SEEKING ADVICE ....

I am seeking advice...

I have recently had a very bad experience of renting a holiday apartment from a private owner in Calahonda, and the apartment was not ' fit for purpose'

Does anyone know who I can contact to report these people or to seek compensation as they are refusing to help

I suspect they are not registered for letting in Spain, or paying tax,, and I dont think they carry insurance...

Thank you,  hope someone can help advise me...

Hi Measurement,

Have not seen you on here before, so welcome to EOS.

I can't help you personally, but there are many members on here that will have the experience to reply to you.

It's a shame you have had a bad rental experience. We have only taken a few rentals in the past, as we own our own place now, we don't need to any more, but one I remember in Villa Martin, Costa Blanca, was advertised on the internet and looked lovely.

When we arrived, it was above a restaurant/cafe called Birdie's Bistro, the smell of the cooking fumes drove us nuts, we had the exhaust pipe thingy from the kitchen right outside the lounge window. There was no TV in the place let alone the Sky channels advertised, we fell through the couch when we sat on it, the towels stunk of damp and the kitchen cooking equipment was non existant and the swimming pool was in another complex and left much to be desired!

So I know how you feel!

I hope someone can help you, but my gut feeling is that you may have to put it down to a "bad experience" like we did and forget about any redress.

kind regards,

thank you fibby..

We had water coming in from apartment above where the builders were working, and it had caused mould on the walls

the heating would only work in one room at a time otherwise it tripped the fuses

the oven was filthy and the bedding wasnt clean....

we were there for Christmas, and ended up having to move apartments the day before Christmas eve,,, and pay for the new one ourselves,,,

we are now trying to get compensation from the owners,, but they are being very rude to us...

Hi Measurement,

I think it's always a worry when you use rentals off the internet that haven't been recommended by a friend, personally. These things we often endure totally ruin our holidays. ( God, we've ALL been on packaged hols that have cost the earth, promised the earth & been totally unacceptable, haven't we ? I remember  .... another thread though... !!)

Best of British to you. Think you've got a long upward struggle but you'd think the owners would want happy renters who will tell friends & so increase their circle of renters instead of causing grief.  Tell them you WILL take them to the UK's small claims court unless they give you what you ask for. You can threaten to take it to the Spanish authorities saying THEN they'll be checked out re their paying Spanish taxes etc & see their attitude. I know from certain other forums some people who rent out their Spanish places on the internet have said they've had letters from the Spanish tax office asking them to submit certain info regarding their income. 

Janice

Hi Measurement, this is a hard one but if the owners live in the Uk (and Im only assuming you do) then what about threatening to sue them through the small claims court? The contract or agreement would usually be valid in the country of the property but if you booked and pad locally then you would have a good case.

Other than that threaten to 'denounce' them as for sure they will be renting illegally and the authorities look badly on people renting and especially not paying tax on the income!

Good luck with it and if you book next time, try to go through an apartment that is managed locally as the managing agents will not want properties giving them problems.

Thanks Rixxy.....

I think that I should do all I can to try and prevent anyone else renting this apartment,,, so that they dont have the same problems

I just need to find out exactly who to write to in Spain ( Calahonda )  to report this matter

If it wasnt that I would be done for liable,, I would give out the details of the add on here,,, but I think that would be illegal,,

and I dont want to do that,,,,

I take your advice about booking through an agent,, and for next Christmas I am already making enquiries via the agents in that area...

No reason you cant name and shame - after all if they are in the right they will soon come and tell us! I dont really know where you can report it except to the police (all denouncias are reported there) as this was a private matter and not really a commercial thing

Good luck and let me know if you want an agents details for the area

....