What would you do - advice please

From the moment they step through the door your bookings become guests, and their experiences determine whether they ever come back.
vacancesthezan
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What would you do - advice please

Post by vacancesthezan »

Our first "contactless rental" ever. We wanted to ensure that our guests felt safe with covid around and so would we!! Therefore a couple arrived last night for a 14 night stay. They booked through one of the sites and so we havent got the money yet - although the site says that it has just been sent today.

We have just received a message via the site from Mr Renter. "Due to family reasons, we have had to vacate the apartment and will not be coming back - sorry."

So what would you do? Legally, where do we stand? Also morally, as we are nice people - well, usually anyway. Obviously we dont want to be out of pocket as we have already turned away people on the basis that the apartment was rented. Nor would we want to profit from their misfortune if we could re rent the apartment for at least some of the time - although there are no guarantees. Can we?

Lots of questions, so over to LMHatters for their wise advice

VT
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Sanchisimo
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Post by Sanchisimo »

They've started their stay and have now left for 'family reasons'. If that was me, I certainly wouldn't expect a refund. Last year I had to cancel a big holiday to Mexico for health reasons (it was before covid!). As I hadn't got round to taking out insurance I didn't expect (nor get) any refund and just wrote it off to experience. You can open up the dates and offer refund for any nights booked but don't forget to deduct the extra cleaning fees, admin costs and so on. It probably wouldn't be worth it in the end and the message you have received seems to just be letting you know they have left, not a 'give us our money back' plea.
J B
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Post by J B »

I presume that 'Mr Renter' have a T&C's section, so, it may be in their hands.
Sadly, Google has never heard of them, so I can't help there!
:lol:

Family reasons is a bit vague ... maybe it ought to be up to them to claim on their holiday insurance?

I think that legally you have to try to help them to 'minimise their losses'
i.e. they've paid X in total, but if you can re-let it for Y then you should refund them X-Y less an admin fee and a cleaning fee

Does that sound reasonable?
vacancesthezan
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Post by vacancesthezan »

Thanks for the two very differing but equally valid points

What if the family reason was that they or someone close to them had symptoms or been tested and found to have covid? Does that in any way affect your replies?

This is a shared house. We live upstairs. We are both doubly vaccinated, however Mr VT has cancer and is about to start more treatment.

So far we haven't even gone into the apartment and wont do so for a few days yet. Then it will get a deep clean with all bedding (including covers, pillows, soft surfaces etc) will get additional disinfecting - just in case. We dont feel that we can ask what the "family reason " is as they havent said however...

VT
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Sanchisimo
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Post by Sanchisimo »

I think they are essentially the same reply. Yes you can re-let after you have cleaned and prepared. As you say, due to covid this is more than just a quick change of linen, clean of the kitchen and bathroom and a bit of a hoover. Given that, they are unlikely to get much of a refund if you do re-let. Again, they have just informed you they have left, not asked for a refund. You don't need to know what the family reason is, it is their business. Iberia, the fancy restaurant in Mexico City and the apartment I had booked didn't ask me, they just kept the money! :)
zebedee
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Post by zebedee »

I would agree that you are not under any obligation to refund. Let’s face it, they may have had a row, or it could be something serious with a family member.

However, you could now advertise the second week as available whilst you are ventilating and deep cleaning - maybe even 8 or 9 days depending on how you schedule everything. At least then you can contact the guests and let them know what you did to minimise their loss, even if you don’t get another booking.

I would not say anything to them until I was confident that their payment was safely in the bank and would probably wait until the end of their holiday to let them know what you have done and how things worked out.

You are being very kind, and hopefully they will book again (maybe direct with you) when they realise what a genuinely honest person you are.
Best wishes and good health to your OH - you certainly have a lot going on and it would be so easy for someone in your situation to do nothing. Good for you!
volcano
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Post by volcano »

Very easy for me - no refund. You performed the contract. They arrived, the house was accepted, so everything was fine.
What happened after that - or not - is not your business. Regrettably yes, but not your business.
It's an insurance matter, I would offer confirmation of that. But only for the receipt of the money ... provided it has been received in the meantime.
And all of that only - if they push for refund.
Being nice is nice - but this is business - or what?
Sunbeam
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Post by Sunbeam »

Have they actually asked for a refund? If not they may have made the decision to leave understanding there is no refund and not expecting anything. If i had a family emergency and there was no refund I'd accept that. If they do want refund and one is not due - you can be "nice" and, as others suggest, offer a partial refund based on letting out some of the period booked.
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oasiscouple
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Post by oasiscouple »

To me it all dépends on whether you receive the payment or not. If not, it is another scenario and I can add my experience to the discussion. Let us know.
Honi soit qui peu y boit
vacancesthezan
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Post by vacancesthezan »

oasiscouple wrote:To me it all dépends on whether you receive the payment or not. If not, it is another scenario and I can add my experience to the discussion. Let us know.
Thanks to all who give us valid information and views.

Firstly, the money did arrive into our bank account in full yesterday - well less the not inconsiderable fees of course.

We sent a response to the renters to say that we were sorry to find that they had had to leave so soon and sent them (and their family) our best wishes.

We stripped the bed etc yesterday and will now clean and make up again - certainly a more thorough clean than usual. Then see what comes up.

We feel sure that they did intend to stay as we found a basil plant in the kitchen, so it has joined the other already on the terrace for the use of the guests!!

The enquiries we are taking at the moment are for 1 or 2 nights only and I dont think that we would wish to put someone in there for such a short period. We offer B&B rooms as well which are much less effort to clean. We are rotating to allow at least a day between rentals - usually 2. We say that it is for the guests' safety, but it is as much for ours.

If we get any more info we will post again.

Thanks again to everyone

VT
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