Unreasonable Tasks for Guests

[Laura1354]

Hi! I know Airbnb was going to implement new guidelines for check-out procedures for guests. You cannot ask guests  to do "unreasonable" tasks. Is there a clear list of what can and can't be expected of guests upon check-out? Was there a date for the implementation of these guidelines? I haven't been able to find anything since it was announced in November. Thanks for any help!

[Helen3]

No there isn't but they indicated what would be acceptable when they sent an announcement around this to all hosts who have registered to receive their communications.

1. Washing up after themselves

2. Putting key back 

3. Turning off heating/lighting

Not sure when this is being implemented.  What do you have in terms of check out rules. 

[Laura1354]

The only thing we would have to change is stripping the beds. Everything else is reasonable, I believe. Such as running the dishwasher, taking out the trash, turning off lights, and locking doors. 

[Martin3344]

If a cleaning fee is charged then a host should not expect guests to undertake any cleaning of the property when they leave. I also believe that this should not include requiring them to strip the beds or to put out the rubbish bags.

The one item that I do ask of guests however is to clean and put away any kitchen items that have been used. It feels quite disrespectful to be left piles of dirty dishes to wash up. In my experience guests are totally accepting of this request, and adhere to it, and many are surprised that it even needs to be requested at all. I found in the past however that if I didn't specifically request this then I was regularly having to wash the dishes !

[Helen744]

Laura1345 I think crossovers from hotels can make people resentful of 'any tasks' . We do not ask except a sign at the exit door to say please turn off the light.Our rules are in our checkin . On the other hand ,we ask people 'not to remove linen 'as we have a process.We also provide 'a basket ' people in the bathroom for towels. We do not ever want linen tossed into the shower. What is that ?We send a text message on checkout to remind  people of checkout time ,where to leave the key and to look for all their belongings and to lock the door as they leave and say that we will be down shortly after checkout, and thanks for staying etcetera. Our outside bins are spotless ,our inside bins cover 'if it can be recycled' plus tidies and a bottle basket ,all marked, plus bedroom tidy rubbish bins.We provide all cleaning products and try to make it easy for people. It works as most people follow routine.... H

[Laura1354]

Thanks for the response! I like some of your ideas.

[Laurelle3]

@Laura1354 it can be a bit daunting when you first start Airbnbing.

I have my own set of rules with a sign in the kitchen saying "We hope you have enjoyed our kitchen. Please leave it the way you found it".

As we live on site I decided not to have any tasks before the guests leave. Often they will ask what do they have to do. I just say leave it tidy.

I am the cleaner and have my own routine with husbands help. This way there is no high expectations of the guests and so far we have had no issues and it is always left clean and tidy.

I have read on this CC Forum that some hosts may have a too high expectation or ask guests to do a lot before leaving and charge a large cleaning fee. This appears to have become an issue between hosts and guests and evidence is often shown in reviews.

[Laura1354]

Thank you for the feedback!

[Huma0 · Accepted solution]

@Laura1354 

In answer to your question, this is what Airbnb stated in their article:

"We understand that it takes a lot to get your place ready for your next guests. It’s reasonable to ask guests to do simple things at checkout, such as turning off lights, throwing food in the rubbish bin and locking doors and windows.

We’re also hearing from guests that they don’t want to do unreasonable chores, such as stripping the beds, doing laundry and vacuuming.

In the coming months, we’ll be working with you to make checkout more transparent to guests. Guests will be able to review your checkout instructions prior to booking – similar to house rules – and also leave feedback on the checkout experience."

I have myself highlighted some points in bold. Of course, this is far from a comprehensive list, but it gives you an idea. Guests, especially those paying a cleaning fee, are not appreciative of having to strip beds, do laundry or any kind of substantial cleaning like vacuuming. Personally, I have never asked any of my guests to do this things. However, many guests have asked me if they should strip the beds. 

I think it's a mistake to ask guests to do this. How much time does it actually save you/cost you to have them strip the beds if they are not doing the laundry? What are you even gaining by this. I, and many other hosts, would point out that it's easier to spot stains etc. if you or your cleaner strip them yourselves. 

[Mark116]

@Huma0  Yes, I agree.  I would never want guests to do laundry and think people who ask them to launder towels and sheets are begging for trouble.  I wouldn't ask guests to vacuum either.  We did finally add in somewhere that guests are expected to wipe up major spills in the hope that it might prevent the stove being left caked in cooking oil and food spatter [it doesn't]. I've said before guests stripping the bed often ended up with everything thrown on the floor in  pile,  so we stopped asking them to do it, although some still do on their own.

With that said though, if a host wants to put in the listing 'leave it as you found it' that should be up to the host,   Airbnb should stay out of policing what individual hosts want guests to do in terms of cleaning at check out.

[Huma0]

@Mark116 

I agree it should be up to the host, but I think this is one of the things that is causing the most negativity out there at the moment, i.e. long lists of chores combined with a high cleaning fee.

I don't charge a cleaning fee and don't ask my guests to do anything on check out other than leave the key and close the front door if I am not here to see them off. However, as it's a homeshare with long term stays and I have more than one guest staying at a time, I do expect guests to tidy up after themselves during their stay. It's basic stuff like washing up/putting dishes in the dishwasher and leaving kitchen surfaces tidy and clean. Most have no trouble with this, although currently I have a guest who seems to think I am his maid 😞

During their stay they also have the option of paying a small fee for me to clean their rooms/wash their linens and towels, or they can do it themselves. One has to be careful though and check all the linens after they leave. I realised after a recent guest checked out that the 'clean' towels she had washed were covered in make up stains. As they were folded up and in a cupboard, it's lucky I checked them before the new guest arrived.

So yes, every airbnb will have a slightly different set up requiring different check out instructions and hosts need to have the flexibility to choose what works for them. But hosts also need to be reasonable. If they expect guests to do a lot on check out then the cleaning fee (or lack of it) should reflect that.

[Mark116]

@Huma0  Airbnb could end that controversy today by just eliminating the option for a cleaning fee.  Then everyone would have to wrap the cleaning costs into the nightly fee and price comparisons would be apples to apples.  Airbnb never does the easy thing, always the most complicated, backwards, convoluted 'solution' possible.

I know people think they use the cleaning fee to make short stays more profitable, but in the long run, it is more trouble than it is worth.  

[Huma0]

@Mark116 

I totally agree. The main reason I don't charge a cleaning fee is because I think it will change guest expectations (not that they will expect the place to be cleaner, rather they will expect not to lift a finger while they are here) and be more trouble than it is worth.

However, so many hosts seem to think that a cleaning fee is a must, not just to make short stays more profitable, but because some feel that the cleaning is the same regardless of length of stay and long term guests should not be penalised by paying a higher nightly rate. I don't know about that as I believe you can adjust your long term discounts to counter that problem.

[Mark116]

@Huma0  We charge a small cleaning fee that we instituted to cover the costs of taking the large comforter to the laundry [we got rid of those eventually] but kept the cleaning fee.  We kept it because I think? that the AI sees the cleaning fee as different so it keeps the nightly rate slightly lower, but that may be a mirage on my part.

Cleaning is completely dependent on how messy the guests are, and whether or not they cook.   I've had plenty of people stay 2 days who were more messy than those who stayed a week.  Although shorter stays "usually" less intensive cleaning for the kitchen because guests don't cook  at all or at most eggs for breakfast.  Otherwise, it's about the same.  You have to vacuum, dust furniture, change all the bedding/linens, clean the stove/surfaces, etc. every time.

I would be happy if Airbnb got rid of the cleaning fee, so of course, they won't ever do that.  Instead they're apparently going to create another layer of confusion with another set of lists and checks that guests still will not read.  The Airbnb way.

OT:  Fun times, our last guests managed to bend the metal bed frame.  Bend it. Heavy metal.  Completely bent inward.  She was a large person and she must have put all of her weight on the frame at some time for some reason.  No offer to pay but she did tell us.  Haven't done her review yet, expecting a 4, because those who damage always rate things lower. 

We also had one of those nuts who didn't respond to messages for 23 hours, had to be declined and then sent ANOTHER request, didn't respond for 23 hours and had to be declined again and blocked.  Another easy fix to help out hosts but Airbnb won't do a thing.

[Huma0]

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@Mark116 wrote:

I haven't done her review yet, expecting a 4, because those who damage always rate things lower. 

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@Mark116 Must be some kind of defensive reaction. I always dread having to speak to guests about any kind of damage, even just asking what happened, let alone asking them to pay for it (the latter I have literally only done once despite having had numerous damages from guests). For most, their backs are up, even if they know full well they did it. 

Yes, the whole request thing could be fixed so easily to make life much less stressful for hosts but Airbnb do not want to do it because they want us to be pressurise into accepting as many guests as possible, regardless of what problems that might cause when it comes round to the actual stay. I agree with you. I don't think they are going to fix that one...