Getting fed up with guests taking home sanitisers and disinfectant spray

[David3267]

We leave both hand sanitiser and a well known brand of disinfectant spray in each of our apartments. I must admit to being a little disappointed that two of the last three guests have decided to take this home with them. It's not cheap but should one really have to write please leave on everything???

[Lawrene0]

@David3267, I finally wrote "Treehouse" in black marker on the metal water bottles and on the hand sanitizer bottle and so far so good. Before that, they seemed to be considered fair game -- not by everyone, but by enough people that it was getting annoying and expensive. Would getting out the black marker and writing "David's place" or something similar work for you?

[Michelle53]

@David3267    I have a  1-page Covid info sheet, printed on orange paper. It talks about safety, protecting oneself, current local regulations, information sources, etc. 

One line item says that hand sanitizer has been provided for guest use (it's a larger size pump dispenser) but it is in limited supply in stores, so to please be kind and leave it for the next guest. 

So far, so good.....

[Gordon0]

It's a bit cheap of your guests, I mean, who thinks 'Oh, I'll have this' and trousers a spray? I'd go with the (nicely) hand-written 'David's place' marker treatment I think, as @Lawrene0 suggests. 

Gorgeous listings btw, @David3267.

[David3267]

agree that seems the best solution but I've always tried to avoid the over labelling and signs. I hate going to places with laminate signs everywhere saying don't do this or that but it seems labelling is the way forward!

[Chris232]

I used to have Plug adapters going AWOL until written in black on the underside of the adapter I wrote "stolen from ...... "

None have gone missing since ... I like to call a spade's a spade

[Yadira22]

@Chris232 I numbered mine with a permanent marker. 

[Huma0]

@Chris232  good for you, but I have a more subtle approach! I just have the address written on my adapters.

Like @David3267, I hate sticking up instructions and dos and don'ts all over the place, but the adaptors were going AWOL so frequently that it was becoming a real problem. The labels worked. I've only had one guest take once since then and he ended up having a replacement sent to me.

I also label shower gel, shampoo, conditioner etc. in the bathrooms but that is more so that they guests know it is there for their use as it's a shared house. I've never had anyone take full sized bottles of anything, although I have had guests go into my cupboards and use my personal stuff, including make up brushes, face cloths etc. which I find extremely weird.

[Sarah977]

@David3267  It might be a matter of them assuming that a new one is provided for each guest, and that it is theirs to take, like the hotel shampoos and soaps. As others have suggested, I guess yo have to state that those things are to remain in the unit.

[Gregory87]

We provide our visitors with sufficient PPE (gloves, masks, & sanitizer [a small travel bottle to limit loss]), @David3267 , to allow the guests to get comfortable for a few days.  In our COVID-19 packet, we explain that they are responsible to provide/purchase from local stores any additional needs throughout the remainder of their stay because we only have limited quantities and cannot replenish any items.

Some renters use (or take) the entire packet and others don't bother with anything.  Regardless, we don't bear a hefty expense trying to keep the supplies in stock.

Also, any "portable" items in the rental which could be "taken by mistake" are labeled with Property of greg's Airbnb stickers or written in marker as others have suggested.  Guests often think that anything not nailed down is free for the taking.  Best to make clear your policy on specific items!

[Elisabeth40]

I constantly missed forks and spoons, before the pandemic. Until I had such an idea that the guests are throwing my forks away, because they are lazy to wash them. So I stopped buying them, until only 2 of each were left over and now for some reason this 2 don't disappear anymore. One guests though that the big shampoo bottle in the bathroom is all hers and she packed it every day into her suitcase, until I said, you travel with a very big bottle of shampoo. She refused for 4 days to put it back because she insisted the shampoo is an amenity for the guests. Just the entire bottle was more expensive as one day of her stay 🙂 Sometimes I feel tired to say something, it's kind of stupid to teach people that they need to wash the fork for the next use or the big shampoo bottle is for everyone. I learned to laugh about it, I still don't find it funny when the guests disappear with my iphone charger for the entire day.