Violated house rules and collecting security deposit

[Lis15]

I am new to AirBNB, signed up a couple of months ago - but yet to get a booking.

On other sites I advertise a set price for the rental and a seperate price for the 'security' deposit - which in my book, covers the cost of cleaning should the customer not clean before they leave (which is normal in holiday cottages in France).

I do not want to set a cleaning fee - I want the client to leave the place as they found it - clean, tidy and respectable, ready for the next arrivals - with exceptions such as linen etc. being changed by me. I dont have time between a departure and an arrival on the same day to do more than changing all the linen, checking the appliances and making sure everything is clean and hygienic - that sort of thing.

My question is - does Airbnb support claims against the Security Deposit as a result of the clients NOT leaving it as they found it? I wouldn't be able to provide Invoices for cleaning done - I do it myself! So if the place was left in a total mess, I would, with other sites, not refund the security deposit citing that the place wasn not left as found.

We are not an hotel...the expectation is different!

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

The security deposit is for damage and difficult to claim against as you have to prove the guests did the damage, provide photos and also receipts for replacement. AirBnB wont allow you to use it in absence of you having a cleaning fee. 

All I can suggest is leaving the security deposit in place - as some form of overall protection (and remember guests don't pay this upfront to AirBnB), and then perhaps one solution would be to be clear in your description that a £set rate cleaning fee will collected via the platform, and will be returned to the guests if the place is left as found. You can charge the additional fee afterwards via the Request Money feature on the site. Be careful however as AirBnB may not side with you in the case of any dispute as you will still have to provide hard evidence, rather than a subjective view, that the place was left a mess

[Lis15]

🙂 The security deposit will definitely be left in place - it is a question of a Cleaning fee.

As I said, I expect to do certain things between sets of clients but there isn't time for a full on wash up, clean the oven, wash the floors etc IF a second set of clients arrives later the same day - 6 hours between departure time and arrival time.

AirBNB dont want security deposits to be agreed outside of their set up...but they dont object to hosts refunding Cleaning Fees if the cleaning has been done to a reasonable standard?

It looks as though that is the way to go...

[Lawrene0]

Short answer is no, @Lis15 - the deposit, first of all, is not a deposit at all. It is never taken from the guest until a successful claim is made. "Not leaving the place as they found it" will not result in a successful claim. It isn't a penalty for not following rules. It is to cover damages. Even then... well, take a look around this forum for stories about that and more.

My place is "no-trace", but not everyone, even in the hiking community, understands the concept. I need time between guests to clean, no matter how well they thought they did. If you do not have time between guests to clean, no amount of money from a security deposit will help, and the process of trying to claim will drive you mad and eat up more time than scrubbing a floor.

Your choices are to charge a cleaning fee and get someone in to help you speed up the turnovers, or to build in a cushion of time between guests via the calendar options. I do the latter. This doesn't stop me from asking for no-trace, and it won't stop you from asking that the place be left as found. Those are not unreasonable requests. They are just sometimes ignored.

[Lis15]

Thanks... so we are at the mercy of 'decent people'!

In about 6 years of renting out gites, there is usually something that has been 'overlooked' by the departing guests - but in all honesty, I've only had a handful of sets of visitors who have 'taken the mickey' and even then I've been able to get things up to scratch before the next set of visitors.

I'm comfortable with the other sites I rent on...it is just getting to know how AirBnB works and what their clients expectations are.

[Ana1136]

@Lis15 what I would suggest is that you leave a few hours available between guests so that you can clean everything. I am sure guests would like clean toilet, clean floors and other surfaces not just changed bedsheets. I know it takes time but better to get them to check out early and others to check in late. I wouldn't mind late check in as long as it is in a clean apartment.