premises left very dirty

[Barkley2]

Hi All,

We had an unfortunate situation this week at our remote waterfront cottage.

This is our first season and so far we've been booked and have enjoyed great tenants who leave the cottage in clean and tidy condition.

However our good luck changed this week. 

The inside was absolutely filthy, there was rotting meat to the point that the stench throughout the whole cottage would make you throw up.

There was nothing damaged. The place was just abused and there were food spills everywhere.

Locally we have a strict trash sorting guide with separate bags for organics, recyclables and regular trash. The guide was ignored, we found open bags of garbage everywhere including lots of soiled diapers. All the trash had to be dumped out and sorted accordingly and needless to say pretty gross to deal with. 

It took the cleaner twice as long of course.

We do charge a modest cleaning fee of $60 to the guests which doesn't cover it but helps.

After the guests departed and before we make over to the cottage, I received a text message saying they really enjoyed their stay and asking about returning next year etc. They also mentioned they left a 5 start review on Airbnb and asked for review in return. 

I didn't post a review but I did text them back and said I was very disappointed with how they left it and I was very specific the condition and about what I found and letting them know it was the dirtiest we have seen. Perhaps this part was a mistake but I did suggest a voluntary additional cleaning fee of $60.

Of course they messaged back saying how offended they were by saying what I found. They also said they were extremely nice not to have mentioned all the issues they had while there and improvements I needed to undertake. 

Anyway, this is the first time for this and I really don't know if I should bother posting a truthful review?

Again they "said" they left a lovely 5 star review but that was before all this came out.

My understanding is that they can change that at any time prior to it being published?

Anyone have any thoughts?

With thanks,

Barkley

[Alexandra316]

@Barkley2  For the sake of all of your fellow hosts, please do review these guests honestly. Please don't leave another host to be saddled with these dirty guests. They can change their review, so I would write yours as soon as possible. 

I don't think you did anything wrong by asking them for extra money for cleaning. There's no reason that guests who leave you with extra work that costs you extra money shouldn't help cover the cost. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Barkley2 The guest will or will not change their review wether you leave one or not. I really urge you to leave a review otherwise you are damaging the host community by allowing this guest to do the same thing to others.

[Mark116]

@Barkley2  You should have left your review as soon as they told you they had already done their review, I can't imagine what possessed you to chastise the guests when they still had a chance of changing their review.  You've now opened yourself up to a revenge review from the guests, so you might as well be brutally honest that they left rotting meat and trash throughout the house, you have nothing to lose now.

[Colleen253]

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/367/can-i-edit-a-review-i-wrote

@Barkley2  Since they've revealed they left you a good review and are now annoyed with you, I would get your review of the guest in pretty darn quick. Once BOTH reviews are published, it's a 'done deal'.  Make it an honest review! And since you don't want them back you can check the box indicating 'would not host again'.

[Anonymous]

@Barkley2  Please follow @Colleen253 's advice, open a new tab right this instant, and write your review before you read any further.

I really feel for you with the mess you had to face, and I hate to say it so bluntly, but boy did you screw the pooch on this one. You have virtually no chance of recouping money for what wasn't physical damage - guests seldom accept being told that they were pigs, and AIrbnb won't push this on your behalf - but if you're really lucky you might be able to keep this supposedly good review and get your honest one in.

The abundance of soiled diapers suggests that your guests were overwhelmed parents who were either too lazy or too incompetent to both control their kids and clean up after themselves. Note that the many hosts who specify that their properties are unsuitable for babies/toddlers and choose not to accept them have nothing against kids! It's always these parents that are the problem.

[Lisa937]

Please, PLEASE leave an honest review, with details, so nobody else has to deal with these horrible people!  You can go through ABB to get reimbursement from the guest for extra cleaning costs.