What are your pet peeves as a host?

[Irina47]

At the risk of sounding high maintenance I would like to hear from other hosts about their teeny pet peeves that, in the grand spectrum of guests every month, turn into giant paint-in-the-you-know-what annoyances. I’m talking about a pattern of something guests do, maybe it’s weekly, or monthly, but you as a host come across it enough for it to drive you crazy.

Especially those hosts who deal with their guests and property personally. Those of us who don’t have cleaning people, those that selected and purchased every item in your space by hand and even to the smallest washing cloth, you really care about each item you place in the space you offer.

I have a simple room in my home that I Airbnb out. It’s been just under a year and I can’t complain as so far I’ve had pretty wonderful guests. However, every few weeks, I do get a guest that sleeps in their make-up. Once they checkout, the pillows and sheets have make-up residue such as mascara or foundation on them. These products are SO hard to wash out. The makeup issue extends to my towels also. I’ll leave specific small washcloths to be used but still I get guests who insist on removing their makeup into my fluffy hand towels and the stains are permanent. At this point I think I’m going to invest in some makeup removing towelettes and leave them in the room to encourage a clean face.

So what code of conduct do you wish to see in your guests? Maybe you’ve found a good way to combat a reoccurring peeve of your own? I would love to know.

[Zack-and-Jennifer0]

I guess my biggest pet peeve would be people that acknowledge our check-out process and then completely disregard it.  We have a short list on our kitchen counter that asks people to collect all their dirty towels and put them in the wash and start it, load the dishwasher full of their dirty dishes and start it, and take out their trash (can for collection is by the front door). We don't ask people to strip beds or anything like that (we offer a 3 bedroom entire house) and we remind them of the check-out procedures the night before their departure. Failure to start the laundry and dishes easily will an add an hour to my cleaning time and I usually flip the entire house by myself.

Make-up, hair dye, and blood on towels and linens is also a big deal because that always stains and costs money to replace those items. Who in their right mind shows up to someone else's house and then decides to dye their hair hot pink and give themselves a haircut in the bathroom with the kitchen shears? You'd be surprised.

[Sharon42]

I must say most of my guests are wonderful and very considerate.  But I have had the odd one who will up and leave before breakfast without even a goodbye or thank you.  We have been preparing breakfast and come out to see that they are gone!  That is so upsetting and mystifying.  We then think what did we do?  Were they angry about something?  Not sure.

With regard to makeup, I have some black facecloths that have the word "makeup" in white lettering on them.  I have these always in the bathroom on a finger towel rack.  Most people use these but once in awhile I have a white face cloth ruined.  

[Paul154]

Zach and Jennifer

There is a solution to your makeup, dye and inappropriate usage of your towels.

Provide them the already stained towels.  Keep them separate and or marked as such.

It is a nice service. Sometimes people need to clean their feet or wipe up the floor and don't want to use a real towel.

And really why do people want to use your place to dye their hair?  I cringe.

I once had to repaint the bathroom after this hairy guy splattered Nair everywhere.  Ugh....

[Zack-and-Jennifer0]

@Paul154 Yep! There's enough damaged ones now to certainly do that! We have a shoe tray by the front door to leave shoes, so I'll just put some "shop towels" there for their use....good for cleaning golf clubs too since we're on the course. 

[Irina47]

@Zack-and-Jennifer0

This made me cringe! Pink hair dye!? I'm so sorry! 

[Zack-and-Jennifer0]

@Irina47 Oh, yes! Thank you for your pity. Lol! The worst part was that not only did it completely ruin a bath towel, but they laid that towel over one of the beds, so the dye transferred to the duvet and sheets!

The hair clippings were such a pain to clean up too. As a guest, I hate to see hairs left behind from previous guests, so I had to make sure I didn't miss any!

[Giniffer0]

My pet peeve is food stuffs in the bedroom trash and eating meals in the room.   It is one of my house rules as well. It stinks and it attracts unwelcome guests. Before Airbnb, I had a roommate in the space and she kept food in the room, which brought in a number of unwelcome guests, large and small. I had to have the exterminator in as soon as she left 

[Annette33]

ah, the pet peeves that turn into giant annoyances... I have the one about leaving all lights on, at all times. Yours, about the make up stains that are just about impossible to remove  are a bit more than a teeny pet peeve. 

What to do? each incident gives us an opportunity to get creative to find a solution: telling the guest not to do ..........,  often enough just falls on deaf ears, providing another solution, like putting out the make up removers is worth a try, might help 50% of the cases - but only if you casually mention it during check in time. To post a little sweet note about it in writing  is not that effective. People pay for their accomodation and many feel they can just do what they want to do, they don't owe us as much consideration as we owe them.

Bottom line is to prevent burn out, not to let those teeny pet peeves become giant annoyances, that's the only thing we cn control. Maybe less bookings? maybe a higher price to offset having to buy new towels  occasionally?  Maybe just shrug it off and look at each new guest with new eyes?

[Elena87]

Rolling the suitcase wheels along the (freshly washed) floor on arrival, obliviously leaving dusty/muddy/wet contrails in their wake.

Then attempting to put said suitcase on sofa/bed/chairs.

I do try to manage this but sometimes...aaggghhhhhhh

[Tim-and-Holly0]

@Elena87:

Do you have suitcase stands? Might help people stop putting luggage on the bed or furniture.

https://www.amazon.com/Winsome-Wood-Luggage-Rack-Espresso/dp/B000NPOOYU

[Mylinh0]

@Tim-and-Holly0 Suitcase stands...simple but genius idea. 🙂

[Carol194]

about the towels.... my solution is to buy plenty plenty of cheap towels and replace them as needed. the towels are well regarded by my guests as they get quite a pile! I use an nicely smelling detergent and softener too... 🙂 Ikea is a great source. they also dont change the collection all the time so you can reorder the same towels!

[Dick1]

Have been hosting for close to a year now and have no horrors to share. To illustrate how well it has gone (knock on wood), the pet peeve I have to share are guests who make the bed before they leave! I don't mean just sort of arrange the bedding on top of the bed, but actually very carefully and neatly do it up.

[Deborah1]

**bleep** - that bugs me too. I know there are worse things that making the bed (LOL), but I find it amusing. They do know that I am going to strip it to wash the sheets, right? oh, well. At least it is not makeup or blood stains!

[Jamie69]

Yeah, I don't get that either. Almost all my guests make the bed when they leave.

I did have one couple strip the bed and put all the sheets and towels in a pile. I kinda liked that, but I certainly don't expect my guests to do that for me.

Jamie