Hi community. I'd like some feedback about a situation that just arose, especially from any hosts who have had this experience.
Last weekend (3 nights), my husband and I stayed at a lovely Airbnb in the U.S. Due to a very early flight, we had to check out at 2:30am and thus the host did not inspect the room before we left (I have never had any Airbnb host do this, actually, but I may in the future). Despite the early departure, we still made sure to do all the required cleaning. I felt we left the place in perfect condition. I left a glowing review for the host the next day.
Today, three days later, I received a message from the host with a photo of the duvet cover. It had a small brown stain on it, about the size of a pencil eraser, and she was wondering what we did to it so that she could properly treat the stain. She suggested we had spilled chocolate on it. I replied that, first, we were so sorry for the inconvenience, and then, that we hadn't consumed any chocolate in the room. I also asked her to describe where on the bed the stain was found so I could try to figure out what it could be. She replied that it was at the top of the cover, on the part that hangs over the side, on the side of the bed my husband slept on. I tried to think of what it could be... Dried blood from a cut? Neither my husband nor I had a cut that we knew of. Makeup? Possibly, but I didn't do my makeup on the bed and I don't recall even setting the makeup bag on the bed. My only other thought is that perhaps something we set on the bed had something on it that we hadn't noticed and it transferred. This could happen to anyone, but I still felt awful.
When I sent a thorough reply with these thoughts and again apologized, offering to pay for cleaning, she replied in a snarky tone that she just loved cleaning our "mystery stains", telling us it would take her a day to clean it and she'd let us know how it went. Frankly, she is making us feel thoroughly ashamed about something that could happen to anyone. I thought we were great guests, obeying all house rules, cleaning up properly, and being very responsive to messages. We have used Airbnb many times in the U.S. and abroad. Most of the experiences have been wonderful and we pride ourselves on being conscientious guests in a community built on trust. Now, I regret leaving such a glowing review of a person who is basically accusing me of ruining her comforter! Her tone since finding this stain has been accusatory and rude, rather than kindly inquiring if we had noticed the stain and what we thought it could be.
What I'm seeking to know is how likely it is that she can file a claim against us for the cost of a new comforter. I do not mind paying for cleaning, although duvet covers can be easily stain-treated and washed in a standard washing machine, which she possesses. Also, just as it is possible that we deposited the stain without realizing it, it is also possible that previous guests left it and she never noticed. Finally, the fact that she didn't notice the stain for three days after we left---in spite of the place being booked the last three nights, according to its availability calendar---makes me suspicious that she is trying to get us to pay for something we didn't do. We are reasonable people who'd rather pay a little more than cause a ruckus, but we have already paid a $40 cleaning fee for an 80 sq ft room plus bathroom. Am I being unreasonable? Is there more to be concerned about? Thanks for any help.
