House not clean

[Javier1666]

Hi

i rented a house for 4 days and when I arrived yesterday I saw the toiled was not clean, and also the dishwasher was full of dirty plates.

I asked the host to refund the cleaning fee (over £100!) but he refused.

can you advise what to do here? Would Airbnb help me with this?

[Till-and-Jutta0]

Hi @Javier1666 , https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3218 says:

What to do if the place you're staying in isn’t clean at check in
If you check in and the place isn’t clean, contact your Host and then contact us. Issues must be reported to us no later than 72 hours after you discover them.

Hope it helps.

[Javier1666]

Thanks. I don’t know if the host will be notified about me reporting it to Airbnb while I’m still in the house, so maybe it’s better to do it once I have done the check out?

I also fear the host might find another way to charge that amount if I claim it back through airbnb.

thanks 

[Till-and-Jutta0]

In my opinion it's better to notify the host. Only this way he has the chance for improvement.

[Javier1666]

I did, but he said he won’t refund it but would clean it. However we already cleaned that

[Till-and-Jutta0]

Any other claims could be made through the resolution center: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/767

 £100 just for toilet cleaning seems a little bit high for me.

[Lorna170]

@Till-and-Jutta0  The $100 cleaning fee the host was charging this guest is not just for the toilet -- it is the cleaning fee that is charged by the host to clean the entire property (wash linens, floors, dust, vacuum, remove trash, clean bathrooms and toilets).  A guest should receive a sanitary property as paid for by the cleaning fee charged to the previous guest, and  IMO, this guest is being charged for cleaning the property after their visit.

If the guest arrived to a dirty bathroom and kitchen, the host should be sending the cleaners back or providing a refund of some amount from their nightly rate -- and then having a chat with the cleaner as to the oversight.  Is the host not leaving enough time between rentals for the cleaner to get there and do a proper job?

To the guest @Javier1666 , from the AirBnB website:

We recommend discussing any refund amounts with your Host through your Airbnb message thread before submitting a request in the Resolution Center. However, if you and your Host aren’t able to come to an agreement, you'll have the option to ask Airbnb for help finding a solution. Issues must be reported to Airbnb with 72 hours of discovery to be eligible under our Rebooking and Refund Policy.

[Till-and-Jutta0]

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@Lorna170 wrote:

@Till-and-Jutta0  The $100 cleaning fee the host was charging this guest is not just for the toilet -- it is the cleaning fee that is charged by the host). 

---

Yes, that’s obvious, and that's not the point, @Lorna170 . @Javier1666 cleaned the toilet by himself, and asks for £100 (which is about $125).

As – you said it right – £100 is the total cleaning fee to clean the entire property (wash linens, floors, dust, vacuum, remove trash, clean bathrooms and toilets) £100 just for the toilet seems a little bit high to me.

[Javier1666]

Not just the toilet. The dishwasher was full of dirty dishes too for example

my point is that I have paid for a service, cleaning, that I have not received

[Till-and-Jutta0]

If the cleaning failed completely, £100 compensation would be fine. How about the linen, @Javier1666 ?

Plus a big excuse from the host.

(At first place, it's the host's responsibilty, not any cleaner's.)

[Javier1666]

What would you suggest? I consider £100 for cleaning is abusive, so I expect everything to be pretty clean. I know hosts tend to make money with abusive cleaning fees, so if I’m paying this money I would expect it to be perfext

 other hosts charge £30 for cleaning 

[Till-and-Jutta0]

You are right, high cleaning fees are a nuisance, and harm to the entire community.

What does your host say: any excuse, any offer?

[Javier1666]

Their only offer was to clean what we already cleaned 🤷‍♂️

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Javier1666 we charge £45 as a cleaning fee which doesnt quite cover the cost of the bed linen going to the launderette. We then don't charge for 3 loads of washing (towels, pillow covers, bathmats etc) 3 hours of cleaning for 2 people. If we used a minimum wage this would easily total £110. Do you still consider £100 excessive if it is actually done by the host?

[Pat271 · Accepted solution]

What I would do is a combination of what everyone has been discussing.

First, I would send someone over immediately to remedy the situation. I consider this my first obligation. If the guest can’t comply (they don’t want anyone in the house, they already cleaned up, etc.) I don’t consider that automatic grounds that I should refund the cleaning fee.

Second, regardless of whether I was able to remedy the situation or not, I would apologize profusely and treat the guest to dinner or some other gift certificate up to a predetermined amount. What I offer may very well match or even exceed the cleaning fee, depending on the amount of neglected cleaning and the inconvenience it caused the guest. I would ask the guest what kind of dinner or gift he/she would like, and call the business to make sure I am charged the predetermined amount.

This is the kind of thing hotels do. They very rarely offer cash refunds except in extreme situations. I know we are not hotels but this type of policy both discourages guests from constantly asking for refunds, and establishes a considerable amount of good will between host and guest.