Plumbing damages caused by guest negligence

[Christy28]

I hosted a guest for the past 8 days that had several great reviews, so I was looking forward to a great experience. (actually, I've been hosting now for about 18 months, and have always had very good experiences). Anyway, the guest and his wife and son stayed in the loft apartment on our horse farm. (Not a shared space, it has 2 bedrooms, kitchen, bath etc) They were very personable and said many times as we crossed paths on the farm during the week that ours was one of the most enjoyable properties that they've stayed at.
But on the 6th night at 10:30pm, I got a message that they were having problems with a clogged toilet, that they'd tried to plunge, but it didnt help. I told them I would get an emergency plumber out asap, and he arrived at 7:30 the next morning. 

Being out in the country, we are on a septic system. So I have a sign posted on the toilet, saying that "no other paper products, other than the 'highly luxurious' one-ply toiled paper provided, can be flushed down the toilet". As it turns out, the three of them had been flushing "moistened personal wipes" that they had brought with them for several days. The plumber brought them up when he snaked the pipes, and the guest admitted they had been flushing them, because they said 'flushable' on the packaging. There were so many packed into the pipes, that the plumber had to come out a second time, after thinking he had gotten them all the first time. In all, the two plumber visits cost $1000.
We have owned this property for 20 years. We've had three long term renters in the apartment, countless friends and family visits, and never had a problem with the plumbing blocking in the apartment, because everyone has always taken care about what gets flushed. (Well that's not completely true, one of my very first Airbnb guests flushed some things down the toilet with caused a clog. But after that I posted the "no other paper products" sign, and have never had a problem since until now.
If I had been in the shoes of my guest, I would have been mortified that I'd disregarded the rules about what to flush and caused such an expensive problem. I would have offered to help pay for the damages. The guest did not however, he didnt actually even apologise, he just said "Well I sure learned a lot about flushable wipes!"
Does Airbnb have a policy about guests that cause that kind of damage? Are they covered by the insurance policy? 

[Kathie21]

Following with interest because it's something I fear.  My sign says "Please don't put anything except paper down the toilet - even if it says it's flushable".  And when I check them in I point it out and say "So no wipes, cotton buds, hair and no chemicals except the toilet cleaner I've provided.  There's a sanitary bin and bags there, and a  waste bin there".   City dwellers sometimes still look a bit disbelieving though.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

I am also interested to know how things turn out........

Actually in the apartment complex I reside in, some people had been flushing "flushable" wipes down the toilet,  which caused a massive blockage and one of the homes down that particular line had the pipes burst and toilet overflow into their home.

The management office and insurance company handled it this time but ( I heard) people living above that home on the same pipeline were very sternly warned. Also a notice was put up in the notice boards and sent to residents that if any other line experiences this kind of blockage then there will be a full-fleged investigation and any home that cannot 100% prove they DID NOT throw away wipes in the toilet will be expected to pay their share for repairs and clean up. 

[Fred13]

     It is ignorance on the guest's part, which doesn't make them criminals,  just ignorant about flushing such things and probably they did so excessively. Were they suburbanites?

     It is also irresponsible of the manufacturer to say 'Flushable' , because even if it is bio-degratable and is ok to have in septic tanks because it will decompose quickly, but because of its texture it has a tricky time getting there. Especially at the hands of the 'Wipe' family.

[Lisa723]

You can request reimbursement via the resolution center. If the guest declines to pay, it will be up to Airbnb to arbitrate.

[John2841]

I am in a similar situation.  6 people checked in but now there are 8 people.  all of sudden my septic tank is screaming help.. Plumber and two septic clean outs and now I am informed that I need a new septic tank or hook upto sewer.. Big $$    So question is "can I request a reimbursement via the resolution center.  and No they did not tell me that there would be two additional guest... 

[Melissa736]

I am currently awaiting on the plumber. The guest that checked out this morning informed me that the toilet was overflowing while the shower and sink were running. The space is a separate guesthouse that is only used by guests. What an awesome bill to face on Christmas eve (insert sarcasm). I'm curious how this issues was handled, since we are currently in the same boat.

[Helen3]

As advised above you can put in a claim through the Airbnb Guarantee.

[Kalina24]

Helen, thanks for the tip, but Airbnb requires a host to blame ONE PARTICULAR GUEST for this problem within 14 days of their departure.  Pray tell, how does a host determine which guest to blame when this is obviously a cumulative issue and many times is not discovered until well after the 14 days have expired?

[Timur20]

I am grateful for the advice of my fellow hosts (@Christy28 , @John2841 , @Helen3 , @Melissa736 ,@Lisa723 ) in this conversation! 

Here I will add our recent experience:  Our house relies on an ejector pump to propel waste water to New York City's sewage system.   Such pumps (we have two: the main and a back up) can clog with cooking fat, paper towels, wipes, tampons, etc.  When our pumps break down the smell alerts us first.  This was the case recently when a $1700 plumber call was required.   We are sure the wipes and paper towels found in the pumps were flushed by guests, whose stay cost them less than our plumber's bill.  I don't wish to pursue redress from the guests in question or Airbnb for this outlay.  Rather, I would like some small changes to be considered to the layouts of the listing and confirmation pages generated on the Airbnb booking platform, as instructions, notices and gentle warnings routinely go unread, or at least unobserved by even the most conscientious guests.    How often have we been messaged by guests asking for information about location, check-in or check-out that is clearly stated in the "House Manual" or "Things to Know" sections of our listings?

I suggest it should be made possible for me to re-order the "House Rules" to put a polite notice about our plumbing just below check-out time.  Also, I submit that when a booking is confirmed, instructions and requests be placed so that the guest must at least scroll through them to get to photos of the accommodation.  Perhaps even a reminder from Airbnb to read all "House Rules" and instructions (I try to keep ours short) or even the entire listing.

For our listing, I will attempt to raise the urgency of our request that nothing but toilet tissue be flushed in the wording of our House Rules.  I will even place a framed sign above the toilet - an addition I have resisted till now as it struck me as petty and intrusive.   I welcome advice on how to avoid the possible perception of sarcasm in the quotation marks around the word "flushable" - as we all know, wipes of any kind are anything but.

Thanks for your attention.   Of course, any wisdom and advice from other hosts or Airbnb is welcome!

T

[Sarah977]

@Timur20  While I think it tacky when hosts put post-it notes all over the house, I don't see anything petty or intrusive about a framed note above the toilet regarding what is flushable. I have something similar in my guest bathroom as I am on a private septic system. And friends who host in my town often have those framed instructions as well, because in many of the older homes here, even toilet paper can't be flushed- it must be put in the basket next to the toilet. 'Gross' by many people's standards, but quite common in Mexico and other countries without first world infrastructure.

Your wording could be something like "Please note that the only thing that can be flushed here is toilet paper- no wipes, paper towels or any other items, which must be disposed of in the wastebasket. Thank you for your attention and cooperation.."

You also might add graphics like those circles with a line through them depicting paper towels, wipes etc. People tend to read things with eye-catching visuals rather than only text.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Timur20 We have a sewage treatment plant for our house and the only way we can ensure it stays working is with notices by each toilet!

[Kalina24]

Guests have improperly disposed of feminine hygiene products (tampons and napkins), as well as paper towels and other non-biodegradable items down the toilet causing blockages and damage to the septic and sewer lines.  This resulted in a catastrophic failure of the system causing raw sewerage to back up and overflow all throughout the grade level of the dwelling. 

Unfortunately there is NO WAY TO DETERMINE which guest(s) are culpable for this unintentional damage.  Nevertheless it resulted in two emergency plumbing calls and a septic repair company to clean out the tank.  This of course costed over $1500.

Without the ability to "blame one single guest", Airbnb resolution center will not accept the damage claim.  I pose this question, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHICH GUESTS FLUSHED THESE ITEMS??!!!  I have no way of telling which guest(s) to blame and what's worse, you only have 14 days in which to claim this damage.  I didn't find out about this cumulative problem until many more than 14 days past.

After contacting Airbnb Resolution, they have basically told me I am out of luck and they will not cover the damages.

Does anyone else have any suggestions on how to get Airbnb to pay for this under the Host Guarantee Program??? 

[Laura2592]

This is a common issue for guests not familiar septic systems. I fear there is no solution other than to request that the guest pay for plumbing fees and disclose it in the house rules. I plan to update mine after reading this.

There is just no way to monitor guest bathroom behavior. The best you can do is ask or put a note up in the room. We have a small trash can next to the toilet with a note on it and another close to the sink. People will still behave the way they always do. 

@Christy28  did you review these guests yet? I would say something about them not following house rules and requiring costly plumber visits.