I am a host of two properties in Southern California, one a very nice Plus home. I have noticed a disturbing trend. As a consequence of California's recent legalization of cannabis use, I find many out-of-state guests seem like they can't wait to get here, visit the first pot dispensary they can find, and indulge in every form of the drug available. There are two problems with this. First is the odor of the smoked version, which most of my mature or family guests do NOT appreciate. My solution is to indicate in my house rules that I will charge an additional $200 cleaning fee if my cleaners detect the odor of cannabis (or any other) smoke when they arrive to clean. I then present them with the bill via the Request Money feature.
The other problem is that I find many of these people don't seem to know how strong these new products are, over-indulge in them, get very wasted, and become extremely irresponsible and slovenly. When they check out they leave things in terrible shape. My solution is to have my cleaners photograph such situations and bill me for extra cleaning when it is necessary. I then present the bill to the guests via the "Request Money" feature. Many of them are ashamed of themselves when they are back home and sober, and they pay up. However, in one extreme case of some very young men who urinated on the bed and trashed the place (when I reminded them of my NO SMOKING of anything policy) I processed an insurance claim through Airbnb. This was a big hassle, but my extra cleaning expenses eventually got paid.
However, the longer term problem, especially with my Plus property, is that not all the damage from such guests can be complelely fixed by cleaning and minor repairs. In order to qualify for Plus, I had to pass the "design" standards with high end furniture, high quality accessories, bedding, artwork etc. When these things are soiled or damaged, sometimes they can't be fully returned to their former state. For example, I have two very nice velveteen sofas in the family room, with a Turkish rug beneath them. Slovenly guests under the influence have spilled stuff on the sofa cushions and rug, and usually just try to hide it with a throw pillow, or by shifting the coffee table when they leave. We try to spot clean when this happens, but it never really cleans completely. The real solution is to reupholster the sofa, and professionally clean the rug, very expensive propositions. Do I want to go to these expenses when I know that after three months they will be stained again? My cleaners actually suggested we put plastic slip covers on the upholstered furniture and replace the rugs with indoor/outdoor carpet we can hose off! Not very classy, and I'd probably get kicked out of Plus! But the truth is my nicely appointed house is slowly being degraded by one disrespecful group at a time.
This problem is part of the larger issue of the changes in Airbnb policy which greatly reduces we host's ablilty to use our instincts to screen our guests. I have been doing this for over four years, and have been a Superhost since my first evaluation. In the "old days" I got guests who seemed to see themselves as part of the so-called "Community," who viewed themselves as guests in your home and behaved as such. Those old-style guests are rare these days, in my experience. However, as Airbnb grew and guests were less a special community and more a cross-section of the general public, I learned to use a 6th sense to spot potential problems. From their photos, their intitial message to me, and other data, I was able to weed out a group of 20-year old males who wanted to celebrate a birthday in my home, the guy who wanted to shoot porn, and the group of underage kids with no plans for adult supervision. No more. I get a message saying "Joe" wants to book your place on these dates-- accept or decline. Half the time the person has just joined Airbnb, has no reviews, and has been "verified" simply as having an ID and an email address. Everone in prison has those! But I know I decline any of them at my peril.
So my strategy for now is to accept them and then hit them up for more money if they behave badly. If they won't pay, I hit up Airbnb. I have no problem with this. I'm in this as a business to supplement my retirement. Paying my cleaners/handyman extra affects my bottom line, and I'm passing that on to the culprits or to their guarantor, Airbnb. Maybe if more of us do this we'll have an impact. Nothing like having to pay out money to get someone's attention!
