How to communicate with guest that leave a mess?

[Vladislav0]

Hello! 

I often experience that some guests are very accurate and tidy and the others leave the flat dirty.  It often requires double as much time to clean after such people. What to do?

To write a bad review is nothing. To charge money for cleaning, but I dont want to take it from tidy people. Deposit works only if something is damaged. But if house rules say, "wash up after you" and they dont do it, trash all over the place,  what to do? Violation of house rules took place, but there is no remedy to punish that.

Anyone can suggest something? I thought to charge for cleaning and then return money to tidy people, but it is to much administration for that. 

[Amy63]

I really like your suggestion and will use it. Thanks!

[Louise0]

I love, love, love my guests from China, but yes, I used to occasionally have the problems some of you have mentioned.  Now, they are my favourite guests, and if I could have 100% Chinese family groups year round I'd be thrilled.  I've had some fascinating conversations and their respect for my property, their gratitude and their fascinating insights into the difference between our cultures is absolute hosting gold.

The fix was simple, I paid to have a summary of my house rules and manual translated into Simplified Chinese.  Ever since, I've had none of these issues.  I've also put a lot of work into researching what Chinese tourists are hoping to experience in Oz and do my best to deliver it consistently.  

I know it's frustrating, but please, before you condem an entire nationality, put yourself in their shoes. Many of these wonderfully curious people have had no direct experience of travel outside the PRC.  Imagine encountering a western home for the first time?  So many things we take for granted are completely new to them.   Add the hurdle of confronting house rules and manuals in a foreign language and is it any wonder that we have these problems?

Airbnb, if you're serious about attracting the PRC market, please focus on giving hosts the tools they need to make it work for both host and guest.  

[Robin4]

@Louise0 Hi Louise, we have crossed swords in the past but I agree with you 100%, the Chinese are a lovely gentle race and very respectful. I like your idea of a Chinese translation to your house rules, and as more and more Chinese are travelling to this country this would be a definite bonus, although I have discovered from the two Chinese guests we have had that, their knowledge of English is quite good....way more so than my Chinese!! I walked by the reception desk in a Beijing hotel one afternoon and casually said to the 7 or 8 receptionists behind the desk....... Ni-Hao-Ma (pronounced Ne How Ma, Chinese, I think, for 'how are you') and they all burst out laughing!!!

As there is good phone access to Airbnb in China Louise there is probably a competent help section there, and it is possible that they are probably doing all they can do, after all the Chinese come here to learn of another culture and it is up to people like you to wave the banner here...which you are obviously doing! Short of having Chinese speaking personnel on the help desk, I am not sure how Airbnb could assist any further. I would be interested to know what 'tools' you have in mind.......Rob

[Paul10]

Some interesting thoughts here, Rob, thanks.  Our experience has been very troubling, frankly.  Each time we have an inquiry from prospective guests from China or Korea, we discuss whether to accept or not.   So far we haven't said no once.  And we are very, very clear with them about our house rules and our expectations for how the house should be left.  Very clear, as in we repeat to the point it starts to feel intrusive.  And very unfortunately, despite our repeated, simly worded rules and expectations, the house is all too often left very dirty, with laundry, dishes, etc left around the house.  What are we to conclude when this is never our experience with guests from all over the world?  We've been hosts for almost 4 years, hosted folks from all over the US, as well as Europe, South America, Japan, and Africa.  Zero issues with any other guests.  Based on our communications with our guests from China and Korea prior to their arrival, I don't think their facility with English is the issue.  Additionally, our communications with them after they've checked out, attempting to resolve damaged furntiture and other issues, haven't gone well.  We raised the issues respectfully, but their responses were contemptuous, blaming us for the damage (??!!), disparaging the property or our cleaners, and denying any responsibility.  

[Julie142]

I'm actually dealing with a guest like that right now as we speak. And yes, she is from China.

The problem with most Chinese guests (especially the younger generation,) is that all the prosperous families have   maids in their homes doing all the housekeeping work. Younger generations don't have to lift a finger to do anything. Sadly, they also see their hosts as their Filipinos maids.

I'm renting a room with a shared bathroom in my condo. My guest has booked a 10-days stay (3 more to go).

I feel sad about this, but I'm at the point to either kick her out or say something unpleasant to her. 

I cannot begin to explain the amount of frustration that she has caused to me since she arrived. For starters she uses at least 5-6 towels x day, leaves massive amount of mess everywhere, dirty blender, cups and dishes allover my place, dirty makeup, clothes, bags and food everywhere. She has also taken over the entire condo. Her belongings are all over the place, but the biggest problem is the bathroom.
In almost a year of hosting, I’ve never witnessed this before. This person pretty much floods the entire bathroom every time she uses the shower. She doesn’t use the shower curtain; she doesn’t dry all the water afterwards. The bathroom floor and the rug are completely soaked every time.
You see, I have marble floors and extended amount of water on the floor can result in damage of the tiles.
I’ve been cleaning after her for a week now, and yesterday I finally told her NICELY to not leave the bathroom all flooded anymore. She replied with an annoyed expression, but eventually agreed.

Couple of hours later the bathroom was worse than ever before. She has now started to do this it even more frequently. Last night she was screaming at 1 am, calling my name. I ran to see and she was holding a clean top-bedding sheet that she took from my closet without asking, saying that there was a worm and some kind of weird nonsense…

I just can’t take it anymore.

I've become so aggravated that I decided to leave and go stay at my friend’s hose for 2-3 days until she’s gone.

Needless to say, I am now a hostage. If I say something to her she will leave negative review. If I don’t, she may do that anyways…

This is beyond senseless! Why can’t the hosts do anything when the insolent guests disrespect the house rules? There should be some kind of punishment in a form of mandatory rules review before guests like her can book again.

[Paul10]

wow.  that's truly a horror story.  i'd contact Airbnb immediately and tell them you don't feel safe with this guest in your home.

[Harry-Haetahk0]

first my sympathy to you. 

re: reviews, if you dont leave a review, the guest's review will not be seen on your airbnb review page. 

second of all, if i were you, I would ask her to leave and return the portion unused. 

it is your house and any damage to the house and excessive consumption of your consummables will cost you, leaving no fair compensation for your asset and effort. 

Next time you hv an inconsiderate guest, give a warning that he/she can be kicked out in the most amicable way. most people will change in the fear of being kicked out and stay until check out day.

luckily i had no such annoying guest. 
however, i had one guest from france who stole my expensive bath towels. another french who asked me to order a baby crib for 50 usd which i did and gave me only 25 usd for it. plus made complaints on the floor dirt which was really the design of the flooring. Guess what she left a massive negative comment ( only one i received in 3 years of hosting) after she left. At the time, all reviews from guests were seen on my review page. I thought it was very unfair but airbnb couldnt do anything about it. 

[Elenor0]

Harry, your comment is not correct: "re: reviews, if you dont leave a review, the guest's review will not be seen on your airbnb review page."

If the guests write a review, it will show on your site after 14 days even if you don't write a review.

It's always best to write a truthful review so as to warn other hosts.  

[Stela0]

Hi Julie,

I think there is no reason for anybody to leave a positive review for a guest like that. ..

[Holly39]

As with Africans, some ppl don't use shower curtains, and air dry. I have friends from different countries, and when u go into their bathroom after a shower, the entire room is wet lol I don't think marble flooring damage is the guests fault. Why would u host w marble flooring? Have u ever seen a hotel w marble floors?

[Victoria96]

Yes, it's normal for Hawaii to have a marble floors, lol.
We stayed in many hotels with marble floors too, Hawaii, Florida, Mexico, etc.
Some people just simply don't care, because not everybody nice.

[彥祺0]

新加坡人  香港  馬來西亞  大陸其實好的房客居多   或許是我的客人都女孩?

[David238]

We have tried to decorate our condo with white, "so our guests can SEE the clean", but it has backfired.  (sigh...) Our guests amaze us with filth they can generate on the white towels and bed linens, most times only staying at our place for 2 to 3 days.  We've done well most of the time, thanks to powerful detergents, but guests continue to be careless and thoughtless, as they use the fresh, clean laundry to do goodness knows what (clean off muddy shoes? wash your car? really?...).  We offer paper towels, cleaners, and (more appropriate, maybe) dish towels.  My cleaning person just called me to say there's blood on towels and a bed spread - too much to spot clean.  Goodness gracious...on to another private comment to a guest they will probably ignore.  Word to the wise: Light colored linens DO NOT work for (most of) the Airbnb crowd.  And although it seems pretty tacky, some instructive signage is probably in order.

[Bill50]

I would charge every guest a cleaning fee. If the place is tidy, you can refund the guest the fee or a portion of it.

[Holly39]

Air bnb is the alternative to a hotel, so a lot of hosts need to stop complaining and realize they are running a business like a hotel.