Making assumptions about rules as a host (and guest)

[Inna22]

I just got my first bad review as a guest. I have 20 reviews overall. The host said that I allowed my dog on furniture, did not mop the floors and had extra guests over.

I did all the above.

The dog: I allow pets on furniture at my Airbnb's. It is not an enforceable rule plus most humans are messier than most dogs. If this was in her listing (and it did allow dogs and I paid a pet fee), I would not have booked. I made an assumption that this was ok, she made an assumption that everyone knows not to let dogs on furniture. I guess I will know to ask next time before booking. She will have more "bad" guests if she does not spell this out

The mopping: there were check out rules posted on the fridge and I followed them. Apparently there were more rules in the listing itself and I did not look there. I am surprised she only mentioned the mopping as there was a whole list I did not follow. I assumed that what was posted on the fridge were my instructions. She assumed read (and remembered) the entire listing including house rules. I should know better as a fellow host to do so. I think there are three categories of people: those who will leave a place better than they found it; those who will clean if they are told (me); those who will leave a mess no matter what.

This host assumed I will explicitly seek out check out rules or would clean as if this were my home. I assumed I paid a cleaning fee, I am on vacation and if I need to do anything specific it would be obvious. I probably would have not booked if I saw the cleaning requirements in the listing (too much for me). I have revisited her listing and I found all of this in house rules. You have to scroll all the way down past reviews, map etc. you then see icons for house rules- check in and out, pets etc. You then needs to click on show more to read her text.

I do not think any guest will go through that much reading trouble and if they do, they are not going to remember all of that when the time comes to stay. I cant blame it on the host either however as one myself, this is not how I should be displaying anything I actually want read by my guests

The guests: we were there for my daughters sports camp. Her friends came over and parents picked them up. No one stayed overnight and the number was under the total head count. I did not cook for them, they did not shower. I allow guests and do not charge for them however require IDs and advanced notice. There was no such language in this listing. The host must have assumed this was a given that no one can come over. I actually specifically booked a bigger place knowing she would have friends over so again would not have booked if this were in the rules.

I am not making excuses for my behavior.  I am posting this so we can all gain perspective of a guest. I genuinely had no clue how bad of a guest I was. I personally have learnt a lot from this about guest vs host expectations, what should be communicated and how.

[Huma0]

@Inna22 

I have mixed feelings about your post. For sure, you are right to be annoyed if the host's criticisms were about things that were not mentioned/just assumed but, as a host and regular contributor to the CC, I am surprised that you didn't feel the need to read the house rules. You have listings yourself, so you know where to find them. Of course, Airbnb doesn't make them all that visible to guests who do not know, but technically you are agreeing to the host's rules when you make the booking.

One shouldn't make assumptions, either about how a guest will behave or what a host will expect, but that's one of the reasons the extended house rules are there. If the host is explicit about their expectations in the house rules, and guests agree to those house rules (which they do simply by booking), then there is no assumption.

I can't actually see the additional check out instructions you referred to in the house rules. Maybe I am missing something. There's a lot of info on things like cleaning the grill, if used, but in terms of check out, all I saw was "Please leave the unit as you found it. Clean and ready for the next guest."

Personally, I think this is silly. I would never expect a guest to leave the listing ready for the next guest and I think it's an unreasonable request where a cleaning fee is charged. Of course, I don't think the host meant this exactly. She surely doesn't expect guests to wash the bedlinen and make up the beds for the next guests, for example. 

Would I let my dog on the furniture? Well, I might in my own home, but would be wary of doing it in someone else's listing. Would I expect my guests to mop the floor before check out? No, not unless there was some sort of spillage to be mopped up.

All those things are a bit relevant though as everyone will have different opinions on what level of cleanliness is/isn't acceptable. The point is, if it's specified in the listing, whether in the house rules or elsewhere, then the guest should either follow those rules or book somewhere else if they feel they are unreasonable. If it's something not mentioned in the listing, then the host shouldn't assume it's obvious to guests, unless it's something that is blindingly obvious, such as 'please don't poop in the bed'.

I don't expect my guests to do anything on check out other than to leave the key and close the front door if I am not there to see them off. I also don't expect them to do much in the way of cleaning, but what I do expect them to do (wash their own dishes for example), I make clear and would mark them down if they choose to ignore it. 

[Inna22]

@Huma0 I am pretty sure I read the rules when I booked, I usually do. That was two months ago though. When I arrived there were check out instructions on the fridge so I assumed it contained all I needed to know. She did expect the guests to do the laundry and only leave one load, specifically in the tub, something I did not do (it was not on the fridge list but in house rules) along with some other requests. I agree with you, I should have been more thorough. I think as a fellow host I should have gone above and beyond and i didnt. I am not saying this review is undeserved.

As for my misbehaving stinker aka Louie, he goes on furniture. We like him next to us on the couch and he sleeps with my daughter. He is not going to behave differently elsewhere so I need to book places where hosts dont mind.

[Huma0]

@Inna22 

I think that it's reasonable to assume (while we are on the subject of assumptions), that a host who writes detailed rules RE the use of the grill with fines for non compliance etc. and expects guests to do laundry + pay a cleaning fee, is going to be very serious about her rules, not relaxed about them. Personally, I would not book with that listing because of it, but others might not mind. It's all about finding the right fit for you, e.g. a place where it's fine for Louie to be up on the furniture, so that both parties are happy.

I have found that it can become a problem for the host if guests go ahead and book a place because they like the photos/price/location/couldn't find something else in their budget that they liked better etc. but don't pay attention to the rules.

I stayed with a largish group at a lovely listing in Athens. The place was spotless and we really weren't expected to do anything on check out other than to take the trash to nearby bins outside. Still, many in the group complained and wanted not to bother. They simply wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for me and a couple who were also hosts insisting we follow these instructions. Like I said, it was the only thing we were asked to do and for good reason. It was extremely hot + there you can't flush toilet paper, but have to put it in the bathroom bins. 

One has to think about what is reasonable though, especially when hosting holiday makers. While I had no issue taking out the trash at that listing, I would not have been happy about having to pay a cleaning fee AND mop the floors and wash the bedlinen. 

[Inna22]

@Huma0 This is exactly my thought, I could not agree more. The grill instructions should have been my clue, I can not believe I did not see this coming. I always talk about how my place is not the right fit for everyone (friend groups are much better than families for me). I can do no wrong when it is a group of friends, families are often not happy no matter what I do.

There were plenty of choices too when I was looking.

I wonder how many of her guests did not meet her expectations.  I bet there is a way to look it up the reviews she left for others

[Huma0]

@Inna22 

If you use Google Chrome, there is an extension called AirReview, which allows you to see both the reviews someone has received and the ones they have left together on that person's profile. However, it is a bit glitchy and not perfect by any means.

Otherwise, just click on the profiles of guests that have reviewed that host. Guests tend to have fewer reviews so it should be pretty easy to locate the ones left by that particular host.

[Mark116]

@Inna22  While I do think 'leave the place as you found it' is too vague and expecting guests to mop the floor is excessive, you should have known better than to not read all the rules.

[Inna22]

@Mark116 there was a check mark style list posted on the fridge and I assumed that was the entirely of it. Apparently there was a lot more in the listing. And yes, I should have double checked with the host

[Mark116]

@Inna22  Yeah, but the bain of our existance is guests who don't read the listing details, and you booked a place without reading the listing details or the rules!  

[Inna22]

@Mark116 I read it two months ago when I booked. I do not think it is reasonable of that host to expect me to remember them by heart. If there were no instructions on the fridge, I would have pulled up her house rules. I know I got myself to this place but what I am saying that when guests behave in a less than desirable manner we as hosts should evaluate how and where we communicate with them. This host assumed that I should know that what she has on the fridge are only some of the rules. To her I guess it is a given that you do more when you leave

[Huma0]

@Inna22 

Yes, the check out instructions on the fridge are only going to cause confusion if they omit some of the stuff the host expects the guests to do. If you're going to put a list up, then it should be comprehensive.

I get that if you read the rules months before, you're not going to remember them. If the rules were really simple and basic, I also probably wouldn't have bothered double checking them later on. However, when a host is so picky about certain rules, it's probably a good idea to re-read them before the stay, just in case... 

I don't always remember to do this but, when a guest has booked quite a bit in advance, I ask them to please have a quick re-read of the rules shortly before their stay. There's no way they are going to remember them otherwise.

[Helen3]

Hi @Inna22 

I have mixed feelings too. I think the blame in terms of mismatched expectations is fairly evenly split. 

We only have two sofas in our family home that the dog can sit on which are covered with old throws. We don't let dogs sleep on beds, go upstairs,  or sit on other furniture. The host should have made it clear on the house rules that pets aren't allowed on the furniture. But in your situation I would have asked before allowing your pet on the furniture,  as many people don't allow dogs on the furniture and particularly on beds in STRs.

Similarly you know that hosts do have house rules around guests not on the booking not being at the listing so if you wanted to invite guests over that was an easy one to check. 

The key issues she highlighted in her review while saying while you were a nice guest  is that you left perishable food out and there was dog mess.  Does this feel right? Nothing about mopping floors or you having people over who weren't on the booking.

As a seasoned host I wouldn't obviously expect you to know the house rules by heart but I would expect you to review them before you travelled again to make sure you were complying with them.

They should have put all the checkout instructions on the fridge or else it's confusing.  @Inna22 

[Inna22]

@Helen3 we are completely brand your dog owners. Neither my husbands nor my family has ever had one. A lot of the things that are obvious to other dog owners are making no sense to us. Like asking if my dog can meet another dog on the street. When I took my kids to playground, I never asked the other parent if my child could meet their child. I know understand that some people are training their dogs in obedience but it wasn’t obvious at first. Or the furniture situation. Our dog technically falls in a category of lap dogs. Therefore, I assumed my dog can go where my lap goes 🙂  

[Helen744]

@Inna 22 that makes me laugh . I dont have a dog at the moment but an unusual dog has moved in next door .I just realised he is training me. The lady who owns him is deaf and he has been trained to alert a hearing person if there is a problem,so he barks and I go look , sometimes its a bird or a cat invading his property . He also I realised, responds to loud raised voices quarelling . As far away as three houses , if he barks and I look over the fence he points . He is a special dog thats for sure.H

[Robin4]

@Helen744 

The problem with dogs is there isn't a lot going on in their life and they pick up on everything that is going on around them.

Our Betts is multilingual, she understands just what 'walkies' means in Finnish, Dutch and English, you have to be so careful what you say, she is onto it in a flash.

She is also a great burglar alarm......there is no way anyone could come in here without her alerting us. And even when there is nobody coming she still alerts us if she hears a car door shut and even more annoying when my phone rings, I am in another room and I answer the phone with 'Hello' ......she just about wakes the dead in her excitement!

But we love her to bits, Ade even bought me a pair of boxers with Aussie's all over them 

Cheers........Rob