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French translation
 brian
brian
Guest
I'm currently querying some accomodation providers in Les Deux Alpes (I figure the best way to get over the inevitable depression post ski holiday is to have a summer trip booked beside a handy glacier).

Anyway, what's "Les frais de ménage (si nécessaire)" ? Something to do with the household, if necessary ? Whatever it is, it costs 100 Euros !
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

brian wrote:


Anyway, what's "Les frais de ménage (si nécessaire)" ? Something to do with the household, if necessary ? Whatever it is, it costs 100 Euros !


The picking of the strawberies? If you leave lots of squashed strawberies over you appartment (or anything else) they will charge you to clean up.

Laughing
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

"Expenses of household (if necessary)"

Good old Bablefish.
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A lot of the French rental agencies will inspect the accommodation on the last day, and only return your deposit if the apartment is clean. So I expect that is up to EUR100 for cleaning, if they think its necessary.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Housekeeping expenses (if necessary)

In other words wreck the place and you are loosing your 100 euros deposit.
Some apartments charge a lot more than that
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.

It just means cleaning costs. Basically if you provide self-catering, when guests arrive it is (or should be) spotless. You ask them to leave it as they found it - it's written into the contract. Generally speaking however, they don't! You then either have 3 hours to clean up after them yourselves, or you employ 'emergency' cleaners - who charge a fortune because it's a job that's available once a week, between 10am and 2pm generally speaking.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

AD, you'll find that there usually is a much higher, and separate, deposit payable for breakages. The "frais de ménage" are nothing to do with this.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!

Wreck the place and you'll prob lose a lot more than EUR100

The deposit can vary, but is usually around EUR500. Some agencies will take a credit card imprint, and post it back to you 2 weeks after you leave, providing everything is ok.

Others will not accept credit card, and you will have to pay the cash upfront.

If you don't clean the apartment, you will lose up to EUR100. Some agencies are stricter than others, and you may be charged even though the place is tidy, but you left a carton of milk in the fridge !!

If you damage the apartment you could lose your entire deposit Sad
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Ref cleaning - this is what we write into our contract for guests....
Quote:

Cleaning the premises adequately at the end of your stay

We reserve the right to deduct from the deposit a further 70 € if the cleaning has not been done properly ((bins, toilet and bathroom fittings etc, floor swept and washed, washing up done and put away, quilts folded and put away with the pillows in the cupboards, used sheets and undersheets put in black plastic sack, etc.) This is what it costs to pay for an express clean by a professional cleaning company in order to ensure the apartment is ready for the new arrivals (4 hours after you leave).


Does anyone take a blind bit of notice? NO! (snowHeads excepted of course! Wink )

And being nice Little Angel people, we've yet to apply the terms of the contract and make guests cough up. The younger generation (late teens/early 20s) are particularly hopeless - I don't even believe it's intentional. They simply don't know how to do it!!! rolling eyes
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Ski the Net with snowHeads

Quote:

younger generation (late teens/early 20s) are particularly hopeless - I don't even believe it's intentional


It probably is so! They'll be waiting for Mum (or a suitable parental substitute i.e. YOU) to do it as per usual. You're just too kind Very Happy
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Given that I have no faith what so ever in any tour operator,I always(always)make sure any place I leave is spotless(and more!!)Always assume that they will take any,and every,opportunity to scam you,and you will not go far wrong.If they have a big cash dep or scanned card,you're exposed(so to speak).Well remember the time a cleaner gave 'me' a 10euro tip Shocked she was so impressed;and obviously got paid for doing nothing.
Plus,surely its good manners to leave somewhere in a clean and tidy state.

Finally,dont assume that if the place is a tip when you arrive(done that,Crystal Hols apartment,Andorra)you can leave it that way.Complain when you get there;not when they charge you as you leave Confused
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.

PG, you're too nice Wink

Why don't you deduct the cleaning costs???? Everyone else does!

I had numerous guests docked for the cleaning bill when I was rep'ing .. but most of the time they had no-one to blame but themselvse as I had repeatedly told them about the charge for not cleaning up !!
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much

You're quite right Sonya... future guests, be warned! Twisted Evil Twisted Evil Wink
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.

Why don't owners include the cost of a basic clean in the price charged? If it was a regular thing, the cost to the owner might well be less than if it is done as an emegency. Who wants to spend the last evening or early morning of their hols washing the floor?


We had a minor altercation with a couple of rather snotty reception people in Val Claret earlier this year because we had had the temerity to leave some unopened packets of food (pasta and so on), tea and coffee, washing up liquid (which ought to be provided anyway), etc, so that the next lot could use them. No deposit back until they were removed! Quite why the person who noticed them couldn't have chucked them away on their way down to tell us to chuck them away, I don't know.
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 brian
brian
Guest
Thanks folks, they quoted a separate (higher) figure for deposit and said that electricity etc was included so I was a wee bitty confused.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead

PG, .........do they actually read the contract? I guess they may be too excited and wish to go off to the slopes asap and just pop in to scribble their signature and grab the keys??

May help to put up a sign or something making sure that they know their obligations.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

richmond, The answer to that one is simple. In a resort such as Les Arcs, with, I don't know, say 2,000 apartments for the sake of argument. Given that it can take an hour or two to do a proper job - how many cleaners would it take to do them all between 10am and 2pm on a Saturday?

The population of Bourg St Maurice would have to be mobilised en bloc!

Quote:
washing up liquid (which ought to be provided anyway)

Anything else you require? A sixpack? Satellite tv? Wink
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Dan, you're right, they're long and full of contract-speak. Still in most cases, apart from last minute bookings, they're posted some time before the holiday starts. A sign might help though - good idea.
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This clause is standard in gîtes across France. We always aim to leave the place spotless, and have only once had a problem getting the deposit back. Most owners are very grateful, and we've been told that Brits are generally pretty good, the French worse and the Dutch... (best left unsaid).
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

richmond, You would not believe the state some people leave their accommodation in. I've done cleaning work, and it's quite shocking. I'm not a particularly houseproud person myself, but I don't throw pizzas at the windows to see if they'll stick forever, fail to ever clean the floor, fry everything and never clean the grease up - I could go on forever without even touching on the loo. I've seen cookers you wouldn't believe, baths that are totally BLACK (after 6 days) ..... Evil or Very Mad Evil or Very Mad

.brian, you could probably opt to pay the €100 and not bother to clean the apartment. Wink
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www.freetranslation.com is a good site.

Meg Very Happy
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