Am I a bad guest for wanting a refund?

[Stephanie881]

Hi, 

I am using Airbnb for the first time, so I am unsure what to expect of hosts. I am currently thinking about requesting a (partial) refund because I am sharing a bathroom with 5 people and in 2 weeks, the host has never (!) cleaned the shower, shink, bathtub etc. There has been weird slime, mascara and an assortment of people's hair left all over the place and I think the host cannot reasonably expect 5 different guests to manage this situation themselves (we don't have any cleaning supplies, the host locks them away). 

Apart from this, the host is so nice, so I feel kind of bad for requesting a refund...on the other hand I feel like the host only wants guests' money to flow into her pockets without doing any actual work. 

I told the host, but the situation has not really improved. Do you think a refund is ok in this situation? 

Thank you for your opinions. 

[Karrie18]

I've stayed at three different places with a shared bathroom. The one I'm at today is by far the worst. The host gives the illusion there's a woman living here too, but I highly doubt it. Carpet, bathroom, sink - all scream "bachelor pad".

[Michael956]

I rent 3 bedrooms in my flat on Airbnb and have 2 shared bathrooms for a total of six guests (2 guests per room x 3 rooms).  Every single day I go into the 2 bathrooms and clean them at least 4 to six times, and that does not include the many other times I do a quick check throughout the day and evening.  It only takes a few minutes and a spray bottle of disinfectant and a cloth to check the sinks for stray hairs, splattered toothpaste and spilled water, wipe the toilet seats, open the shower curtain and check for hair and excess water, and wipe up any water from the floors.  Your host must be very lazy and have no pride.  I would give one star for cleanliness and mention the dirty bathroom in your review.  I'm not sure a refund is appropriate if you continue to stay in the Airbnb.  

[Helga0]

@Stephanie881, as you spoke several times to the host, I would send a message via the airbnb system to her now. Something like

“Thank you for cleaning  the bathroom a bit after my complaints. As said in person, i t is not satisfying, if a bathroom shared by five people is not cleaned for two weeks. The situation is now better, but not yet up to usual standards. It may be approbriate that you hire professional help.

I’m prepared to clean up after myself, as others will probably be. However, you need

to add this condition to your house rules to set correct expectations, especially if no cleaning service is normally provided.

Please provide the cleaning supplies to allow your guests to stay in healthy conditions. I stipulate, that in my opinion, this is still not the case.”

After that messge, I would involve airbnb. There is a possibility to do so via your reservation on app or website. They can call the host and propose a solution. 

Unsanitary conditions are a reason to cancel, but It’s a bother to move, find a new place, probably at a higher rate for a shorter stay. Cleaning supplies and a reduction of the rent are a better solution, if you are prepared to take over part of Her work.

If you are all on a longterm rent, you are more like roommates than guests. Is the host living in the apartment? If 5e price is lower than for a short stay, I would think that roommates clean the place themselves, more than guests would, but the host needs to provide the means. Thorough cleaning should be provided, but if there are a few cleaning supplies it’s easier for everyone to remove his own mess. 

I travelled a lot and bought a lot of rags to wipe hotel bathroom floors dry after a shower or clean a kitchen in a rented flat 😉 

In my tiny shared airbnb bathroom hangs a selection of wipes and rags - maybe half of the guest use them, so you have a chance, that at least one other person of the five will clean too. 

[Stephanie881]

@Helga0

Thank you for your input. The host lives here as well, but does not share any facilities apart from the kitchen....no need for her to visit the guest bathroom etc. 

I wrote to her via Airbnb, let's see how the situation unfolds. I will definitely advise her to get professional cleaning help, or clearly state that the guests are responsible for cleaning. The guests are here for several weeks on average, but I would not call that a "long term stay". I now moved some kitchen cleaning supplies to the bathroom, maybe the other guests will get the message. 

The host is gone now over the weekend, which itself is ok, but she does not seem to be bothered at all how the guests are supposed to manage the cleaning situation. 

[Fred13]

I am still mentally stuck on the slob chick who got mascara all over the mirror and didn't bother to clean it. I mean really. Was this place a public campground by any chance?

[Stephanie881]

She's from an asian upper middle class family and 100% has a maid at home....I honestly think she does not have a mental concept for "cleaning up". I don't even blame her for the situation - the host has to manage her guests (she's from the same cultural background and should have known this might happen with this particular guest). 

[Sarah977]

@Stephanie881  Well, she should send her maid over to the guest quarters for an hour to clean up the bathroom and kitchen. 

[Stephanie881]

@Sarah977

I bet she expected the host to be her new maid/nanny....

I think one of the big problems with Airbnb is that it's open to interpretation if your place is someone's home or a hostel. In many cases (like where I live now), it's clearly the host's business and "it's my home" is just used as an excuse for sub-standard services. It's not your home when you're renting out 85% of a house, you have no other job, and you hardly show up to socialize. In this case,  just get a cleaning service and stop pretending you're anything but a full-time business...

[Sarah977]

@Stephanie881  I totally agree. As a host myself, I'm pretty disgusted with all the people who call themselves "hosts" when they are, in fact, more accurately simply landlords or property managers. Just like it irks me that people who have wild parties, trash a place out, are rude or demanding to their host, are referred to as "guests", when they should be more accurately called entitled animals.

I would encourage you, in the future, when booking a place, to exchange a few back and forth messages with potential hosts so you feel comfortable with them and the accomodation. Better luck next time.

[Fred13]

Good point: One can't have it both ways, you either a host or you are not; it can't be that the guests are treated like annoying 'visitors' when it suits them.

[Helga0]

Having a clear distinction between professional accommodations and lived in homes is a wish continually repeated gor many years. 

Guests would want to know, to choose either a home or a neutral place. 

Hosts sharing their home would like them to know in advance- it’s rather horrible to have a “hotel guest” arrive, look at your cherished place and things and say “But you live here???” Afdding in non-verbal communication, sometimes in spoken words and often in the review “that’s not good enough for travelers like me.”

The town authorities would love to have the distinction to cross-check with tax statements.  😉

But in this case, the host would probably still not be considered a professional, as she lives at the same address. 

[Cormac0]

@Stephanie881

The way I would approach this is clean it myself, yes buy cleaning cloths and products keep receipts and then charge the host for cleaning.

you know it makes sense