What should a guest do before they leave re: cleaning/tidying?

[Jill41]

I have just had a guest who left unwashed crockery, one of the toilets was disgusting, wet towels everywhere, duvets on floor, gas hob thick with grease and dirty greasy kitchen surfaces. I wrote a neutral review saying they were friendly and communicated well before the hosting. I choose to let him know privately that I was surprised at how the apartment was left but made it friendly and offering understanding if there had been a problem but I got this back

'Did you really expect us to clean the house before leaving? I think you don't even know what kind of service you are offering. Airbnb is about renting your house as a Hotel, It is not like couch surfing, where people do it for free. I paid more than 400 € for only 3 nights in your old apartment and after that amount of money, that is almost a robbery for the quality of the flat, you are cheeky enough to tell me about the cleaning? You are charging almost a half monthly salary for only 3 nights, you must be able to clean it after all. We didn't break anything, but as you should understand like when I go to a hotel I don't care about tidying or cleaning, because I don't have to do it. .....the house full of boxes everywhere, and the bathrooms were pretty dirty when we came in. So please, stop saying bull**bleep**, take your money that you probably don't even pay taxes for that and this business is totally under the table and don't text me again. I will tell you again just to make it clear, when you pay such a crazy amount of money for a renting, you don't have to clean after being in the house, you must take care like we did and don't break anything.'

The apartment is professionally cleaned in between each guest and the bathrooms are spotless so he has lied about that. I don't charge a cleaning fee. There are no boxes laying around and there is no smell - so my question is this - how should a guest be expected to leave a rental? Everyone else who has stayed has said the apartment is really clean and have left it fine. I expect to have to clean but not this level, am I expecting too much from my guests? 

He left me a great review.

Thanks for any advice so i can put it on my hosting:)

[Teresita19]

Hi everyone. Maybe someone here can tell us what we did wrong?   We got a bad review from our host in our stay in Jerusalem. .  Unfurtnately it was to late to make response since my days to do that were expired . So the least I can do is send her an email.  We put blankets and sheets on the top of the bed, dishes and pots washed and place in the original place,  countersink and table was clean , wet towel are hung up  to dry, clean the fridge and mop the bathroom floor.( nothing was left on the bathroom exempt the trash in the trashcan). Living and bedroom was not mop but sweep. However,  since we just packed late at night and its too late to go outside and walked in the middle of the night to take the trash out;  we decided to leave  plastics and papers from the souvenirs we bought in one corner of the house nicely put in bags since  there is no big trashbag where we can put everything together. Also in the kitchen the trashcan is too small and we can only place some of the garbage then  end up putting the dried trash  in the bag besides the trashcan. water bottle, some plastics plates and food containers.  IN the morning, we are now in a hurry so were not able to   tossed the garbage out  coz our 3am taxi is already waiting for us to pick up. By the way our host told us the she knows someone that can take us to the airport for 3am so i agreed to change our reservation until the day we fly. But she didnt even responded in the time I'm asking for her help to make a ride  arrangement. She didnt pick up the phone and  ignored my messages.   And Im wondering too if this issue is on the part of the host or the guest? The whole house were flooded because the faucet plumbing was broke.Water literally went all over the floor from kitchen to the bedroom and bathroom,   because it takes too long for the host to come and do the fixing. After it was fixed they just leave it to us to clean.  There is no body from the host side to help cleaning. We spent hours and hours drying and cleaning the apartment. Our  shoes are soaked and wet , glad that were able to put our luggaes in the table. We didnt complaint and dont make reviews because I dont want to lie that we have a good stay. What is our shortcomings here? Thank you.

[Lisa1603]

I looked for this thread as we are now in our fourth airbnb rentalr on trip to Mexico. It is clear that some of the homes we have rented are not lived in, rather they are exclusively used to rent out to Airbnb guests. Some homes have been immaculate and the one I'm currently staying in is filthy Towels are  dirty,  pillows have makeup stains and dirt on them, there was ONEONE cof cup and hardly any dishes required to make a meal with. Some owners have suggested we did not keep in good enough communication with them. Once they gave us the check in information I wasn't sure what more they wanted from us. Some have charged reasonable prices and the unit we are currently in is very expensive. Some provide clearly written information such as how to access the Wi-Fi while others do not. Some have ample cleaning supplies while others do not. I always do the dishes before I leave,  pull sheets off the bed, pile towels up in one spot on the floor, wipe down the stove, counters, etc. I have assumed that there will always be a cleaning person to come in behind us to put clean sheets on the bed, sweep and mop floors and assure all is set to go for the next guests. It seems there are different expectations for different rentals and to avoid confusion owners should put their expectations for their guests in writing. If I stay at a friend's house and pay nothing I leave it immaculate. When I am paying $700 for five nights in an Airbnb rental,  I expect someone to come in to do the finer details of cleaning. It's really not clear, especially as Airbnb has appeared to morph from truly staying in someone's house to staying in something more akin to a hotel.

[Sarah977]

@Lisa1603  You sound like an exemplary guest- I'm sorry you encountered such a filthy, lacking in basic amenities, listing. And your notion of what a guest should clean is exactly spot on- good guests tidy up their own messes, wash their dirty dishes, etc, but heavy duty cleaning is the responsibility of the host. Same as you, when I've been a guest in a friend or family member's home for a week or two, I'll super clean my room, mopping the floor, or vacuuming, wiping down dusty surfaces, scrub the bathroom, but I wouldn't expect to be required to do any of that if paying to stay somewhere. 

There are great guests and great hosts, there are nightmare guests and horrible hosts. Eventually the bad ones get weeded out, but it can take awhile. Reviews help, but there's also a lot of serious flaws in the review system.

And yes, Airbnb has moved from their original home-sharing philosophy (altho they still blah blah like that's their focus) to actually encouraging faceless property management companies with tons of listings, who often don't attend to their properties or their guests well. They may have a cleaning staff, but no one bothers to go around to make sure those cleaners are doing an adequate job, or even that they showed up at all. There are still lots of hosts who really care about the experience they provide their guests, are hands-on, and those of us who are in that category are upset that there isn't a seperate category on Airbnb for that.

One thing that can help you find the kind of places you'd prefer, is to never instant book- put in an Inquiry first, so you can get a sense of the host by exchanging a couple of messages before you commit to a booking. If the host sends what appears to be some rote message, rather than something a bit more personal, or doesn't answer you in a timely fashion, or address any questions you may have put to them, that would be a red flag to me as a guest, and I'd move on to looking for another listing. And make sure to read through the reviews. If a bunch of guests said they loved the place, and one review has a ton of complaints, take that one with a grain of salt, it may just have been a guest who's never satisfied anywhere. And vice-versa if there's a bunch of bad reviews and a few that said they had a great stay. Also hands-on, caring hosts will write more personal reviews for their guests- a bunch of reviews that just say "Nice guests" probably indicates some property-managed place where the so-called hosts never even meet the guests or interact with them in any way. 

Caring, experienced hosts will be quite clear in their listing info as to what is expected from guests in terms of cleaning, check-out instructions, etc. So guests need to read through ALL the information of a listing first, scrolling down the page to read house rules, cancellation policies, "other things to note". If it's unclear to you, or you find something not addressed, ask to have those things clarified in a pre-booking Inquiry to the host. You'd be amazed how many guests don't read the listing description at all, just look at the pretty pictures, the price, and then hit Instant Book. Then they arrive, expecting something that they imagined, rather than what was described. 

One coffee cup is ridiculous. Please leave an honest review of this place.

[Lisa1603]

Sarah, I really appreciate your detailed response to my post. This afternoon I went to the supermarket and purchased a coffee cup, two glasses,  salt and pepper, a washcloth and  a potholder since I burnt myself this morning using the only pan we have to boil water. I see someone suggested leaving sheets on the bed so that the owner can assess any damage. I usually only leave them on beds that I have not used but guess I will start following this practice or at least asking the owners if they would like us to strip them. Well if anything this thread speaks a lot to human behavior, personal standards of cleanliness, and how Airbnb experiences can be all over the map. I searched for a different rental but currently there is not much to be had on the island of Isla mujeres unless I want to pay way more than I bargained for. but at least I don't have to drink my coffee out of a wine glass tomorrow 😉

[Lyndsey2]

I like the idea of asking the host what they prefer you do with the sheets. While I prefer that guests leave them on the bed, I know others feel the opposite. A guest that asks always gets a great review because they've made it clear they wanted to be as helpful as possible.

[Nicole1062]

Before ABB I looked into a vacation rental in Ocean City - It was expensive! And they don't supply linens (bed sheets or towels) and they expect the house to be clean and take the trash with you when you leave. This is the original vacation home. What happened to these types of standards?

I charge a low daily/weekly/mothly rate. I charge a modest cleaning fee of $25/room or if you rent the whole house $50 per stay. IMO this cleaning fee covers laundering linens and towels, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, and cleaning dishes. This modest fee shouldn't be expected to cover cleaning up trash and mess left all over the house, returning furniture to original positions, etc.

AirBnb is not a hotel. You are most likely getting the use of a full kitchen, laundry facilities, and the hosts knowledge of local attractions, which is not what you would get when staying at a hotel. And my AirBnb is priced more affordably than most area hotels.

This has been an interesting thread to read, both guests and hosts points of view. Thank you!

[Des3]

I’m surprised some of these places get any bookings with such rigid rules.

Also, too many rules dilute the important ones about noise, damage and other things.

I’ve been hosting for years and have only charged for damage and excessive cleaning. Like food on carpets etc. Some guests are spotless, others aren’t. Some may be clean, but have an early flight etc, which means they don’t have the time to strip the beds, put the laundry on, so the dishes and wash the windows. It all balances in the end.

If you expect all guests to pay to stay with you, then behave like they didn’t stay, then maybe hosting isn’t for you.

[Graham200]

The early checkout is a good point. Also, many places don't even have cleaning supplies available to the guests.

[Sarah977]

@Graham200   I find not leaving cleaning supplies available to be bizarre. I was doing an upholstery job at a fancy beach rental condo and needed to sweep off the dusty bench where the cushions were to go. I couldn't find a broom or a dustpan anywhere. When I asked the property manager, he said those things were locked up in a closet in the main hallway outside the unit. I asked him what would happen if a guest broke a glass at 2AM and there were glass shards all over the tile floor- the guests would either have to call and wake him up at 2AM asking where a broom was, or wait until morning, possibly cutting their feet on the glass. He just shrugged.

[Helen609]

To be honest I think you are expecting too much to have the house left as they found it. That is actually cleaning the place!

I am always delighted if people do clean however. Some people have clearly dusted and hoovered, which I wouldn't do on holiday and certainly not before 10am in the morning.

It doesn't sound like the place was trashed, just left dirty. 

People have hugely different standards. After a spate of breakages, bleach spilt on the carpet and a ruined £85 Brabantia bin I see it as a win not to have a trail of destruction. 

[Basil17]

I think the occasional messy group is just apart of renting your space. I’m a host and a renter and I’ve rented a few places that were disgusting. I had to leave one because of mold and I got sick. For all involved : the renter and the host it’s a gamble. When it comes to someone not cleaning up after themselves that’s on you. The room has to be cleaned anyway. 

[Robin4]

@Basil17 

Yeah, that's a good attitude Basil, the listing has to be cleaned anyway.

There is an expectation that guests clean up things they use and I would say probably 80% of mine do.

I don't get stressed about the 20% who don't....cleaning the toilet has to be done anyway, wiping benchtops, I personally check every utensil that might have been used, even when they have washed them because they will invariably be in a hurry to get away and will not wash what they have used properly.

Going back to the original post, Jill's guest did have a point, he paid to come into a properly cleaned property, somebody had to do that....and it wouldn't have been the previous guest!

Cheers......Rob

[Des3]

I totally agree.

You can’t rely on guests to maintain a professional level of cleanliness. As a host, it’s your responsibility to ensure that the property is perfect for the next guests.

I always check everything, and would rather just clean everything again and rely on my own level on cleanliness, ensuring happy guests, and a good reputation.

[Jackie378]

I have in my listing to please wash all the dishes and take out the trash when you leave or cleaning fees will be applied. I rewash everything anyway, but it stops having stuff piled up and food glued on. 

Im still very new, but so far so good. If a guest left my home the way you described I would not leave a favorable review. 

[Robin4]

@Jackie378 

Hi Jackie, I actually prefer that guests just leave everything and walk out. I would prefer it if they left the bed linens in a pile on the bed or the floor. I don't want them half doing dishes that the next guest will complain about because they were not suitable clean.

I have a standard....and it is not the previous guests standard........ it is my standard. 

I want the wine glasses to absolutely gleam, and it requires a dishwasher to do that.

I don't want to have to strip a half made bed with hair and god knows what in it! I want to find the sheets in a pile and do it myself, wash the mattress protector and the pillow protectors for each new guest.

I don't want  the thrash taken out because it is no doubt full of recyclables that we get paid for.

I would rather do the lot myself than cope with some half arsed attempt by a guest who was in a hurry to make it look OK! 

Cheers......Rob