Need Advice About Review After A Messy Guest

[Patricia3334]

I have been hosting since mid December 2021 and have gotten and given great reviews up til now. My last guest stayed 3 nights and he was quiet and all was well until he left. He left the place in a mess and I do not want him back. He left a sink and counter full of dirty dishes, left his dirty towels and wash cloths all over the bathroom, didn't strip the bed, left perishables in the fridge,  stuffed tissue in small holes in the bedroom window screen so now they're bigger,  moved a picture on the wall, hid a pillow behind a chair, but worst of all left his trash on the outdoor dining table. I didn't have time to check the backyard to see if he cleaned up after his pup. 

I don't want him back and want to be honest for other hosts but don't want to cause bad feelings.

What's the best thing to do? No review? short review? List these things in the review? Thanks

[Anonymous]

@Patricia3334  So not only was the guest inconsiderate about the way he left your home; we can see now that he easily gets vindictive and hostile over relatively minor stuff. These are not qualities any host wants in a guest, so it's really for the best that your review will dissuade selective hosts from letting him book. 

I don't think you should have glossed over things, but a little phrasing finesse can help stave off the drama. For example:

"based on the extra cleaning required after checkout, I wish I had left more detailed instructions." 

[Colleen253]

@Patricia3334 As Sarah alluded to already, reviews are a tool to inform. They are to be an objective, dispassionate report of your experience with a guest, so future hosts know what they may expect. That this person reacted the way they did reinforces that you did the right thing. If he were to make his response to you public, and I were to see it, I would refuse to host him based more on that than your review of him. He reveals his true ‘bad self’ not yours. Please don’t let this experience dissuade you from leaving honest reviews. We all depend on them. 

Block him and move on. 

[Suzanne302]

@Patricia3334 

Do not give this guest another thought or let him take up any space in your head. It's over and done and you are learning. You got this!

[Elaine701]

@Patricia3334 

Many guests are clean and orderly. Others not. Obviously we're all delighted when they leave the place spotless. But some do, some don't. It's just the nature of the beast.

I don't bother confronting the guests about this. It's just begging for a retaliatory review. Just smile and thank them for staying at your place, and then write the truth in their review. Just the facts, no emotion.

It's all you've (we've) got. And it will warn other hosts, just as you'd like to have seen in their profile when they requested to book. If you have instant book, then if your review reflects their actual behaviour and you tick the "would not host again" box, then they'll no longer qualify for instant book when the host has all the IB filters on, which I'd highly recommend. 

This is how the review system is supposed to work. Please use it properly for the sake of all hosts, including yourself. 

[John5097]

@Patricia3334

Lots of guest leave stuff behind in the fridge. There has been discussions about this and a lot of host prefer guest not dumping everything into the trash bin. 

Can't blame him for the holes in the screen and would have been within his right to mark you down for that one. 

I would have said "XXXX was very quiet and communicated very well, however there were some dishes left in the sink and trash was left on a table outside, but otherwise outstanding guest and wish him the best moving forward!" 

I do understand how something little is annoying. I've had guest leave towels on the bedroom floor and use them for things they shouldn't have. 

But no reason to think his brother or family is going to return to your place. Seems a bit of drama with this whole thing for a few dishes in the sink.