Taken from the Quality Standard booklet for Self-Catering Accommodation.

A quality assessment will consider the living, dining, hall and stairway areas of a property and grade each of the following from 1 to 5 as part of the overall score.

Decoration

As well as wall and ceilings, the provision and quality of pictures and prints and all wall decorations are assessed here. The assessment of the decoration of walls, ceilings and woodwork looks at the quality, application and condition.

The assessor’s personal tastes of style or design are not considered.

Flooring

This includes all types of flooring such as carpets, laminate, ceramic, natural wood or vinyl. Assessment covers quality, condition and fitting.

Furniture, furnishings and fittings

This includes the quality and condition of dining and lounge furniture including seating, scatter cushions, curtain poles, curtains, light fittings, heating appliances, televisions etc.

Lighting and heating

This relates to the quality and provision of lighting and heating and whether it is sufficient for the size of the unit and the number of guests accommodated. There should be a balance of natural and artificial light where appropriate.

Space, comfort and ease of use.

This takes into account the use of space and how the room layout is planned to offer maximum convenience and ease of use for the guests. Can guests all sit and watch TV in comfort? Is there enough room for the maximum number of guests to all dine together? Does furniture have to be moved for the facilities to be used? The use of sofa beds will be taken into account here as this affects the comfort and ease of use.

Find out more at the Quality in Tourism website or read our articles about Quality Assessments.