Cleaning fee surcharge?

Kevin557
Level 4
Nashville, TN

Cleaning fee surcharge?

So I know some of you will say this is just the cost of doing business, but my cleaners charged me an extra $30 for a "bio hazard" fee because the guests

had vomited. I'm guessing that the guests attempted to clean it up somewhat but it was still all over the baseboards, the wall and a door as well. They were

also extra messy, ruining several towels, doing a number on our glass stove top, and breaking a luggage rack. I also cleaned up vomit on the exterior step outside the front door. This all came after they asked for a discount (does that surprise anyone) and I gave them a special offer which incorporated my usual $35 cleaning fee.

 

I have now asked them to pay the extra $30 fee that my cleaners charged me, while just racking up the rest of the stuff as the cost of doing business. They have not responded to this request for 24 hours and I'm guessing they won't. The lack of a response wants to make me also charge them another $30 for the broken luggage rack too. Should I escalate it and how should I expect ABB to handle it?

 

I'm also expecting to receive my first bad review, even though I have over 100 5 star reviews. I really hate the Airbnb damage claim system and how it leaves us open to retaliatory reviews.

 

I would be open to suggestions on how to review them, keeping in mind the mess, damage and that they violated a house rule we have about sleeping on the sofa without sheets. (We ask guests using the sofa to pull out the sofa bed and use sheets, but to not sleep on top of the cushions, which they apparently did for 5 nights..

 

 

4 Replies 4
Emily487
Level 10
KCMO, MO

@Kevin557 

You have such wonderful reviews, do not let the fear of a bad review let them off the hook on any of this. 

 

Submit a request for damages for the luggage rack and include a link to the same or similar item. Make the claim simple and straight forward and don't include any other details about their stay in it. 

 

Review: Guests were given a $xx discount on their stay of two nights. Guests broke a number of important house rules. Upon checkout, we discovered copious amounts of vomit on the floors and baseboards as well as on the front steps. Guests broke a luggage rack, ruined 4 towels with ___, and left the stove top in bad shape. 0 Stars in all categories and do not recommend. 

 

Response: When/if they leave you a bad review, just respond with something like :We were happy to off you a discount upon booking. Unfortunately, you and your guests left vomit in the interior and exterior of the house, broke house rules, and generally were terrible guests to host. 

Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

@Kevin557   I agree with @Emily487  about not letting a negative review potential interfere with your pursuit of the claim.  I think it would be best for you to read the Air BNB Content Policy to ensure any details about the claim mentioned in the review does not leave it open to being removed by Air BNB.

 

As to the the biohazard surcharge, does that also apply to all bodily fluids, i.e., blood, urine, feces?  If so, then the issue is an additional expense, not just a judgement about their breaking rules, which is not always claimable.

Emily487
Level 10
KCMO, MO

@Linda108 Agreed! Maybe leave off my "...generally terrible guests to host" part...that was a bit much, even for me. 

Jennifer409
Level 3
Lithia, FL

Your clean up fee extra charge is cheap. We pay we we go over our time with the cleaner $35/hr.

I had my first vomit experience today. They messaged me and said they spilled something on the couch, after further questioning they admitted to someone in their group vomiting on the couch and cleaning up in the shower. They didn't tell caretaker that lives downstairs. The stripped couch pillows and attempted to clean it as best as they could. We now have to block our Airbnb until are couch cushions are dry......

We are charging $100.