A Guest seeking hosts opinions

[Ruby90]

I am a guest. I have just used airBnB for the first time. 

My host has left me feeling quiet frustrated and I wonder what your opinion is.

Am I over reacting? 

After departure I was contacted about a stain on the couch. 

It was a small coffee spill the size of half a $5 note on a fabric couch. 

The host does already charge premium price which includes a cleaning fee.

Would you, as a host demand the guest to pay for professional cleaning and harass them with emails? Or would you just sponge the mark off and get on with your day? 

Please note the premises was left in very good condition apart from the coffee spill and the host had no other issues. I have paid half of the cleaning fee, $60. 

Thanks Hosts!

Ruby

[Sarah977]

@Ruby90  A coffee spill doesn't just "sponge off". It stains and will likely require special cleaning techniques. Arguing the size of the stain is pointless.

I'm not sure what you mean you've paid half the cleaning fee. Normally guests pay the whole cleaning fee up front when they book. Can you explain?  In any case, the cleaning fee would just cover normal cleaning, not things that require special attention. When you are staying at an Airbnb, if you damage something, you need to let the host know right away. Many things can be cleaned easily if they are attended to right away-if allowed to dry, it could be an expensive fix. Nor should a guest attempt to clean something like that themselves, you could make it worse if you don't know what products to use. Hosts are much more likely to chalk something up to the cost of doing business if a guest is upfront immediately about what they did, rather than just walks away without ever mentioning it. That says to the host that you didn't really care.

That said, the host shouldn't be "harrassing" you with messages, unless you are just ignoring her messages. She should just tell you what it costs to remedy and submit a request for you to pay for the cleaning.

[Ruby90]

Thank you for replying. 

You have answered my question perfectly. I have been over reacting. If this is how hosts operate well that’s that and I’ll build a bridge. As I said it was my first AirBnB experience. 

I did pay half of the specialised cleaning fee on top of the inclusive fee when booking. 

I’m just not the type of person who “trashes” someone else’s property on purpose and was hurt by the way emails where written. 

I have one friend who is a host and she said she doesn’t worry to much about the little things in the hope guests will book again. Just wondered what you all thought. 

Thanks again! 

[Rowena29]

Hi @Ruby90 

If you don't mind me saying so, you sound like a really reasonable, responsible guest who really cares about using the platform appropriately and take the time to educate yourself and learn more.

I think you'll make an wonderful guest for future trips.

I think the term "cleaning fee" is really unfortunate because naturally,  it does set up a certain set of expectations in a guest. I bet if you had payed exactly the  total price for your stay and there was no "cleaning fee" you'd have  felt quite differently.  (I personally dont' charge a cleaning fee at all for this exact reason, I just add an amount to the total rental price adn then add a discount to stays over 3 days to offset the price hike)

Before I was a host, I know I would have felt very similarly to you.  Since you seem so receptive,  i thought I'd just offer the hosts perspective.  I  own a large home ( 4 bedroooms) and I'd say on average it takes me about 8 hours to clean, wash linens, change beds etc etc.   This is ( sort of) what the cleaning fee is MEANT to cover - the very basic preparation to get ready for the next guest. Many hosts dramatically undercharge especially if they're doing the cleaning themselves.

If a guest leaves a stain on something - for me it's usually heavy  makeup stains on towels - that can take me up to 1 -2 extra hours of soaking and washing to get the stain out. Its exasperating. And expensive.

I agree with @Sarah977, a stain on a sofa could be extremely difficult to remove - particularly if it had soaked in and dried and may well need an expensive professional clean. ( I do wonder though why the host hasn't scotchguarded a fabric sofa - I mean it's hardly bizarre that a guest would take a coffee to the sofa. )

I CAN  see why the host would want money to clean the extra stain. However, it sounds as though she has been rather aggressive adn I can see that this would have put you off side.  She really should have made all her expectations VERY clear in her house rules and/or manual - especially as she would have been able to see you were a first timer. In her defence, unfortunately there are many guests quite unlike you who are pretty awful - that probalby explains why the host reacted the way she did, but still does not excuse her manner.    There are also many hosts who would have overlooked it, PARTICULARLY if, as Sarah suggests, you'd let the host know straight away.    You tend to get crosser as a host if you think guests are slinking away without admitting to stuff.

I'm not sure if you have left each other reviews yet. If not, you'll want to try and make sure you dont' get a terrible review from this host - that will affect your ability to book in the future. if she hasn't left a review yet,   If I were you I'd message her adn just explain your confusion/ lack of understanding as you did so well here on the forum. That combined with the fact that you have willingly paid some money should have a bit impact I would think.   

I do hope this hasn't put you off airbnb.  There are some wonderful hosts and some fabulous places to stay.

Good on you for being so open minded - hope that doesn't sound patronising - not intended.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Ruby90 

I wish all guests could be so level headed and accept liability when it is fairly accused. As @Rowena29 says you will be a good Airbnb guest.

When hosts charge a premium fee its normally because they provide a premium service and because of that any future guests arriving to find coffee stains on furniture are not going to be very happy. Additionally, in renting an Airbnb you agree to return the property in the state it was provided. That would be clean, tidy, undamaged... and stain free 🙂

As @Rowena29 mentioned, hosts might Stotchguard their furniture to protect it, we do, but the treatment is not infallible, especially as the advice from Scotchguard is to treat the stain straightaway by mopping then rinsing which I doubt many guests would bother doing.

I was interested in your comment that you paid half the cleaning fee? Not from the position that maybe you thought it was included in the paid cleaning fee already paid or that you may have thought you were only half liable for the stain but whether the payment request you were sent from Airbnb may have suggested that you only pay a reduced amount? I have encountered this before and wondered whether it was part of the standard payment request procedure you received?

[Sarah977]

@Ruby90  You do sound like a good, responsible guest who just didn't know that you should tell your host as soon as you spill or damage something that can't just be wiped up, like spilling some juice on a tile floor.

There are definitely certain protocols to be followed on Airbnb, like letting your host know if you find something in the unit not working properly, or that hasn't been cleaned prior to your arrival, so they have an opportunity to correct the situation if possible. Rather than guests who never let the host know, and then demand a refund after they've stayed or leave a bad review, when the host could certainly have fixed whatever was wrong if they'd only known.

But some things fall more into the realm of good human relations. If you had an expensive dress that a friend begged to borrow, and that person got a stain on it, you'd likely be quite upset if they just returned it without mentioning it, acting like it was no big deal, or hoping you wouldn't notice. It might sour your whole friendship. But if they came to you and and said "OMG Ruby, I am SO sorry, I spilled some wine on the dress accidentally- do you want me to take it to the dry cleaners, or how do you want me to deal with it?" you'd likely feel a lot differently.

It's the same with an Airbnb- it's not an impersonal hotel, it's someone's home, so there's a relationship between hosts and guests that rely on mutual respect and good communication, there's not necessarily some Airbnb rule that covers everything.

Just like some guests can be rude or demanding, some hosts can as well. A stain on a couch can be removed with professional cleaning and the guest is responsible for the cost. But if a host tries to use a stain as an excuse for you to pay for a whole new couch, or to reupholster the whole thing, that would not be right.