If it is free, is it all for the guests to keep?

[Inna22]

I think we all agree that it is not ok to clean out the "in case you forgot basket" completely or take all the snacks.

Let's think as the guests though. These were left for me to use. If you did not want me to eat all the snacks, why did you, host, leave so many? If you did not think that I needed three tooth brushes, two tooth pastes and a hair brush, why are they here for me? Why do I not get to keep it: just because I do not need it right now?

It is intended for me. The reason why I started to think about it is because I am putting together "in case you forget basket" and I am thinking about what I should expect the use to be and if I should limit the guests with a negative note of "only take what you need". I hate to give guests boundaries unless necessary.

[Sarah977]

@Inna22  Well, guest intepretation of "only take what you need" could be quite broad. Like they are almost out of toothpaste at home or their hairbrush has seen better days so they "need " it.

I think better wording, if one is going to put any, would be "These items are provided as a courtesy to guests who may have forgotten theirs. Please take only what you require for your stay here, thank you."

But I would just leave enough for the number of guests, or even less (I doubt that everyone forgot their toothbrush) raise your price by a buck or two per person to cover it if you need to, and forget the notes. 

Guests have left so many toiletries behind because they didn't want to pack them and take them home, that I have a basket with those left-behinds in my guest bathroom. It's an ever changing selection, which could have shampoo, shaving gel, sunscreen, spray deodorant, whatever. I don't leave containers that only have dregs, just ones that are at least half full. I wipe them down with Lysol wipes, opening the lids to wipe off any product gunk, so the containers actually look unused aside from the fact that they aren't full. I tell my guests that they are left behinds from previous guests, that they have been sterilized, and to help themselves if they need any of it. Because I haven't paid for it to start with, if they walk off with it, it doesn't matter, but no one has. And those products do sometimes get used. 

But of course stuff like extra toothbrushes (cheap ones), toothpaste, etc, I provide new. 

[Elaine701]

Not all guests feel so entitled. But if you leave something out for them, expect them to take it, and you won't be shocked if they do. 

I do find it amusing when something that's not really useful to a guest disappears. Like dishwasher tabs. You're really going to put them in your suitcase? 

[Christer-and-Nazli0]

A dollar here and a dollar there. People do the wildest things sometimes.

[Emilia42]

I never leave more than what I expect a guest to use. This does take me extra time because I need to stock the apartment for each individual reservation. But I never feel defeated or taken advantage of. 

When staying as a guest, I have never been enticed by what's in the "in case you forgot baskets." They all seem to hold cheap, single-use, for want of the better word: crap. I would simply appreciate that all hosts provide the necessities like shampoo AND conditioner (not 2-in-1), body wash and/or bar of soap, full-sized sponge and dish soap, etc. 

[Inna22]

@Emilia42 I have only encountered the basket once as a guest. We happen to have forgotten something on the trip. Overall it made us feel like the host really cared. 

the other items you mentioned I think are a given

[Emilia42]

@Inna22 I wish they were givens but not in my experience. So I never quite know what to expect.

[Sarah977]

@Emilia42  You would know what to expect by what is checked on the amenities list, no?

I do not provide either shampoo or conditioner, nor "body wash", which to me is just a marketing gimmick. (There was no such thing as "body wash" until marketers realized they could get people to buy extra products if they called what is essentially just soap by some other name).

I provide soap, both bar and liquid. I don't mention shampoo or conditioner nor body wash in my amenities list, so I'm not sure why a guest would expect it (at least the guests who bother to read) , and none of them have. 

[Emilia42]

@Sarah977 The amenities list is checked, yes. But that doesn't mean it will necessarily be there. Talking about shampoo and conditioner, for instance, it could have been there at one point, but maybe ran out and was not replaced. Or it's a 2-in-1 which anyone with actual hair will know does not work. But I can honestly say that I would assume shampoo and conditioner to be in every shower, along with water. I tried to wash my hair with soap once. It was so horrible. I had to actually leave work halfway through the day because I was so uncomfortable! (And I am far from high maintenance.)

I've also been in a few Airbnbs that did not have dish soap or a sponge. Apparently, because there was a dishwasher? I am not going to run a whole cycle for a few dishes and have wanted to rewash a dish or two to reuse during a stay. I've never understood that one.

[Sarah977]

@Emilia42  I wouldn't expect guests to wash their hair with soap 🙂 But neither would I expect them to expect shampoo and conditioner when I don't offer it. It's no different from a guest expecting a microwave or a food processor if it isn't offered.

I hear you on the 2-in-1 shampoo, though. Awful stuff. 

But I do think it's ridiculous that anyone thinks they need "body wash" instead of soap.

But also ridiculous that a host wouldn't provide anything with which to hand wash dishes.

I once had to install curtains in a rental for some upholstery clients, which required drilling holes in the wall for the curtain rod supports. As the place had already been cleaned wth guests arriving the following day, I searched all over the apartment for a broom to sweep up the dust that had been created by the drilling. When I told the property manager that I would have cleaned that up if I had been able to locate a broom, he told me it was locked up in a cleaning supply cupboard in the communal apartment building hallway. 

I asked him what if a guest broke a glass at midnight and there was no broom available- is the guest just supposed to walk around on broken glass until the next day when they can ask someone to clean it up? The property manager just shrugged.

[Inna22]

@Sarah977 I explain to every new cleaner that it is in HER/HIS interest to make sure that there’s plenty of garbage bags, paper towels, broom is not locked up. They are making their own life much easier that way. Most guests will clean up their own mess if they had the tools. Nobody wants to be stepping over broken glass  or spilled drink

[Colleen253]

@Sarah977 I find soap drying, compared to body wash, and it doesn’t work with our well water at home, which is naturally extremely soft. At the Airbnb, I leave body wash for guests as soap leaves residue that makes cleaning much harder. Body wash doesn’t. I always cringe then guests bring their own bar soap. Thankfully that’s rare. 

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

@Inna22   I think a lot of people have the point of view that since they're paying for the home, nothing inside of it is "free" - rather, it's included in what they paid for.  That may not be in the spirit that the host intended, but it's not technically incorrect either. We factor in all the time and money we spend on the goodies when we set our rates, and people spending their hard-earned money on something may want to squeeze every last drop of value out of it, even if it means taking stuff they don't really need.

The thoughtfulness of an "in case you forgot" basket sounds sweet, but the people who forget to pack a toothbrush are not the ones I expect to be thoughtful in return.

[Inna22]

@Sarah977  Since you now have to check in any full size shampoo or conditioner and  many people don’t like to check bags, I feel like the least I can do is provide some inexpensive shampoo and conditioner. If they need their fancy kind, they can bring it with them. But if somebody just needs some to get them through a two day stay, it’s the least I can do in my price range.

[Sarah977]

@Inna22  Yes, I totally get it that it depends on the listing and price point. I don't think hosts shouldn't bother to supply shampoo, conditioner, etc, just that I don't see it as something that is essential to provide like toilet paper and soap, nor should guests expect it if it isn't listed.

And a whole house listing is a little different- as a home share host I can loan a guest some of my shampoo and conditioner if they forgot theirs. So they aren't forced to go without until they go shopping. But all my guests seem to bring their own. (Could it be that they actually read through my amenities list, gasp?!?)

Obviously someone travelling, unless they are a family travelling by car, would not need or want to carry large bottles of that stuff with them. I guess I must be some aberration- I have small carry-on size containers I fill with shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, etc. when I travel.