Considering a less than five star rating for a guest...

[Neal106]

I rented my home while I was traveling for 3 months this summer.

I recently had a single guest rent my house for one month (1 br, 1 bth, 1 LR, Kitch, Utility room). They rent the entire property.  My minimum rental is one week.

They were not very good with communication, ignoring 3 days of attempting via airbnb messaging to arrange a check in time and instead arriving out of the blue when my manager was cleaning. Saying he's come to expect self check-in. He left and returned 2 hours later for check-in w/o fuss of major hassles. So far so good. Same difficulty was had with check-out, though I was not as diligent and had texted the wrong number.

That said, he was always pleasant and never the least bit rude.

He had not washed a single dish, nor taken the trash to the curb for the entire month.  Saying the reason wash I did not have a dishwasher. He seemed to a bit of a germ-o-phobe, as he left several bottles of hand sanitizer.  The kitchen sink area was filthy, with both sinks clogged, one filled with putrid water, the disposal stuck and the entire dish rack and widow sill and cleaning accouterments covered in filth. He appeared to have been spraying the entire area with the sink sprayer. The bathroom sink was also filthy and clogged and filled with his long hair. Instead of cleaning the hair catcher in the tub/shower he tossed it behind the toilet and let his long hair flow into the pipes. I ended up with a hundred dollar plumbing bill, and extra cleaning costs to get it all sorted.

Due to his negligent handling, chipped a few dishes from a matching retro set that will require replacement and put small surface scratches in a nice solid mahogany toilet seat. I was little further irritated when I saw my decor matching  laundry basket packed with his belonging (not laundry) and placed with the things he was going to load in his vehicle.  He notice that I saw it and unpacked it as he loaded. The trash bin had not been taken to the curb for the entire month a reeks from rotting organics left in the sunny Salt Lake heat and the recycle bin was filled with many non recyclables. The fridge/fridge was also filthier than I would get it in a year with juice stains a blueberries scattered about

Other than that, wear on the house was very light. One missing HDMI cable he must have packed with his gear.

Would I have him back? Perhaps for a week only, or if for a month, only with additional cleaning charges for a thorough weekly servicing of the residence.

I was thinking of a 3 or 2 star review mentioning that I rented for a month and would only consider a week in the future with extra cleaning charges.

What say the community? I am afraid that I am being nit picky as I take care of things with care. Still to let dishes pile up for a month in putrid water? Come on!

Any advice appreciated.

.

[Colleen253]

@Neal106 Do you communicate clearly your expectations regarding the things you mention? If not, then some of this is on you. 

Regardless, most normal people don’t need to be told to take the trash out regularly and wash dishes, so this sounds like a guest I would not want in my house for even one night. As a potential future host, I would want to know some specifics about the cleanliness issues. 

[Mark116]

@Colleen253  I couldn't find his house rules, but then I previewed my listing and I couldn't find them either on that setting??  Where are they now?  I can find them when I go into editing the listing, but not on preview.  

@Neal106  I would give all 2s.  Leaving rotting trash in the house and the garbage is gross and nutty and such a person who is either too lazy or otherwise non functional to realize this does not belong on a home share platform.  But if you don't say anything about trash and dishes in your rules/check out info. add it.

[Colleen253]

@Mark116 must be a temporary glitch. I see them. They are slim.

@Neal106 

[Neal106]

In my house guide .pdf I state that trash day is Thursday morning. I do not say that the guest has to take out the trash. 

I did not say...

That the guest is expect to not damage the house.

That dishes should be cleaned, if one stays there a month.

I did not leave instructions on how to do dishes.

Or to take out the trash.

I did not say not to break dishes or to clog the sinks.

I did  say in the house guide...

That the guest is not to steal.

Not to use metal in the non-stick pans.

To arrange a check out time with the host.

Garbage pick-up is Thursday morning.

House should be left “broom clean” (picked up with all rooms satisfactorily clean).

These things need to be in  the the "House Rules" in the ad?

You cannot expect one to read your house guide?

@Colleen253 , @Mark116 

[Mark116]

@Neal106  No you really can't expect people to read much of anything.  The things that are really important, we repeat to guests, possibly ad nauseum.  We send a message to guests on the day of trash pick up reminding them of the timing.  We send a message the night before check out reminding them of the few things we ask them to do.  Etc. Etc.

It can't hurt to put a couple of lines in the house rules that guests are responsible for trash removal and that the unit is expected to be returned broom clean, and spell that out..trash emptied, dishes done and whatever else.

Too much is never enough when it comes to information and rules on Airbnb, that's my motto. 

[Brian2036]

@Neal106 

There’s no way I would let a slob like that into my rental house.

Please leave an honest review with 2 stars or less.

If you would ever let him come back that is your business but I doubt that most hosts would want him.

[Colleen28]

You will never allow a return for this guest so leave a honest review. If more hosts did honest reviews we could eliminate this type of guest. 

[Neal106]

Here is a copy of the review I left:

"S*****r  was a little reticent to communicate, ignoring three days of messages to set a check-in time and just showing up on check-in day. That said, he was always polite and professional.

Over the month he dirtied every dish, chipping some and leaving two sinks plugged, and one filled with putrid water. On the other hand, he was very light on the rest of the house.

In the end, over the course of a week, there would have been a more manageable number of dirty dishes. As such, I would recommend renting to Spencer over shorter periods, or if the space were serviced on a regular basis during an extended stay."

I tried to find his positive points as well. I gave him 2 stars.

Thanks for all the advice.