Over Occupied - But Can I Prove It?
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Giddy Goat
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Hells Bells
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- Location: French Alps
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Giddy Goat
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That's cos you is specialGiddy Goat wrote:Mmmm, looks like I'm in a minority!
Don't waste energy on things you can't change.
Costa de la Luz apartment rental
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5386.htm
Costa de la Luz apartment rental
www.ownersdirect.co.uk/spain/S5386.htm
Hmmm, that's a bit 'new-age' for me. When I was a child, I clearly knew right from wrong and that I'd be punished if I misbehaved (and severely - punishment was physical when I was young). Didn't stop me doing destructive things to impress my friends when my parents weren't around to supervise me. So I'd say the fault lay with me and not with my parents, who had established firm guidelines of right and wrong that I'd chosen to ignore.But that is not the fault of the child, but the lack of supervision by the parents.
A couple of years back, two guests' children (around 10 years old) systematically trashed half a dozen solar lights leading to the pool. The parents were astonished and horrified that their perfect kids were capable of such vandalism and paid up without argument. The parents fault or ... ?
Jim
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Hells Bells
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An often asked question is "Can I see the pool from the balcony so I can keep an eye on the children?" Well you can but the far side is 50 metres away and you will have to go down the stairs from the apartment, then 20 metres to the gate, unlock the gate and then run round the pool by which time it may be too late for little Johnny. In any case the pool rules clearly state children must be supervised.la vache! wrote:Unfortunately some parents today want completely "hassle free, relaxing holidays" and that includes not having to worry about or supervise their kids.
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
I've just had one (we sleep a max of 6) - It's a 2 bedroom place and the 2 extras have to use fold up beds in the bedrooms or lounge... so I DON'T want more than that! Also only 1 bathroom. I don't care if they don't mind 6 sharing one bathroom... I DO mind...
So the enquiry went:
Adults 2
Children 4 (17,14,12,7,5)
erm... I think you'll find, if you count it up, that you've forgotten a child there... or doesn't a 5 year old count as a child???
So the enquiry went:
Adults 2
Children 4 (17,14,12,7,5)
erm... I think you'll find, if you count it up, that you've forgotten a child there... or doesn't a 5 year old count as a child???
Nightowl
Forever going one step forwards and two
backwards......
Forever going one step forwards and two
backwards......
OK..I am in the anti-over occupancy camp (excuse pun). I have had 2 instances (my flat sleeps & is advertised as 4 max), of 2 people staying for longish periods and negociating a discount and then having various visitors fairly permenantly during their stay.
Then, the second catagory of over occupancy mentioned here, in a property that sleeps, say 4 maximum, you think you're getting 4 guests, but actually you have 6 for the price of 4! I have experienced this too, and had sofa cushions put on floors to "make" a bed.
If you have a laid-back attitude to this practice, or are unmetred on services, then fine. But to me, offering luxury boutique style accommodation is converse to the idea of jamming people into living rooms and thus having no reception/amenity area and 6 people sharing, say, one loo. Undoubtably there is also more wear & tear, risk of damage.
This is not mentioned here, and it may be that FHL are exempt, but there are HMO regulations in the UK (meatied up in many cities including mine) which make it an offense for a landlord to have too many people in residential houses, for reasons of health, and fire risk/escape.
I could go on.....
So, for all those in my camp (not camp-bed), I think the clause prohibiting extra guests needs to be as strongly worded as possible. Repeated in the visitor manual (citing local authority & insurance reasons). You could instance in your arrival pack, along with where to buy such & such, "my group has changed" and point them to the local B&B if more people turn up than advertised.
If, none of this works, and, in the instance no damage is done, you are on that tight-rope again. A guest that has taken a liberty, and having no "structure" to retrospectively charge. You can't legally fine people in this country; due to OFT regs you have to make a charge & agree beforehand, or justify aftwards.
Therefore, what about, as well as prohibiting occupancy over "x", you say that
in very rare circumstances or a case of emergency extra guests will be considered, but this must be with permission of ll, and there will be a charge of £"x" levied. Then at least you have a structure for charging which you can point to. You are not condoning the behaviour, but if say, there is an unforeseen event; transport failure, accident and someone has to stay the night, (ie outside of the normally acceptable), you might concede they have no other reasonable choice. You would then use this, if, outside of an emergency or unforeseen event you had more than the stated no of guests.
Also, folks, just to say, I have been a complete weed, where this has happened to me, and not charged or challenged, but I will be less lenient in the future!!!!
Then, the second catagory of over occupancy mentioned here, in a property that sleeps, say 4 maximum, you think you're getting 4 guests, but actually you have 6 for the price of 4! I have experienced this too, and had sofa cushions put on floors to "make" a bed.
If you have a laid-back attitude to this practice, or are unmetred on services, then fine. But to me, offering luxury boutique style accommodation is converse to the idea of jamming people into living rooms and thus having no reception/amenity area and 6 people sharing, say, one loo. Undoubtably there is also more wear & tear, risk of damage.
This is not mentioned here, and it may be that FHL are exempt, but there are HMO regulations in the UK (meatied up in many cities including mine) which make it an offense for a landlord to have too many people in residential houses, for reasons of health, and fire risk/escape.
I could go on.....
So, for all those in my camp (not camp-bed), I think the clause prohibiting extra guests needs to be as strongly worded as possible. Repeated in the visitor manual (citing local authority & insurance reasons). You could instance in your arrival pack, along with where to buy such & such, "my group has changed" and point them to the local B&B if more people turn up than advertised.
If, none of this works, and, in the instance no damage is done, you are on that tight-rope again. A guest that has taken a liberty, and having no "structure" to retrospectively charge. You can't legally fine people in this country; due to OFT regs you have to make a charge & agree beforehand, or justify aftwards.
Therefore, what about, as well as prohibiting occupancy over "x", you say that
in very rare circumstances or a case of emergency extra guests will be considered, but this must be with permission of ll, and there will be a charge of £"x" levied. Then at least you have a structure for charging which you can point to. You are not condoning the behaviour, but if say, there is an unforeseen event; transport failure, accident and someone has to stay the night, (ie outside of the normally acceptable), you might concede they have no other reasonable choice. You would then use this, if, outside of an emergency or unforeseen event you had more than the stated no of guests.
Also, folks, just to say, I have been a complete weed, where this has happened to me, and not charged or challenged, but I will be less lenient in the future!!!!
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harcourtv57
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- Location: Southsea, UK, Porto Cristo Mallorca
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Me too - we reduced the occupancy of our two bedroom apartment to 4 and took away the sofabed. All our listings state max occupancy as do our T&C. We often are not able to meet guests when they arrive (we have a keysafe) but know that on several occasions more guests have stayed, but again can't prove it. On one occasion we did meet and greet personally and they had another car parked round the corner with more guests - which we only found out afterwards.
We constantly get enquiries for 5 or more, most recently one for 5 adults and 3 children the response being 'thats ok the kids can sleep on airbeds on the floor' err no they cant and anyway its still five adults and not four!
We are happy to accomodate younger children and babies that don't need a bed but don't really understand the attitude. After all they wouldn't turn up with five people to a hotel where they have booked a double room and be allowed to stay.
We constantly get enquiries for 5 or more, most recently one for 5 adults and 3 children the response being 'thats ok the kids can sleep on airbeds on the floor' err no they cant and anyway its still five adults and not four!
We are happy to accomodate younger children and babies that don't need a bed but don't really understand the attitude. After all they wouldn't turn up with five people to a hotel where they have booked a double room and be allowed to stay.