Rules not followed

[Michael8065]

We recently had a short notice weekend renter.  He did not seem to read the rules or description.  It clearly states we do not provide linens, yet he was surprised to not find any when he checked in.  We informed him of the policy and his only reply was he never heard of an Air B&B not providing linens.  Then when I arrived today to check the house, all his trash and recycling was piled in the kitchen, and two windows were left unlocked.  Check out rules clearly state to remove your trash and lock all doors and windows.  The house is 3 hours from where I live, so we don't always get out immediately following a renter (THank God i didn't wait longer, it was already starting to smell).  But we are new to this and are afraid of negative reviews.  He had 30 positive reviews, so i did not expect a problem.

Looking for insight or suggestions on how to handle this.  For next season, we are looking for a cleaning/linen service, but for our first year we were trying to manage the expenses.

[Helen3 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Michael8065  the vast majority of hosts provide linens so you are likely to continue to encounter this issue. Do you make this very clear upfront on your listing and in your check in instructions/welcome message. What did the guest sleep on if there were no linens? what did they use to shower with?

Where was the guest expected to take the rubbish/recycling to?

In your situation I would consider getting a linens service ASAP and build in the costs to your pricing, so you can provide linens and towels.

If you don't live locally I would suggest you employ a cleaner to turnover the property rather than waiting until you drive down - particularly important for when there might be guest damage or security issues such as the open windows.  They can then ensure rubbish and recycling disposed of properly.

I would learn from this, leave an honest review and think about how you can improve your listing and guest check in to help guests more clearly understand what you offer and your house rules. 

I would suggest you leave an honest review 

[Fred13]

@Helen3  was exactly on point with her observations. You have a nice place indeed and seem to understand what being a host is about. The providing of linen appears to be a necessary tweak to your offering to make it work even smoother. Good luck.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Michael8065 I suspect the fact that Cape Cod rentals often do not provide linen is a) not well known to anyone not from New England, b) an outdated concept even in New England, and c) certainly not what 99% of Airbnb guests expect. 

Also I would always worry that guests would just sleep direct on the mattresses which will be very expensive to remedy. 

[Lorna170]

@Michael8065  As you are providing a rental in an area that does not traditionally provide linens, change your pictures -- show the beds unmade with an embedded caption that reads "linens not provided".  

I read the text of your listing, and at first glance I did not see your statement that linens are not provided.  You need to make this VERY clear -- second paragraph and in all caps, i.e., BED LINENS AND TOWELS ARE NOT PROVIDED.  Many guests do not read!