Holiday cottage rental disaster

ruggedtoast

A few mice wont hurt anybody. I have lived in a mousey house before and it wasnt until they reached critical mouse mass that we started putting down humane traps. As long as you keep food out of the way they wont bother anyone.

I doubt you'll get a refund as you didnt give then the opportunity to rectify the problem. Its difficult getting a full refund on a holiday because its hard to prove you didnt get what you paid for.

kelloggs36

I have experienced mice before and personally I would not have ended my holiday! I would have notified the owners by leaving a note if they weren't in inviting them round. I would have taken steps to ensure that food was not contaminated, but it would not have spoiled my holiday. Mice can be present anywhere, even in the cleanest of houses, so I doubt it was a major infestation. I live in a town and my cats catch plenty of mice in the garden - mice which could potentially get inside my house if they want to.

taxsaver

I tend to agree with others that the OP massively over-reacted; not only that but she immediately terminated the holiday without giving even the smallest opportunity for the issue to be rectified. IMHO she is not entitled to a refund, nor should she expect one. I am staggered tbh that someone who claims to live on a farm would react in such a manner.

Annisele

ruggedtoast wrote: »

I have lived in a mousey house before and it wasnt until they reached critical mouse mass that we started putting down humane traps.

I sure I'm identifying myself as a townie by asking this, but ... what is "critical mouse mass"?

In my world, one mouse dropping equals traps all over the house. Actually seeing mice (i.e. more than one mouse) means poisoning the blighters.

I also think the OP over-reacted. I'm afraid of mice, but I know they can't hurt me if I'm sensible with food preparation.

Bakewell54

Hi Joanne.
I speak as someone who has owned and run a B+B, owned and rented out a foreign property and who has repeatedly rented for my own holidays (via an agency) a cottage in UK.
I have always been advised that a holidaymaker will expect better standards in all regards when they rent, or B+B, for their hard-earned leisure.
Inspections are usually rigorous, if they are carried out by a recognised body.
Both of the points above indicate that if vermin are not a cause to 'close down' then something is very seriously wrong.
I used to value opinion on this forum, but I notice that some of the 'smart****' and old-toady retorts must make newbies like you wonder if it was worth your time. I reply hoping that the 'genuines' will outweigh the former.
Of course you should be refunded as there is an in-built expectation that infestation by vermin in a holiday-let would be totally unacceptable. In my view you must take advice from the inspecting body and/or the local Tourist Board (who may well be concerned). (I wonder who did inspect?)
Anyone advising that you should take little notice of vermin clearly has a very limited understanding of hygiene issues and would only ever rent at the very bottom of the market. Moreover, had the owner placed mousetraps which then injured your pet they would have then been liable for that injury through their insurance (which they are obliged to take out).
Keep your standards Joanne and try to recover your outlay. If no go, ask the HMIT if they are aware of the cottage as a rental. !

tomatoe_2

Annisele wrote: »

I sure I'm identifying myself as a townie by asking this, but ... what is "critical mouse mass"?

In my world, one mouse dropping equals traps all over the house. Actually seeing mice (i.e. more than one mouse) means poisoning the blighters.

critical mouse mass :rotfl:hard to say, mice live in groups so if you spot one there will be more. Traps are better than poison as the death is instant and with poison they can die under floorboards and then rot and smell and you cant get to the corpse.

milliebear00001

mice are cute, but disgusting. They are incontinent and carry some very unpleasant diseases. I would not be happy with mice in a holiday let either, esp if I had my kids with me.

Bakewell54

Diseases carried by mice: Salmonella/Lyme Disease/Hantavirus none of which are very funny. My friend's brother died of Lyme Disease caused by a rat which nibbled at the sandwiches which he took camping with him.

tbs624

Bakewell54 wrote: »

Hi Joanne.
I speak as someone who has owned and run a B+B, owned and rented out a foreign property and who has repeatedly rented for my own holidays (via an agency) a cottage in UK.
I have always been advised that a holidaymaker will expect better standards in all regards when they rent, or B+B, for their hard-earned leisure.
Inspections are usually rigorous, if they are carried out by a recognised body.
Both of the points above indicate that if vermin are not a cause to 'close down' then something is very seriously wrong.
I used to value opinion on this forum, but I notice that some of the 'smart****' and old-toady retorts must make newbies like you wonder if it was worth your time. I reply hoping that the 'genuines' will outweigh the former.
Of course you should be refunded as there is an in-built expectation that infestation by vermin in a holiday-let would be totally unacceptable. In my view you must take advice from the inspecting body and/or the local Tourist Board (who may well be concerned). (I wonder who did inspect?)
Anyone advising that you should take little notice of vermin clearly has a very limited understanding of hygiene issues and would only ever rent at the very bottom of the market. Moreover, had the owner placed mousetraps which then injured your pet they would have then been liable for that injury through their insurance (which they are obliged to take out).
Keep your standards Joanne and try to recover your outlay. If no go, ask the HMIT if they are aware of the cottage as a rental. !

My bolding. Interesting that this post is the only one that seems to attack others.

Bakewell54 - those who only want to read posts in which the opinions expressed line up with their own should probably refrain from using a public forum, especially when their personal indignation leads them to think they can second guess which end of the holiday market those other posters would use.

The fact that people have different views is what makes life in general (and fora in particular) interesting: thread readers can of course choose to ignore what others post if they disagree with it.

Note too that "advice" is not given on these boards - suggestions, opinion etc yes, but "advice", no.( see forum FAQs)

Diseases carried by mice - yes, I should think most of us aware that mice spread disease. Perhaps worth noting that dogs do too ......including ticks which can harbour Lyme Disease, then there's the possibility of campylobacter, roundworms which cause toxocariasis , fleas and so on. Many of those who baulk at the presence of mice will happily have a dog in the kitchen ( or, worse still, a cat, with their predilection for leaping onto food prep areas) and go straight from handling dog/cat to food prep without a thought.

You should obviously take reasonable food hygiene precautions wherever you are, but especially so when in an unfamiliar territory. I would always wipe down food prep areas before using them - hell, the previous occupant could even have sat their toddler on the worktop, with full nappy, or perhaps the cleaner sneezed all over it, or touched it with toilet cleaning hands whilst doing the "in-between holidaymakers" clean up.

Clearly for the OP, the mice caused a problem. Clearly for other posters cancelling the entire week appeared a tad OTT. Neither is necessarily "right", it's just different people's opinions of what may be acceptable. That's what happens on a forum

evansmummy

tbs624 wrote: »

My bolding. Interesting that this post is the only one that seems to attack others.

Bakewell54 - those who only want to read posts in which the opinions expressed line up with their own should probably refrain from using a public forum, especially when their personal indignation leads them to think they can second guess which end of the holiday market those other posters would use.

The fact that people have different views is what makes life in general (and fora in particular) interesting: thread readers can of course choose to ignore what others post if they disagree with it.

Note too that "advice" is not given on these boards - suggestions, opinion etc yes, but "advice", no.( see forum FAQs)

I think what Bakewell54 was saying is that sometimes people on here can be sarcastic to the max. No one is expecting not to hear opinions you don't agree with but sometimes people on here take it a bit too far and aren't actually giving constructive advice but just want to put the boot in.
With regards to the original problem, call me a townie but I agree with the OP that I wouldn't have wanted to stay in the property. We all work hard to have a holiday and don't expect to have problems like this. I'm not sure I would have vacated but would have called the owners until they sorted something out I was happy with.