Help with review

[Sherry520]

Hi--I had a guest who left part of the house very nice, made the bed, put towels in the washer.... BUT the den, kitchen, and garage floor were covered in what looks like clear, dried soda--super sticky.  The nightstands were also sticky, and there was a sticky orange puddle in one of the guest rooms that had been tracked all over two of the bedrooms.  One comforter had clearly been washed and wasn't quite dry, and the mattress pad in the other had a wet spot--unknown what from.  So, I am having a problem with the wording on the review.  I don't want to bash her--kids make messes.  I know that,  and  no actual damage was done.  Also, I am thinking about changing my policy on allowing children at the house.  Can anyone throw me a few pros and cons on going "child free?"  Thank you!

[Bhumika]

Hi @Sherry520 ! Since you posted a few days ago, did you eventually leave a review sharing your experience with the guest? 

I am also reaching out to a few experienced Hosts in our Community, who may be able to shed some light on how to leave a honest review with these situations and if they have any recommendations : @Ana2038 @Patti120 @Lorna170 @Robin4. I hope we get to learn more from their experience!

[Ana2038]

@Sherry520 , I believe @Patti120  has given you some great advice and guidance as it pertains to guest(s) with children and some of the messiness left behind. Honestly,  it's a tough one for me. My listing (luckily) only accommodates 2 people max and is not set up for children (waterfall feature & insurance restrictions). If I had to deal with the mess you were left with, I'd probably mark down one star in cleanliness and send private note to guest regarding stickiness etc... Floors are easy to clean but furniture may experience some damage. Best of luck!

[Sherry520]

Thank you so much Ana!

[Patti120]

Hi.@Sherry520. Bhumika reached out to me as well as a couple of others to see if we might have some comments that would help you with the review of your guests that left a sticky floors among other messes. I usually take a day or two after a guest leaves to write a review so it can be unemotional. From your description above, it sounds like the parents had their hands full and did make an effort to make things right, so I would keep that in mind. Floors get dirty and have to be cleaned, so cleaning is cleaning whether its sticky or just dirt, so I wouldn't make too much out of the floors. Sticky on the tables is always better if you clean them rather than the guest as the tables might get damaged. Overall it sounds upsetting but normal for families with children.  Windows and mirrors are notorious for finger and face prints too and in my experience, sticky is easier to remove than other things including hand sanitizer. 

I have had messy guests and exceptionally clean guests and have learned people have different ways of living that are acceptable to them but may not be to you or me. 

I would be kind in your comments and welcoming to all. If you do not wish to have this family back, ever, Airbnb will allow you to block them so they never see your listing. 

My last comment would be to strongly suggest you do not ban children from your rental listing because it is not legal to discriminate. You can find out more information if you search Fair Housing Act and HUD Regulations for providing reasonable accommodations. The rules and regulations even cover Service Animals and Assistance Animals, which will be important information for you to have in the future. 

Hosting is an adventure.  I have become a wizard at stain removal and make sure I have extra everything just in case. Many times I ask myself: How did they do THAT?! As long as I can remedy the situation with a little ingenuity and elbow grease my reviews are not harsh. 

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Patti