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

Answered!
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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202 Replies 202
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

-----

 

Please follow the Community Guidelines 

Mar125
Level 10
California, United States

@Jill41 @Stephanie 

 

great question! 

 

In my shop, i require guests do 3 things ( return keys, turn off A/c and wash plates). 

 

most of my guests do one more thing (throw away trash bags to bin)

Karen453
Level 1
Umhlanga, South Africa

Hi, I wonder if someone can advise. What should I expect from my guests when leaving - that they clean the house and leave it in the same state as I left it? (I do not offer a daily cleaning service).

I got an ok review from my guests and I gave them a good review - however in hindsight perhaps I should have told them how disappointing it was to come home to a super dirty floor and cigarette butts in my garden....

Any advise please

Hilary-And-Ed0
Level 10
Brookline, MA

How awful for you!  

 

I would expect people to leave the place in the condition they found it, with the understanding that not everyone cleans the same way.  That is to say, I would expect them to wash dishes, but I would also expect to check them myself to make sure they are up to my own standards.

 

I recommend you put in your listing to "please leave the house in the condition you found it," and then hope that it at lease comes close.

 

If my place were left in the condition you decribed, I would put that in the review in some neutral, just-the-facts way.   Mention that you spent a lot of time bringing the place back to the condition it was before the stay, and that perhaps their needs would be better served at a hotel.

 

 

i agree with Hillary and Ed.  I do NOT charge a cleaning fee, b/c i think that makes people feel they are pahying to have someone clean up after them; instead, i calculate that into my fee.   I will and HAVE kept money out of guests' deposits if/when they leave an unwelcome mess as the one your describe; with well over 200 guest visit, i've only needed to do that 4 times.   Air BnB purposely asks GUests to act as that - GUESTS.  Would a guest make a mess without cleaning up?  Would they throw wet towels on the floor for you to pick up?  etc?   the "Guest" that does should be rated as not recommended and should probably go to a motel/hotel - even there, where housekeeping staff/bell-hops are on premises, there't no excuse for leaving a mess.

 

They are not “guests” technically, they are paying customers. It makes sense. Also you should think about adding a cleaning fee you don’t have to explain the price it’s your place.

Geert20
Level 2
Steenokkerzeel, Belgium

Hi Andrea I am new to Airbnb (as a host) and I would like to know when you ask for the deposit? At the time of check-in? Do you mention this in the description of your listing? Or do you text confirmed guests about the deposit after reservation of your listing? How much do you ask as a deposit? Do you have them sign a document for this? I am seeking for advice. 

Greetings, Geert! 

The deposit is something you set as part of your listing info. In my case i have two properties i list on AirBnB - for one i have the deposit set at $500, for the other $250.  You can set your price in the "pricing" section - where some add discounts, and others, extra charges such as cleaning.  On the very few occasions i needed to "collect" against the deposit,  there was only one tiime i needed AirBnB to assist/mediate; on the other occasions, the guests readily agreed when i pointed out the need for compensation (with pictures!)   hope that helps. 

Geert20
Level 2
Steenokkerzeel, Belgium

Thank you very much Andrea. I was thinking of taking pictures of my apt. before check-in and draw up a document with the pictures added that the guests sign at check-in as a confirmation that this is the condition the apt. was left in. So if damage or anything else should happen I can send airbnb the signed document with the before check-in condition and after check-out (should I ever encounter such guests although I hope not...). What do you think? Is this realistic? Or a bridge too far? I don't want to scare of guests either...If a guest loses the front door key (which in my case is really expensive like € 70,00 just for the front door key..) and I haven't asked for a deposit in my listing, can I contact airbnb afterwards for a compensation? Thank you in advance for your time. I really appreciate it.

Geert- i think that's a bit offputting; i think we need to do everything we can  to encourage the sense in guests that they should act as guests visiting a friend's/family's place where one would hope they have those people and their place in their best interest and do their utmost to keep things in order and clean.  Instead- Take pictures of your house and if something is damaged or if there's a mess that's well beyond considerate use of the house, take a photo.   i've never had to deal with the before/after pics myself.  the "after" have always spoken for themselves.  a lost key? i would definitely apply that to the deposit.  a broken picture frame? depends how the rest of the house looks- if everything else was orderly and they told be about the breakage, i'd thank them, and tell them "things happen" (which they do) but if i found it broken along with sticky flooring, overflowing garbage, dishes iin the sink, etc etc.  i'd charge, and i'd charge a bit for "extra" cleaning (i don't charge a cleaning fee otherwise, because i expect to clean an polish between each stay, but i don't expect to cclean up after people who show such little respect)

Geert20
Level 2
Steenokkerzeel, Belgium

OK thank you very much for your input Andrea. Let's just hope I will never deal with such guests...

Greetings, Geert! 

The deposit is something you set as part of your listing info. In my case i have two properties i list on AirBnB - for one i have the deposit set at $500, for the other $250.  You can set your price in the "pricing" section - where some add discounts, and others, extra charges such as cleaning.  On the very few occasions i needed to "collect" against the deposit,  there was only one tiime i needed AirBnB to assist/mediate; on the other occasions, the guests readily agreed when i pointed out the need for compensation (with pictures!)   hope that helps. 

For a guest, cleaning fee means the place will be cleaned up BEFORE you get there, not that you have to clean it before you go, after all you are a PAYING guest. You're not JUST a guest who is staying there for free and should leave the place as they found it. My mother raised me to "always leave the place better than you found it" mentality, and I also inherited her cleaning freak OCD" so I CAN'T help but leave it clean, but I think MOST people aren't raised that way I don't think. Hope that helps give you a guest's humble point of view.

We paid $40 for breakfast and was told to wash our own dishes - this is too much and ruins any vacation bliss.  Won't go back.

40$ for breakfast? Oh my, what did they feed you, all you can eat buffet and mimosas? This is a ridiculous price for a home made breakfast!