Sex Stains on my Couch - how do I reveiew these guests?

[Tori2]

Sooo... it happened. Two adults - I'm talking ppl in their 50's.

I have a lower unit in my home. Couples mainly. Fine. People have sex, I know. The wild screaming - okay - put on headsets.

Unfortunately, they stained my couch with sex stains. Not even having the decency to use towels during NOR any attempt to clean up after. I get that's a rareity amongst guests.

The issue was it took my cleaner 2 x's longer to clean AND beside tissues all over the floor - they treated my place like a cheap motel.

How do I review them? I really want to warn other hosts about them. What do you think is the best way to handle this?

Thank you!

Tori

[Tori2]

Good suggestion. Thank you Sandra. That's why I've waited before posting. 🙂

[Linda108]

@Tori2   BTW I love your whippets, cousins of my greyhound!  I think it was wise of you to seek input of this forum.  First of all most hosts have to get over the "ick factor" where bodily fluids are involved, but the feeling of violation also has to subside a bit.  As already suggested, keep your review "clinical" or "neutral" about the lack of respect for the space and cleanliness.  You do not want to give Air BNB any reason to remove the review, right?

[Tori2]

Sandra above just mentioned the star rating. I think that is the best way to handle it. I am waiting and cooling down. I admire folks like yourself who have more experience. I want to make sure that it sends a wink to other hosts...

AND I LOVE my Whippets!!! Love Grey's too! So lovely ... x ty

[Sandra126]

Tori, a low star for clean sends a very definite message.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Tori2 

Definitely 1-star for cleanliness. I think it's best to be as short and factual as possible. 

How about "Guests were messy and disrespectful of my furniture. Took my cleaner x2 than usual to clean up after these guests checked out. Based on my experience, I would not welcome these guests back." 

I also have a fabric sofa and when I decided to start hosting one of  the first things I did was get a sofa cover. 

[Cathie19]

Hi @Tori2. Sorry this happened to your homestay, but who knows what else we can’t see, without ultraviolet or white lights. Hence the need to clean thoroughly at all times....

IMO:

stars:

Follow house rules = 3 ( due to blatant override of host instruction and still actioned a late check = 3

cleanliness = 1- 2-3 stars ( you can rate the mess as you saw it.

communication = if you like to know of big messes, and nothing communicated = 4 

do you recommend = no 👎🏽

Summary: 3 or lower stars will stop them being able to instant book any property.

Review: keep it abstract but telling, so the review is not removed.

“... .. and ... were friendly guests who showed they are inexperienced with our Airbnb community expectations. I wish them well, but cannot recommend them.

or the second sentence could be: I wish them well, but feel they are better suited to a motel.

ALL hosts will read this explicit comment as a messy and disrespectful guest.

Done!

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure why there is so much discussion of itemized star ratings for guests. The guests can not see what star ratings they've been given, and hosts who choose to screen their guests (i.e. those who don't use Instant Book) also can't see them. In practice, they're little more than a placebo to make the review system seem more symmetrical than it really is.

The text in the review does matter, and hosts should always remember that anyone considering their listings can cross-reference and see how hosts have reviewed past guests. In this case, I agree that it's sufficient to say that the guest did not treat your furnishings with respect and caused double the usual cleaning time. I don't think it's ever appropriate to mention consensual sexual activity if it was not in violation of any clearly stated rules (such as restrictions on non-registered guests or use of common areas in a shared home). 

That said, hosts can always wash bed linens in such a way that they are safe and clean for the next guests. But there is a small chance that upholstered furniture can be infected with crab lice or scabies, and a non-zero chance that the eggs left behind can be passed on to the next user of the sofa. I don't know if there's an ideal strategy for eliminating this risk, but that is at least one way that this situation is different from an orange juice spill.

[Sarah977]

@Tori2   I'd second what a couple other posters have mentioned- an Airbnb has to be as bulletproof as possible. As you yourself said, white carpeting was probably not the best choice for an Airbnb. Any upholstered furniture really needs to have a removeable, washable cover. Even if you don't see any stains or anything on the sofa, you really have no idea if a guest sat on it with their bare bum, or whatever.

I'm an upholsterer by trade and as I live in a vacation destination beach town, almost all my clients are vacation rental owners. So I know what guests can do to things (I just list a private room in my home for solo travelers so I avoid a lot of these problems myself). I made a set of white covers for a sofa and chair set for some clients (I strongly suggested they not use white, but that's the look they wanted) and within a month some guest had applied her blue nail polish while sitting on the white sofa, leaving nail polish blobs all over it. Another client had her first set of guests spill red wine all over the sofa, then just flipped the sofa cushion over, as if she'd never notice it. Some guests will do whatever you can imagine and also what you can't imagine anyone would do.

[Alexandra316]

@Tori2I totally agree with Andrew: not mentioning any issues in the review does other hosts a disservice. Hosts can only see star ratings if they have instant book enabled. Also, if the person has less than 5 stars but the review doesn't mention anything negative, the host may just think "Well it couldn't have been too bad: they didn't say anything." You don't have to say that they left bodily fluids on your couch, but saying something about cleanliness wouldn't be amiss. I've had to add this to a few reviews, and haven't had any removed: I usually say, "The flat required more cleaning than usual after their departure."

I am curious as to why you don't review most of your guests. Reviews, good and bad, help other hosts a lot. 

[Jenée0]

There is a difference between heavy blood flow and sex on the bed without regard for your hosts having to clean up the bloodstains. I will be leaving a dark towel in the room if they have consideration enough to use it. As for the review I do believe something does need to be included in the public review. Excellent point about not knowing the star rating if you’re not on instant book. Other hosts should be warned. This type of guest who (clearly not accidentally) leaves blood stains is not the type of guest that most hosts would care to host. If you’re a host that doesn’t mind cleaning up a biohazard then by all means that should be your choice. I would  Definitely choose NOT to host.

[Anonymous]

I agree that it's important to warn other hosts...but I also caution that you have to be careful to avoid saying anything that would result in the review being removed. Anything pertaining to sexual activity or other private/intimate details would be considered a violation of the guest's privacy, so it's better to leave that out and just convey in more general terms that they didn't show appropriate consideration for the furniture.