I am sharing this experience to see if others will post their stories or advice on how best to handle this since its an ongoing issue in my home.
First off, I have a private room and Private bathroom that I provide to AIRBNB travelers only. I am not on any other site.
My rules are very clear and concise about what is expected from each guests...however, this is what keeps happening.
I woke up around 6:00a.m. to discover that our guests had opened our FAMILY CLOSET, in the hallway of our home, taking 2 tampons out for her 17 year old niece. I just stood there for a second and then asked her "why are you in our closet?" she explained that she really needed some tampons for her niece and being that it was so early, she thought it would be ok to "borrow" from me. I said..."Borrow"...implies you are returning it after you use it...and I would prefer not to have it returned once its been used!" I chuckled a bit and then kindly asked her to close the closet since that's not part of her airbnb listing. I then reminded her that the local drugstore was open 24 hours a day less then one mile away from our home since she would be needing more. She thanked me and took the tampons into the bathroom to her niece. My husband woke up shortly after me, and came into the kitchen to help me since we make breakfasts for our guests every day. I told him what happened and he said, "Please ask her to pay for that since everyone keeps "borrowing" things from us, asking us for things, and its every guest that seems to need something from our home instead of going to the store and buying it." So at breakfast time, I asked her to please pay me $1 for the 2 tampons as we are not "donating" these personal products to the guests. If you are still reading, know that I am a very generous person that offers, Filtered Cold Water, bottled water for hikes, Hiking traveling mugs filled with unlimited 100% Hawaiian freshly brewed coffee at 5:30a.m., a delicious FULL breakfast, Shampoo, Conditioner, First Aid kit, dental floss, hand soap, body wash, Q-tips, Itchy cream, Hawaiian hand lotion, free beach toys, free snorkel gear, free beach bikes, beach chairs, beach towels, FREE rides to the beach and hiking trails, list goes on and on....including delicious Momi Marvelous Mango Margaritas...and yet, here is what she said to my request for $1.00!!!!!
"Momi, why should I pay you $1.00 for those tampons after we just spent $87 a night staying in your home?!"
I was so shocked and dumbfounded that I was speechless for a minute or two....(yes I was speechless) hahahaha
and but here's what I said....
"When I agreed to accept your booking, you agreed to follow my 10 easy House Rules. In doing so, you agreed to be respectful of OUR home and my family. Never did I imagine that it meant you could go into my PERSONAL CLOSET and help yourself to the items I buy for my daughter and myself WITHOUT YOU EVEN ASKING. If you were staying in a Hawaii hotel, which has an average cost of $279 per night, plus $37 parking, would you go into the managers office, look for her purse,and help yourself to HER TAMPONS TOO?"
She caught up, grabbed a $1 dollar bill and apologized to me. I accepted both. 😉
But to this day, I am still being asked if I can "spare" a zip loc bag, (MANY ZIP LOC BAGS), toothpaste, toothbrush, deordorant, extra sheets, extra towels, sunscreen, extra bottled water, (I always keep a full pitcher of cold filtered water in the room with cute covered cups), 7 cups of coffee, toothpicks, snacks, perfume, hair cream, mousse, hair spray, car phone chargers, list goes on...etc...and never am I offered a donation. And sadly, yesterday, I discovered a guest was spraying himself down with my daughters EXPENSIVE 100 SPF sunscreen in my courtyard as they were checking out for good after a ONE NIGHT STAY.....and He said, hey Momi, just borrowing some sunscreen, that ok? My reply....."Is that your luggage next to you that you are checking out with?" "He said ..."Yeah it is." My reply...."Can I open it for a minute to see what I can borrow fron you right now without asking?" He laughed....I didn't. Guess what his review will say.
My best friend suggested I set up a donation box....but I am not a fan of that. I just want people to be grateful that I make it easy for them not have to go to the store for everything....and some are....but the ones who are not, ask for the most! Advice??
Momi
Superhost since June 2015
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Aloha, Momi
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