MIDTERM GUESTS REORGANISE THE FLAT, MOVING FURNITURE AROUND

[Erzsébet1]

Hi guys, we have 2 guests, a couple, who booked our place for 5,5 weeks. We also made them an amazing offer, 55% less then the daily prize, and weekly daily cleaning included.  We made the mistake to think, it is enough to have Airbnb on our side, so we did not make any extra agreement with them, hopping that the Airbnb deal would cover issues. Now here os one, where I can´t find any guidelines. Our dear guests reorganised the entire flat. Removed the expensive design sofa in the living room, moved it from the walls into the middle of the room, and changed it´s direction, removed chairs from the kitchen to the living room, and the chairs from the living room did put into the kitchen. Removed the sofa cover from the expensive design sofa to the kitchen on the sofa there. All this without asking for permission. I wonder if anybody else experienced something similar, and if there is any Airbnb guideline for matters like this. It would be totally awesome if you could help me with this. Thnx. 

[Huma0]

@Erzsébet1 

I have never had anyone rearrange furniture to that extent, but I am a live in host, so that seems to be limited more to guest bedrooms than anywhere else.

No, I don't think there is any Aibnb guidelines on this that I am aware of. Airbnb guidelines do not go into this sort of detail about what guests should/shouldn't do and what hosts are okay with or not varies a lot too.

With stuff like this, it is really up to you to specify it in your house rules. Many hosts here say you should keep your house rules very brief, otherwise guests will never read them. I disagree because I think it is better to cover yourself should you need to contact Airbnb about problem guests. It's up to you if you think that this is the sort of thing that would happen often enough for it to be worth adding to the rules.

Personally, I do mention that guests must not rearrange the furniture. That's because I host long-term guests who are more likely to do so than someone staying a few days (although I have also had short-term guests do this) and that's when damage to both furniture and walls is likely to happen. In particular, I've had a lot of marks and scrapes left on walls from people dragging chairs along them. Why people don't pick up a fairly lightweight chair instead of dragging it around, I don't know...

If nothing is mentioned in your house rules, I don't know what you can do except to politely explain to your guests that you'd prefer them not to rearrange your furniture. Do this in writing on the Airbnb system as well so that, should you find any damages as a result of it, you will have some back up if you need to file a claim.

[Debra300]

@Erzsébet1,

I have "Do not move the furniture" and "Do not stand on the furniture" (because I saw my cleaner standing on a chair once) in my house rules although these events don't happen often.  I also have "Do not remove the Roku stick", but have already had two incidents within a short period of time.

Most wall damage comes from luggage scraping/nicking walls and people leaning on walls.  The most frequent furniture damage is from people setting their beverages directly on wood furniture right next to the coasters.  

 @Huma0, @Elena87, @Mark116,

[Huma0]

@Debra300 

Don't even get me started RE walls getting damaged from luggage. I live in a four storey house with a central, winding staircase with some tight corners, so that is especially an issue here. Although I always offer to help guests with their cases, party out of kindness and party to try to avoid this type of damage, many refuse the help and some leave when I am not around to help.

I am in serious need of repainting all the walls in the stairwells but know that as soon as I do, the first scrapes and stains are REALLY going to annoy me and none of the guests are going to be willing to pay for these to be repaired.

I also ask guests to use coasters for their drinks, especially on my antique furniture. It works with some, but alas many others ignore these suggestions and leave marks and rings all over it. 

I had one guest (also a host) chop a watermelon on an expensive dressing table. I am not joking. She then tried to hide the scratches by covering it with towels. When I questioned her about it, she claimed one of my cats must have done it. I told her that if my cats could neatly fold towels, I would get them to turnover the guest rooms. She really didn't like that response.

[Debra300]

@Huma0,

Your response was pure gold! 

This is a picture that I took earlier this month after a guest checked out.  They also spilled the beverage onto the bed, nightstand, walls, and wood floors, and didn't bother to clean it up.  Leaving a big purple mess.

[Huma0]

@Debra300 

Yep, unfortunately, this is the sort of thing I see all the time...

[Mark116]

@Erzsébet1  I think we first added 'do not move furniture' to the house rules when we found out that guests had dragged the velvet dining chairs into the kitchen!  These particular guests also left the kitchen covered in grease and a huge bowl of used cooking oil, so I have no doubt if we hadn't thankfully noticed the chairs would have been ruined.  I would add this to your rules and for these guests, explain why the couch cover and couches should not be moved and ask them to put things back the way they were.

[Elena87]

@Erzsébet1 

I also added 'don't move the furniture' to the house rules. Even though it's something you expect from a guest out of respect and consideration to the property.

I think I'd be inclined to confront the guest direct, tell them to reinstate immediately the flat to the original condition or send a booking amendment with a view of cutting short the booking and refunding unused days as you are uncomfortable with their conduct.

Sofa covers being removed and wrong chairs in the dining room only means likely staining and marking.

[Huma0]

Personally I find it a bit disrespectful when people move my furniture around without asking, although I guess people think if they are 'renting' a place, then it's their prerogative. I have found that most people who do this are not great guests in other ways:

1. Girls who rearranged the furniture in their bedroom, including a large antique mirror, in order to set up a 'dining station' in the room, even though eating in the guest rooms is against the house rules. Never bothered to put anything back to where it was. Same guests REALLY messed me around RE check in and left a rubbish review, including dinging me for communication when I didn't respond to ONE of their numerous messages immediately, even though they knew I was in a hospital appointment.

2. The Instagrammer who rearranged the furniture so she could get the right angles, including standing on antique chairs. Okay, so this girl wasn't so bad, but she never asked permission and was very intrusive. I drew the line when she kept trying to video me for her social media. Not something I was comfortable with.

3. The long-term guest who damaged numerous things, including scraping the walls by repeatedly dragging chairs around. Said guest left his lights on all day and evening when out, despite my reminders to turn them off, ignored my rule about not giving out my address for mail etc, having 5-10 packages arriving EVERY DAY! He also left the kitchen and toilets in a disgusting state and tried to blame other guests for the mess and damages.

There are several other examples. It may sound silly, but I have never had a guest rearrange the furniture and turn out to be a good guest. Never.