they did the same thing at my house - and at her house. So it is just what they were allowed to do. When I stay at a hotel, the only things the maids have to do is change out the towels, replace toilet paper, make the bed, and empty the trash. Literally, I don't leave anything out of place and if the bed weren't rumpled and the towels weren't wet, you would never know I was there!
ReplyDeleteI think it must be how you are brought up, I always look after any place I stay at and my children were taught to do the same, shame on those people.
ReplyDeleteYour places look lovely. Princess was once told she was too cynical about people and asked why, "My parent brought me up in a public building...."
ReplyDeleteI am continually surprised at how people treat places they have hired, or visit weekly. We had a door closer (required for fire doors) dismantled and the pieces removed last week.
Your places look beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI used to feel bad about even thinking about withholding deposits. Not anymore. A lot of dirt can build up if someone doesn't clean a place for a year.