Smelly cooking - Include reviews

[ZoZo1]

We ask guests not to smoke. Is it inapproriate to ask them not to cook smelly foods...including curry?

Most of our guest stay for several weeks at a time, we provide cookware. We recently had a couple and they enjoy the flavor of curry. Despite having the unit cleaned, and aired out for several days, our next guest was not a fan of curry. Said the smell was overwhelming, and she was afraid the smell would permeate her clothing. It's in the carpeting, bedding, towels... everything.  

This will surely impact our reviews.

Part of leaving the unit in good condition includes the smell... right?

Do you include this information in your reviews of guests?

Do you think it is discrimination to list foods that cannot be cooked in your unit?

[Lois-and-Darryl0]

I feel that first and foremost it is your home, and even when your primary goal is to make Guests comfortable and happy, you shouldn't hesitate to impose a rule or requirement that will ensure that all your Guests - and you - are comfortable.  If even you couldn't clear the smell after several days, then I can understand a Guest complaining, although the Guest you describe seems a bit over-sensitive.  We had a similar experience with fish that took a day to clear, but we also rent out a full house, so it's hard to concentrate a smell for a long time.  Maybe add your "wishes" in the House Manual, rather than making it a House Rules and generally write briefly about this past very negative experience (so people understand that this is not just a theory, but you've had to deal with this) and say something like:  "To ensure that all Guests are comfortable and have a refereshing experience, I request that you not cook ___, ___ & ___."  I would certainly keep the list short, so people don't think you're overly demanding.  Hopefully, the request in the House Manual will do the trick and you don't have to make it a rule.  Good Luck.  Lois 

[Linda108]

@ZoZo1  Odor is such a difficult issue whether because of cooking or someone's overly aggressive cologne or even body odor.  There are many discussions about it on the host site.  Since your space is an entire home with a minimum stay is 30 days, I think it would be difficult to restrict what people cook as long as they are responsible and respectful of your space.  Perhaps there are air purifiers that will be useful.  There are many suggestions in other discussion threads that address strategies for dealing with smell.

My space is shared, so I restrict cooking to "light" cooking and do not allow someone to take over the kitchen, but there are other odor issues.  I had two couples stay for a music festival and one of the men wore such strong cologne, it took 2 days to stop smelling it in the room.  Luckily he dosed himself just before he left so I did not suffer too much.  I did send a private message during the review to suggest that in a shared home, strong smells should be avoided.

Good discussion, ZoZo.

[Lisa818]

I completely understand. Living in the, “ocean state”, where the seafood is plentiful, gives guest the idea of cooking in my guest house. I don’t want to start micro managing what folks want to cook or eat, but it is a concern for those who do not care for the odors left behind. 

I will add to my house rules, “please refrain from cooking food which will leave pungeant odors”, and see if it helps. I am surprised at the people who have come for only a night, and want to cook, when there are so many great restaurants. I am glad they feel at home, tho. 

Best of luck! 

Curious to hear other stories.