Clean apartments- am I being too fussy.
 

We arrived in our apartment in Auray today it is a good size, and in a great location and a good king size bed.
However the bathroom shower screen needs a good clean, the kitchen cupboards have drip stains down them, you have to make up the bed, cutlery draws has a lot of crumbs food etc in them.
The owner has told us yesterday that as he doesn’t charge for cleaning, people have to leave the place clean. I’m not sure if this is ever checked though.
Am I being too fussy expecting the place to be a lot cleaner as I feel everything needs wiping over before I use anything. Feel I’m cleaning my way thru France as this is the second apartment we feel the need to clean.

I don't know what a shower screen is, to be honest. Unless you mean the sliding door you can get on some but that isn't what I call a screen.

I agree with the drawers and crumbs. Making up the bed isn't a matter of cleanliness, I don't think, in fact, you can better see the sheets are clean that way and not used. Cupboards with drips or something is a little sloppy but if you booked a place with no cleaning fee and it didn't say they did not ever check it for cleanliness, then that's what you get.

If you didn't know they didn't even check it and it wasn't warned, I would agree that doesn't seem right but how did you get the clean bed linens in that case? I would always expect a place to be minimally clean and the argument about a cleaning fee is a bit disingenuous IMO and one would presume the price was set to begin with to cover cleaning.

I think a lot of people want vacation apts but really expect them to be like hotels, which I think is wrongheaded. Not you in this case, but I've seen beaucoup complaints about how they get there and it doesn't give them coffee, spices, salt, detergent, toilet paper, blah blah. Isn't that what an apt is? I've only rented a vacation apt 3 times in Paris and never once did the owner provide me with food or basics and I didn't expect it, that's what an apt is to me. I do expect one roll of toilet paper hopefully to be there in case you need to use that before shopping, though. Of course if you expect those amenities, you can get them if you rent from the luxury websites aimed at wealthy people. I just don't do that.


Not much you can do now, though, I guess, just vent. Ideally such things might be mentioned in comments on some website you rent from but I think owners always can vet those.

I expect places to be clean. I don't see that he "doesn't charge for cleaning" is relevant. He didn't charge to look at his pictures but they are still there.

Yes when I leave I clean the place, but no it is up to the supplier to set the standard, if he leaves it dirty that is not acceptable.

What did the reviews say?

Christina. I don’t expect any food items to be left as we have our own anyway and I know when they were purchased.

You are correct in saying that people do expect apartments to be a bit like hotels. Perhaps this is my problem as we have just come from a very shiny clean hotel 🤣

We were only advised yesterday about the cleaning. When you leave you are required to put your sheets in the washing machine and leave a clean pair folded up on the bed. Obviously someone comes and takes the sheets once they have been washed.

Now that I have cleaned everything I’m feeling better, and probably was a bit tired when we first arrived.

Jean. Nothing mentioned about the cleaning and great reviews.

I've rented places that were old and tatty (sometimes called 'character' ;) ) , but none that I can remember that were dirty. Baths and kitchens should definitely be clean. And there should always be a full cleaning between guests and not rely on one guest to clean uu to a standard for the next guest.

(not totally relevant to your question but in response to Christina's comment - yes a LOT of owners do provide basics like salt/pepper/dish detergent/laundry soap (often in self defense so clueless foreigners don't muck up the washing machine) / paper towels / bin bags etc. some provide a lot more but they will usually explain what in the listing.)

We were posting at the same time . . .

Food crumbs etc mean a higher risk of bugs. That would be my worry. Ants or other guests.

Are people actually providing food? Even if it's only salt and pepper? Unless it's a sealed container that sounds gutsy.

I don't think you're being too fussy. I want the place I rent to be clean. I've rented a few places that weren't up to my standards and my reviews reflected that. I've only rented one place that didn't charge a cleaning fee and it was very clean.

I've booked several apartments in Switzerland that just leave the bed linens for the guest to put on.

We always leave the places we rent reasonably clean, taking out the trash and recycling, running the dishwasher and even stripping the beds on occasion, but I certainly don't scrub the floors or clean out the cupboards, nor do I expect to have to do so when I've just arrived.

If I weren't paying the high cleaning charge I've seen lately for Airbnb, I'd be fine with wiping things down, making the beds and emptying the crumbs myself on arrival.

We rendezvous'd last year at a Kansas City Airbnb house that was in a good walkable neighborhood, had the correct number of bedrooms, and was very well reviewed. I paid a big chunk of money for cleaning for our two nights: $100 maybe. After looking around, considering options, this seemed like our best bet.

​​​​The host was clearly absentee, as I realized when I suggested she check on her cleaning crew's work. The bathroom, specifically, left a lot to be desired and had been that way probably for months at least.

We stayed at a B&B in SE Germany or Austria once that was basically clean, but under the bed there were dust bunnies the size of hippos.
I don't think they'd EVER dusted under there since the house was built.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a clean place when renting a place. I have had clean places and places that needed to be cleaned. I do like it when the kitchen is well equipped so that we can make meals. I always like to leave the home clean when we leave. I stayed for a month in Bologna and rented an apartment. The owners were wonderful. They left coffee, milk, bread, jam and even laundry soap. Did I expect this? Absolutely not but it was nice not having to go to the store the night I arrived.

Renting a private apartment will always be a crap shoot in terms of maintenance, amenities and cleanliness. Obviously, reviews can help a lot but they are not a guarantee. Official apart-hotel companies are often more reliable, although one time I had to rewash the dishes before using them.

No, I do not think you are being fussy. We have stayed in a lot of gites over the years and they have all been acceptably clean. We use Gites de France and the cleaning fee is optional and we do not pay it. We clean before we leave - vacuum, if they leave a mop we wash the kitchen and bathroom floor, clean the shower and wash basin, clean the stove, strip the bed. It does not take long when we both do it. I think we often leave the oven, for example, cleaner than when we arrived.

As for what is provided, we have stayed in places where there are things in the kitchen cupboard obviously left by previous tenants. I rarely use anything as you do not know how long the oil, for example, has been there. The most common thing is salt and pepper. I expect dishwashing liquid but always end up buying some. There is rarely clothes washing liquid and because we are here for ten weeks, I buy it in the first week. We usually get supplied with enough toilet paper, but this trip, the last one and our current gite left a half roll. I buy alfoil which I use a lot . A good kitchen has alfoil, cling wrap, paper towels. We have bought tea towels this time as the last gite had two and we were there for two weeks. This one had none. We hired linen last gite and this gite. In the last one the bed was made, but here we could choose which room we wanted and made the bed which suited us.

We have usually been given a 'welcome gift ' The first gite had a cake and a bottle of local honey ( delicious ). The last gite and this one , a bottle of local wine which is the most common and always appreciated. We had one owner a few years ago arrive half way through the week with a home made tarte tatin.

I think it may also depend on what you pay. Looking at what others pay for accommodation, we stay at the lower end of the scale. Therefore, I am not expecting lots of frills. Our gites are always quite comfortable and the issues are usually minor and we live with them for the week or two. The last gite had three knives for eating and all sharp serrated knives that were useless for spreading butter and jam. We bring a couple of knives with us and one of them was better than those provided. So long as the place is clean, the bed is comfortable and there is plenty of hot water we are satisfied.

Enjoy your stay.

I don't think you are being fussy either. But, as most replies indicate, you can never be sure of what you will find when you arrive. I've seen pretty much everything. At one place we rented in Paris, the place stunk horribly, there were smelly towels hanging on a fold out drying rack (these were the towels we were expected to use). The towels smelled like they had been used as cleaning rags, even though the place was filthy. There was poo left in an un-flushed toilet. The oven was a fire hazard if you could get it lit (gas). The freezer could not be used because it was completely thick with ice. There was expired food in all cabinets. The shower curtain was covered in mold. This one was the worst I have ever experienced. Took lots of photos to send to the owner... Nightmare

I always look for consistent reviews now. I insist on there being a working dishwasher as I never trust someone's hand washing skills and there are almost always glasses with lipstick stains, etc. on them when we arrive and dirty flatware.

I always expect to have to clean the kitchen and bathroom(s) upon arrival. If I find they are spotless (extremely rare), I am pleasantly surprised. But even showers/tubs that may look clean could still hold bacteria, so I clean those anyway. I always look at the photos very carefully. If there is no indication of a mop, broom, vacuum cleaner, etc., I ask about them. We normally stay in a place a couple of weeks, so these things are important to me.

Doesn’t sound much better than a place I rented in Paris a number of years ago. They did charge a small cleaning fee and someone had to come back at the end of the stay to return the security deposit. For whatever, I did bring some cleaning products which I left.

I didn’t have to make the bed but did need to strip it. There were broken lamps and the trash bin was cruddy. The refrigerator needed a deep clean and the bathroom was well, I didn’t know but the ceiling was chipping, peeling and just coming down. I didn’t trust the utensils, cups and plates in the kitchen so had dish soap with me. There was no toilet paper which I forgot to bring and it what was there wasn’t even a full roll. It was hard to find an open store by the time I realized there wasn’t another roll and being Sunday, well it was hard. Glad I check before using the last of the toilet paper. Couldn’t turn on the tv just for noise and have no idea why.

I certainly left the place cleaner than what I walked into. I guessed rentals were all like this so have stayed away from renting for the most part. I ended up getting sick but didn’t know if the rental had anything to do with it. I will only rent from a woman in Scotland as I know what I am getting but a hotel for my other travels. So no I don’t think you are being fussy.

i ended up renting a gite in the middle of Languedoc 5 years ago for two nights

very cheap, no facilities, ancient furniture, everything at base level. But it was clean.

Thanks all. I sent a message to the owner thru Airbnb as I wanted the cleanliness issues noted. I don’t expect him to do anything about it. We are having a great time here in beautiful Auray.

I don't think you're being too fussy. Wiping surfaces and cleaning showers doesn't take long to do, so I would also be annoyed if I'd paid for this place. We travel a lot and I often leave accommodation cleaner than when we arrived! I wish everyone was the same!

Timely post! We returned yesterday from 10 days in a Paris apartment we rented once before when our regular one was not available. The previous one had a fresh duvet and linens every time. It was obvious they were from a professional laundry. Once it smelled of cigarette smoke but open windows helped clear that. They are both very obliviously owner occupied and not investment properties. Yes, legal.

I don't use the glasses, plates or silverware the first time w/o washing them first. Just because it makes me feel better.
We had to buy film, dish washing liquid and TP (some was there). Because there was a tiny bit left of each and we needed to replace it. The rest was there when we arrived. And the pantry moths! We killed a few every day. We will let the owner know. The cupboards need a good cleaning. There was a hefty cleaning fee which seems excessive. The apartment was left neat, dishes in DW and garbage removed to bin.

The bigger issue is that the large Parisian bathtub has been replaced by a shower. It was not changed on the website or noted in the amenities. We only rented it again because of having a bath tub.

1994 and sassy, yikes! I can't imagine stepping into such a mess.