What should a guest do before they leave re: cleaning/tidying?

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Jill41
Level 1
Hove, United Kingdom

What should a guest do before they leave re: cleaning/tidying?

I have just had a guest who left unwashed crockery, one of the toilets was disgusting, wet towels everywhere, duvets on floor, gas hob thick with grease and dirty greasy kitchen surfaces. I wrote a neutral review saying they were friendly and communicated well before the hosting. I choose to let him know privately that I was surprised at how the apartment was left but made it friendly and offering understanding if there had been a problem but I got this back

 

'Did you really expect us to clean the house before leaving? I think you don't even know what kind of service you are offering. Airbnb is about renting your house as a Hotel, It is not like couch surfing, where people do it for free. I paid more than 400 € for only 3 nights in your old apartment and after that amount of money, that is almost a robbery for the quality of the flat, you are cheeky enough to tell me about the cleaning? You are charging almost a half monthly salary for only 3 nights, you must be able to clean it after all. We didn't break anything, but as you should understand like when I go to a hotel I don't care about tidying or cleaning, because I don't have to do it. .....the house full of boxes everywhere, and the bathrooms were pretty dirty when we came in. So please, stop saying bull**bleep**, take your money that you probably don't even pay taxes for that and this business is totally under the table and don't text me again. I will tell you again just to make it clear, when you pay such a crazy amount of money for a renting, you don't have to clean after being in the house, you must take care like we did and don't break anything.'

 

The apartment is professionally cleaned in between each guest and the bathrooms are spotless so he has lied about that. I don't charge a cleaning fee. There are no boxes laying around and there is no smell - so my question is this - how should a guest be expected to leave a rental? Everyone else who has stayed has said the apartment is really clean and have left it fine. I expect to have to clean but not this level, am I expecting too much from my guests? 

 

He left me a great review.

 

Thanks for any advice so i can put it on my hosting:)

1 Best Answer
Stephanie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hi everyone,

 

Airbnb has Ground Rules for guests, which details the reasonable cleaning a guest should do when staying in a Hosts listing. You can see more here: Ground rules for guests

 

Thanks,

Stephanie

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Please follow the Community Guidelines 

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202 Replies 202

Trust me , I think some of them do not know how to read.

George154
Level 2
Stuart, FL

This guy is off base!  You're not renting your home as a hotel -- he's renting someone's home!  I put in my listing that they're staying in someone's house, and I expect to have guests treat the space courteously, like it was their own.  I also had a disastrous group of guests recently who left the inside grimy, with sheets and towels everywhere and caked-on dishes in the unrun dishwasher, and 50-100 cigarette butts in the back yard.  Really?  Do they treat their own property like this?  I decided to put in a security deposit of $500 and am seriously thinkingo of charging a cleaning fee.  I have the place cleaned anyway, but this way if they leave it really dirty, I can at least accept that situation better after getting them to pay for the cleaning.  I know, I'll get less listings with these hoops for the guests to jump through, but with the local Marriott charging more than twice what I do anyway, they can stay there if they can't deal with being responsible for staying in someone's house.

Hi,

We rent out our loft area and a bedroom both private baths. The kitchen is not appart of the rental because we dont want to deal with all that,, We charge a $10 cleaning fee for the loft and $9 for the one bedroom. We have been doing it for just a year now about 100 guests and none complain about the cleaning fee. 99% of the people really pick up after themselves as well only a few issues but we do charge for cleaning. Good luck.

 

Question for you. Under Amenaties; Logistics what is "Cleaning before checkout"? 

Marty

 

absolutely right, George!  I just responded to Hillary and Ed's note.  I DO charge for excessive mess - the kind that suggests the sense of entitlement that includes not wanting to clean up after oneself, and not minding others needing to.  I've withheld deposit $s onlyu 4 times out of well over 200  bookings - interestingly twice from WEst Point people (once a group of cadets, which i should've reported - and then a visiting family)  

 

 

Hello Andrea,

 

Did the airbnb pay you full since you have indicated "charge for excessive mess"?

 

Thanks,

Sab

not sure i understand your question.  Through AirBnB, the guests in these instances paid the full rate advertised, but our rule, and AirBnB's is "leave is as you found it".. Our house is spotless when guests arrive, with breakfast goods in the fridge, and in the Winter the fireplace set to go.  Our hope is that every guest will have a great time in our house, and in our town.  Our expectation is that they will treat our house as they see we do.   and leave it that way (we don't insist they put dishes away, but we do require that they're washed and left to dry in either the rack, or machine, whichever they prefer.  etc. etc. ) if we come in to a floor that's sticky with beer , or cigarettes strewn around in our yard, board games out with pieces all over, sheets sets/towels/blankets out well beyond the number needed for the number of people expected, stains on furniture, countertops, bicycle tires marks on the hall walls, then we put in for withholding a part of their security, as we obviously needed to clean up "messes"  that they should never have caused and/or should have cleanerd up themselves.  hope that answers your question.

Yes, they probably do treat their own property like that. I have had to deal with an unbelievable number of folks who live in total sqalor over the years of being a property manager. Most of these folks look perfectly presentable, nice clothes, good hair, personally clean. You'd never guess they live like pigs.

 

That said, I have been very fortunate with my airbnb guests in my spare bedroom/bath I list. Only one left a total mess behind. All the rest of my guests have left the space really tidy, and even bundle up the used linen, even though I don't expect them to do that. Some have even washed MY dirty dishes. But I do think that the host living on premises is more condusive to this behavior than when folks just rent out a whole house and are physically absent.

 

I think what you’re talking about is vastly different from someone leaving dirty dishes in the sink or unmade beds. 

As hosts, it’s our responsibility to clean it and just like a hotel you can ask for a security deposit just by being on Air Bnb if things are broken or need extra cleaning. If you don’t want people to treat your home like a hotel than don’t resent your home out to strangers who are paying to stay there.

As an Airbnb host you are renting out your private Home. Its not a hotel. Its cheaper than a hotel and guests Can not expect a hotel like service. I always use 2-3 hours to clean the apartment before people come and i expect the guest to leave My House as it was when they arrived. I dont charge a cleaning fee and therefore people are NOT playing me for cleaning after Them and must do it them self

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

well it also depends of how much host charges... if I rent a place for 35€/night and cleaning lady charge 15€/hour then I would expect my guests to leave my place in a condition which would not require more than 1 hour of cleaning, because there are also other costs I have: like loundry service, utility bills, detergents , taxes... and would like to earn something too.

And not just bc of the cost, but also bc there is no time for excesive cleaning in those few hours between two bookings 

 

However, leaving the place in a decent condition and mess free is a MATTER OF CULTURE and some guests don't have it . They probably throw trash on the streets as well with the excuse of paying high city taxes.

Jess21
Level 10
Austin, TX

@Jill41 Everyone is different but I would suggest charging a cleaning fee and saying you'll refund it if the place is left nicely. 

 

Really cant believe this guy's message to you. He is totally off-base, your home isn't a hotel and he should have treated it with respect. He could have rented a less expensive option if he couldn't afford it. So crazy. 

Tania-and-Andrew0
Level 10
Cancún, Mexico

I am sorry this happened to you; but as others have mentioned: cleaning or not is a matter of culture. I rent my own space and share the house with the guest so I keep an eye on how clean they are and when giving the house tour I make sure to tell them that this is my home which they are sharing and I expect them to leave everything as they found things. Most guests I've had even leave the beds made (of course, I unmake them and wash the sheets).

I would recommend that you visit your property frequently while your guests are them, to make sure you have time to greet them when they arrive and give them a tour of where they can find the basic things they would need to clean after themselves. And reminding them this is not a hotel, it is your home and should be treated as such.

Good luck!

Gerry-And-Rashid0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Jill41

 

Not a nice experience, and here are a few thoughts:

 

There have been a few suggestions along the lines of 'leave the place as you found it'. Personally I really don't think that is the right approach. Leave it as you found it means clean the property before you leave - would you really do that on a two night weekend?

 

A cleaning fee is a good way to say to people: I am guaranteeing that when you arrive the place will be clean and tidy for you. 

 

I think you should have some basic rules printed in the kitchen/bathroom area - and draw them to the attention of the guests when they check in. They should be simple: wash all crockery, throw out rubbish, leave all towels on the floor of the bathroom, etc.

 

It's interesting that you gave them a good review, and vice versa: but when prodded you gave them a dressing down and they did the same to you. Was there any truth in any of their comments? Might be good just to  review them objectively and see if there is any room for improvement.

 

I would also suggest that you will alwasy get a range of guests - from the super tidy and clean to the not so....so your cleaning fee (whether built in to the nightly price or separate) will even out over time.

@Jill41 Yes, the guy is way out of line. But WHY did you give a good review?!??

guest was good communicator but left behind considerably more mess than the usual ABB guest. Perhaps this guest is better suited to a hotel. 

Clearly that's where his thinking is and now you've sent him on to his next unsuspecting host with a good review. 

Saying a guest is noisier than usual or less communicative or messier than other guests leaves room to say "well, I didn't accuse them of anything , I just said other guests' standards are higher"

Des3
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

 

Hi Jill,

It really is is a difficult one, as cleanliness really is very subjective.

I charge a £30 cleaning fee, but as I get the flat blitzed between guests, I always spend more, or double up with the cleaner to break even on the cost. I'd hate to just assume that all guests have the same standards as me only to the find out that they'd left greasy plates, food stuck to cutlery and kebab meat under the sofa - all charming traits of a previous lodger who thankfully is no longer with me.

I think it's reasonable to assume that one person could clean the flat in the period between check-out and check-in, which for me is 4 hours. If you find that increasingly this isn't the case, then maybe adjust your house rules, and also the time between guests?

When it comes down to it, guests are paying for a service, but Airbnb's ethos primarily advocates home sharing. Which to me means that you'd treat it less like a hotel. That said, I personally hate to live in squalor and usually end up leaving hotels rooms tidy. Also, I've noticed that Airbnb appears to be moving away from the original business model and not only encourages letting agents, many of its policies actively support accommodation professionals, not just those who open their homes. This means that there are plenty of unoccupied party flat Gur the people to wallow in. Horses for courses!

A close friend of mine who has a number of homes she rents out advised me keep personal touches such as the odd photo hear and there, as it encourages people to treat your place like a home. Nothing like you and granny looking down on their ad behaviour lol! But then again, as many have added, some people live in filth, so this may have no effect.

I must admit, I've only hosted 6 or 7 times, and all guests have been fine. Some have left my flat immaculate, and others not quite as much so. Some obviously haven't opened a window for the duration of their stay, others forgot to take the rubbish down. But I guess as a host you have to suck it up, as long as theirs no damage and rules have not been broken. I think sticking house rules everywhere just dilutes the important stuff. You want guests to relax and enjoy your space, and not feel on edge. If not, then perhaps hosting isn't for you?

I'd also say vet your guests if you can afford to. I know Airbnb won't allow you to discriminate, but you know what? It's my pristine flat, and I'm not going to let a group of teenagers hire it for New Years even for obvious reasons. I'd be sick with worry, and wouldn't want to have to deal with the fall out, call me judgemental, I don't care. There are a million reasons I can think of the turn down bookings. I know Airbnb penalises you. But better to not be at the top of every search, and have peace of mind!

Good luck and I hope that this was a one off.

Des