Chocolate Everywhere

Jessi20
Level 2
Austin, TX

Chocolate Everywhere

 Two years now of being a Superhost and I’ve never had this problem. I have had a string of inconsiderate guess who have broken the rules and left an insane mess to clean up. The guest who checked out today it appears had melted chocolate (I assume for some adult fun) and it is smeared All over the duvet cover and my nice decorative pillow that I splurged on. My Cleaner is skeptical that it will come out of the pillow but offered to take it to a professional cleaner. In your experience, do you ask if the guest to pay for this extra cleaning fee? Or just except it as a part of owning a short term rental? 

9 Replies 9
Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Jessi20  That's not normal wear and tear or some little mess that one chalks up to the cost of doing business. Take dated photos before you send them off to the cleaners, and definitely request payment for this. Special cleaning, if that does the trick, or replacement if it doesn't. 

 

Barry-and-Lera0
Level 10
Sarasota, FL

@Jessi20: Do you ask for a security deposit? That is the kind of thing you immediately take pictures of and send to Airbnb to handle. 

Jessi20
Level 2
Austin, TX

Thanks Sarah and Barry & Lera. I have just had such bad luck with guests recently that I have started to wonder if I am just being nit picky. 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Jessi20  Sorry you've had some PITA guests. But I want to say that your responses to the less than stellar reviews are a model for every host to read. Super professional, factual, respectfully apologetic, saying what you've done and are doing to remedy complaints. Host responses like yours are the best way of countering a bad review. 

 

Thanks Sarah! I really put so much into my little business and am so eager for my guests to have a good experience. It just hurts then after that to have guests disrespect my space and complain about value. 

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

@Jessi20

I would file a damage claim and request the full price for new bedding, not for cleaning.

Why? Because

1 ) ABB will probably decline cleaning costs 

2) you don't know if cleaning will be successfull or not.  You know you have to file damage claim before your next guests arrives  and with back to back bookings you can't wait  to see cleaning results.

3) those idiots have to learn a lesson

4) you don't know if it is chocolate or something else, more disgusting

 

 

@Branka-and-Silvia0 Good points, thank you! I knew about filing before the next guest, so I hurried and got it in a few hours ago because we had back to back bookings. I just filed for the cleaning cost, and now I wish I would have asked for replacement! My consolation is that I know for sure that it is chocolate. The scent makes it pretty clear! Either way, very inconsiderate! 

@Jessi20

look, with Airbnb there are no rules, maybe you will be refunded for cleaning cost, you will see, but I think it is better to claim for new.

 

Next time don't risk you health and sniff the bedding , brown stains can be from something else, you don't know  😉 

I didn’t actually see it, my cleaner found it and sent me pictures. I don’t know how close he got, but he said he is sure that it is chocolate.