Guest accountability -Guests not reading House Rules or messages.

[Kristin108]

I am a full time professional host with superhost status. I have 3 listings that I have been hosting for nine years.

My properties are booked at 100% through the end of September and most of October... And I do enjoy what I am doing...

My property is unique as I am on a 67 acer farm in the foothills, outside Portland, OR. So there are important details the require a phone call... As I do not have cell service here at the farm, I require ALL guests call me on my landline before check in. This avoids people getting lost, etc... Or driving the long way 3 miles on a gravel road. But it also creates a rapport, (I hope) so guests feel they have a connection with me as the owner.

But I am continually frustrated with the issue of guests not reading either my detailed descriptions on my three listings, or the messages I send out after the guests has booked.

As this is now August 2021, it seems like peoples brains have turned to mush! The sense of entitlement guests appear to have is astounding! 

What happened to guest accountability? 

People do NOT wash their hands, they do NOT properly wash their dishes, even though I have a new, expensive dishwasher... They continually break wine glasses and don't bother to mention it or offer to pay for them...  And they do NOT empty the trash! Often with used tampons and or dirty diapers!!

They do not even properly flush the toilet... And the list goes on...

I have always required an initial meet and greet and walk through, because my properties are not 'cookie cutter'.  I have to show each guest where to park and where the trails are, etc... 

This check in process is ALL outlined in my automated message when guests book. And I recap a few days before they arrive. But to no avail!

Often guests are rude, and in a hurry to just get into the house... And if I have an group of unrelated people who have booked, they scatter like cats... And then complain that they don't have this or that... (When actually I have shown them, or its in a cupboard like the iron).

Or the could just call me from the dedicated landline in the Guest House to my landline... As I have explained upon check in... Or walk 100 feet and knock on my door!

I truly think it is about time that Airbnb stepped in and had guests sign some kind of agreement!

Guests should be made accountable and responsible!

(Just like we as hosts had to for CDC cleaning compliance)...

Any suggestions on how to get the non existent customer service to get a clue??

[M199]

@Kristin108 

Airbnb  is a a platform that allows hosts to connect with and reserve guests.  They are a booking service only.  It is  up to the host to manage their bookings, guests and expectations.

[Elaine701]

In any practical sense, "house rules" are unenforceable. "House rules" are not Airbnb policy, and therefore, unenforced by Airbnb (but then, neither are a few other "official" Airbnb policies). 

Most guests, however, aren't aware that your house rules are unenforceable, so despite not having the weight of Airbnb behind you, I've often found it effective to tell the guest that if Airbnb finds out, they will be subject to some very unpleasurable consequences. "I don't want to do that to you, but I can, if you continue". It seems to work more often than not.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Kristin108 

yes, we are dealing with the same problem and this year it's worse than ever. Guests don't even know about the check-in time frame bc it is not prominently shown. In the last 5 months, we already had a few cancellations when guests realized they can't check in late in the evening.

Airbnb placed the house rules on the bottom of the page and our custom rules are hidden behind the "show more" link. I have to remind EACH guest to read them and often I have to explain where they will find them. It is difficult because the layout is different on the desktop than on the phone or tablet. Even links are different, on the desktop is written "show more" and on the phone is written "additional rules"

Every listing description is cut in many places so there is "listing description", "location", "reviews" , "about the neighborhood" , "other things to note".... and so on and on... and every part shows just one sentence and then has to be expanded, and of course guests get tired of expanding one by one of this pieces of information and just skip them altogether

What I want to say is that Airbnb with its totally user-unfriendly platform is also partially responsible for this situation and makes our work more difficult than it could be. Guests are unhappy as well and blame us for their failure to read important information about check-in time, parking etc.

I've said it many times and will say it again - I wish this platform today looks like it was back in 2017.  The only positive changes since then are "professional tools" and "multi-calendar" ......but even multi-calendar newest updates are TERRIBLE!

[Colleen253]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 What a great summation of what is contributing to the issue.

[BenkaandKeith0]

ODLICNO!!! SE SLAZEMO PODPUNO!!! @Branka-and-Silvia0 

[Ann-Marie67]

I can't agree more with the platform being very  much to blame for guests not reading information.  If guests book on a desktop they get all the information in front of them, but when they book on the phone app, they basically look at the picture and price and then wonder why they can't brgin their dog, toddlers etc when it states quite clearly in the house rules no pets or children under 12.

I really do think it is the platform, as I have even had other hosts not read the information on our property (and I spent a lot of time getting it to be exact!).

surely, Air Bnb must realise this - I have complained many times, about people requesting bookings against the house rules.

[Connie168]

Especially when Airbnb's response to the Host's concerns about the new Refund policy is to add more, clearer items to your House Rules. If Guests aren't reading, or able to read, the House Rules, how does adding more help?

[Colleen253]

@Kristin108 This has become a very common complaint from hosts over the past year. It seems to be related to the pandemic. People aren’t able to travel like they used to, are perhaps stressed out or unhappy or what have you, and are having to ‘settle’ for their less than dream vacation. It’s creating a special headache for hosts everywhere. Whatever the reason, it’s probably not going to improve any time soon. 

[Kristin108]

Thanks @Colleen253 

My property is actually most guests 'dream vacation'... But I think you are spot on about the pandemic stressing people out...

My idea was that if enough hosts were to complain... Airbnb might actually have to do something about it. Like I said, require a higher level of accountability from guests.

I do what I can with the detailed description and greeting guests, but my properties are taking a big hit with the total disconnect guest have... I don't see how it is ever okay to leave used tampons and dirty diapers in the bathrooms!

[BenkaandKeith0]

We have to add that in our case is getting better, because we keep adding the rules, pounding them in the heads of visitors, sending messages, having the entire list of ready to go messages, keep stressing, nagging, reminding, going on and on. And rising prices. Seems like this works the best. At least in our case higher prices assure us that the best guests will come to us and the rest of less responsible will end up elsewhere. This is perfect with us and suits us well. From what we are hearing from our guests, they actually LIKE places with more House Rules then less. They say: "At least we know what is expected from us. We stay away from booking places with no or general house rules, you never know what they will want at the end from you."

[Robin4]

@Kristin108  @BenkaandKeith0 

As hosts we are probably our own worst enemies!

We all have different expectations from our guests, and it simply confuses them. It seems that whatever they do, it's going to be wrong.

Most hosts I read of here will cane a guest in the review process because they didn't wash their dishes, they left a mess, they didn't put their garbage out.

I prefer guests leave their dishes, leave their mess, and I tell them to, because I know if they do them, clean up, it won't be done properly! They will just give the dishes and pots a quick rinse and put them away in the cupboard all ready for the next guest to have a go at me because there was food residue on a knife or coffee stains in the bottom of the cup.....finger prints/lipstick on the glasses, cooking fat on the frypan! I know, I have had it happen!

If the guest wants to live with stuff not washed properly while they are here, fine, that's their business. I don't want them however finding that when they arrive, so I put everything the guest uses through the house dishwasher but, if they have made an attempt at washing and put stuff away, I don't know what they have used and what they haven't, so I say to them, 'please just leave the dishes and things for me to do'!

Don't make the bed, don't do the garbage because you won't separate out the recycling .......some of which is under deposit legislation. Let me discover what might have gone wrong, don't try to hide it so it slips past me for a next guest to find!

Now some guests are fine with this but others will say..."How come other hosts say we have to leave the place as we find it"! 

We can't get it right can we! If we spell out what is required of them we are being overbearing and expecting to much, if we let them go we are settings double standards and confusing what are their responsibilities. 

I am not being fair to other hosts....but equally they are not being fair to me, we are not helping each other!

Cheers........Rob.

@Colleen253  @Branka-and-Silvia0  @Elaine701 

[Colleen253]

@Robin4 We are kindred spirits. I do the same!

[Kristin108]

Sorry, @Robin4 

I just can't agree with dirty dishes...

I live in the country and food attracts rodents... And I might not get to the Guest House the day they check out... Dirty dishes, garbage, etc... Is a disaster...

But what i am talking about goes WAY beyond that! I have guests leaving dirty tampons and soiled diapers in the bathroom!

I'm talking about common decency, accountability and a huge increase in overall slovenliness.

my properties are five star listings with very high end furniture, bedding , etc... And I charge a lot too to keep the 'riff raff' at bay... 

[Robin4]

@Kristin108 

Ah, but that brings me back to my original point.....we all host in a different way Kristin. 

My situation, I host in a cottage that is no more than 30 metres from the main house, as soon as the guest leaves, I farewell them at the front gate and get on with getting ready for the next guest who in many instances will arrive within 3-4 hours.

What I do is not practical for a lot of other hosts, they live remotely, cleaners work to a schedule which does not involve being available as soon as the guest leaves but, it is practical for me....... and that is why I say we confuse guests because we all expect something different out of them.

I don't want guests doing my work, I have a laminated checklist that keeps me focused when I get interrupted, and I tick off items as I do them with each guest service and I put a copy of that guest's checklist in the house rules folder to illustrate to guests just what we do here.

Yes, I also have had to deal with condoms and diapers under the bed, make-up stains all over the linens, face washers used as make-up removers.....and even worse, Acne treatment which bleaches fabrics permanently ruining them. Welcome to hosting! As nice as guests may seem, some of them can be pretty thoughtless and we have realise this is a part of what we do, we might not like or enjoy it, but as far I am concerned the not so good ones remind me of just how good the others are, I try to remain positive....and it works!

Kristin, the community centre works because we all have an input which will be different from the next and we get to share ideas that work for us....sometimes those ideas work for others as well, so this is a valuable resource for hosts to have.

Cheers.........Rob