Unexpected charges

[Vy34]

My family (my husband, me, and our daughter) booked a night stay in Prescott, AZ, over the Veteran's Day weekend. After we got home, I received a surprising message from the host to request a reimbursement for $200. She claimed she had to call a professional service to clear the ordo in the house because of the smell of the seafood we ate. It was not the 1st time we stayed at an Airbnb, and we never changed our eating habits. With that said, we have NEVER received any complaints or rude attitudes from the other hosts in the past. In addition, from the host's rule, she did not list any exceptions on foods that should not be eaten or cooked. Overall, we did not break any rules that the host listed. My entire family felt so disappointed and discriminated by the host's attitude. Also, it was so funny since she tried to make me pay $200 for the cleaning fee, but I declined. She submitted her claim to AirBnB, and they declined it her claim as well. 

[Jennifer1897]

@Vy34 Sorry for your experience. Overall, it looks like your issue regarding the request for funds was settled. Although the review is not positive, your response was appropriate and provided context to the situation. 

I've been both a guest and a host for 5 years now. I have had my share of overwhelming cooking odors and can understand they can be hard to eliminate on occasion.

Overall, it's somewhat difficult to mitigate this. If we said no to most potentially smell inducing food items, people might be pretty limited on what they can cook. I also don't want to make guest feel like they are discriminated against or unable to enjoy their regular diets. However, like I mentioned, I have had times where smells took days to resolve, and it caused potential disruptions to future guest with sensitivities. I do believe guest should be mindful as well and can take simple steps to make potential smells less potent especially when cooking. 

Other than her review, your others are excellent. I don't see this impacting you negatively moving forward. 

[Vy34]

I want to mention that we did use the vent and candle while we cooked at that house. Also, we used the Airfrier and we were nice enough to wash all dishes and placed them nicely and organized. Also, she "called" a service company from 1.5 hours drive and in the same city where she resides to come over that house for a "smell" treatment. In the invoice, they did not put the length of time they had to do that job. I understand that the claim was settled, however, her negative review to condemmed us from thing that we did not make that effected on our reputation with other hosts.

[John5097]

@Vy34 

I don't think host should request extra fee or money for normal use. 

But I think it depends on the listing. This issue comes up a lot and even if guest leaves a cooking mess should just be marked down in review. 

-- If there is a full kitchen or a kitchenette.

-- If the rates and cleaning fee is budget friendly or really expensive. Like are the renting a big house to stay with family or one bedroom affordable place to stay.

For example if its just a microwave and toaster oven, like mine, and its says "no oven" in the first presentation, in the photos "kitchenette" with clear pictures that its just a kitchenette, and no cleaning fee or $25 cleaned fee, guest shouldn't cook hamburgers in the tiny toaster oven. Yes guest do this. 

I tried to have a induciton cook top but first guest cooked hamburgers on the the entire stay and there was grease everywhere, all over the walls, counters, cabinets, flloors. Not just splatters. A film of grease that took hours to degrease and clean. I didn't charge guest, but got rid of cooktop which was illegal anyway. 

Ive also had guest put raw fish on  a shelf in the fridge that took weeks  and 5 deep cleanings and air it out with a fan to get rid of the rancid smell. Thankfully I didn't get marked down for that from other guest. I didn't charge guest and also wasn't positive which one did it.

Other host or guest reading this wont even be able to visualize or comprehend this. To them there is no difference between a 8 bedroom 2k a night beach house, designer kitchen and huge hood vent, and $450 cleaning fee, and a one bedroom place with a induction cooktop for $90 a night and no cleaning fee. But in my experience there is a lot of misunderstanding on this issue. I think the place you stayed maybe needed a deep cleaning anyway from past guest who made a greasy mess, as seafood doesn't create a lot of grease and seems like would just need to air the place out. I think host have a tendacy to do this and suddenly decide to charge and blame one guest for a ongoing issue. 

[John5097]

@Vy34 

You could contact customer support and request to have the review removed. I think the host should have been more specific about what guest did and not just say they refused to pay extra for an odor. 

I've always been surprised host never mention really greasy foods such as hamburgers that create so much grease. So I could understand if host said, "This guest cooked hamburgers the entire stay and left a huge greasy mess. Its just an induction cooktop, and there was grease everywhere. on the cabinets, walls, floors, that took hours of extra cleaning. If they wanted to cook hamburgers the entire week they should have booked a place with an outdoor grill." 

But host never say this. Its like they are in denial themselves and try to blame some spice as an overwhelming odor, so that's why I think it was an ongoing issue. The cleaners don't want to do 4 extra hours of degreasing for normal turnover, so they message host, that there is strong smell even though the place needed degreasing anyway. 

[Vy34]

Thank you for your understanding! I totally agree with you about guests who stayed made mess and they did not want to clean before they left. And the raw fish was left in the friedge was un acceptable. 

The point was the host posted her review about my stay was so rude and descriminated. I reviewed her but Airbnb took away but they did not take hers. Also, she called a special service to Ozone her house which is 1.5 hours drive and they located at the same city of her residence. Is it questionable enough about the addtl charge?