How to word this request / rule?

Maxine22
Level 2
Toronto, Canada

How to word this request / rule?

My listings are two separate apartments in a large two storey home.  The apartments each have their own fully equipped kitchens, bathroms, etc.  The entire house has a hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide detector system installed.  On two occassions guests have been "trying" to cook, and burnt food.  The fire alarm went off, once it was 3:00 a.m. and it woke everyone in the house up. Because the alarms are hard-wired you can't just remove batteries an make it stop, the alarm will not stop until it no longer detects smoke or fumes (for safety).  So at 3:00 a.m. my husband and I are downstairs in the apartment opening windows, doors, etc. to clear out smoke, and the tenant in the other apartment is furious because he has to get up early for an important business meeting, etc.  It's a problem.  But not having alarms would be a bigger issue.  I'd like to post a notice in the kitchen that when you're cooking please stay in the kitchen, don't put food in the oven and then go watch tv or fall asleep, etc. and to also make sure they turn on the stove exhaust fan when they're cooking to help remove cooking smells and smoke and steam from the kitchen as they cook. I don't know why these things would even need to be said, common sense to me, but clearly some people think it's completely ok to put food on the stove and walk away and some people don't seem to have ever seen or heard of a stove exhaust fan. How would you word a notice to address this problem.  Guests who stay only a week or two tend not to cook but guests who stay a month or more usually do.

8 Replies 8
Farah1
Level 10
Seattle, WA

@Maxine22 I think you can word it exactly how you word it in your post.

 

I have a similar issue, not with kitchen fan, but with bathroom fan. Every time I give the check-in tour, I always say this is the timer for the fan and the light. Yet, many people only turn the light with a different light switch and don't bother with the fan. I thought it was common sense too, but apparently you need to make it clear and "remind" people about that.

@Farah1 you can connect light and fan on the same switch so when someone turn on the light then the fan will turn on too. We have it on the same switch.

@Branka-and-Silvia0 actually, they are connected! BUT, I have 3 light switches in the bathroom and seems that guests love the other 2 light switches compared to the one that has the fan timer... not sure why. Especially, I always show them during check-in tour "this is the light and fan timer" and show them how to turn it on, then when they enter the bathroom they use any other light switch but that one. The other thing that does not make sense is that they do not turn on the fan then choose to open the window wide open.... errr... that is why we have a fan, so we do not need to open the window

@Farah1 maybe they choose other switches bc the fan makes a noise.

We have the fan connected to the only light switch near the door. To switch on another light without the fan connected guest has to make few steps inside the bathroom  🙂 Brain games hehe

@Maxine22

 

If I were in your shoes, I'd have a house rule saying if guest does anything to make the fire alarm go off (including but not limited to not turning on vent or fan when cooking or leaving food on stove unattended leading to smoke) you will request the deposit be paid out to pay for disturbance to the other guest staying in the other listing!!! And set the deposit to be enough to cover at least 2 nights. And print this out and post it in the kitchen where they can't miss it. When you point out this rule to new or potnetial guests, you can mention you had to add this rule because a former guest set off the alarm while cooking at 3am. 

@Jessica-and-Henry0 As far as I know, Airbnb will not collect money for infringement of house rules, they will only collect from the SD for documented, proven damage and repair. 

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

@Maxine22 call electrician and ask him to put light and exhaust fan on the same switch. 

Buy small kitchen timer and tell your guests if they put something on the stove and leave the kitchen to take the timer with them to remaind them when their meal is cooked.

Those two simple solutions could help sometimes but of course nothing is fool-proof

 

 

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

I would have  a clear note next to the cooker that the hood needs to be turned on whenever using the hob to avoid the fire alarm going off.

 

You could also ask guests not to use the hob/oven after midnight/before 7 a.m. or similar.