Kitchen Use

[Lisa1539]

I have ended the use of my kitchen after several issues.  Each room has a microwave and coffee maker and I also purchased a refrigerator for guest use.  I found if people used my refrigerator, first it became to much, or they forgot the food, or once they opened it, all of my condiments became their condiments.  That was one of my biggest issues with kitchen use.  No one ever brings all the spices, olive oil, butter, eggs, etc. needed to cook their meal.  Then, the clean up, using your cleaning products, dish soap, etc.  It may seem small, but it all adds up.  I have given some thought to a "tip jar".  Basically a nicely put jar in the kitchen, saying "If you enjoyed using the kitchen, please feel free to contribute to the kitchen fund."  Thoughts?  Trying to word the jar, if I put it, appropriately.

[Kath9]

@Lisa1539, you could try a tip jar - or you could just end the use of the kitchen. I did for all the reasons you stated, plus more. I just couldn't stand people cooking in my kitchen every night for hours, using my condiments, spattering grease everywhere, burning my benchtops, putting food scraps in the recycling bin, etc. etc. It just got far too stressful. I guess you could try a tip jar, but maybe put your prices up instead - and offer a discount for people who DON'T use the kitchen.

[Pete28]

@Lisa1539 Beware of the electrical implications of guest running mw and coffee maker together, especially if you have multiple. It may well trip breaker 😞 Bedrooms usually have lower amp so I would try out combinations to make sure it doesn't trip.

[Paul1255]

Hi @Lisa1539 I have never offered kitchen use, I know it would be too stressful or worrying!

Most of my guests stay between 2-4 nights so will always want to eat out for lunch and dinner (not that they have the option of eating at mine for those meals) and make the most of the London food scene.

I do however offer breakfast- I preapre it for the guests or leave what they will need in the fridge/dining table clearly labelled for them to use- and this never presents any issues.

When I first started hosting guests only had bedroom and bathroom access and this still got me all 5* reviews.

Paul 🙂

[Paul154]

I, too, have had your same experience.

I first started offering my kitchen. Then I noticed the stress involved.

I don't like people seeing the inside of my refrigerator and then "outing" me in the Airbnb review.  It's too hard for me to keep my counters and sink perfectly clean for others. I also discovered I don't like people in my kitchen, they just plain annoy me.

I even prefer to make coffee for my guests, instead of them making it themselves in my kitchen!

Many other hosts have had the same naive beginnings.

Then, I discovered I LOST NO BUSINESS when I stopped offering my kitchen.

I now see the light.

[Tara-And-Greg0]

Amen! We let people use our microwave, hot pot and grill, but the kitchen has become off limits for meal prep. Due to space considerations, we found ourselves heading out the door to a restaurant when our guests decided to cook meals, which kind of cancelled out our Airbnb profits. Also, our clientele improved when we curtailed kitchen use.

[Sarah977]

I'm really sorry you other hosts here have had such bad experiences with kitchen use. Mine is the opposite- I've always offered full use of the kitchen and some guests make use of it and some don't. The ones who do have always cleaned up after themselves, don't prepare elaborate meals, haven't touched my food, and have been hip to recycling, compost pails, etc.  Some have cooked a meal and offered to share, and I have done the same. One guy bought a kilo of shrimp his last day here, we peeled it together and I provided the butter and garlic and we had this huge shrimp feast. I also tell my guests to use the oil, salt and pepper, as it seems silly for them to have to buy those things for a few meals. I just factor that bit of groceries into my booking price. 

It is a bit more work for me to keep my kitchen cleaner than I would if I were here alone- I tend to wash my dishes more often and try to keep the fridge in order. But I also tell my guests that I'm not the kind of person who jumps up and washes all the dishes right after a meal, my habit is to do them in the morning when I'm brewing the coffee, and that I don't have a designated guest shelf in the fridge- just put your stuff wherever you can find room. I also tell them that if I already have a pile of dishes there to wash, I couldn't care less if they add their coffee cup to the pile, it's no biggie, and some guests who use the kitchen have, in fact, washed my dishes at times. I get mostly easy-going guests, so no one has been bothered by any of this.

If I got guests who abused the priviledge of using the kitchen, or gave me a bad review because I left my dirty breakfast dishes on the counter next to the sink, I'd certainly stop offering it, but so far so good.

I just wanted it out there that guests taking advantage in an entitled way to sharing the kitchen is not some absolute truth.

[Paul154]

@Sarah977 You are blessed.

You must have a great hosting style to bring out the best in your guests.

[Sarah977]

@Paul154 Thanks. I think it's more that my listing, being rural, and a 20 minute walk from the beach in a popular tourist town, and budget priced, tends to attract a certain type of guest- usually well-travelled, often having spent time in 3rd world countries where pristine environments are not the norm, accustomed to shared spaces and how to comport themselves respectfully in them, and environmentally aware. Many of my guests, when I'm orienting them around the kitchen, actually ask me, before I can mention it, if I have a compost bucket and a place for recycling.

 And I market towards a certain type of guest- I say it's suitable for those who enjoy being in nature, hearing the birds and the crickets, who want to spend their vacation relaxing, reading, doing art, yoga, etc. 

I do feel blessed when I read the horror shows some hosts have to put up with.

BTW Paul, I know you've said before that you think you're not such a great guest, as you tend to just make yourself at home and don't really read the listing description, but you're welcome here any time. I love guests who just make themselves at home.

[Jessie100]

@Lisa1539

Hi Lisa, I would avoid allowing the use of kitchen to all guests. I have a negative experience recently to the point where I want to quit Airbnb.

I'm writing about my experience here just so that other hosts could be aware of. I am also taking down all my Airbnb listings because of this incident. (I included kitchen use in the ads to attract more viewers but luckily I never had any guests cooking in my kitchen other than the microwave until now)

WARNING FOR POTENTIAL HOST OF THIS GUEST:

Keyword: consume your food without consent, does smoke, ask the host for reimbursement otherwise threaten to leave a bad review, tell you he travels all the time with Airbnb so he is right, you are wrong. 

He used my condiments and my tenant's condiments WITHOUT asking! When I talked to him about this. He said he travels all the time with Airbnb and these are usually provided. He is a musician and a businessman so this is not how I should run my Airbnb. 

I told him the next day, cooking is not allowed. If you want to cancel your reservation and find other accommodation, I am completely happy with it. He said he already bought groceries thinking that he can cook. He asked me if he can cook himself the LAST meal, he will put the food in a Tupperware container so he can have it for the rest of his stay. I said fine, you can use the microwave and the toaster oven. I remember I specifically told him that he is done cooking if he wants to continue his stay. 

The next day, my family member found food missing from our fridge. He denies it was him but eggs and butter would disappear by themselves.  

The last night, I found him cooking with a toaster oven using my grass-fed butter and he denies he said that was his last meal. He thought he can use the kitchen despite the fact that WE TALKED ABOUT THE USE OF KITCHEN FOR 2 DAYS ALREADY. Then, I showed him proof of our conversation where he said he will be cooking the last meal. 

Then, he complains to me that the cleaning fee of $50 was too much. He was asking me for A REIMBURSEMENT of any amount. I said to him, the nightly rate is around $30-40 per night. You cannot find anywhere else for that cheap. (In this neighborhood, houses averaged $3-5 MILLION.) IF I DON'T AGREE, HE WILL LEAVE A BAD REVIEW!  I regretted so much that I did not cancel his reservation earlier. LAST WORDS, BE AWARE AND STAY AWAY!

- host in shock