Deposit - what do you charge for and how?

[CD]

Firstly, how?  Do you charge an additional fee (how much is the norm?), to be paid for prior to start of holiday along with the rental cost, and then refund this if all is well?  Do you send them a cheque in the post once they've left and you've checked the place over.  Or do you whizz around while they're still there and refund them on the spot.  If so, do they come around with you?  I wouldn't want to offend anybody at the end of their holiday, but I know that people do "help themselves" shall we say, and cause damage.

And what do you charge for?  I'd expect some small breakages, etc, like cups and glasses etc?  But what do you charge for and how much.  Obviously if somebody broke a bed, or window, or a child drew all over the walls..... any guidance would be really appreciated.

I don't want to be unreasonable but don't want to be a mug either.

[Lori]

We have a 150 m2, two bedroom, nicely furnished rental in Provence. We ask for a 300 Euros deposit and will take it in the form of a personal check (in any equivalent currency). We do not cash the check. We hold it until the day they depart. We ask them if anything was broken and depending upon the hour of their departure, we take a quick look around - for major damage. Have never had a problem, but we don't take children under the age of 6 due to the rather amazing problems we have seen some of our friends endure. One friend had guests with two young children. The children (they assume - not the parents) splattered strawberry jam all over their custom made curtains. When confronted, the parents denied their kids did this - said it was like that when they arrived. Bad scene.

As far as little breakages. Yes, someone must have dropped the steam iron and not bothered to tell me as it no longer holds water, just bought another one. A glass here and there, to be expected and no we wouldn't charge someone for that. I don't think it is worth the ill will. When I rent a vacation property, I take serious note to the way the security deposit is collected and returned. Often, especially in Paris, there are no owner inspections made between guests and I would not like to be held responsible for something someone else did (before or after my departure). This is why I don't stay in places where they say my deposit will be returned within a month of departure. I don't like that.

[Clair]

I ask for 450€ in cash on arrival. This is clearly specified in all my correspondance with my visitors and there has been no problem so far. I always say that minor breakages are NOT a problem, unless we don't know about them and other visitors suffer as a result. The idea is to strongly emphasize the inconvenience, rather than the problem itself...

I ask them periodically throughout their stay (casually!) if they are happy with everything and on the last day, I always ask them upfront if there has been any breakages or any problem we should know about...

One family said their 5-year old had broken a ceramic-base bedside lamp, which was part of a set. I retained 25€ to replace the set... (they also said I should not have them in a "child's bedroom", and I had to to inform them this had been an adult's bedroom the previous week!)

I always go round the gîte with them saying " I just want to ensure you have not left anything behind..." before returning their cash deposit.

I have had not nasty surprises so far, but I do try to prevent them by using waterproof mattress covers, same-ish colour towels (no colour runs) and I have a spare set of plates and glasses in the cellar to cover the unavoidable breakage...

Try and see yourselves in their shoes in your home... All things said, they're more likely to be respectful if they feel you trust and respect them.

Clair

[vrooje<BR>Cheers,<br>-Brooke<BR><br><B><A TARGET=blank HREF="http:www.experienceburgundy.com">http:www.experienceburgundy.com<A><B>]

We do cash the deposit check -- otherwise, what's the point?

Likewise, we don't return the deposit right away, because sometimes people hide their breakages etc., and it doesn't become obvious until the next time something is used or moved. We return the deposit within two weeks.

A fellow rental owner recently had a lot of damage done by children at her property, and when she contacted the mother to tell her she would have to take some of the deposit, the mother immediately cancelled the check.

Another rental owner used to do walk-throughs and return the deposit immediately, until the family who broke the dishwasher and hid it cleverly enough that it didn't show up until the next week.

These dishonest people are the reason you take a deposit in the first place -- why give them a way of getting out of paying for damages that are their responsibility? Frankly, if any potential client has a problem with either a) our cashing the deposit check instead of just holding it, or b) our returning it shortly after they leave (but not immediately), then I don't want them staying at the property!

...

That being said, we never deduct from the deposit for small breakages like saucers, coasters etc. Not only is that more of normal wear & tear, but it also leaves the client with a good impression of you, and they are hopefully then more likely to either recommend the place to friends or come back the following year. (That is, as long as they weren't so accident-prone that you don't want them to come back!)

[Owens88]

As a renter

*the only problem we have ever had was with som A*** of an agency that acepted verbatim what their lazy cleaner said (but the porperty was subsequently dropped by them...).

*We once caused some damage in a Spanish flat, but the light in question was so badly placed that the agent accepted it.

As a property owner

* We have had some Sh** from a party who brought a 'well-behaved' dog that lefte its poops in vaious corners. I charged for it without compuction.

* We have have obviously had various glasses damaged but now we have more than we started with.

I might have preferred to have charged for it and preserved sets etc. but I am not goung to be churlish.

* I wish the parents would say when their young uns have spilt drinks on the bed !

* How easy is it to track stains on the sofa etc, ?

* What about phones ? (new one to me)

BUT

On balance I am still a bit unsure how much to charge. We take £200 which is probably less than our insurance excess, but it feels right, and we return it promptly.

I would love some informed advice.

Cheers all

 

 

 

 

 

[Jazzer]

We charge 100 euros, which is quoted on our booking documents.This is taken in cash onarrival, and refunded on departure day. Happily we have an excellent caretaker who we refard as "Hawkeye". To date we have had only minor breakages- drinking glasses etc which have been replaced by the guests.We think if the house is well furnished, guests are more likely to respect it.However to assist the caretaker it is as well not to have too many items on view.

[Maddie]

£250 per let, paid up front, cheque cashed, 8 weeks before arrival.  Not one person has complained, no breakages (apart from family!), all perfectly clear in terms and conditions and agreed up front.  We do inspection and thorough clean after departure and if all okay monies refunded within two weeks.  Noticed a few sticky marks after lastest party (we're not really geared up for small kids)but nothing a sponge an warm water wouldn't resolve so wonlt be charging.

[Suandpete]

We take a damage deposit of £150 which is paid with the balance 8 weeks before arrival and retuned during the week after the end of their holiday.  We don't worry about things like glasses - people quite often buy a set of three to replace one broken one!  We have charged twice however when guests have put the gas cooker lid down when the gas was either still on or the ring was hot - both 'fessed up and we charged the 98 euros which it cost to get a new lid each time.  This was accepted with no problems by both couples.  When a young child was "helping" to clean the fridge on the last morning and dropped the glass from the bottom of a virtually new fridge we didnt charge either - but replaced it wih a piece of thick perspex which is much safer anyway.

[Alan]

We rent an apartment in Corsica, French owners GDF we had to write a cheque for 1000 euro on arrival, this was given back on the day of departure

[Deby]

So how do you check that the dishwasher, washing machine works when guests leave? 

I check the toilets as they are Sanibruyers - just in case someone has not heeded my advice about toilet paper only! This would prove a costly error for us.

We take a 500 Euro or equivalent cash deposit in any currency.  We have had a few things 'borrowed' but what I do have is an honesty box.  Of course a glass is going to get broken, a plate too and I would rather my guests did not fret about it, but put a few coins in the box.

Mind you, have had some rascals here this week, I have noticed 3 plates missing, some glasses and have not fully checked the cd collection but am sure things have gone. It is rare we have these types and they were the only guests which we have had who's outlook was miserable - too hot, too many flies - those type of folk you just cannot please.

Well, it must be part of the job, I have enough to worry about without these little nuisances.
deby

[Miki]

Duchess said "...So how do you check that the dishwasher, washing machine works when guests leave? "

The reason we don't return the £150 security deposit back within 7 days is because of things like the W/M, D/W.Micowave, TV etc etc not being able to be checked carefully in the time before the client wants to leave. So really it kind of gets policed by the next clients. We once had a Microwave "blown up" by some guests on the morning of their departure once and they had been given their cheque back the night before as they were getting away at the break of dawn the following morning, on inspecting the next day we spotted that the M/W had black marks all over it....once bitten etc !

I think it is a case that the guest doesn't want to feel conned and nor of course does the host, so by offering a terms and conditions on booking to be signed by the clients, fully explaining everything and stating that a security deposit of so much is payable on final payment (8 weeks before in our case)and it will NOT be returned for 7 days (or whatever time one feels is appropriate to you, then no one can complain if they have signed to that. As far as charging, we also don't charge for many broken items, glasses, plates etc.

We also ensure that every kind of cleaning materials and I mean everything, that might be required as well are in the gite and explain that it is there for their use. So if the gite is not pretty clean on departure and the final clean takes a bit longer than should be expected then a charge will be made at a certain rate per hour. We decided to do this many years ago, when too many people started to leave the places in a condition nothing like it said in the contract of "The gite should be left in the condition you have found it please"