Charging guests for damaged sheets & towels.

[Carissa4]

i have been having a lot of damaged sheets & towels lately, & when i mention to the guests that they will need to pay for them, a number of times the respnse is: "if i were to stay at a hotel, they would not charge me for such damage."

after a comment like that, i am worried to charge them for the damage out of fear a getting a bad review, but i am also losing a tremendous amount of money having to replace damaged sheets and towels.

can anybody advise me on this matter, & also share how they handle this sort of situation?

thank you for any help!

[Emily87]

I had guests stay and leave stains on the sheets that would not come out...I used everything...it literally looked like **bleep** imprints on the sheets...the sheets had only been used twice!  So I took pictures, informed the guest and airbnb.  The guest immediately apologized and sent money for the replacement sheets...I bought them at Bed, Bath and Beyond so I could submit the online link to them to show the exact cost.  Airbnb suggested I settle it with the guest first, then bring them in if there was a dispute.  There was no negative repercussions on this incident and I hold a super host medal.  I buy white towels from Costco, wash them in hot water with detergent and borax...so far this seems to take care of stains...if a wash cloth is muddy or stained, then I soak in clorox before washing.  I haven't had any rips or tears in anything.  Getting a makeup towel is a good idea and I've been thinking about doing the same.  It can get expensive to replace items, especially if you get a moderate quality that you, yourself would want to use.  I'd definitely let them know if they are ripping things up, especially sheets...there's no excuse!

[Celestina6]

I agree.  Torn sheets are not normal and guests should be required to reimburse you. Save receipts for purchases in the event Airbnb asks for proof of purchase. Then submit a request for money. If they don't respond, get Airbnb involved. I like the idea of disposable make-up removing cloths. I plan to purchase them. The only catch is how many to leave for each guests' stay. For now, I provide wash cloths that are clearly marked "for make-up removal" use.

[Celestina6]

Update: I purchased black wash clothes on Amazon that have "makeup" embroidered on them. This has helped with stains on the wash clothes. I sometimes provide disposable wipes too. Unfortunately this hasn't solved the problem of stained towels or sheets though. It's a tough situation to deal with ruined linens or stolen linens. I've not billed anyone yet but am not opposed to it. It does wear on me because I take pride in my place & take it personally.

[Peggy-And-Mike0]

Hi @Carissa4 I provide black, facial washclothes that have "makeup" embroidered in white on them so there's no mistaking the purpose.  Brilliant idea I got from staying at someone else's home.  I ordered them online and have to think someone in your country is selling them.  

[Celestina6]

Where did you order them?

[Ange2]

@Carissa4   I would just figure out how much it costs you to replace the sheets and towels, average the cost out over the year and up your price per night accordingly.   Airbnb would most likely see it as "wear and tear" and not cover it so it's not worth the roller-coaster ride to even start a resolution.

[Jennifer1191]

Sorry, brand new sheets or towels that are ruined after one guest is not normal "wear and tear". Extreme circumstances need to be dealt with so that guests become accountable just as we hosts have to be accountable. 

[Carl203]

Jennifer,  I started hosting April 2019.  Yep, a Nube!  Your comments are on point and I appreciate the degree of accountability guests need to be held to.  I offer a clean, comfortable place to stay at a low to moderate price for Nashville, Tennesse.  So far the quests I have experienced have been very polite, clean, and respectful.  However, I know challenges will arise... 

Thank you, Carl  

[Natalie223]

 My last guests got blood on BOTH  of my king size sheet sets, a mattress pad  and a blanket with a replacement cost over $200. 

Airbnb actually helped me fill out the reimbursement request (a glitch in the app was making it impossible for me to do this myself, it  is not their SOP to fill out  RR for hosts). During this process I found out that officially it is the 

GUESTS RESPONSIBILITY  to pay for these damages and could be  deducted  from the security deposit, no contest!  

Let's do some math, I pay $1200/mo for rent, $50 internet, $150 utilities, $100 laundry (including Uber to and from laundromat), $50 for coffee /fruit /pop tarts for breakfast, $100 & up on cleaning supplies and other maintenance related items, $50 hired help when I'm really busy = $1700

I make about $2100/month leaving  $400

Now factor in quarterly taxes and the cost of start up and hours of work each week  spent maintaining  the space... 

It is not an option to eat this cost, Airbnb agrees with me, and I will not risk my health or my guests health by scrubbing a biohazardous stain from a replaceable item and reusing that item 

[Lucy99]

I just had the same problem,my house fits up to 13, and it happens at least once a month that I get a few towels with permanent stains and I have to replace them. This time, we had a party of 13  and stained 25 towels and 6 sets of sheets and 2 mattress protectors with blood, mud, soda, makeup and dirt. They left them on the kitchen floor, on the living room, dining room floor, etc. I am sure they cleaned their shoes with them too. I have never been in a situation where they distroyed pretty much all of my linens.

I am afraid if I ask them to pay they will get mad and find something to complain about and give me a bad review. What should I do?

[Hollie6]

Lucy see my response below on what I do to avoid bad reviews yet get reimbursed! I would absolutley charge them for your linens. That was complete disrespect for your house and other hosts should be aware of these guests. I did just learn that if a guest gets a 3 star review they can no longer use Instant book which is great for future hosts but really bad for the guests.

[Celestina6]

You have time to submit a request for money, wait until after the 14 day review time period expires and then submit the request. If they do not respond, get Airbnb involved. Save your receipts for the purchase in the event you're required to provide proof of purchase.

[David126]

From a practical point of view I have read reports from some Hosts who have had success in recovering costs and others who have not.

Might help to makle clear in your listing that you will charge such costs.

[Umberto48]

What are the best color too use for bed linens?

[Hollie6]

I use white so I can bleach them or use peroxide on them for blood. I also prefer to sleep in white sheets myself and thats how I prepare all my houses is up to my personal standard.