account activated unexpectedly

[Maria13874]

I am a fairly new host, today, suddenly airbnb deactivated all my 3 listings on a basis of a dishonest review by an italian guest falsely stating that my place was not clean! What do I do? I have also had many good reviews.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Maria13874 30% of your reviews have an issue with cleanliness. There is a saying that there is no smoke without fire.

[Christine615]

Three of your ten reviews (two from long term Airbnb members) mention cleanliness and dog hair. Instead of responding graciously, you insulted the guests as your public response.

You may have a blind spot where your dog is concerned. Either way - it isn't the reviews but likely the star rating you got for cleanliness. You have a 3.33 well below standard. Rather than complain, ask what you can do to rectify.

As for dog hair, we don't have pets but we do see a lot of problems with guest hair so we keep lint rollers in large quantities which I use to go over the linens before and after washing - and also the bathroom floor.

Have a friend who is "fussy" look at your place and suggest improvements.

By the way - your public responses to someone's bad review is seen by Airbnb and future guests. It is never sent to the guest you are responding to.

[Maria13874]

Yes I see your point! You see I had a problem with an Italian student who point blank claimed there was poo in the toilet. There was none! I had cleaned it pretty well. There was some mineral buildup deep there such as comes to older piping, even that I removed with a knife.

It was pretty humiliating, but the bathroom was clean!

I have a reason to believe that today's guest was a fellow italian student who just wanted to get to me on behalf of Federica. I am sorry if I insulted her but she lied. The sheets were new out of the package, there was no way there could have been hair in there! The toilet and the sink were clean. Not only that for 30 euros per night they had the whole apartment to themselves. This is a fairly nice place.

As for the dog hair, one guest was very afraid of dogs. I made sure the dog stayed in one room. THE DOG CANNOT EVEN GO UPSTAIRS; SHE HAS ONLY THREE LEGS: There really could not have b een dog hair upstairs.

You see my point?

[Lisa723]

@Maria13874 you posted asking for advice. Two experienced hosts answered your request with the same good advice, that you take the cleanliness feedback in your reviews seriously. Your response is the same as your response to the original feedback: instead of listening, you reject it.

This is not a recipe for success in hosting (or anything else in life).

[Maria13874]

I am not rejecting advice. At all, I am just shocked that someone can harm another with a bad review, everything is on a shaky foundation.

I would know if the place was not clean. It was clean this time. The floor was washed, all the towels clean the sink clean.

My education is in medicine, medical school. It is just shocking, this thing. What is one supposed to do now?

[Sarah977]

@Maria13874 "I had cleaned it pretty well. There was some mineral buildup deep there such as comes to older piping, even that I removed with a knife."

There is no such thing as cleaning a toilet "pretty well". It is either totally clean and sterilized, or it isn't.

Many areas have hard water which leaves mineral build-up. That is not dealt with by scraping it off with a knife, which will damage the surface of the toilet. There are products available which remove mineral buildup, and like me, you may have to put on a rubber glove, and get in there with a non-scratch scrubby, using that product to soften the minerals, and scrub the mineral build-up off. 

Also, just because your dog doesn't go upstairs doesn't mean there can't be dog hair up there. I have a heavily shedding dog myself, and her hair gets everywhere. It can be on the broom you use, and then fly around the room, it can be stuck to your clothes or shoes when you go upstairs.

There are no shortcuts when it comes to cleaning an Airbnb space. It needs to be immaculate, or you will continue to get low cleanliness ratings and complaints.

Don't be defensive about this- not everyone is good at cleaning. Either get someone who is really fussy about cleanliness to teach you how to clean properly, or hire someone to do the cleaning.

[Maria13874]

Hi Sarah! Thank you for your reply! And for the info about the products to remove mineral buildup. I was fairly careful with the knife so it did not damage the surface… it is just that I have my hair in a pony tail, and took new sheets out of the package, how could there have been hair on them? It is just weird, for 30  euros a night I trusted them with the whole apartment, had croissants ready for their breakfast.. I am fairly certain, absolutely certain that the toilet was clean! And the sink, clean!  It is just so surreal! For the first bad review the girl made a fuss about the buildup stating that it was poo. But I am certain for the prior guests the place was as clean as can be. More clean in a good location than their 30 euros a night warranted.

From now on I will ask the guests when they arrive how do they find the cleanliness, to be sure. 
Of course I am only learning about these things, but it hurts as the airbnb does not even contact me. How about all the good reviews, most of them in Finnish? Do they not merit anything? At the moment I have two young ladies who really liked the place!

[Sarah977]

@Maria13874  It is certainly true that guests can make up complaints, and say things that aren't true in their reviews. If you really are sure the complaints aren't valid, as you know, you can leave a respinse to the review to clarify things for future guests (and take the advice you've received as to how to respond to reviews- do not use a response to attack the guest, or to sound defensive).

There can be plenty of guests who aren't that fussy- it may be clean enough for them, or they just don't even notice those things. And there may be others who are more observant and particular. 

You say the toilet and sink were clean. How about all the corners of the floor, behind the toilet? If any area which guests have access to is seen as unclean, it will affect their view of the cleanliness of the place in general. That goes for any common spaces you share with guests, as well. The stairs they walk up to get to their room, for instance.

That you have medical training really has nothing to do with whether you know how to clean properly. I had a doctor friend whose home was the dirtiest, messiest house I've ever seen.

All that said, your house may be perfectly clean. I haven't been in it, so I wouldn't know. But if you are getting low cleanliness ratings and comments, from guests who aren't using that as an excuse to scam a refund, then you should take it seriously and ask some fussy OCD family member or friend to come by and critique the cleaning level after you feel you have done an adequate cleaning.

[Maria13874]

Dear Sarah:

Thank you for your eye-opening comment, it helps me to understand the process. Well in the bathroom the floor was clean but the corners may have been a bit 'unclear', I am not up there now so I cannot say. All I can say that the toilet and the sink were clean. And the bathtub and floor. 

The result was that airbnb deactivated my account, meaning that they took off my listings and I have no reservations beyond July, as there was before this guest. All the August etc. reservations are gone.

Is there any way they could cancel the deactivation? Also my mother's log cabin was delisted, she is the one cleaning there. I feel that it was a bit sudden.

But really thank you very much for your clarifying and thoughtful reply!

Maria

[Maria13874]

P.S.

However there was a time 10 years ago when I was traveling around and living in a car. I know for a fact that 50% of the hotel rooms for, say, 45 dollars a night they are not that clean, plus sometimes have roaches.

Meaning the guest paid 30 dollars for a 'no roach' room. Makes me wonder if they have really seen the world.

Maria

[Sarah977]

@Maria13874  Your listings are not delisted. They still show on your profile- if you were delisted, they wouldn't be there. 

Your listings have been suspended, which is different. You just have to keep talking to CS to find out what you have to do, if anything to get them unsuspended. It can take a long time, but the suspension will likely be lifted in a week or so. Just keep bugging them. 

[Maria13874]

Sarah:

Thank you for your input! I was previously so stressed out for some reason that I could not think clearly! Now I understand suspension after reading about it and your helpful comments!

All is well, no problem.

How is Mexico hosting wise? Just curious.

Friendly Regards,

Maria

[Sarah977]

@Maria13874  I haven't actually been hosting since March 2020 due to Covid and having a homeshare listing. I'm not willing to take that kind of risk and I haven't yet been vaccinated. But I will open back up in late Oct when the tourist season starts here, by which time I will be vaxxed. 

But there seem to be plenty of tourists here in town, so I hope I get good bookings when I open back up.

I was getting pretty steady bookings before the pandemic hit.

[Maria13874]

I think the virus is not to be feared in general, only very few people need hospitalisation.

Most likely when you get vaccinated the chance to get a serious covid infection is very small, if you contract it the sckness  will be mild.

It sounds like the virus is causing havoc in Mexico though. Do you know that the parasite medication Ivermectin both protects from Covid and heals it when taken correctly. There are doctor videos online making this point. The big pharma companies want to suppress the knowledge about Ivermectin.

I wish you will stay healthy and relaxed through this time. I have also not been vaccinated yet, I just want to find out if there are negative effects from the vaccine that was developed in very little time.

We will see, in Finland they are relaxing the restrictions right now. I wish you will do well in every way and that all things will work out!

Personally now I have peace and  can see clearly why the airbnb did what they did, No problem, I will try harder..

Friendly regards, Maria