Bedlinen & towels for guests

[pig]

We are letting our home in France for the first time this year. I would like to offer bedlinen & towels as an optional extra but am unsure on how much I should charge. Should I offer them at a per person per week, or at per bed per week? I have to pay our caretaker to wash the bedlinen so can anyone offer any advice on charges?

[Apero]

Be very careful on offering services, i.e. linen is a service which may be taxed. I read this on a forum, unsure which one, that if you rent your Gite soley (and not part of a Gite complex which requires tax to be paid} no tax to be paid, if you offer a service for example linen this makes your income liable to tax.

I repeat this is what I have read and not advise given to you, its very possable I am wrong, however, it would be wise to look into this aspect further, or on the other hand if you are registered as a business.......you will know this. Perhaps someone on the forum will offer the correct advise.

Hope I am wrong and your guests enjoy your Gite. Would plump for payment p/b p/w.

[Liz]

[quote user="pig"]We are letting our home in France for the first time this year. I would like to offer bedlinen & towels as an optional extra but am unsure on how much I should charge. Should I offer them at a per person per week, or at per bed per week? I have to pay our caretaker to wash the bedlinen so can anyone offer any advice on charges?[/quote]

I think per bed per change is usual. My guide in these sort of things is a well thumbed copy of Brittany Ferries brochure. Their owners seem to be charging 8€ last year for bedlinen only, towels are not generally offered.  Personally I include bedlinen in the price and do not supply towels but virtually all our customers come by car so it is no problem to bring their own.

Liz

[Owens88]

We charge 15 euros a head last few years because that is what it has been costing us (bed linen and towels) . Managed to reduce it this year.

As regards the 'no tax payable if only one gite and no services' I suggest you take further soundings, perhaps with an accountant. I have never heard that story before (plausible and practical as it may be, something to do with showing on the radar ?).

Good luck

John

 

 

 

[Jo Taylor]

12€ per person per week is the price recommended by the agency that I let through - for bedlinen, kitchen & bathroom towels. Baby bed linen and beach towels are not included. Personally, I prefer to supply linen in with the cost of the rental -

• The place looks better when guests arrive with the beds made up; it's more welcoming and creates a better first impression.
• The last thing people want to do after a long journey is to start wrestling with duvets.

If you make linen hire an optional extra, expecting people to bring their own, there are a few considerations to bear in mind -

• Their duvet covers and pillowcases might not be the correct size to fit the duvets and pillows.
• They might forget to bring linen, be too tight to hire, and use the beds without. Yuck. Or you might not have any ironed and ready .
• They might not have read the small print, assume the linen will be there and kick up a fuss about having to pay extra for it.

I'd recommend putting the price up a bit to cover linen, that way you know it has to be done for each let, it's less hassle in the end.

The tax mentioned above is probably a half-remembered thing about the VAT rules; where VAT applies if you offer "hotel" services, namely three or more of the following: bed linen, reception, daily cleaning and breakfasts, also dependent on your tax regime. As you wouldn't be providing three or more of these "services" it isn't relevant for gite accommodation (but might be for B&B). Certainly if you have a gite (even with no services) you are liable for income tax!

HTH

Jo

[Owens88]

The only reason we have a separate charge is because the French expect it. In our first year quite a few bookings were from the French who bring their own bedding.

We would prefer to have all-inclusive pricing. Bedding/Towels is the only 'extra' we charge. The beds are made up for them though  as we insist on knowing who is coming well before the arrival !

Also ALL the local places offer lead-in base prices, some with LOTS of add-ons. The tourist office brochure is very deceptive unless you read the fine print.

John