Has a guest ever asked you to come in and clean throughout their visit?

[Gina158]

Hi,

I'm curious about this and how to respond to it ...

I have a guest who is inquiring about a 37 day stay in my apartment, and asking if someone will come in to clean up after her at 1-2 week intervals.

I have never had anyone ask me this before - there is laundry, cleaning supplies, dishwasher, vacuum, etc - people normally clean up after themselves.  This seems more like a hotel request to me.

Has anyone ever been asked or offered to do this for guests while they are on a stay? As a guest, I wouldn't expect anyone to come in and clean for me during a stay and always leave the place as clean as I found it.

Thanks!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Gina158 

we have it in our house rules - mandatory light cleaning and linens change, 1x week for stays longer than 10 days. Many other hosts are doing it without an additional charge. The reason is simple - it is in our interest to keep an eye on the property and to keep it clean. This way you prevent damages due to the filth ( calc build up, burned food on the stove etc...) , you will notice if any unregistered guests are staying there, if your guest is smoking etc..

[Helen3]

Just say that the price is based on the house being set up, cleaned and prepared for them at the beginning of their stay. And that all equipment is available for them to keep the place clean during their stay at the house.

And that if she wants a weekly or fortnightly cleaning service in addition to this, this would be available at XXXX per clean. (and then you can organise for your cleaner to do this for the guest.

[Gina158]

Thanks - I do leave 3 sets of bed linens, which should be enough for one month - and more than enough towels and extra stuff than a person could go through. I’ve never been expected to come and do someone’s dishes or laundry, it just seems strange to me and I was curious if anyone else had been asked to do this. In my

experience, most of my guests in the past few years with a few exceptions have been happy to have been left alone and have been respectful of the home.

In regard to checking on behavior or damage, I have found that people have brought extra guests, and per AirBnb there was nothing I could do about it once their stay had started. Same for damage. I had one guest break my wall mounted microwave by somehow getting some kind of debris in the top vent (no idea what they were even doingup there), and have had two guests lose my keys, one of whom enlisted a stranger to climb down to my balcony in the rain and break in for them instead of calling me. So in my experience with AirBnb, they are inclined to protect the guest and not the host, and damage or unregistered guests are not anything I have ever gotten a helpful response to.

In this case, I would expect a guest to take care of their own cleaning, laundry, dishes etc., where they clearly have the means to do so. Otherwise I would say book a hotel. 

[Helen3]

Of course you can do something if people bring extra guests @Gina158 

Presumably you have that only those who have booked and paid to stay can be at the property in your house rules.

If so, tell the guest they need to amend the booking for the number of guests who they have brought and then you accept the amendment.

If they don't do this ask Airbnb to cancel the booking.

If there is damage you put a claim though on the Airbnb guarantee.

With your current guest if she doesn't want to clean, it's no bad thing for her to pay your cleaner to do so, at least you will know cleaning will be done.

[Gina158]

I hadn’t known at the time that there were extra guests, and as they were already checked in, I was answered by AirBnB there wasn’t anything I could do.

The original question was not for a current guest but an inquiry- I just was curious if others had such requests or expectations from any guests, since I had never been asked this in 4 years of hosting.  She did seem to expect these things.

[Sandra856]

Hi @Gina158🙂

As @Helen3 writes you have every right to ask for extra payment if a guest brings more people than registered and paid for. Make sure to write it in your houserules than only registered guests are allowed. 

[Helen3]

Airbnb advised you incorrectly then i'm afraid. You can absolutely tell your guest they need to pay for all guests staying or have their booking cancelled once they are in residence.

[Sandra856]

@Gina158 @ Another thing is that a lot of newbies and guests use this community for information. It would be a problem if they are thought to believe airbnb has any saying in how many people decides to stay/show up. 

[Emilia42]

@Gina158 

Is your monthly price discounted? If so, then tell her that the price does not encompass a weekly clean. Luckily, is inquiring a head of time and not demanding it when she’s already there. I don’t think it’s that uncommon for hosts to offer cleaning for longer stays.

I prefer to go into the apartment and do a light cleaning every 10 or so days for long term guests. This is because my first long term reservation left the apartment in an absolutely disgusting state from long term use and no cleaning whatsoever. I would rather clean soap scrum off the glass shower doors every 10 days then after 2 months of build up. 

[Gina158]

Yes, it is, and she actually asked for a discount on top of that.  I have been really lucky with guests so far, except for a few... I did have a 5 day guest who left empty bottles of hard liquor and somehow had thrown up in the bathroom and gotten it all over the walls 😕 That was pretty gross to clean up!

[Linda108]

@Gina158   Do you use a long term rental agreement for guests over 30 days?  I  don't offer that option because I do not want to deal with tenancy laws but it appears that many hosts do.  

[Gina158]

I don't actually, but I do stay in pretty regular communication with guests to make sure everything is fine.

I don't think that the rental agreement is required, I just am as clear as possible in my house rules.  And if there is some kind of issue, I add it to the rules for the future (such as leaving the apartment unlocked!).

[Marit-Anne0]

@Gina158 

Maybe this person is used to having a cleaner at home ? If so, it might be in your own interest to check up on the apartment at regular intervals to maintain a certain level of cleanliness.

Probably better suited to a serviced apartment/aparthotel.

[Gina158]

Thanks, I agree. I actually went with another guest.  I had gone back and forth and once I got the expectations, it seemed like it would be some regular high maintenance stuff.