"Plus" host refused to provide cleaning materials & expect me to wait 8 hours for a repair

[Netta5]

I'm using Airbnb nonstop and I love it. Recently I encounter an uncomfortable experience and I would like to hear your opinion please. Just to note, it's Airbnb plus and I assumed it should be better, but I was wrong. Unfortunately, I booked this place for one month so I can't leave 😞

I arrived at the Airbnb, there were some dysfunctions, I took pictures of them but I thought that I can handle with them, just for the worst-case scenario, and told the host about some of them.

On the first night, I planned to use the dishwasher after I cooked and I noticed that the door cannot be closed because there's an accumulation of calcium beneath (I guess because of the time of the quarantine there were no guests here). In the morning after I send a message to the host, he responded after 6 hours that he'll invite a repairman for the day after that will come between 10:00-14:00. 

I was uncomfortable with that because the host itself told me he didn't come to welcome me because of the COVID-9 issues, and anyway all the time he sent his friend to check things because he's not in the city (So he lied apparently).

On the day after I ruined my plans for the morning and I was waiting. At 13:00 while I was waiting he wrote to me that the repairman canceled so he wants to invite him for the day after in the afternoon (also with a time-frame of 4 hours). He told me that I don't have to be in the apartment but I told him that I don't feel comfortable with that because I want to make sure that his friend and the repairman are using masks and also there's no place here to lock my stuff so I'm a bit concern. 

Anyway, the host wasn't nice at all, he all the time repeated that it's not his fault and when he sent me the message at 13:00 he wrote me "at least you were waiting only 3 hours, and not 4" like he has no respect to my time at all. All the time I tried to contact Airbnb and they replayed after 2 days and were not responsive and feel like they don't care at all. But I wanted to have a dishwasher so I wanted to give it another chance maybe, but then I realized that there is not even one cleaning material in the apartment and thought that of course there's a chance that the repairman or his friend would like to use the toilet and it won't be humane not to let them. So I asked the "Plus" host and he told me that "honestly" he gave me a monthly discount so he doesn't think he should provide me any cleaning materials. I tried to explain to him that it's also for his good to maintain the apartment but he refused. Besides, he sent me a message and wrote that he thinks that it was a "mystery" what happened to the dishwasher because the cleaning team told him they cleaned it but luckily I had a pic I took 1.5 hours after I arrived showed clearly that the door of the dishwasher is open and that there's an accumulation of salt beneath. 

In all my last Airbnbs there were cleaning materials even if it was not written in the amenities. I was surprised that he refused to provide me and more surprised that Airbnb told me that he shouldn't provide me because it wasn't written in the amenities. I saw articles of Airbnb where they wrote clearly that the host should provide cleaning materials because of the COVID-9 situation.

In the meanwhile, I wash the dishes by hand and count my days until check out 😞

I'm doing all I can to be a polite & clean guest, the only reason I want cleaning materials is that I care for the place I stay in and I want to keep it nice & clean.

I'm very disappointed with Airbnb that they don't try to help to find another place. The behavior of the host makes me feel uncomfortable staying here. I understand that people can have financial problems but I don't think that I ask something that isn't basic. I really want to leave 😞

Thanks,

Netta

[Huma0]

@Netta5 

Is the host sending in cleaning staff to clean the place during your stay, or you are expected to clean it yourself during that month and buy your own cleaning products?

[Netta5]

Hey @Huma0 , thank you for replay, you are better than airbnb help center I have to say 🙂

No, he doesn't invite here any cleaning staff, he just doesn't care.

That was his comment:

"to be honest I'm not sure I can provide a month's worth of cleaning material, especially considering the heavily discounted price."

My problem is not his behavior, the world has a lot of kinds of people (and I know that if somebody acts like that so he's not good with himself also) but the lack of support from Airbnb. I was talking with them and explaining it and they just told me that if he didn't mention it on the amenities so it's not obligatory. I stayed in many different Airbnbs in my life and I never been in a place without at least one cleaning liquid beneath the sink. Also, the slogan of "Airbnb plus" is "amenities for everyday use", so how are basic cleaning materials aren't included?

[Huma0]

@Netta5 

Whether or not you got a discounted price is irrelevant unless the host specified, "I will give you a discount, but will then not provide X, Y, Z amenities." 

However, this is a tricky one because it is true that it's difficult for you to complain about lack of amenities if they were not listed. Like @Mark116 , I would never rent for a month with neither cleaning services/cleaning provisions provided under normal circumstances, let alone now, but I'm not sure that the host is actually required to do so (I assume the host didn't list the place with the enhanced COVID cleaning protocol?). I don't remember having to tick those on my listing as required, basic amenities. I just provide them anyway.

Also, I think @Mark116  is right in that you chose to wait in for the repair person as the option was given to you to have them visit without your presence. I understand why you would be concerned about this due to COVID but again, not sure that responsibility rests on the host or not.

Sounds to me like bad hosting (I hope you didn't also have to pay a big cleaning fee), but that the host is not technically breaking any rules, which is why Airbnb are not being very helpful (also they are generally not responding very quickly to issues right now).

Not sure what you can do. Sorry not to have better answers. If I think of anything, I will let you know!

[Mark116]

@Netta5  I think the host is crazy not to provide any cleaning supplies for a month stay unless there is a cleaner who is coming in to do a weekly/biweekly clean.  It is to his benefit to have at least 1 or 2 basic cleaners available, especially now.

It seems like the host did make a good faith effort to get the dishwasher repaired and it was your choice to stay and wait instead of let the repair person come and enter the unit w/out you being there.  If it is just a salt build up isn't that something you might have been able to remove yourself?

I would try not to let it ruin your trip, but you could certainly ask airbnb what other accommodations they can find you and cancel this reservation.

[Netta5]

Hey @Mark116 , thanks for the comment! 🙂

As I wrote to @Huma0 

No, he doesn't invite here any cleaning staff, he just doesn't care.

That was his comment:

"to be honest I'm not sure I can provide a month's worth of cleaning material, especially considering the heavily discounted price."

as I mention in the post I feel uncomfortable with people come to the apartment when I'm not here because of my personal belongings and because I want to make sure they open the windows, wearing masks and use gloves. I don't think it's correct to handle it myself, I'm not proffesional and I'm afraid to do any demage. 

I feel like the host really reply me with an arrogont manner:

"but being stood up is really not my fault, I've done all I can to fix this quickly and have been let down." 

If he could check the apartment before I came it wouldn't happen, but he's not even in the city. He sent his friend to check it.

 "and to be fair, it wasn't a four hour wait today"

I feel like I'm not talking with a reasonable and considerate person.

I try to talk with Airbnb to change the place but they told me that my reasons aren't enough and anyway they don't reply often so it's really difficult to communicate with them these days 😞

Thank you for your words 🙂 I've been in the army for 2 years and also traveled to Africa so I was in much harsh conditions but I just don't understand how can Airbnb doesn't have any regulation about cleaning materials and the host comments and how they can give the tag of "Airbnb Plus" to such host.

[Huma0]

PS the more I hear about the Plus scheme, the more it seems like nonsense. So, it was required (not sure if this is still the case) that no cables of any kind should be showing, but ensuring the place is kept clean/providing cleaning materials is not seen as necessary? That sounds like nonsense to me. Surely it is more important to a guest that the place is sanitary, now more than ever, than no cables being in sight?

[Netta5]

@Huma0 That's funny, I didn't even know that there are rules like that 😄

What do you mean by seeing cables? I think there a plenty of them beside the TV.

Having cleaning materials is something basic, I'll buy myself in the end because I have respect for the place but I really think it's nonsense.

[Huma0]

@Netta5 

I would need to double check the detailed list of requirements again to be sure, but when Airbnb first launched the Plus scheme, a lot of other hosts thought I should join (the emphasis seemed to be on unique, thoughtfully designed spaces). I remember reading through the requirements and I did not qualify because of things like not having a private bathroom for each room (I have a shared listing) and I also clearly remember the thing about cables, which I thought was stupid! This is a home, not a hotel after all.

[Netta5]

@Huma0 I look at your profile at your listings and especially "Large & lovely room in Victorian house near tube" looks really majestic & beautiful! Anyway, as you can I can clearly see the cables here, it doesn't feel like hotel at all 😄

[Huma0]

@Netta5 

Thank you for your nice comments on my listings!

I had another look and I cannot now find a link to the detailed criteria for qualifying for Plus. I remember when it was first launched, there were about 100 tick boxes, that included not having cables showing, but perhaps the scheme is now closed for new applications as I cannot find that list now.

What I found is this (and also see the links contained within): 

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/2188/how-can-my-listing-qualify-for-the-airbnb-plus-programme

Which are pretty vague. It doesn't go into any detail about the amenities actually required and also says that the standards/requirements can be revised at any time. 

So, sorry again, but I don't really know where you stand on this.

If I was you, and you are happy with the Airbnb except for the dishwasher problem/lack of cleaning products/host's tone and really don't want to have to find another place to stay, I would buy your own cleaning products and leave an honest review of the place, citing the problems. Please keep your review factual and not personal though, as it will have more impact that way.

And, before other hosts slam me for my responses, which I think they might, I am not trying to be harsh on this host, but I really think that Airbnb Plus needs to be above and beyond the standards that the rest of us hold ourselves up to. Otherwise, it's just a con. And also all hosts should at least try to be a bit sympathetic RE COVID and cleaning concerns right now.

[Huma0]

@Netta5 

I just double checked what is required by Airbnb as 'essential amenities' and it's:

• Toilet paper
• Soap (for hands and body)
• One towel per guest
• One pillow per guest
• Linen for each guest bed

Cleaning during stay/cleaning materials are not specified. It also doesn't say you have to provide more of the above amenities for longer stays, but recommends you do. So, it's pretty basic. If I understand this correctly, a guest staying for one month may only get one towel with no provisions to wash it.

HOWEVER, according to the Airbnb Plus standards:

- Spaces are clean and well cared for, offering everything a guest might need to make the most of their stay.

It also says:

- Airbnb Plus hosts bring their own unique spin on hospitality—welcoming guests with warmth, flexibility, and a commitment to making things right.

Although this is so vague as to be meaningless. 

@Netta5  I wonder, is your host also a Superhost? One thing that has always rattled me about Airbnb Plus is that it seems that one doesn't need to be a Superhost to qualify, which I would have thought would be a minimum requirement. Otherwise, who is judging what is Plus and what is not, other than an Airbnb photographer? Certainly not the guests...

[Netta5]

@Huma0 Thank you so much for your help! 🙂

He's not superhost. I think it's really crazy, Airbnb wrote "amenties for everyday life" in "Airbnb Plus" so how's cleaning materials isn't something belong to everyday life?

The point it that in the new articles about the COVID-9 they write: 

It really feel nonsense that things aren't clear and that I don't have anyone to support me from Airbnb help center 😞 Also about that wait for the repairman, I think he should make sure it will be just one hour and not 4 hours time frame. He also should feel really sorry for wasting my time and not checking things before.

[Mark116]

@Netta5  I'm not sure what country you are staying in, but in the US, the repair companies will only ever give a 4 hour window for when they are coming, so I suspect that is out of the hosts control.  If I were you, I would let the repair person come in while you are away, leave the windows open, ask the host to confirm the repair person will wear a mask and gloves, although I'm not sure that salt deposits are something you couldn't remove yourself w/out seeing a photo.  I would ask again for your host to provide at least 1 bottle of all purpose cleaner for you to use while there. Or, you can leave and go somewhere else.

I will say as a host that I am not going to provide everything on that list.  We provide bar soap, hand sanitizing liquid hand soap and multiple cleaning products as well as a sanitizer spray bottle left in the alcove.  But no way am I providing guests with a supply of their own hand sanitizer or gloves. 

[Huma0]

@Netta5 

The problem with this is that they are recommendations from Airbnb, not requirements, so as a guest, you can't actually expect them unless the host specifies they are providing them.

There is a COVID advanced cleaning protocol in place that hosts can sign up to and get a badge, but don't have to sign up to. 

I wonder, did your host have this badge on their listing? I am guessing not...