I have stayed at a casita which is similar to an AB&B but understood that most are furnished over the years and things get lost or broken. If I spent thousands of dollars on one I would expect perfection and things to match.

As far as arranging things ever so often there is a mention on here of people washing dishes then putting them back in the wrong place. You may be arranging things the way you want but it may not make any sense to the next people who rent the space.

My mother used to do this to me when she visited, and it drove me nuts. She was left handed, so her idea of what was the best location was different from my right-handed perspective.

My daughters-in-law kitchens. I just go in there like I am wearing blinders. I want to swoop everything off the counters and then arrange the cabinets in some sort of logical order. I have no idea how they find things. Boxes, cans, spices all mixed in random order in different cabinets.

But, I know my place and do nothing.

I wonder if they think I am an old fuss-budget? 😉

My SIL kept boxed breakfast cereal on top of the counter. It was easier to find, she said. ☺ Then she kept her clean pots & pans on top of the stove. Easier. You just turn on the burner when ready to use one.

If I am staying somewhere for several day, then I do reorganize to my preference. If it is only a couple of nights, then I do not bother.

When my sister visits, she will hang my dish towel on my oven door, and I immediately remove it and hang it on the towel rack in the kitchen where it belongs. I hate seeing towels hung on oven door handles - I use my oven way too much to use it as storage for towels. Plus it looks tacky to me, especially when I see it in real estate that is for sale. It says to me "We do not have proper storage for kitchen towels," and is very off-putting. If the oven is uglier than the kitchen towels, then it is okay. Mine is not.

I never rearrange anything in someone's else's house (unless they ask me to), and I expect the same of others. If I am renting an AirBnB, then it is a different story, since I am paying for it. If I cannot easily find something in someone else's house, I ask them for it. I don't like having to find things in other people's houses, but sometimes they expect me to. I have a strict protocol (in my mind) of how guests and hosts should behave, and this includes all family members. If relative visits me, I expect them to behave like a proper guest. I do loosen the rules when I visit Mexico and follow their protocols, which often means that I have to ask servants for things. Kitchens there are generally off-limits to guests, as they are the domain of servants.

How long did you stay there?

I've re-arranged 6 months rentals to suit myself while I lived there, and reluctantly put them back before I left.

For short stays...? Ugh, but let it go.

My son in law wishes I would do magic on their pantry.... but my daughter wants me to leave it alone... So funny. I have to hunt for stuff... or ask her.

Moni

I’m left handed so often times, I feel like things are not organized in a manner that’s efficient. :c) That said, I don’t understand how my DD and SIL function in their kitchen. It’s a good size, bigger than mine with ample counter space and storage, even so it’s ummmm... very lived in. Theres lots of stuff out that I’d love to go find a spot for so the counters are clean. I’d never do that of course and I also really try not to have a puzzled (how do you function) look on my face. They love to cook and are so happy with their new home, that’s all that really matters.

We stayed in an AirB&ab recently that was also used as a 2nd home at times for the owners. It had a lot of space in the kitchen and thus a lot of drawers. I didnt care for the way utensils were spread out in all the drawers. It was as if someone felt like they had to put something in a drawer because it wasn’t supposed to be empty. So I didn’t bother for a short stay, and because I knew the owners would be there eventually. Maybe the housekeeping staff put things away, I don’t know. But I have often been tempted to rearrange things in drawers because there was no rhyme or reason to the organization.

No - not my place, not my decision as to where things go. We return things to where we found them.

When we stayed at my parents’ winter home for a summer, while they were up north, I had to rearrange a few things in the kitchen. I also had to buy a few things since we had a toddler, including some placemats that I could trim to match the edge of their round glass table. But I put everything back where it was before we left.

We’ve stayed at a couple of other places where we’ve moved things while we are there, but we always move them back when we leave.

In a rental, no.

In someones home, definitely not.

If someone did that to MY kitchen, prepare for Armageddon.

Lukki, my DIL's kitchen is the same. She's not a cook but will bake brownies or banana bread once in a while. It makes me crazy to try to cook something for my grandson when I'm babysitting. It's a large, square kitchen with good counter space and storage, but there is no island, so it's like 9 or 10 ft from one side of the kitchen to the other. The work triangle is HUGE, lol. There are 2 lazy susan corner cabinets, kitty corner from each other. The one closest to the stove, where there is a microwave on the counter and a tiny bit of counter space, holds all the baking ingredients and some misc pieces. Kitty corner, on the side where the sink is, where there is one full counter run with nothing but the stand mixer on it, has all the pots and pans. OMG. Totally backwards from the most efficient arrangement. I do all I can to avoid having to cook there.

Funny thing is, she'd be totally fine with me suggesting a different arrangement, but I don't want her to feel self conscious or bad that I noticed that.

When my dear MIL (God rest her soul) would come to visit, she did not reorganize things but would attempt to be helpful and unpack the dishwasher and put things away. I swear she did not bother to look if there was a similar item in the vicinity she would just put things in drawers. One time I jokingly accused her of standing there and saying to herself "Now where can I put this so DDIL will not find it" Sometimes it would be weeks after she left before I got everything back to normal. Maybe it was her way of keeping me thinking about her after she left. I miss those times. But no, I would never arrange someone else's kitchen.

I would never, but I’ve been tempted. :)

I have vacationed in kitchens that were not arranged the way I would have. No it never dawned on me to "fix" it. No way would I assume my way "is best" for anyone but me. You have assumed A LOT in your post. Please remember you are renting not buying and leave things as you find them!!

Many AB&B listings state that they have a cleaning service charge. A cleaning service is not going to take the time to properly arrange kitchen items and isn't going to put them back as the owner originally had them. So yes, in that case it would be fine to organize the kitchen.

I have a bit of OCD. I’m always tempted to organize when I see chaos. I liked puzzles as a child and I feel it’s related.

If you want to see a cute, funny movie and either understand Spanish or don’t mind subtitles, check out Toc Toc.

^^ We watched Toc Toc not too long ago, loved it. Could relate to some of it, ha.

My in-law's kitchen was disorganized, poor use of space. I especially hated their utensil drawer because they kept a half dozen knives -- of various sizes, some dull and others very sharp -- jumbled in with the spatulas, wooden spoons, etc etc. Always thought it was an accident waiting to happen. Offers to help always refused.

When my sister comes to visit, she changes the setting on the toaster. She likes it lighter. I used to have a wooden knife block on my counter and stored my knives sharp side up to avoid dulling them by dragging them on the wood. When she helped me in the kitchen I reminded her each time. She did it her way because it was "correct". She said my magnetic knife holder strip wasn't very pretty and did I keep the wood block just in case I wanted to go back to it.

Nope. But if she EVER tries to dry a dish with a used hand towel, I will snap.

The cleaners at our VRBO on Maui want things pared down to the minimum and *organized*. Cleaners have to clean almost everything in a kitchen between guests. (Sometimes they only have three hours between guests.) Our most recent cleaner quoted me a discount because I didn't have a ton of clutter in the kitchen or the closets. (Guests praised the cleanliness at our place.)

Guests break things and 'hide' them. I'm sure the landfill must be loaded with silverware. Guests will take a plate or dish of whatever to another condo for a potluck...and leave it there. Our owners association ran an 'exchange' in February, around the day of the annual meeting. We'd set up a table for all the 'strays' to be claimed.