Guests left house very dirty?

[John1080]

I haven't been hosting too long and have hosted 19 groups thus far. I have had all very good results so far, as I am very clear in my listing, my rules in my pre-approval message, my pre-arrival message and pre-check out message. 

However, I have just heard from my cleaning staff that the guests who checked out this morning left the place filthy. It seems nothing is broken or damaged, but they left the place in disaray. The cleaners said there is trash all over the counters and tables, all blankets in the house, including in the clostes (it's been 80 degrees) have been rummaged through and left all over, food debirs and toothpaste splatters all over the floor, dried food everywhere, furniture moved around, just to name a few of the issues! 

I had I wouldn't say a bad feeling, but some sort of feeling about this guest when she booked, as she wasn't very communicative. After she booked, I looked her up, as I do all guests and saw she is an RN and seemed around 60 or so, so I thought she would be fine.  In fact, the only communication I heard from her during the entire process, other than a 'Yes, I agree' to my rules and policies message, was the night before she arrived, she messaged to say there would be two more people coming. My max is 4 but I will consider up to 6 in the right situation for $15 extra per person per night. However, I get up very early for work-4:00, so I was half asleep when she messaged and just said it was okay, really without thinking. The next day, I decided it was too late to then tell her there would be a fee, so thought I would let it go this time-yes, MY FAULT. She is also new to AirBnb btw.

Well now, this is obviously going to take more time than normal to get the place in shape, which will mean more $ I have to pay. I have read over and over on here that AirBnb will not enforce extra charges after the fact for cleaning, only for damage. But, if the guest agrees to it, that is a different thing right? They don't necessarily know AirBnb won't make them pay. 

But, if I ask her to pay extra, she will surely leave a poor review. Of course, who knows, maybe she will leave one anyway.  Do I have any room to maneuver here? Thinking, let her leave her review first, if she does-proabably won't given how poor the communication was, then ask her for the extra money, then leave my review. 

Alternatively, I will see how much in cleaning fees this is going to cost me and take it from there. If it's an extra $50-$100, do I pursue it,  or do I just use this as a learning lesson and follow my gut from now on? 

I also am not sure what to say in the review. Do I keep it simple with a, "This guest would be better suited to a hotel" or do I go into details about the lack of communication and the state of the cabin? 

Thank you! 

[Letti0]

@John1080  Here's how I handled something like this. I instantly review with thumbs down and 1* across the board. Most guests I have found reply with their own review shortly after, kinda like the curiosity that killed the cat scenario. As soon as they review with a favorable review so far, I send the Request for Money as per my rental agreement for extra cleaning. I have been lucky once and unlucky twice with getting it, but the review was good. You may want to try this. Other hosts may have a better option for you though.

[John1080]

@Letti0, thank you very much for that advice, I thought you might have something to add!  That sounds like a fantastic system and I'm going to do it now! 

Besides giving low stars and thumbs down, how much detail do I go into? I sometimes, as a guest, will look at the reviews hosts have left for other guests as part of my selecting a place. Do I go into detail or be vague? 

[Letti0]

@John1080  Since you will not be going through the resolution center as they do not cover cleaning fee's state all the facts and issues in a professional manner and with no emotion, do not get personal in anyway regarding the guests as they can pull the review for that.

[John1080]

@Letti0, yes I will keep it professional. Here is what I'm thinking:

I hate to have to write this review, as I've never had to write one before, but Alma's group is better suited to a hotel in my opinion. From the get-go communication was very poor, with the only message from the guest coming the day before arrival telling me they were bringing two extra guests. My gut told me to worry, but I decided not to say anything. Unfortunately, the condition of my home is the worst I have ever seen it. My house was left a total mess with trash and dried food everywhere, furniture moved around, blankets, sheets and towels all over the floors and essentially every space touched with dirty fingerprints and grime on furniture and other surfaces. I do not think the guest read my listing or any of my policy messages at all, particularly with regards to tiding up, which is unfortunate because my small business is having to absorb the costs of paying my cleaning staff for extra cleaning, which took a total of 6 hours (3 hours for each). It brings me no satisfaction to say I could not recommend this guest to other hosts.

Alternatively, thinking: 

I think these guests would be better suited to a hotel. 

Thoughts? 

[Letti0]

@John0looks good, but remove this " I do not think the guest read my listing or any of my policy messages at all, particularly with regards to tiding up, which is unfortunate because" it's subjective. All the rest is good. Capitalize the M on my to make it a complet sentence.

[John1080]

@Letti0 Thank you so much, I appreciate your experience and feedback! 

[Sarah977]

@John1080   Just my personal feeling here about the "Better suited to a hotel environment" phrase that many hosts like to use. I know it's a sort of all-purpose "bad guest" code. While it does tell other hosts that this is a guest to be avoided, they really aren't suited to a hotel, either. A hotel that finds the room trashed out will dock a guest's credit card. And if a guest books and pays for a double occupancy room and then invites an extra 3 people to sleep in it, a hotel would charge for that, as well.

I'd leave that comment for a guest who didn't communicate adequately (you don't have to communicate in a hotel at all- book it online and show up sometime on your booked day or night), someone who didn't follow basic house rules, or someone who didn't bother to read the listing description and then complained or demanded things that were never offered in the first place. 

If I said "Better suited to a hotel" because a guest in my shared home was unfriendly or rude to me, that wouldn't necessarily be a reason for you, with a entire place listing, to decline the guest- as long as they left it clean, didn't damage anything, and respected house rules. Their poor social skills wouldn't affect you, as you aren't sharing the space with them. That's why I prefer to see specifics mentioned. 

But that's just me.

[John1080]

@Sarah977, thank you for your input. Yes, I learned that phrase, "Guest is better suited to a hotel" from someone on here ha!  But, I see your point indeed that that wouldn't go over in a hotel either.

The issues here are of course the mess and filth left behind, but also the poor communication does bug me, although you're right, it is different for me than for a host who shares their home. I like guests to communicate well and it does stress me out a bit when a guest doesn't. I have found in the past, not only with regards to hosting but also in other areas of life that poor communication skills are often, not always, but often associated with other negative attributes. 

If the only issue was lack of communication and the house was left in great shape, I would not mention it at all and I have had a few of those. 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@John1080

Rather than the "better suited to a hotel" phrase (which I personally think isn't exactly right for your situation) why not just outright say  "I would not welcome this guest (and her group) back into my home again. The condition of my home is the worst I have ever seen it. My house was left a total mess with trash and dried food everywhere, furniture moved around, blankets, sheets and towels all over the floors and essentially every space touched with dirty fingerprints and grime on furniture and other surfaces. Extensive cleaning was needed and thankfully there was no permanant damage. I really wish I did not have to write this review." 

[John1080]

@Jessica-and-Henry0 Thank you for your input to you and everyone else. I have made the changes and ready to put this review behind me. I knew I would have a somewhat negative experience at some point, and yes, thankfully nothing was permanently damaged. Learning experience for me to trust my gut and watch for all the warning signs. 

[Cormac0]

@John

I don't place so much store on taking the position of being "professional", in this case, you're not dealing with someone who understands this concept, because if she did she you would have read and obeyed your rules.

I had one example of this type of Guest and my review was succinct

"Filthy scum!"

Where your professionalism should come in is to realise not to waste your time and energy trying to get additional compensation for this Guest or Airbnb for that matter as it most lightly will not be forthcoming.

[Kenneth12]

If the guest or somone else reports that review,   I think ABB would remove it ... FWIW.

[Felicia100]

BEST advice ever! (I will wait until they leave the state before leaving the review.🤨)

[John1080]

@Cormac0  Thanks, yes it seems foolish to escalate this sort of thing to AirBnb or attempt to get extra compensation. I'm happy to say cleaning is finished, review is written and I have put it behind me, learning to be even more diligent in my screening.