How should a guest leave a property?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

We have had our first guest who re-arranged  the furniture in the apartment and  left all their rubbish and recycling to be cleared out by us. We do not want to create a War and Peace version of our house rules so we were wondering if there are any basic expectations that Airbnb give to guests with respect to how they leave a property? If there isn't then I think we will just write a 'check out' section in our house manual.

[Bart205]

this is posted in 3 places in our home. seems to help

House Rules

• Dogs and cats ONLY, no dangerous breeds. No exotic animals.
• Pets must be declared at time of booking.
• Pets are not allowed on furniture, including BEDS! There will be an additional cleaning fee removed from the security deposit if it is found that this rule is broken!!!!
• Disruptive pets are subject to removal.
• If your animal urinates of defecates in this house PLEASE clean it up this will also be subject to extra charges.
• Any unattended pets MUST be kenneled.
• No open flame allowed in the home, including candles.
• Missing items, broken items stained bedding/towels or pillows will be an extra charge.
• Please wash dishes before check out.
• Please NO oils dumped down the drain.
• Please do not take the left over toilet paper.
• This is an Airbnb community & not a hotel, please clean up & be respectful of this property.

Please know we love animals and we love to travel with ours, so do not ruin it for the next person coming in!!!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Mike-And-Jane0  look here in ABB TOS https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2894/guest-reliability-standards

[Yeri0]

I have a simple, "leave things how you find them" policy. Since my guests only book the rooms and the common areas are shared. I check the rubbish bins daily. One thing that has been a great help is putting p funny signs with reminders. For example, I have a picture of grumpy cat subtitled "Do I look like I'm going to do your dishes." I have similar signs addressing common issues hosts seem to have. Overall it does the job. Unfortunately, there are a rare few who simply don't care. As a result I created a contract of sorts prior to accepting the reservation:

Thanks for requesting to book with us! Before accepting, I just want to make sure we are a right fit for you. Essentially, I have a pretty easy and straight forward "leave things how you find them policy," i.e. do one's own dishes, wipe after spills, make sure the toilet is clean after use, etc. Guests who don't comply will be charged a 10 dollar per incident cleaning fee. We also implement a no unannounced or local overnight guest policy for the safety and comfort of everyone staying wit us. Let me know if this works for you or if you have any questions!

[Suzanne302]

@Mike-And-Jane0  A simple sign with 1, 2, 3 steps for check-out attached to the back of the door or the fridge might be helpful. Check-out policies aren't standard among hosts, so I've found places with clear instructions very helpful. For example, some places want you to strip the beds, others don't. Some request you run the dishwasher but don't have to empty it. Some want you to roll the trash cart to the road, etc.

The more guests are reminded that this is someone's HOME, the more they tend to respect it. A framed note left somewhere saying something like, "We're so happy to share our home with you! Please review our house rules and check-out procedures so we can all continue to enjoy it comfortably." Sometimes it's all psychological. 🙂

[Laura2592]

@Mike-And-Jane0  We try to make check out instructions simple and light hearted but also remind people of those "duh!" things that some guests forget to do.

Ours include:

- Put dishes in the dishwasher (guests can run it or not, we give you instructions. We prefer that guests run it and about half do, but some guests are SUPER uncomfortable with dish washers so we don't force anyone.)

-Put used linens and towels in the hamper in the laundry room

-Let us know if anything ran out so that we can replace it for the next guests.

-Turn off lights

-If you have a stay over 3 days or have fragrant trash, please clear out the bags and put them in the designated area.

-Lock all doors

-Sign the guest book if you choose

I do have a note in the check in instructions that says "Our cottage has been carefully curated and decorated with our guests' comfort in mind. We appreciate that you don't move furnishings, artwork, or other decorative items." But I don't put this in check out procedures as I am assuming that guests have followed this rule 🙂

[Elena87]

@Mike-And-Jane0 

There is no magic wand alas.

After 000's of bookings, I conclude if someone is going to leave it like a tip, they probably will, notwithstanding all the rules, info sheets and twee signs you could leave around.

I send a message on checkout eve, with a few pointers about rubbish disposal, lights, used towels which seems to at least be respected.

Maybe 28/30 times the place is left within reason. That's reality.