How much damage to bedding is considered acceptable??

[Luis3823]

Hi,

I'm new to hosting and would appreciate some advice. Some guests spent a night with us and left blood spots on the comforter and bodily fluid stains on the blanket. Should I consider that "normal" ? It created more work for us obviously and felt careless.

Thanks for your feedback.

[Gordon0]

The good hosts do, I’m sure, @Sarah977.

We have summer and winter duvets to deal with heat fluctuation.

Am actually in Koh Samui now (average 30) and duvets used.

[Laura2592]

@Luis3823 normal wear and tear:

Blood spots

Makeup

Bodily fluids

The occasional ripped linen

Pet accident stain on a throw rug or towel (we are pet friendly)

Minor loss of paint on painted furniture

Minor scratches on table tops, counters, etc.

Scuffs on paint where furniture has hit a wall

[Kerry404]

Interested to see this post as I too am unsure whats "acceptable". I'm new to hosting and every time I go in the house it feels like I'm running the gauntlet to find what's been damaged. Makes me feel sad.

Mug/glass broken, to be expected....hot oil stains down the kitchen wall, disappeared tea towel (presumably the hot oil incident), burn marks in a brand new carpet from wood burning stove (even though there is a heat proof mat in front of the stove), pulled curtain tie back holder off the wall + plaster, missing place mat, one Christmas decoration missing,  2 crackers (off the tree, decorative ones, not real ones!), dropped and damaged shower head - denied by guest, chewed seat by dog (admitted to and paid for), damaged kitchen cupboards...I've only had 5 guests! They've done more damage in a their few nights than I ever managed in 15 years of living there!

[Sarah977]

@Kerry404  Yet you have left all 5 guests great reviews indicating they were perfect guests. Why, oh why would you do that? Why are you misleading other hosts? 

I don't know how many of those guests had dogs, but on 2 of the reviews you said you never would have known the dog was there. How does that jive with a dog-chewed seat? Why are you making all these guests sound like fabulous guests when you have felt sad and disrespected when surveying the damage and mess?

It sounds like you need to start vetting your guests better before accepting their bookings, and you definitely need to stop leaving dishonest reviews.

[Kerry404]

The first 2 guests were perfect!

Went downhill after that...

The review where I mention the dog isn't the one that caused the damage.

The next guest I reviewed after brief inspection of the house. It was only after my proper clean that I noticed problems. Now I don't review til after my clean.

My last guest I most certainly didn't give a perfect review to. I scored her 3 for cleanliness, her communication was very good so yes, she got a 5 for that. There's no score for 'damage' as she would've got a 1!
I do vet my clients, they all had great reviews...so not just me then, huh? I'm becoming harsher, don't worry...

[Sarah977]

@Kerry404  This is the most recent review I see you left "Becky and her family were easy guests to host. Communication was very good."

Now when I read that, I have every reason to think these were good guests I have no reason to be wary of. You have said nothing about them not leaving the place clean.

Your written review needs to align with the star ratings you give. Only hosts who use Instant Book can see star ratings. Those of us who require Requests have only the written reviews to go on. So don't be one of those hosts who leaves nice reviews and leads other hosts astray, like the previous hosts of your bad guests did to you. If you feel a guest deserves 3 stars for cleanliness, you need to mention that they left the place dirty in the written review.

Yes, it's a big learning curve- waiting to leave the review until after you've had a chance to thoroughly inspect the place is important. You might not even notice something missing or broken until you get it all cleaned and ready for the next guest, but you have 14 days to review, so no rush. 

For a guest like the one whose dog chewed the seat, the review should say something like, "Guest's dog chewed a seat cushion, but the guest offered to and did pay for the damage". 

This tells other hosts that they have a dog who chews things (I've had dogs all my life and they have never chewed anything but the bones I've given them) but gives them credit for being responsible about it.

[Linda108]

As for make up removal, and I include "tanning lotions", a good alternative is a basket of inexpensive small wash cloths that are used with hot water to remove  make up.  Good for the skin and can be vigorously washed with bleach.