A two‑bedroom holiday cottage owner in the Cotswolds says she faced roughly £1,400 of costs and a cancelled booking after guests brought a dog to a non‑pet property and left extensive mess. The owner, who has let the property on Airbnb for three years, discovered the damage when preparing the cottage for the next booking following a four‑night stay in October 2024.
What the host found
On arriving at the property she was met by a strong stench of stale alcohol, cigarettes and vomit. There was dog faeces on the living‑room floor despite the listing being explicitly not pet‑friendly, and black dog hair covered the sofa. One bedroom’s mattress topper had been removed and the mattress carried a persistent smell of vomit and visible stains. The master bedroom duvet had urine stains; the host could not confirm whether these were human or animal in origin. Empty wine bottles and cigarette butts were left throughout the cottage.
"I actually gagged," the owner recalled. "I’ve got two teenage boys, so I’m hardly squeamish, but I’ve never seen anything like it."
She said the guests had appeared to be a normal couple when they booked and exchanged friendly messages beforehand, including asking for restaurant recommendations. After the stay the pair admitted they had brought a dog, in breach of the cottage’s rules.
Immediate consequences and costs
The level of contamination meant the cottage required specialist cleaning, replacement bedding and a new mattress. The host estimated the total cost of dealing with the aftermath at about £1,400, and she cancelled a week‑long booking that was due to arrive the following day because the property was not habitable.
She initially asked the guests to contribute £300 for a deep clean; the guests said the most they could pay was £200, which she accepted.
| Item | Reported cost / detail |
|---|---|
| Specialist cleaning, replacement bedding, new mattress | Approximately £1,400 (host estimate) |
| Requested from guests | £300 (guests paid £200) |
| Cancelled subsequent booking | One week‑long stay |
Broader context for hosts and guests
Private short‑term lets have grown into a substantial and sometimes contentious part of the UK holiday market. Stories such as this underline practical risks for small‑scale hosts who rely on a clean turnover between guests and whose income depends on the property being ready for successive bookings.
Hosts told of the emotional as well as financial toll. The owner said she spent the first hour after discovering the mess crying before arranging urgent professional cleaning. She described the shock of realising somebody had slept in the stained bed and left it for another person to discover.
- Check-in vetting: Guests may seem normal in messages, so hosts should use deposit and identity checks where available.
- Documentation: Photograph and log any damage immediately to support claims with platforms or insurers.
- Clear rules: Prominently state pet policies and cleaning expectations in listings and confirmations.
While this account is a single incident, it highlights the kinds of difficulties that can follow when house rules are flouted. For hosts, the financial impact can include cleaning, replacements and lost revenue from cancelled reservations. For guests, it is a reminder that bringing a pet to a property that prohibits animals can lead to additional charges or disputes.
As short‑term letting continues to be a popular option for both travellers and homeowners, examples like this are likely to feed into ongoing discussions about platform responsibilities, guest accountability and protections for small landlords.
