Excessive Toilet paper usage, what am I required to provide for guest

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Laura179
Level 2
Virginia Beach, VA

Excessive Toilet paper usage, what am I required to provide for guest

Hi, I had 4 guests who checked in last night at 11pm, this morning I was to meet the guests and familiarize them with the area and home. The guests asked about , requiring more toilet paper. I was amazed that 4 people could go through 4 rolls of toilet paper in less than 9hours, and they had gone to sleep when they arrived, and had just woken up the hour prior to my arrival. How much toilet paper should I be required to provide. My guests are only in the house for 3 days, if they go through 4 rolls in 9 hours, that's 32 rolls by the end of their stay.....help

1 Best Answer
Amber18
Level 3
Perth, Australia

We rent out whole houses not rooms in our house and we clearly put in the description that there is toilet paper on arrival but that guests are expected to purchase their own after they use what's in the house. We have had the same problems before with one guest who went through 4 rolls in one day. Also most of our guests stay a week to 4 weeks and they can't expect us to drop off a truck load each week. Good luck.

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52 Replies 52

@Nancy67,

Personally I prefer the 1000 sheet stuff. I don't like the soft cushy stuff, its too delicate and breaks... oooh.... not nice.

So people pull of lots and lots. Just to be sure of protection... 

I can hardly bear the memories..lol

Christine.

Yes, because men only need toilet paper once  a day, and women need it 5 times a day. It's not rocket science, it's just basic human anatomy. 

😆. I’ve had Labs my whole life and one did actually eat TP

Great idea. I just changed my manual !

 

I just googled this because I'm having the same trouble right now. I typically leave one roll on and two extras in each bathroom making 6 rolls. I usually have 10 guests at a time for typically two days. I have noticed on a few occasions there's different toilet paper left, so they obviously purchased more. However my current guests for three days are asking for toilet paper every day. That's 12 rolls now. So basically one and a quarter roll per person for 3 nights. In the smaller picture it doesn't seem that big of a deal, but considering all costs involved, I've got usage down to a science for profit. Hopefully they won't ask for an additional 6 rolls tomorrow, making it 18 rolls. Seems very excessive to me. These guests were high maintenance from the get-go, asking multiple times about an early check in until I finally caved. I stay in my not so luxurious basement apartment and typically like to wind down my 2 day cleaning/laundering marathon with a two hour roam around and dip in my nice bath... boohoo. lol 

@Rachel237,

Hi Rachel,

Welcome to the world of hospitality.

Try to analyse why this matter concerns you so much, I suspect it is just one of those things that many  of us hosts spend too much time getting frustrated over, when the real issue is that we can't figure why people do things we don't understand.

Very rarely would it be the cost, as with toilet paper, it's easy to raise the tariff by $1per day to pay for extra paper; if that was the real concern. 

If it's the nuisance factor, put more in the premises when people are there. I believe that is what a host is expected to do.

At the prices many hosts charge, guests would be shocked to think there was any concern about how much toilet paper they want to use. 

Take a look at the tariffs below. If you were paying those tariffs, wouldn't you want lots of toilet paper? 

 

Prices
Extra people: No Charge
Cleaning Fee: $137AUD
Cancellation: Flexible
Weekend Price: $382 AUD / night

 

I have read in the forums many hosts get distressed over stains from makeup on linen and other matters.

Perhaps these are the things that you guests are preventing with the use of toilet paper. So that's a good thing right? 

 

Be generous with these little things and glad of their use; it means that you have paying guests, and that is great! It's the first step to another great review and the next guest booking.

Your place sounds fabulous and your guests are very happy with their experience.

I am pleased for you that you have such a wonderful asset to share and support your financial independence with.

Reminiscing:

When I was younger, toilet rolls had stack of sheets on them and lasted for ages. Nowadays domestic rolls are short and fluffy and run out in a day or two. They are a con to consumers.

Look around for the brands which have more sheets [1000 Vs 500] etc. These type are more tightly packed on the roll and last longer. So you are more likely to only change them between guests, instead of during their stay. 

Just think, housemates can be a lot more bother than a short toilet roll.  🙂 

Best of humourous regards, to you and other hosts.

Christine.

So very true!!! Ha! I think the longer I've been at this, the less over-the-top generous I've been. Possibly, due to some bad guests experiences. This group is paying quite a lot to stay this weekend and the least I can do is ensure they have enough TP, despite how much they need. Thanks for the reminder! 🙂

To me, its a problem when you leave spare rolls, and there is no evidence they were used--as indicated by the cardboard in the wastecan or the recycle.  So in the cases that the rolls magically grow wings and fly out the door -- that does concern me (along with the kleenex boxes, towels, silverware, etc).

Thank you Christine, I have to agree.

 

First of all, I have to say that yes, there are definitely brands of toilet paper that are made to look full and fluffy, but they run out very quickly. The key is to buy the extra length rolls or bulk rolls if this is really a concern for you, or as Christine mentioned, just charge an extra $1-2 per day if it really bothers you!

 

Also - I am laughing at the idea that hosts check the trash can to see if a toilet roll is in there! Now that's what I call desperate! Not all guests use the bin in the bathroom, they might use the main trash can and then a lot of other rubbish goes on top of it too and the roll disappears in the trash. Are you saying that if you can’t see a toilet roll in the bin, then that means the guest has definitely stolen it ? 🙈 That's paranoid thinking.

Toilet paper is a basic necessity, some guests do not have the time to go to the shops and buy more toilet paper,

In some countries, you go to a supermarket and your only choice is to buy 4-6 rolls of toilet paper. And guests stay an average of 2-3 nights, so what do they do with the extra rolls? I'm not talking about the 5% who go through 10 rolls per day, I'm talking about the average guest. Are they expected to walk home with 4-6 rolls of toilet paper (unless they are lucky enough to have a rental car or bike), take the extra rolls that they don't use with them in their suitcase, or leave behind the extra rolls to the host when the host is the one who lives locally and can easily supply it? 

 

Also, some people, especially females who have weak bladders after going though child birth, need to go to the toilet more often. Some people drink more water, juice, tea and coffee than others too, so perhaps they also need to use the toilet more often. Is this a problem for the host? Should the host add to their listing that they prefer guests with strong bladders who don't drink much water or juice?! 😆 You are supposed to welcome and accept that people are different. 

Perhaps the biggest issue here is that Airbnb is still a relatively new thing, and many hosts have not really had experience in the industry. You have to remember that when you become a host, you are working in the hospitality and tourism industry, perhaps for the first time in your career. Maybe being hospitable doesn't come naturally to you, so you have to change your mindset and think about how to give your guest a good experience - which will also mean you get a good rating and review. 

 

Nobody is telling you to provide breakfast and snacks for the guests, but toilet paper, Wi-Fi, soap, towels and bed linen are basic necessities. If a guest runs out and they ask for more toilet paper, don’t be the host who says "it is the expectation that you provide your own toilet paper". If so, make sure you advertise this in your listing so the guest comes prepared. Otherwise, they might not ask you for more until they are about to run out. Then you're leaving then in a tight spot. Do you think that will get you a great review?

 

As a host, you are an accomodation provider for people on holiday, often travelling by plane, walking on foot and catching public transport. Put yourself in their shoes. Do you really think you would be happy having to *walk* to the shops every 3-4 days, each time you change accomodation, to buy a new supply of toilet paper, and leave the extra rolls behind for the host? Or squeeze rolls into your suitcase before your next flight departs? Do you allow room for toilet paper in your luggage when you travel?

Use your empathy and remember that you are in the hospitality and tourism industry. When a guest comes to visit your city, the last thing they are thinking about is needing to schedule in time to go shopping for toilet paper, and to make sure they have a big bag to carry it in when they are walking home if it's not possible to buy a 1-2 roll pack (which are always way more expensive by the way). Sigh. 

And for the long term accomodation providers, where the guests are already planning to go to the supermarket, sure, they can add toilet rolls to their shopping, but really?! And if you insist that the guest provides toilet paper, then advertise it in your listing and don’t surprise the guest when they are running low on loo paper and they send you a message and now they have to make sure they go to the shops today because oops - they forgot to check if their host is stingy or hospitable.

 

Let them know in advance - communicate. You want a happy guest, and a good review. Good reviews attract more guests. Average reviews are easy to find. Everyone has average reviews.

 

Reviews are a bother for most people. The people that have a good experience take the extra time to write a good review.

 

You're losing more money than you know when you only manage to get average reviews from your guests. 

Kelly269
Level 1
Berkeley, CA

I googled Airbnb toilet paper and found this forum today.   I am annoyed our Airbnb host left us only two half-size rolls of toilet paper for a week in their place.  We went through them in four days, which sounds very reasonable when reading your stories.   We could have probably used even less if she had left us tissues as well.   We feel it isn't right to be stingy with these things because the cost to the host is so minimal but the cost of us having to take time out of our vacation to find toilet paper in a foreign country is great.  

@Kelly269

Every airbnb is different and what is included is often reflected in the price.  If you are renting an entire place, it is very normal to supply a starter pack only.  In some holiday rentals you will find places that do not supply anything at all except for a few rolls of TP so that you are covered for your arrival day.  I have come to places with no staples, no washing-up liquid, no kitchen paper etc.  

If you are renting an apartment or a holiday home, I suppose you would need to go to the supermarket anyway ?

Chris232
Level 10
Petersfield, United Kingdom

@Laura179 @Kelly269 @Charlene6 @Rachel237 @Christine1

As a tip I have found by squeezing the loo roll so that it is Oval rather than Round stops the free flow pull effect and makes it harder to pull a wad of paper in one go.

Result, TP usage dramatic drop in usage

Ingenious!  

Doug-And-Diane0
Level 3
San Diego, CA

We rent our entire home for a maximum of six guests. For guests staying for several weeks, are we expected to supply enough toilet paper and paper towels for the entire stay? We also supply other amenities like coffee beans, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, tissue, dish soap, dishwasher soap and laundry products. We usually have a fairly large supply in the house for our guests, but also usually only host guests staying for 2-6 nights.

@Doug-And-Diane0, I try to keep "supplies" like paper products, laundry and dish soap, shampoo, cleaning products stocked for longer-term guests, because I want products on hand that align with my values--whether it's fragrance-free cleaners or non-scratch/non bleach sink cleaner.  That's my personal choice, after discovering that guests who run out of something will replace with stinky, toxic, horrible products that I have to dispose of when they check out.  I am mildly sensitive to them, but others I know are highl sensitive.

 

Also, while I can't change the location of my listing, I can try to be meticulous with m cleaning and generous with my hospitality so that guests feel they've received value for their $.