Dear Airbnb
In the interests of continuous improvement, please find a way to address the following:
A way to enable hosts to charge guests for:
1. Leaving the lights on, heating on and windows and even doors open even though the house rules say not to when they leave the house.
2. Not separating rubbish into the right containers
3. Staining bedclothes (that could be avoided if they "came clean" about it and were soaked in cold water immediately)
4. Leaving a high level of mess
A way to prevent guest giving negative reviews if they did't read the listing properly:
1. For example thinkng it was an entire apartment rather than one room.
2. E.g. Thinking they had their own bathroom when it says it is shared
3. E.g. Not realising the standard apartment in some densly poulated, expensive European ciities are less spacious than most parts of the US.
To emphasise to guests before their trip that they are staying in someone's home, not a hotel and that:
1. The hotst might well have a job and kids and lots going on and that are not required to be their maids or travel agents and if we do lots of extras for them they could at least thank us
2. That they should say hello properly and be respectful of our home, even if they imagined it to be different despite accurate photos and descriptions
3. That they need to read the directions of how to find the placea and avoid calling 5 times to get a live description on the way (it seems 1 in 10 don't bother to read or bring the directions).
I am talking about exceptions to the norm of polite, considerate, friendly guests - but there are quite a few exceptions to the norm and gentle reminder of these basic principles from Airbnb would spare a lot of hosts a lot of unnecessary hassle.
Thanks for sharing your other requests, hosts, and thanks for responding to this directly, Airbnb friends! (btw i already have reminders around the house regarding turning things off before they leave..).
By the way, strangely when I posted this on the forum I had a couple of hosts saying I should just forget it in a rather condescending way. I noticed these people were both from the US. Perhaps fuel wastage is seen as less of an issue there?
I know that if if it got out that Airbnb houses are left with lights on, heating on, and windows open by callous guests in some parts of Europe, e.g. the UK or Germany there could be negative press about Airbnb not doing more to enable a green society. So I do look forward to your great, positive ideas on how to encourage guest to be greener. There is only so much we can do as hosts.
Thanks!
