Airbnb claims I violated terms of conditions because a guest complained (wrongly) about cleanliness

Nabil4
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

Airbnb claims I violated terms of conditions because a guest complained (wrongly) about cleanliness

I find it crazy that Airbnb would take the word of a single guest with 1 review, over a host and 27 guest reviews, and hosted 40 different people. I've virtually only had positive reviews and literally just had 4 different guests leave satisfied and leave only good reviews. 

 

Yet last night I had a guest who felt the sheets were not fresh. They were. I changed them anyway. She wanted a new duvet cover and I told her it was clean, but I could provide her another one the next day. My willingness to provide another duvet cover and to help is the proof Airbnb calims proves I violated the terms and conditions.  Excuse me for not calling her a liar or insane and getting into a fight. Airbnb made their decision without even hearing my side or calling me. I asked to speak to a supervisor, and no one has called me back.

 

She also complained that there were a pair of headphones on a desk, and that there was a cobweb in the ceiling of the corner.  But to suggest this is violating the terms and conditions is just insane. Keep in mind the room was overwhelmingly clean, and completely free of all clutter. Other than the furniture, there is basically nothing left in the room. I forgot to retrive a single pair of headphones from a corner desk. How on Earth is that violating the terms and conditions?

 

So why would Airbnb take her word over mine? I have hosted around 40 guests, she has a single review. Who is lying? Me and all those guests or this one person? If she is unhappy, I cannot stop her from reflecting this in her review. But to suggest I violated the terms and conditions because she incorrectly claims the duvet is not fresh, is just insane. Honestly, the place was actually very clean. The issues she brought up were tiny, and its insane Airbnb canceled my cancelation policy over this. What is the point of having a cancelation policy if Airbnb will not enforce it?

 

It's pretty clear the most important thing is being the first to complain and to reply to airbnb support immediately. I was at work, I could not immediately respon. It's very disappointing that Airbnb have decided that one person wrongly complaining about cleanliness means I have violated the terms and conditions, even when their own proof of other guest reviews proves her incorrect. 

Whats the point of having a strict cancelation policy if airbnb will not enforce it, and will bend to anyone who complains? It really seems like Airbnb has gone to the dogs. 

40 Replies 40

Well,  let's see.

First,  it seems to me that were this Quora,  a forum that has an actual and enforced "Be Nice Be Respectful" policy (BNBR) 
https://www.quora.com/What-is-Quoras-Be-Nice-Be-Respectful-policy,  you would be over the line of that policy on several counts,  including being needlessly argumentative,   as well as being disparaging towards others ("any host that can't afford to..."   hrmph).

Equally it seems if your comments were a paper from my undergrads at Cal,  I'd have to point out that you're all over the place,  and your logic just doesn't add up.   (You offered your situation as an anecdote for why you are right;  but of course,  not everyone is in the same situation).

And all I want to do, alas,  is teach you a little bit about input costs and commodity services.

And then you have to go and disparage me again -- suggesting I don't know much about Mexico and its culture,  while you do-- when I'm also a Cal-trained anthropologist with some expertise in the matter.  Hmmm again.

Well,  let's look at this another way.

When we put AMLO in his little white Nissan on the night of the 2nd,  a bit after the shocks of the quick concessions,  him about to rush to the Zocalo -- there's this big dent just behind the rear window,  on the passenger side.

A few times in the next days,  I joked that we should get that dent and a few others repaired.  But the reality is,  that dent is symbolic.  That dent says,  what our values are.  That dent says,  we have better things to attend to,  more important things to take up our time,  than the outside appearance of the vehicle.

To tell you the truth, I really love that dent,  and the rest of the dents,  on Obrador's little white Nissan.

The house I maintain in Chicago is a sort of momument and tribute,  to my grandfather,  his voyages from the ravages of Europe,  and his life here.  Though it will take me a few more years,  it is very much an attempt to allow people to step back and feel what it was like to walk here and live here,  in the Twenties and Thirties.

It is a sort of inhabited museum peice.

As I look across the street,  the Lorraine Hansberry House,   is not much today,  and certainly,  not well-maintained.   But it is also a national monument,  and a piece of history.  Whatever we make out of it in the future,  surely it should,  by and large,  have the feeling and aesthetics and represent the values of the Hansberrys,   when they lived there.

We are likely to purchase a small 20 bedroom or so facing the Bosque de Chapultepec,  and what becomes of that,  and how it looks and is managed as an institution,  is also a question of values.  But I doubt it will be squeeky clean.

All that said,  I'm not going to bother to pull the statistics,  but I believe that far less than 1% of the population of Nayarit makes more than $11,000 USD per year,  and you seem to be avoiding the point of that,  as well.  

But if we can find housekeepers for less than $100MXN/hr in Las Lomas above Polanco,  surely,  you should be able to find someone cheaper out in Sayulita.

@Sarah977  

"cleanliness standard has nothing to do with socio-economic status"

I agree 100% - nor does it have anything to do with nationality, ethnicity, country or gender, it is a very personal standard that defies categorization.

I wholeheartedly agree with this especially when it comes to location as a criteria for rating.  Our home is in a lower economic area of the city.  It is a vibrant, bustling area but the price is reflective of its location.  However, I have had a couple of guests give the location a 4 out of 5 while still maintaining a solid 5-star rating.  I cannot do anything about location and actually provide the address immediately upon booking so that guests can investigate the area prior to arrival.  Seems if you know exactly where the house is that location should not be a descriptor of my hosting capabilities.  

 

Also, I had a guest who recently checked out because the oven was not clean (they weren't cooking anything, just looking) and that I had a used bar of soap in the bathroom.  She indicated that these items were the reason they were checking out early  I also have an entire basket of unused toiletries for guests in case they forgot something but, oh well.  You cannot make everyone happy.

I’ve seen this exactly

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

PS I understand your point about wooden floors. I also have them and they need constant cleaning, especially when you have pets. Mostly I have the original Victorian floorboards. Unfortunately, some guests think 'old' is the same as dirty and assume that because something doesn't look brand new, it's not clean, even if it was vacuumed and mopped moments before they arrived. It is frustrating.

I get the same with my floors, I now take pains to point it out, but there are still some who will always associate old with dirty.

Oh!  I have literally spent 100s of hours uncovering original hardwoods and marble,  some of the latter still seriously stained despite steaming and peroxide bleaching ... I've been slowly oiling the hardwoods with fruits ... and despite what our listing says,  some guests just don't get it.

Well,  anyway.   If I can get a client project done,   time to pick up the dremel and remove century-old grout from between 1/2" marble times.  One day we'll get them as close as possible to 1920!

Nabil4
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

When the house was repainted a few paint specks here and there hit one of the bathroom floors and the kitchen floor. It can look like odd pieces of dirt, but I tend to let the guests know that is not the case. Look i get the need for it to be very clean for every guest. I don't know why but I used to not have a minimum night stay. And I used to keep the calendar open all the time. I don't host that often anymore. I have the space, but I just get too busy at work sometimes. 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

I started off having no minimum but it was too much for me and just not worth it. Now I have a two night minimum which still keeps me very busy. One nighters might work for some, but not for me. My listings are almost always fully booked, plus like you, I have a job.

 

You could also add a cleaning day to your calendar settings which would ensure you have a day inbetween guests rather than having to turn over on the same day.

 

At least two sets of linens and towels per room is a MUST for me. There are many days where there is no way I'd get everything washed and driedn and the beds made up quickly enough otherwise. You don't have to spend a fortune on them and it will save you a lot of stress.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Oh and I have the same problem with a few paint splashes on the floors that now won't come off as well as marks the builders left on the wooden parquet when I had new bathrooms put in. I tried white spirt and sugar soap but they won't come out. If anyone has tips on removing them without damaging a polished wooden floor, I'd love to know!

How about a VERY gentle and consentrated cut with the glassknife one use for cleaning spots of glass, @Huma0? We call them oventopscrapers since we use ceramic oven tops and not gas tops. If VERY gentle maybe you can get some off? I have used it for my oak floors.

 

Mariann 🙂

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Thanks @Mariann4. I will try that maybe with the paint splashes, although it is a solid oak parquet floor so I would not want to risk damaging it! The marks left by the builders are some sort of residue from tile adhesive or grout I think and are really trodden in (the builders should have, but didn't, cover the floor while working) and are not going to scrape off. Maybe @Alexandra316' s suggestion might work for those.

 

@Nabil4Sorry, don't mean to hijack your thread, but perhaps these suggestions might work for the paint on your floors too?

I have oak parquet as well @Huma0. That is why I say VERY gentle. Make sure the knife is held completely horisontal when trying. No interferring cats running around. I think that if you can get the top of the splash off with the knife then the Magic Eraser would do the rest. They are amazing those sponges! Have you tried microfiber for wooden floor on the tile adhesive? You might have to scrub a bit... But at least it is chemical free.

 

Mariann 🙂

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Mariann4

 

I haven't come across microfiber specifically for wooden floors and I have a variety of microfiber cloths for different uses. I will look it up though. Maybe it's something I can order online.

@Huma0 Have you tried a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser? I find they work on almost anything. I use them on all kinds of stains at the Airbnb and I'm constantly shocked at what they get off, and they don't damage finishes. I find it a little scary, actually.