Amenities in a home

[Jim-And-Nancy1]

Hello, we have hosted an Airbnb for several years.  We offer a bedroom and bathroom and feel comfortable with the amenities we offer our guests.  We are now managing a home for a friend.  

Our cleaner said one of her homes offers ibuprofen, cough syrup, etc.  I was uncomfortable with the medicine being offered.  Does anyone else offer these items?

[Roberta2]

Hi @Jim-And-Nancy1 

I would not leave medicine, even if over the counter stuff.

I had guests asked me for an aspirin once or twice, and I am happy to give (I host a room in my house), but I would not be comfortable leaving medicine unattended.

[Jim-And-Nancy1]

Thank you for your reply.

[Marie82]

@Jim-And-Nancy1  i keep paracetamol in each apartment.

[Jim-And-Nancy1]

I am not familiar with that...is it a pain reliever?  

[Anonymous]

@Jim-And-Nancy1    In the USA it's branded as Tylenol.

[Stephen-and-Adam0]

@Jim-And-Nancy1 

Not a good idea, you would be putting yourself at risk of liability if there was an allergy reaction or medical incident.  If a guest becomes ill during a stay, it is their own responsibility to seek proper medical support from a doctor or pharmacy. 

Stick with the amenities you are already providing 🙂

[Jim-And-Nancy1]

Thank you, I am going to follow this advice.

[Sarah977]

@Jim-And-Nancy1  It doesn't matter what other hosts offer- every Airbnb is individual and hosts offer different things. Just because another Airbnb offers a cooked breakfast, doesn't mean they all do. Some may offer some breakfast food that the guest can prepare themselves, some may only offer tea and coffee, some may not provide any food items at all.

As far as medication goes, not necessary and possibly could make you liable if a guest claims they took some medication they fond in the unit and it made them sick.

Paracetamol is acetaminophin- same thing as Tylenol.

[Jim-And-Nancy1]

Good points!  Thank you

[Anonymous]

@Jim-And-Nancy1 I recommend leaving a first-aid kit that includes individually wrapped items - bandages, small packets of antibiotic ointment, antiseptic pads. But I agree with the others that open containers of medication should not be left in guest areas. Not only is there the risk of being held liable for a bad reaction, but also you can't guarantee that someone hasn't either tampered with it (for example, switched the ibuprofen out with some other kind of pill) or rendered it unsanitary (like if a sick person drank cough syrup straight from the bottle and left germs behind on it). 

Similar risks if you leave open containers of alcohol in guest space. Most people wouldn't swap out your vodka for turpentine, but that's not a call I'd want to get from the ER.

[Jim-And-Nancy1]

Yes, sad, but true!  Thank you for the feedback.