GIVING GUESTS CLEANING EXPECTATIONS

GIVING GUESTS CLEANING EXPECTATIONS

Hi, just joined and about to have our first guest. When we leased privately we employed a cleaner after each guest, but had specific requirements for our guets to avoid additional cleaning fees. I want to have the sane arrangement with my guests through AIRBNB.

1. Where do I list these expectations?

2. I assume there are no restrictions with airbnb as to what my expectations are??

3. What is seen as acceptable of how guests should leave a self conatined place? I dont want to deter future quests by my list, but dont want to be paying moer than basic cleaning fees either..

50 Replies 50
Lisa7
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

List them under house rules and review them with guests when you check them in. 

 

I basically ask guests to tidy up. I don't expect them to do the dishes or sweep or wash the bathroom. But I do expect them to go around and pick up dishes from various parts of the apartment, not leave trash everywhere, clean any spills, etc. They are paying a cleaning fee, so they expect to arrive at a spotless apartment, and they are on a vacation, so they expect to be cut a little slack.

 

Most guests are really amazing and respectful. I've only had one problematic guest. 

Hi Lisa, I haven't charged a cleaning fee. Although we do pay private cleaners. To bring the cost down for this fee I ask guests to do some basics, which does include dishes and emptying dishwasher. Would I be better if just charging a cleaning fee do you think??

From my experience, guests are happier to leave the place neat when there's no cleaning fee. Somehow that fee leads to a feeling of "well, I paid - they can clean this up"

 

So I'd suggest rolling the cost of cleaning into your nightly fee and leave a simple checklist of things you'd like them to do. Strip/don't strip beds, garbage in receptacles, etc.

I wouldn't ask them to clean something to be used by the next guests (like dishes or bathroom) - I'd rather do that myself & know they're really clean (and disinfected, where necessary).

 

Jan162
Level 1
Cebu City, Philippines

Hi,

 

Our rooms and bathrooms are cleaned professionally before guest check-in, and I expect my guests to keep the room and bathroom tidy for the duration of their stay. For long staying guests, we clean the room and bathroom every five days at no extra cost.

 

Your thoughts?

This is exactly I am following.

But unfortunately the recent guest I had, kept the room filled with things and eatables on the floor and even on the bed and had tied a rope inside the A/C room to dry their clothes which passed right above the bed and also tied to the latch of the door. ( without caring that this may loosen the latch).Though I noticed all these on the first day itself I didn't comment as I didn't want to put them is a bad mood. I wanted to clean the room as I was worried about the smell, stainingof the floor etc  and but could not, as there was hardly any walking space with their things allover the room. I usually inform my guests to be open and frank about anything and inform me about any requirements they have without hesitation and that I'll try my best possible to fulfill the same. This family while staying here, was all praises for the room and me as a host. But they have given a review as if we have not bothered about keeping the room clean and have also given a less rating.

Now I have added in my house rules that the guests have to keep the room neat and tidy throughout their stay.

So my current pet peeve is that some people "wash" the pots and pans and put them back in the cupboard but they are actually still dirty - greasy, with caked on food. We are 2000 miles away, and our wonderful cleaning person does not rewash the dishes. I got a negative comment from a guest about how she had to rewash everything before using it. I have added statements in the house guide about leaving the kitchen clean - not that I expect them to wash the floors or anything, but why would someone put away dirty dishes????

@Patricia40   Well, I happen to have 2 friends who I have banned from washing dishes at my house. Both of them, oddly enough, like washing dishes and always jump up to do them right after a meal. Neither of them can see well close-up without their reading glasses, but they never put those on when washing dishes. Result- bits of food stuck on, coffee rings, greasy. I just have to rewash them. 

Could you pay your wonderful cleaning person a bit more to make sure all dishes, pots and pans are clean?.

Yes, we could ask her to just check the pots and pans. Probably the best idea.

 

We don't charge a cleaning fee for the house, even though we pay her to clean, partly because we want people to leave it clean and we know that when there is a cleaning fee people will leave the place really messy - like dirty dishes all over the house, that kind of thing. So the cost of cleaning has to be reflected in the rent. Airbnb puts pressure on us to lower the nightly rate, with their suggestions that we people are looking at cheaper listings or we are more likely to rent if we lower our price. I understand why they do that, I guess, but frankly, I am not going to lower the rate for lots of reasons - financial but also I think people treat a slightly more expensive place better, higher cost screens out big groups of partiers, etc. 

 

So we can ask her to check the pots and pans and if they need to be rewashed she can add it to her hours cleaning.

 

Thanks or helping me process my thoughts about all this!

@Patricia   Since I had a complaint about the same,  I tell guests not to put anything away, leave it on the draining board,  do not even dry anything.  But,  I still ask the cleaner to check everything and rewash if need be. It can be a large out-of-pocket expense when guests put dirty dishes and cutlery away because everything has to be re-washed.  But, worth it to avoid a bad review, complaints or worse. Fortunately most people follow the rules, and wash their dishes properly.

Clare0
Level 10
Templeton, CA

@Lorena16 Welcome to Airbnb!  

 

1. You can list your expectations in your House Rules or House Manual.  In addition, I would recommend talking with your guests on arrival concerning the basics on how you want them to leave the place. 

2. I'm not aware of any restrictions, other than common sense.  

3. I also have an entire home listing and I make sure they are aware that they are in my home, not a hotel.  With the exception of 1 guest, I haven't had any problems.  I even had one guest vacuum, which I don't require! Without knowing what your expectations are, it's hard to answer this question.  

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the feed back Clare.
Bill47
Level 1
Gothenburg, Sweden

Just my 2 cents here as a guest not a host. I hate it if a cleaning fee is charged and then the host also expects me to pick up things, clean dishes, empty trash etc. I would not leave the place in a mess but I am usually visiting for a weekend and prefer spending my time enjoying the city as opposed to cleaning. I try to find places that neither charge a cleaning feee nor expect a lot of free cleaning by guests. Here is another similar view:

 

http://observer.com/2014/03/airbnb-etiquette-a-wake-up-call-to-unprofessional-hosts/

Kika1
Level 8
Kloten, Switzerland

I also hate it when guests paying one third of what a hotel costs feel they should be able to roam free in my home as if they were the only people on the planet. 

Iulia3
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

A guest should't clean at all. A guest is a guest. You don't put guests to clean your house. It's your job to clean. End of discussion.