Cockroaches and refunds

[Brian311]

We have a guests staying for about 2 weeks, half way through their stay they are complaining that there are cockroaches in the house. Our properties are on an island (tropical weather), therefore a cockroach entering the house is not unheard of, although we haven't had any complaints whatsoever this year.

They called this evening, after a series of  'coincidental series of events' that I wouldn't like to go through here...

In any case I explained that we have no control over cockroaches entering the house and that I can spray the house tomorrow morning. I feel there is nothing more to do. However the guests are indicating that they will probably leave tomorrow to go to a hotel and I'm assuming that they will request a refund.

I don't feel they are entitled to any sort of refund in this case, however I wanted to get some feedback.

What are your views?

Thanks!

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Brian311 FOr the sake of peace and a bit of a good reiew I would give a refund but mention in the feedback that roaches are edemic and love hotels just as much as they love private homes. I would make it professional, or joke about it....people will understand. Personally I would refund half their stay...but you may feel that is too generous

[Brian311]

I explained that at this time of year it's not unusual, however we didn't have any other incidents this year.
Considering a sequence of events, 

I don't feel I should refund a whole week in high season, due to insects that are beyond our control. This is not a cleaning issue, and guest agrees about this at least... I offered to spray the house tomorrow but I think they have already made up their mind.

[Dimitri51]

Nasty topic.

I think it really depends on the context here.

If you've taken all possible measures, e.g. treated your listing regularly with pest poison and tried to limit unventilated moist area in your place and if the listing is situated in a tropical area where they are endemic and out of your control, there isn't much else you can do.

If your listing is indeed situated in a tropical area where this happens regularly, I would consider briefly mentioning in the ad the possibility of occasional tropical insects. To be upfront about it and it'll give you more of a leg to stand on if/when such a thing happens.

Now if your listing is an appartement in the middle of a city and you attracted cockroaches because you failed to instal a simple ventilation in the bathroon thus creating an unsanitary and artificial tropical zone, that's a different story...

In any case, complete, partial or no refund I would really encourage you to treat the guest very gently and with a lot of understanding. Especially is they're not aggressive about it and can document their claim.

I went through a similar situation myself as a guest and I can tell you it can be a very traumatic experience. Seeing them creeping aroung you and having to sleep in a bed in which you saw some running around just moments before is no small feat.

They are very dirty (bacteria), can bite and lay eggs everywhere. The phobia to not get rid of them and bring them home with you is real. I had one of them jumping out of my luggage at the airport...

So yeah, to the hosts out there, do not get defensive too quickly and dismiss this horrible experience too lightly even if people might freak out a bit, especially at first. Take precautions to ensure the risk is as low as possible.

To the guests, keep in mind that in some parts of the world the risk is real, no matter what the host does and that it's (unfortunately) part of the experience in such places.

Last reaction to some comments below:

No, dirt and food rests won't "create" a cockroach problem, anywhere. They spawn from warm and humid corners: e.g. pools of stagnant water.

Dirt and food rests will attract them, if they are already present in the area.

Peace out and keep traveling the world !

[Van6]

May I ask if you think if it is possible that there is roach in a Swiss flat, during a winter/spring season with 3 degrees Celsius?

[Wenona0]

We had a similar issue in our apartment, but it turns out it was because the guests were DISGUSTINGLY DIRTY(!!!) and had not bothered to throw out their rubbish during their stay!

We gave them a 10% discount and just sent them a private note that they should responsible for taking their trash out.

To be honest, I think they just wanted the acknowledgement that we heard their "problems"

[Ashley215]

A few nights of cookies on the cabinet wont cause cockroaches. It happens over time.. cracks in walls, water leaks, not cleaning the house properly. You much blame on the guest. I have never had roaches in my home and had roaches at the airbnb we just stayed on the first night. You cant tell me i caused them. Esp when a review mentioned roaches a year ago but the host assured me they were gone. Yeah right.

[Sarah977]

Yes, Ashley, a few nights of cookie crumbs on the counter DOES attract ants, cockroaches, etc, almost immediately in the tropics. If I neglect to wipe down my counters thoroughly after food prep, there will be bugs on it within 15 minutes. And no matter how clean you are, these critters are indemic to the area. They were living here way before we were.

People who are freaked out about insects should never travel to the tropics.

[Michael956]

I have a home in tropical Brazil.  Roaches,  ants and other incests appear almost immediately when food or drink is spilled.  If you dont' live in the tropics, you don't know how easy it is for a bug to enter the home.  They are everywhere.  I have little sympathy for people who travel to tropical climates and then freak out over a bug or reptile.  

[Van6]

May I ask how high there is a probability of having a roach in a flat at a season with 3 degrees Celsius, in a non-tropical country? (I don't mean you need to give me a scientific answer but from your opinion. Thanks for your help :))

[Ed268]

I disagree. I was born in southern Brazil, and while roaches are common, you should not use the fact that you're in the tropics to justify an infestation.

We stayed in Praia da Ferrugem -- itaIt doesn't more  tropical than that -- in March at a huge wooden house and didn't see a single roach.

[Sarah977]

@Ed268  Just because you didn't see one doesn't mean there weren't any hiding out somewhere, you know. Also, just because a place is in a tropical climate, roaches aren't necessarily endemic in great numbers everywhere.

Of course if a place gets fumigated regularly, there won't be any critters. But not everyone likes to spray poison around. Roaches are endemic here where I live. I see the odd one, kill it and also use a cockroach-killing gel in places where no one accesses. So I certainly don't have any infestations, but that's no assurance that me or a guest might not see the odd one. That's preferable to me than spraying toxic chemicals on a regular basis. Which kills the geckos and other non-harmful, non-gross wildlife.

Then there are the flying cockroaches- saw palmetto bugs. They are impossible to keep out when they are abundant, which thankfully has only happened once in my area. They just fly in any open door or window and it isn't that they are attracted to food or damp areas. My friend used to live in the Bahamas said she had a terrible time with them there- they were everywhere and she's an OCD clean freak.

[Michael956]

@Ed268  I'd never justify an infestation, but one or two insects in a tropical setting is no reason to freak out. 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Brian311

Looks like another thing to add to your description and "other things to note". 

 Depending on how the guests handle the situation and their review, I think I'd consider a partial (50%ish) refund of the week they didn't stay. Not full. I'd probably wait a while before giving back the refund. 

[Ashley215]

They get run off by cockroaches on your property and you still charge them for time they couldnt use? Fairness would be a full refund of the time they couldnt stay due to infestation beyond their control, cockroaches are hardly ok in a home. Theyre caused by dirty home, water leaks and cracks/entryways for bugs ti enter over time. That is the host/property owner's responsibility the same as a landlord of a conventional rental property. They carry disease and cause allergies..

The renter should be refunded all time not stayed and half the night they did stay while enduring the infestation.