Guests were horrified by unsanitary conditions at a Ramsgate rental. Nappies and trash littered the garden.
Colin Yexley, 61, and Jackie, 70, found a mess. Nappies and broken glass were in the garden, and sanitary towels were also present. The garden also had black sacks filled with trash. The rental was on Cecilia Road, and they paid £1,300 for two weeks.
The freezer was broken, and the washing machine was gone too. This was a three-bedroom house. The owners blamed seagulls for the mess, telling KentOnline that they fixed issues quickly.
Colin expected better quality, saying it was not fit to stay in. The garden was full of rubbish. He found black bags, nappies and broken bottles. The booking.com listing said it had a kitchen, and it was supposed to be fully equipped.
Colin lives near Deal and called the rental’s state awful. He found the freezer did not work after four days. The fridge light worked, but the freezer smelled bad when he opened it. Colin and Jackie live in a mobile home.
Park rules force them to leave for two weeks yearly. They have used booking.com for four years and were happy until now. His sister felt she did something wrong; Colin said the website made it look great, but the windows were dirty when he arrived.
He said you expect it to look like photos and that a car needs doors and wheels. The rubbish got cleared, and they installed new appliances. Colin said the repairman did great work, installing a new freezer and washing machine.
He went above and beyond what they asked, but this should not have been needed at all. It cost pensioners a lot of money. They must leave home for two weeks each year. They have dogs, so they expect to pay more, but there needs to be a standard.
The owners said seagulls got the bin and that no one came before Mr. Yexley. The fridge broke down too, but they claimed it never happened before and fixed this problem fast. He wanted a welcome pack, but they don’t do that.
They said they host guests in many homes and usually receive good reviews. Booking.com has been asked for comment. KentOnline wrote about holiday let increases, especially on the east Kent coast, and how it affects the property market. Last year, Ramsgate had 282 Airbnbs, but only 33 rentals for private use.