Towelgate

[Sheryil0]

I know this is my fault but we had a couple check in. It was there wedding anniversary and the husband booked a weekend away at our place. Unfortunately his wife had visions of being whisked away to a luxury 5 star hotel and not downstairs in our back bedroom. It became apparent to us very soon she was not happy and felt sorry for her husband. We went out for dinner and returning home I checked there kitchen bathroom to tidy up as they were out, found 4 wet towels on the bathroom floor so gathered them up left fresh ones. Next morning popped in after they went out 4 towels on the floor wet, left fresh ones. They came home went out by now I am obsessed how can anyone use so many towels down I go again. 4 wet towels on the floor. Now 16 towels since they arrived 24 hours earlier. I don't know how 2 people could use so many. At this point I stopped leaving fresh ones.. I had no more dry to leave. Do you think she was trying to upset me so I would ask them to leave.... 

[Anna9170]

@Laura2592  You gave an example of a dog left in the room, and it does not cause me any questions, although the topic really went off the rails. I don't know why you started talking about long-term rent and caged animals or call the police...
In the main situation here, in this topic, is there a maid service in the listing? No. So why does the host enters the guest's personal space without objective reasons? ))

[Heidi588]

I overlooked the question at the end of the OP, "Do you think she was trying to upset me [with the towels] so I would ask them to leave...." 

The title of the thread is Towelgate, so the main point is about the towels. 

In trying to unravel (haha) the issue:

- You said at the start you knew the towelgate issue was your fault, but how? From the end of the thread, is it because you kept replacing the towels, and so it is your fault that you've run out? 

- The towels seem to be the focus of the towelgate drama -- four wet ones for two people repeatedly being left on the bathroom floor, and your repeatedly replacing them with fresh ones until you ran out. 

- The stay was booked for a couple's anniversary.

- Somehow you became aware (?) that the wife expected accommodations in a 5-star hotel, not a room in someone's home. 

- You became aware the wife was displeased with the stay and became sympathetic to the husband. 

- There is no way of knowing whether one or both guests left the towels on the floor. 

- There was no expectation set that you would tidy up after them, and they did not tidy up after themselves. 

Conclusion: I don't think there's any way of knowing whether or not she/he/both was/were being aggressive toward you in using so many towels or in leaving them wet on the floor. 

Conclusion: I think you felt the negativity of their situation in your home, and I think you took sides. Then anything that was bad behavior, whether in word or in deed, was all her fault. 

Constructive and thoughtful suggestions for not having the same feelings or problems going forward, take from them whatever serves: 

1. State in the rules how you go about housekeeping (daily picking up, etc.).

2. State in the rules how many towels and sheet changes are allowed per guest per week.

3. State in the rules to be mindful that the hosts and other guests will be in residence, so private moments will not be totally private. (A gentle warning to those who argue or want to have loud sex.) Then if there is argument, you can remind them that they are in shared quarters and to please be so kind as to take the discussion outside and away from the residence and the neighbors. If they override this request and persist, the next step is to ask them, "Are you unwilling to do this?" Then the next step is to calmly tell them to gather their things and leave, and set a time limit for doing so (and allow them no more than 15 minutes extra, then it's time to say, "I'm calling the police now.") It is not your responsbility to take care of them because there are no other available accommodations. Their behavior is their responsibilty, as are consequences for aggressive behavior and rule-breaking behavior. If that means they have nowhere else to go, that's their problem. Your problem is their bad and boundaryless behavior in your home.

4. Try to observe for your own safety and awareness, but not to take sides. They've likely had a pattern of such things for a long time, and as long as they are together, they are giving each other permission to continue those patterns with each other. It's easy to fall into a trap of seeing them like a soap opera and picking out the villain and the victim, but their issues are real life, not entertainment, and real life is far more nuanced. Rarely is anyone 100% villian or victim, just flawed humans who perhaps don't know how to pick up on social cues, or accept one another as they are, or manage emotions, or handle it when things don't go according to their wishes and convenience. Neither one seems to have awareness of how they impact other people, which is clear in that his surprise didn't go over well (perhaps he doesn't know her by now or he set false expectations); that she makes her displeasure widely known and doesn't keep it between them, which is belittling and an attempt to triangulate observers to take her side (power plays); and that they argued in their room when it's not a hotel, it's an intimate and personal setting. Or -- and this is a joke -- just be honest about it: when drama comes up, get out the popcorn, put out seats, and boldly watch. Sit with your partner and comment on the show, or comment to yourself like you would watching a soap opera alone.

[Emiel1]

"towelgate" has turned into "privacygate"

My guests have 2 towels a week. I am not running a wellness centre.

They never complain.

[Laura2592]

@Emiel1  we recently started limiting the number of towels we leave because we were always doing laundry.  You leave it in the space? Guests use it. You give them more? Guests use them.  

We had a family member stay with us  recently in our primary house (not our Airbnb) who complained that she wasn't given two clean towels every day because 'thats what I like". I showed her how to operate the washer and dryer.  She made due with what we gave her after that and no more complaints.  I suspect guests would do the same. 

[Dale711]

Sheryil0 

Dear Sheryl " you are doing a great job! "

You are being so kind as to replace each time when you found the towels on the floor and until you run out of the towel. 

It is obviously true the couple is a habit to do that and show they definitely not a " recycle and green" person.

Some guests love to leave towels on the floor after use, its an acquired behaviour pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.

They should be educated on the differed of hotels & home eviroment, recycle and energy saving.

We always did experience guest have the same attitude, leave the towels on the floor after use. We need to replace a few towels on the day. The next day, we advise them to hang towel for dry after use and we suit on the dryer heater in the bathroom. We can't provide as many as they wish. 

We doubt that are they doing the same in their home too.....lol 😀

[Matthew733]

Personally, I tell all guests that I clean the entire house but they are responsible for their own room and private bathroom after my initial cleaning.

[Cathie19]

@Sheryil0 

Unless maid or cleaning  service is stated in the listing, as daily or an option, then don’t do something that you can’t back up with visible documentation, for AIrbnb for possible disputes....

Protect yourself, as much as your towels. 😊

What if jewellery had been left in the area, and they stated you stole it? “It’s your word against theirs” scenario.

Ensure boundary requirements for keeping valuables and House etiquette expectations (towels) are addressed. You could have a line in your welcome book that as you are environmentally aware, towels will be changed once daily, or every third day etc. Also request guests hang the towels after use as a matter of maintaining hygiene., during this changeover. You list what you want... but make it known! So there’s no surprises for anyone...... 

For me, privacy is paramount and I would not enter the rental AIrbnb space without permission; or pending a safety emergency such as smoke, water flowing under the door or an alarm going off.. I would also ensure it was documented on the Airbnb message board.

[Ann72]

I take the covenant of quiet enjoyment extremely seriously.  I would call the police in New York if it were being violated, and more to the point, the police would come.

Even when not explicitly stated in leases, this covenant of quiet enjoyment is almost universally accepted to be in force in landlord/tenant arrangements.

However, as you know, an Airbnb host and guest are not in a landlord/tenant arrangement.  They are in a licensing arrangement.  Note this from Airbnb's terms of service, emphasis mine:

:8.2.1 You understand that a confirmed booking of an Accommodation (“Accommodation Booking”) is a limited license granted to you by the Host to enter, occupy and use the Accommodation for the duration of your stay, during which time the Host (only where and to the extent permitted by applicable law) retains the right to re-enter the Accommodation, in accordance with your agreement with the Host."

Obviously the right to re-enter is modified ("to the extent permitted by applicable law," "in accordance with your agreement with the Host"), but it remains an explicitly stated right.

While I would not enter a space occupied by a guest without their permission and without prior arrangement, the fact that this is a licensing arrangement is important for hosts to keep in mind, because as @Helen3 has noted on more than one occasion, it conveys no right of tenancy.  @Helen350 and @Laura2592 are quite right by the letter of the law.

As for the OP's dilemma, @Sheryil0 you are a saint.

(FYI to Australian hosts in Victoria, there is case law that leans toward granting Airbnb guests tenants' rights, so be cautious if that's where you're hosting.)

[Anna9170]

@Ann72  Maybe I don't understand something) Please tell me why (???) it is necessary to remind the guest who booked the weekend that he has no tenant rights. I am sure that he does not even think about it and wants to have a good time. I was surprised by this situation. Ok, if someone has rented a month+ , it is worth it as mommy to come to the room so that the child does not relax ... But why should it be done here? 😁

[Ann72]

@Anna9170  I mean, I wouldn't, but perhaps that's the norm for this host.  I haven't looked at her listing to see if daily towel pick-up service is included, have you?

[Anna9170]

@Ann72   Yes, this is not included anywhere except for  hayat and hilton (but it is not accurate)).

[Ann72]

@Anna9170  So there you go.  If I wanted daily maid service I'd find a place that provided it.  If the place didn't say it was provided, I'd expect total privacy.  

The point though is that it's not strictly against the terms of service to re-enter, although many of us would not do that.

[Anna9170]

@Ann72  Beautiful words, and? In the list of the author of the topic there is no maid service or change of bed linen daily). 😎

[Huma0]

This excessive amount of towel use would drive me mad, not just from a practical perspective, but also from an environmental one. Even five star hotels usually encourage guests to hang up their towels and reduce water/energy consumption by reusing them if possible.

I don't host short-term guests anymore, but when I did, I would give them one set of towels each (bath, hand and face) and if they were staying for 2-3 days, that's all they got. For longer stays, I would tell them to let me know if when they needed fresh towels or I would just ask them after a few days if they wanted them. This worked most of the time, but I still had the occasional guests who would expect daily towel changes and it was also not unusual for guests to take other people's towels from the shared bathroom. Why they would assume that these would be unused and there for their exclusive use, I don't know, but I had to start telling people specifically NOT to do this. 

Now I host short term guests, they get the option of me changing and washing their linens/towels and cleaning their rooms or doing it themselves. If I am doing it for them, or need to enter the room for any other reason, I will ask them first if it's okay. I would never simply go in without permission, regardless of if it is my legal right, unless it was an emergency. Even then, they'd get a message to let them know. I would hate it if people came in and out of my room without my knowledge if I was staying somewhere. It's okay with hotel cleaning, but I make good use of the 'do not disturb' sign so that they do not enter when I want privacy.

[Fred13]

If I may, I am taking the literary liberty to re-name this case - "The Sign of Four". Note all 4 towels not only were used, but always ended up wet on the floor, time & time again. I wonder if they were placed in a similar arrangement, if so - the woman may be trying to convey a secret message - perhaps one of being a hostage (aka abducted). It has been stated she was very upset upon arrival.

Perhaps I am reading way too much into the towel aspect of this case. You think?