Middle Class Problems: Staying in a stranger's home is incredibly awkward ... but it has become de rigeur

Whether it be a house-swap or simple rental, holidaying in someone else's home has become de rigueur: you get to know the owner's city as a local and experience their culture through their décor. The problem: staying in anyone's home is awkward – but a stranger's? Still, no one wants to feel left out, so…

To alleviate décor distress, you spend so much time scouring hundreds of options that your partner thinks you're having an affair. But, as availability ebbs away, in a panic, you opt for one that's characterful in a shabby chic but oh-so-authentic way, located in an edgy but oh-so-authentic part of town.

By the time you've located the apartment and hauled your luggage up seven flights, you start to feel excited about this lurch into the unknown. Then you enter…

The characterful sofa feels, well, sticky. The smell of the gas canister powering the water, heat and cooker is… distinct. The lovely terracotta tiles on the sweet little balcony are so fragmented that a carelessly placed foot could pitch you headfirst back down those seven floors. But there's no one to complain to – just the option of leaving a review on departure.

Back in the comfort of your own home, the memory of the apartment feels nowhere near as disappointing as the stay, so it seems mean to be outspoken.

But shouldn't other people know about the things they can't see online? And what about the hundreds of jobs being lost in the struggling hotel industry? Especially given that, when all's said and done, it did cost almost as much as an all-in resort.