Damage charge to a UK holiday home caused by a young child - help!

deanos

1k that's a lot of damage caused by a stick

vikingaero

deanos wrote: »

1k that's a lot of damage caused by a stick

We'll never know: Last Activity: 26-04-2017 10:04 AM

maisie_cat

Wood on wood contact caused £1000 of damage to a rustic finish, I don't believe it.
Unless the stick was metal the wood fibres will have been compressed and could be steamed out. If it's just marking on a wax finish it can also be fixed, either the owners are not practical.sensible or a tradesman is taking them for a ride. Pictures would help though

Sea_Shell

vikingaero wrote: »

We'll never know: Last Activity: 26-04-2017 10:04 AM

It's a shame when we never get to know what the outcome of these threads.

Kim_kim

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

I'm with the OP as regards this being accidental damage, sorry.

I'd be asking the home-owner why they aren't claiming on their holiday home insurance, and offer to pay the excess (unless they're already doing this and that's why the round sum of £1000, it's their excess!)

That's my thought - do they not have insurance for damage?

Kim_kim

macman wrote: »

Just because the damage was done by a child, doesn't make it 'accidental'. Under the rental T&C's, hirers are responsible for any damage caused, and the person who signs the contract is responsible for damage caused by any of their party-including children.
Using your logic, a hirer could 'accidentally' burn the property to the ground and still expect to get their deposit back.

No they shouldn't get their deposit back, but the deposit should be their contribution for any damages caused.

The rental company is a business & as such should have insurance.

If a family on benefits living in a rented house without a penny in savings holidayed with them & burnt the place to the ground, how does the company think they are going to get paid?

Get insurance & build it into the cost of the holiday.

vikingaero

Kim_kim wrote: »

No they shouldn't get their deposit back, but the deposit should be their contribution for any damages caused.

The rental company is a business & as such should have insurance.

If a family on benefits living in a rented house without a penny in savings holidayed with them & burnt the place to the ground, how does the company think they are going to get paid?

Get insurance & build it into the cost of the holiday.

No one, whether an individual or a company HAS to claim under their Insurance Policy and nor can you generally force someone to do so. They can choose to pursue the party liable (which in this instance will be the person making and paying for the booking).

For instance, my garden wall could be knocked over by a HGV. The HGV Insurers being a tightwad Insurer will tell me to claim off my household policy. I can refuse and claim directly off the operator of the HGV and leave it up to them as to whether they want indemnity under their own Policy.

happyandcontented

There is damage and then there is accidental damage. An unsupervised child has caused damage, they have not caused accidental damage I am afraid.

Kim_kim

vikingaero wrote: »

No one, whether an individual or a company HAS to claim under their Insurance Policy and nor can you generally force someone to do so. They can choose to pursue the party liable (which in this instance will be the person making and paying for the booking).

For instance, my garden wall could be knocked over by a HGV. The HGV Insurers being a tightwad Insurer will tell me to claim off my household policy. I can refuse and claim directly off the operator of the HGV and leave it up to them as to whether they want indemnity under their own Policy.

Because the driver has to have insurance to legally drive a car.
The parents aren't required to have insurance in case their child does damage.
I just would expect a business to price that into their prices & look on it as a business expense.

Jackmydad

It depends what the damage is as well. One person's "minor" is another person's "major" Without pictures from the OP, how can we judge.