Airbnb Needs A Blanket Policy Of Cleanliness Standards...For Guests

[Jen5]

I just saw a post on Twitter from someone who stayed in a shared rental and left dirty dishes and pots in the sink overnight and was angry about a poor review from the host. Then a guy commented that his wife spilled coffee on a rug and he was upset that he was marked down for cleanliness.

Obviously some guests don't have a good idea of what is expected from them when they leave a rental. They think the cleaning fee covers whatever condition they leave the rental in and I'd estimate that about 20% of my guests leave my two rentals in a condition that considerably exceeds what the ample cleaning fees cover.

The two guests above said they wouldn't be using Airbnb again, not because of the rentals themselves but the responses from the hosts afterward. It sounds like the lower reviews and ratings were deserved, but it's still bad for business and maybe could have been avoided if guests were clear on expectations, and I don't think delivering those expectations should rest solely with hosts. Not only is it difficult to get people to read the entire listing (much less a house manual), it's uncomfortable for the host to sound too demanding.

That's why I think Airbnb should have a blanket policy on cleanliness standards that all guests agree to when they sign up and before each booking and that standard should clearly explain the rental should look the same when you leave as when you entered. It should only require a general cleaning. If more guests were aware that it doesn't include washing dirty dishes or scrubbing out stains or picking up garbage or putting all the furniture back, etc. maybe the cleaning fees (or even rental fees) would go down... which would be good for business. It would also be good for hosts to all be on the same page as far as what's expected and can adjust their cleaning fees accordingly.

Does anybody else support this idea?

[Sam4395]

Completely agree, sometimes it's hard not to come across as a "demanding host" but things need to be in order so that our cleaning teams are swamped with duties when they arrive. I try to outline my guidelines as respectfully as possible upon accepting the booking. There are reminders in the form of a note/note book for guests to refer to before check out. I usually title it "lets help each-other get better reviews", the note includes a simple check list and a comment section for the guest to utilize before check out.  It would be much nicer if Airbnb prompted a list like this to the guest 12-24 hours prior to their departure though... 

[Dave1074]

A nice daydream.  Air cares about maximizing shareholder value.  They will not do anything that would  disrupt bookings.  Perhaps increase your cleaning fee?

They do not care at all about hosts.  The trend got much worse once Corona hit After the IPO it is set in concrete. 

It is up to each host to manage their business, vet guests, set expectations, etc.  You can count on Air only as a booking engine. 

As we see so very often, Air will often not support a host when a Guest throws a party, causes damage, leaves a mess, etc. 

[Jen5]

As I mentioned in my initial post, two people said that they wouldn't use Airbnb again because they had a different idea of how clean they should be than the hosts did. That's bad for business and so is hiking up cleaning fees so that the clean guests are paying for the extra cleaning required by the dirty guests.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Jen5 

IMO, it's not about being a host or guest but rather, people in general have very different definitions of what *clean* or *clean up after yourself* means. People also have different ideas about what the cleaning fee covers/includes. So while it would be nice if Airbnb could be a bit more pro-active about guest education, in the end it's really up to each host to communicate your own expectations clearly to the guests. And you should price yourself to cover those 2~3 out of every 10 stays that cost more than average and take double the time to clean up because not everyone will be respectful. Also set things up to make cleaning and turnovers easier after a messy guest. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst (guest you can possibly imagine). 

[Desislava11]

Hello, everyone! We recently have a villa on the island of Bali which we provide for overnight stays to our guests. Due to travel restrictions, we have greatly reduced our accommodation prices. We received a reservation request for 5 nights from a family of three. I accepted the request because a guest had a high rating. We do not charge an additional fee for cleaning after guests. In the description of the property I have written a few but precise rules. Our guests had left a sink full of dirty dishes. They had used up more than 10 GB of internet, and there was a trash can on the floor in the living room that smelled awful, even though there was a trash can in several places. I gave a relatively good guest rating even though it was very bad. A guest can not think that after paying for a villa and everything is allowed. How would they feel if someone else went to their home and left behind so bad? Like most, my family and I are not only hosts but also guests when we travel. We have never abused our visit. We have always left behind in good shape. If you think I'm wrong somewhere, please advise me. I accept constructive criticism. Greetings to all 

[Yvonne658]

I've only written one bad review out of 38 quests and it was because of estimated damage of 3,000 dollar. If I were to write bad reviews for every dirty guest (which I've had plenty) it would probably have a bad reflection on my hosting. I believe you have to pick and chose the situation and "if you can clean it and dont have to repair it" then consider leaving a "am very grateful for name and their guest for staying in our condo". FYI: You'll have many dirty guests and you can'tleave that many bad reviews. I hope this makes sense and helps. Best wishes!!

[Carol215]

I have been renting for 7 years. I get comments from guests on my reviews that I have to many rules! Not that they obey them anyway... I greet each group trying to make sure I meet all of them. I have 2 beach homes in a party town so I expect some messes. Season is short but I try to make the best of it. ABNB has made it more challenging for hosts to operate. I do use other outlets which allows me to have security money up front.