Do you allow guests to use your washing machine/dryer?

Penny80
Level 2
Penzance, United Kingdom

Do you allow guests to use your washing machine/dryer?

We have only been hosting for a couple of months and nearly half our visitors are young chinese students who are always polite and quiet.  However, we have had one or two incidents where they have used our washing machine (and washing powder etc) without asking and expected to use the dryer too.  We never use our dryer in the summer - too expensive - but I'm just wondering what other hosts think of this.  

 

I feel that my husband and I are good hosts and our reviews are testament to that, but I personally wouldn't dream of going to stay in a B and B, or guest house and expect to use the washing machine and certainly not without asking.  We currently have some guests staying who want to cook in our kitchen!  Is it just me or are hosts expected to extend more than a bedroom and a bathroom to their guests?  We receive £48 per night (guests pay £50) and for that our guests have a good sized room with king sized bed, large TV with DVDs, teas, coffees, biscuits, continental breakfast, free WiFi, brochures/info for the area, magazines, tissues etc, their own shower room with shampoos/conditioner,  shower gels, towels etc. in a Grade 2 Georgian house, a short walk from the sea, the station and the town -  I actually don't know where else you'd get all that for the money!

36 Replies 36

Your "solution" is a bigger hassle than the problem.

Paul154
Level 10
Seattle, WA

@Penny96

Out of sight, out of mind.

In the summer, if you don't want guests to use your dryer then remove it from your premises.

I have done this. My experience has been positive. I offer my washer and a drying rack. The upshot is that no one does laundry  🙂 nor do they complain 🙂   🙂

I am especially proud because I am an American. Not providing a dryer goes against our cultural standards. I actually learned how unnecessary dryers are from hosting international students. All come from families without dryers.  Eureka! If they can do it, so can I.

All my linens are air dried fresh. No fitted sheets balling up in the dryer. No lint in the laundry room

 

Penny80
Level 2
Penzance, United Kingdom

.Hi Paul - thanks for your comments.  Air dried laundry alway better!  Pretty much all our guests are staying for one night only and I think it's only our chinese student guests that feel the need to do washing every day.  We are lucky that we have a laundrette very near us so I will be pointing them down the road in the future!  Thanks again for your advice.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Penny80

I had something of an odd situation in that the only way I could get local government approval to list on Airbnb was to prove that the cottage was actually part of the main residence, (this is a R1 zoned residential area meaning one residence per allotment, no ifs, no buts) ....in other words it shared something with the main house....and that something is, the guest ensuite is actually the house laundry.

Obviously it is out of bounds to us when guests are there but, they also have use of it and I don't charge for it or for the detergent guests may use.

Penny, we do have to buy good reviews where Airbnb are concerned and  I encourage guests to use the laundry facilities because it is an added extra and does come back to us in a positive way in the review process!

The cost of laundry is a small price to pay for that great review!

 

Cheers......Rob

Penny80
Level 2
Penzance, United Kingdom

Thanks for your comments, Rob.

Wendy510
Level 1
Newport, United Kingdom

What can I do with a guest that helps themselves. Then breaks a lock into the garage because I put locks on the storage cupboard.. He was showed the rooms and drawers that was available

Elizabeth1390
Level 2
Fort Walton Beach, FL

Guests in 2021 seem to feel very entitled. I've offered limited access to my kitchen and laundry appliances since I began hosting in 2019 and found that for several guests, limited meant they could go through my refrigerator, cook huge meals at 10 PM, and do laundry late at night - every night of their stay, sometimes.

I hate that I feel stingy and mean about this, but if someone breaks my washer or dryer, I am in trouble. I just updated my listing to offer one reasonable load of laundry for guests staying four or more days. Kitchen is now no access without permission. I provide breakfast every day except Sunday, so I feel guests are still getting good value for their money. The last guests had two extra people and ended up taking or losing a very nice beach towel. When I texted about it, they said if I charged them extra (I  tell them in advance that it is $10 if they lose a towel) they would give me a bad review. Ninety-five percent of my guests are great and make me love this job. The other five percent are going to end up in my book - or I am going to end up crazy!