Host asks for the damage compensation after 5 days leaving the house and she had new guest that time

[Quynh-Anh0]

Good morning everyone, i have a problem which want to ask you. I ask my friend to book for me a flat about 1 month in Turin, after 5 days from the day I left that flat, the host ask me for the compensation because the carpet is dirty ( the carpet in the kitchen which use to stay when you cooking) also the tablecloth. During that 5 days, she had also new guests as i can check in her calendar. I may understand the tablecloth is dirty because when we ate sometime the food would fall down to the tablecloth. But the carpet is unbelievable because it was already old and dirty and how it can not be dirty? In addition, the floor is made from stone which very old, the floor is not flat because of the stone, the host said that something is in the floor and she can not clean it and she will change the floor and we hbe to pay for it. It shocks me a lot because it’s unbelievable. Besides, she talked to me like she doesn’t want to find a solution and doesn’t want me to explain anything, she even said about my culture my nation meanwhile i am very polite. This is her flat with the floor made from stone. We usually clean every week. But that kind of floor how can we clean even when we didn’t make it dirty. Please give me a advice, she is very annoying and doesn’t want to agree!

[Sarah977]

@Quynh-Anh0 Carpet in the kitchen? That's ridiculous. I'd ignore the floor issue. As for the dirty tablecloth, the host should have a couple of tablecloths that she can switch over while the other is being washed. That is basically her job as a host. But as a guest, if you get food all over the tablecloth, you should wash it out yourself- it's your mess.

But one thing @Quynh-Anh0- you said your friend booked for you. Why? 3rd party bookings contravene Airbnb's terms of service. So you were actually there illegally. If you want to book places on Airbnb, open your own account and book under your own account.

[Quynh-Anh0]

Thank you Sarah for answering! 

First, the host didn’t give us 2 tablecloth or 2 carpet. I know that 1 month is a long time but we don’t have anything to change so what could i do? 

Secondly, the member of my family booked it for me and I didn’t know that it’s illegal if someone booked it for me. We also explained to the host before we booked.

thirdly, when i ask her the picture for the floor because I really don’t know what happened to the foor, she still not give me the picture. 

[Надежда5]

Я думаю.что  вы не долджны оплачивать чистку и стирку скатерти-это входит в обязанности хозяина.если об этом прямо не указано в объявлении хозяина. Предоставте решить Arbnb .

[Quynh-Anh0]

Thank you for your help, i will contact airbnb. This is a worst host ever in my life.

[Daniel1992]

Booking for someone isn't the illegal part.  It's the tresspassing part since the person who booked isn't staying there.

[Quynh-Anh0]

And I didn’t make the tablecloth all dirty, judt sometime when i ate pizza or when i drink coke they fall down to the tablecloth a bit, not all the tablecloth. I am educated so i know that it’s my responsibility to keep the house as cleen as i am. But i pay for the cleaning fee too so if i have to clean the house as the first day i come, what does she do? No cleaning anymore? So she should not ask for cleaning fee. And she criticized my culture my nation that i can not accept. 

[Christine1]

I notice that you have good reviews from your previous hosts.  I assume your claim is that you did not create an undue amount of soiling to the tablecloth or floor rug. If so, then unless you booked into a self catering venue and your house rules required you to wash and clean these items, then I don't think you should be expected to wash tablecloths or clean soiled carpets. Especially in the circumstances you describe, where some normal wear and tear and soiling is to be expected. 

It's reasonable to expect the cleaning of these soft furnishings is the responsibility of the host. 

Any host who expects or allows guests to clean these type of items is risking them being damaged by guests who may not understand the correct way to handle this task. It would be far more sensible for hosts to take responsibility for this type of cleaning. 

There is a formal process whereby hosts must apply through the resolution centre if they wish to claim expenses or costs. If you disagree then you can state your objection. The host has a responsibility to justify and prove the legitimacy of their claim against you.

I am guessing that you were travelling legitimately on a shared or business travel arrangement, in which case you have all the normal guest rights.

Read the Airbnb help menu FAQs to understand more on topics related to your current situation.

Regards. Christine 

[Quynh-Anh0]

Christine, thank you so much. I am kind of very anxious because I don’t want to make any house dirty or unacceptable. She has the house rule in Italian so I don’t understand that and I don’t know that when i leave the house i have throw all the garbage. Of course i threw garbage everyday when I stayed there but the last day i had to move before 12am in the morning so i packed my luggages I collected the garbage and put them in a bag. I thought that the cleaner would throw it for me but the host also complained about that. Did i ask too much? 

She didnot have 2 or 3 carpet or tablecloth so I could not change. And the floor is made from stone and it’s normal in italy to walk around the house with shoes so how the carpet could not be cleaned? 

The host also want to change the floor that make me worry. It’s alot. 

[Christine1]

@Quynh-Anh0, 

You sound very reasonable.

There is a process and rules that hosts must follow if they wish to claim any extra amount from a guest, this goes  through the  Airbnb Resolution Centre. Until you hear from Airbnb, her emails are not something you are obliged to reply to.  If she is insulting you personally, insulting your culture or your nation, then this is not in the spirit of Airbnb, international travel or Hospitality and perhaps this Host is not well suited to accommodating travellers from alternate locations. You sound very gracious and your explanations are reasonable and plausable. Our hope is that you do not let this incident spoil your view of Airbnb hosts, and that it did not spoil your travel memories.

Unfortunately, not every host is fully prepared and not every home is going to be used in the way hosts expect. Hosts are sometimes surprised by what occurs when they have guests stay, and their response is not always what we expect or hope for. 

The tablecloth is there to protect the table and maybe to decorate the room. if the job of the tablecloth is to protect the table then crumbs and spills should not be a problem. if the tablecloth needs protecting then the host must provide what is required, placemats, serviettes, extra plates and trays, whatever will do the job.

If the tablecloth is decoration, then the host has to decide how much protection it needs and supply what is required. Guests cannot to be expected to travel around the globe with tablecloths and placemats and so forth. 

As for the floor, it's a floor, that's what it's for, and reasonable care, plus reasonable wear and tear is to be expected. over the years the host has probably used special behaviours to protect her home and furnishings, however these specialised behaviours are unknown to visitors and your behaviour sounds very reasonable. 

One small tip, when communicating online, you may find that digital translation services are helpful. They won't be 100% accurate, but they are helpful in a general sort of way.

Keep all communication online, you can see how helpful it is to maintain a record. If you have a complaint about the way you have been addressed by your host, contact customer support or the resolution centre online via you account website. Ignore future pressure from the host. Airbnb will be the only people you need to reply to and they probably won't contact you over this sort of host claim.

best regards, Christine.

Suenas muy razonable.

Hay un proceso y reglas que los anfitriones deben seguir si desean reclamar cualquier cantidad adicional de un invitado, esto pasa por el Centro de resolución de Airbnb. Hasta que tenga noticias de Airbnb, sus correos electrónicos no son algo a lo que deba responder. Si ella lo está insultando personalmente, insultando a su cultura o a su nación, entonces esto no está en el espíritu de Airbnb, los viajes internacionales o la hospitalidad, y tal vez este anfitrión no sea adecuado para alojar viajeros de lugares alternativos. Suenas muy amable y tus explicaciones son razonables y plausibles. Nuestra esperanza es que no permita que este incidente arruine su visión de los anfitriones de Airbnb y que no arruine sus recuerdos de viaje.

Desafortunadamente, no todos los hosts están completamente preparados y no todos los hogares se utilizarán de la manera que los hosts esperan. Los anfitriones a veces se sorprenden por lo que ocurre cuando los huéspedes se quedan, y su respuesta no siempre es lo que esperamos o esperamos.

El mantel está ahí para proteger la mesa y tal vez para decorar la habitación. Si el trabajo del mantel es proteger la mesa, las migajas y los derrames no deberían ser un problema. Si el mantel necesita protección, el anfitrión debe proporcionar lo que se necesita: manteles individuales, servilletas, platos y bandejas adicionales, lo que sea que haga el trabajo.

Si el mantel es decoración, el anfitrión tiene que decidir cuánta protección necesita y proveer lo que se requiere. No se puede esperar que los invitados viajen alrededor del mundo con manteles y manteles individuales, etc.

En cuanto al piso, es un piso, para eso es, y un cuidado razonable, además de un desgaste razonable es de esperar. A lo largo de los años, es probable que el anfitrión haya usado comportamientos especiales para proteger su hogar y sus muebles, sin embargo, estos comportamientos especializados son desconocidos para los visitantes y su comportamiento parece muy razonable.

Un pequeño consejo, cuando se comunica en línea, puede encontrar que los servicios de traducción digital son útiles. No serán 100% exactos, pero son útiles de una manera general.

Mantenga toda la comunicación en línea, puede ver lo útil que es mantener un registro. Si tiene una queja sobre la forma en que lo ha recibido su anfitrión, póngase en contacto con el servicio de atención al cliente o con el centro de resolución en línea a través del sitio web de su cuenta. Ignorar la presión futura del anfitrión. Airbnb será la única persona a la que debe responder y probablemente no se comunicarán con usted por este tipo de reclamo de anfitrión.

Saludos cordiales, Christine.

[Quynh-Anh0]

@Christine0, one more time, thank you so much. I thought that the problem may gone as it’s already 3 weeks but the host contacts me again today. She said the price for change the floor is 1800eu and I have to pay it. When I say sorry it doesn’t mean it’s my fault, I just try to be polite as I can but she acts like she is bullying  me because I am young. What should I do now? Please give me an advice.

[Sarah977]

@Quynh-Anh0  How is this host contacting you? Hopefully through the Airbnb messaging system. You need to contact Airbnb and report that this host is harrassing you and is trying to get you to pay for remodelling her home. There is no way a guest can cause so much damage to an old stone floor that it has to be replaced, unless they purposefully took a sledgehammer to it and broke it all, which of course you didn't do.

Do not respond to any more of this host's messages and if she is calling or texting you, block her number.

[Quynh-Anh0]

@Sarah0, she contacted me through Airbnb and said in addition “ I know it’s a lot so I will ask another interprise” i have no idea I am a girl and how can I damaged the floor so she has to replace all the floor. She is trying to steal my money. But I am too young so i have no experience to fight for it. So now I should decline for her money which she ask first? And then explain she is harassing me? Will Airbnb be fair? 

[Sarah977]

@Quynh-Anh0    Airbnb tends to side with guests, so you have that going for you. Yes, tell Airbnb what this woman is demanding of you and that she is continuing to harrass you for money to replace her entire kitchen floor, which was old and uncleanable to start with. If the communication has been through Airbnb messaging, they can easily see the messages this host has sent to you and your polite responses. Don't decline her request for money- do not respond to her at all anymore. There is a process for requesting money for damages and this host is not following the process. Just contact Airbnb and explain the situation. I think they will help you. As far as I can see, you are a reasonable young person who this host is trying to intimidate.

[Sarah977]

@Quynh-Anh0    No, the host can't charge you to put a new floor in just because she has some uneven stone floor that can't be cleaned. And as Christine has said, the host has to submit photos and damage claim to Airbnb within a certain time. So if she's sending you these photos and sending you messages about it, contact Airbnb to tell them she is harrassing you and to block her contacting you anymore. 

But as far as the tablecloth goes, when you spill pizza and coke on it, that stuff will stain if left to dry-thereby ruining it- it is now garbage, I imagine. It was your responsibility to wash it out- it's your food mess, not part of normal cleaning that a host does.