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

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Jill41
Level 1
Hove, United Kingdom

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

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:)

1 Best Answer
Stephanie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hi everyone,

 

Airbnb has Ground Rules for guests, which details the reasonable cleaning a guest should do when staying in a Hosts listing. You can see more here: Ground rules for guests

 

Thanks,

Stephanie

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Please follow the Community Guidelines 

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202 Replies 202
Daniel9179
Level 1
Vaughan, Canada

I always clean any airbnb I stay at before I leave but I do it reluctantly. I am going to an airbnb this weekend and there is a $150 cleaning fee that I paid. What does that money go to if im the one cleaning?

 

And please no one say laundry, 2 bedsets and a few towels doesnt cost $150 to wash and dry..

@Daniel9179  Most guests who put forth this attitude really have no idea what goes into cleaning and preparing an Airbnb. Washing one's dirty dishes, bagging up the garbage, sweeping the floor if it's covered in debris, and wiping off the counter isn't "cleaning". And that is normally what is expected by hosts when asking that a guest clean up.

 

That's just tidying up your own personal mess. 

 

Cleaning an Airbnb entails thorough vacuuming, removing any cobwebs, dusting all surfaces, scrubbing and sterilizing the bathroom and kitchen, making sure the oven is clean and the fans, cleaning muck and hair out of drains, washing windows, cleaning window blinds, checking to make sure the dishes are actually clean, not greasy or with bits of food stuck to them, cleaning out drawers, cleaning out the fridge, remaking beds, putting out fresh towels, toilet paper, soap and whatever else the host provides, etc, etc. And then there is the laundry.

With the cleaning required for Covid safety, hosts now also have to steriliize all high-touch surfaces liike remotes, light switches, doorknobs, and so on.

 

To give you perspective, it takes me an hour and a half to clean and prepare the one private bedroom and private bathroom that is what I list, regardless of how tidy the guest left it. Then it takes me another half hour to make sure the common areas I share with guests are clean and presentable. 

 

I do understand that when a guest only stays for a night or two and really makes very little impact, the cleaning fee can seem onerous , but as pointed out, you have a choice of listings to book, some of which have lower cleaning fees than others, some of which have no cleaning fees. But cleaning time and expense have to be accounted for somehow, so if it isn't a separate fee, the nightly rate will be higher.

I appreciate the reply because you’re right I didn’t think of any of that.

 

Now while I understand an airbnb isn’t the same as a hotel it is similar. That being said I can get a hotel for a similar daily rate as an airbnb and a hotel doesn’t expect you to clean anything.

 

My point I guess is that the cleaning fees are normally much higher than I would expect. My mom runs a house cleaning service and $150 for example is the rough average charge for full cleaning for an entire average sized house, not just a single unit in a house.

 

Like I said I always clean regardless just to show respect, but on average I feel most airbnb’s charge too much for cleaning.

@Daniel9179  Well, cleaning costs vary throughout the world and even in different areas of the country. For instance, here in  Mexico, cleaners charge the equivalent of $5US/hr. In Canada, where I am from, although I never had a cleaner when I lived there, I would imagine it's at least $35/hr. 

And not all cleaners are good, thorough cleaners- it can take some time to find one who does a good job.

 

The thing is that the cleaning fee is a one-time fee, regardless of the length of stay (Airbnb has very recently introduced the option for hosts to add a "short stay" cleaning fee, although I'm not sure how many days is considered short stay). So if you are only staying one or two nights, then $150 would seem excessive, if you are staying for 10 days, spread out over the booking length, it's only $15/ night.

 

 The other thing is that hosts have no way of knowing if a guest is going to be messy or clean. Some people can manage to trash a place out in one night, others can stay for 2 weeks and leave it spotless. So cleaning time and fees have to be averaged out.

 

It is also true that some hosts list a low nightly rate to look attractively priced, then charge a high cleaning fee to make it up. I really don't like that sort of deception.

 

One of the issues I see is that many hosts do not state in their listings what they expect by way of guests cleaning up before checking out. My son-in-law travels a lot on business and says he resents being presented with a list of cleaning chores only after he arrives. If the expectations were made clear in the listing info, he could choose not to book there, if he found it onerous. Like you, he does what is asked, and isn't the kind of guy who would leave a mess behind him, anyway, but having to hump the garbage down to the dumpster in the alley when he has a plane to catch or a meeting to attend, is not what he thought he signed up for, which is a fair attitude, IMO.

 

If you find a hotel to be just as economical, then you should book a hotel room instead of an Airbnb. But there are usually things you would get in an Airbnb that you wouldn't in a hotel room you paid a similar price for, like a kitchen or kitchenette, maybe a yard or porch to sit out in, etc. 

 

And hotel expenses for cleaning are less than Airbnbs. Hotels usually have immigrant cleaning staff to whom they are paying minimum wage, the cleaners are there all day cleaning rooms, while most Airbnb hosts, to retain good, reliable cleaners, pay at least a living wage, some bonuses, and the cleaners have more expenses, as they are not at one place all day- they may have 3 homes to clean in a day, so have travel time and gas money to account for. 

 

BTW, I don't charge a cleaning fee at all and do my own cleaning. But I also have a 3 night minimum booking length and most of my guests  average a week-10 day booking. 

 

Des3
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

Why don’t you check expectations prior to booking.

 

That way, if you feel it’s unreasonable, vote with your feet..

Can I get a definition of what you consider cleaning? We washed clothes and towels and put unused towels in the basket. Washed dishes and wiped down countertops in the kitchen. There was very few paper towels and one roll of toilet paper for each bathroom. There were no more trash bags after the bag was full. The owner had to come fix the faucet in the bathroom as the water wouldn’t cut off and one of the coffee pots didn’t work. We bought laundry detergent as there was none and toilet paper. Are these normal items you need to buy? Does cleaning involve bathrooms, sweeping, mopping, dusting, making beds? Clarification would be most helpful. 

Glenn335
Level 1
Detroit, MI

I'm a guest.  Airbnb hosts don't tell you about the cleaning chores required of a guest at the time of review and booking.  I do have to pay a "Cleaning fee"... I don't find out until either I get the code for the room or there is a sign on the table when I walk in.  Last I checked, I am on vacation.  Hotels charge their fees for cleaning in the room... Airbnb add a $fee... no problem, I know that in advance... Why do I have to do chores.  One airbnb wanted me to wash the linens I used and toss them into the dryer...YET I paid a cleaning fee.  You CAN'T have it both ways... Eitehr put the chores upfront so I can choose another place... or charge a fee to clean it... you can't expect both... You are taking business from hotels for a GOOD reason... but don't expect me to clean your house... I promise I won't make a mess but I am not taking out the trash... cleaning the bedding/towels... running the dishwasher...etc

 

@Glenn335  Airbnb probably isn't for you then.  I would not want to host someone who refuses to deal with their own trash and expects to leave a kitchen full of dirty dishes and pots and pans that have been collecting during their stay of several days.  I agree that guests should not be asked to do laundry.

Then maybe Airbnb is NOT for you as a host.  Either tell us UPFRONT and lose the possibility of a Sale or charge a fee to clean... You CAN'T do both.  If I travel, I like to check out local places including restaurants... I may use dishes for leftovers or one take out... Also, I would prefer to have my dishes cleaned by the owner, not the guest before me.  As far as trash goes, take the **bleep** trash out... I don't work for you.  If I can save $75 per night for the cleaning fee, then great, I will save some $$$............  Again, the point of my comment was about the lack of communication of the chores up front.

@Glenn335 

Imagine situation when next after you guest does not arrive for 2 weeks.

It is customary to clean the place professionally BEFORE the guest arrives as dust will build up, water from faucet might drip and leave spots, linens might absorb some humidity from the air. And ...YEAH - guest WILL complain abou that.

 

The only reason normal airbnb owners ask people to tidy up and take out trash (specifically trash) as trash will stink up the whole place - so mgith leftovers of food in the fridge and peices of food on the stove.

 

And you are right - AirBNB hosts should put it in the House RUles and make booking ONLY after potential guests confirm that they did read anad agreed with house rule. I do NOT book anyone who does not read my Hosue RUles and believe you me  I know if they DO

 

@Susanna344 the reason why hosts gave up on putting more supplies is because ever second guest leaves palce with rolls of toilet paper hanging from his neck ... and everything else. Yes - good guests pay the price for bad ones, BUT - I adjusted my prices down to reflect it

Lizette52
Level 1
Chatswood, Australia

I came here for clarity on dishwashing etiquette, and I still am just as confused! Would love to hear the thoughts of the hosts here.

A recent place I stayed at noted that I: 

 

  1. Left the lights on (really my bad!!! I can hear my dad in my ear...) 
  2. Left dirty dishes in the dishwasher

 

So, what is the actual dishwashing etiquette?
When I started using Airbnb years ago, I was asked to leave them in the dishwasher and have been following this since. (I remember host said they run everything between guests, so I thought this was a standard host thing to do?!)

Sometimes, a place will have a laminated sheet saying what I should clean before leaving, then I'd follow that instead. Otherwise, I'd just organise them to be easily washed later: put away solids,  stack them if there's no dishwasher, rinse when necessary.

 

Can someone advise as to what to expect about the dishes?

 

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Exact quote:

Lizette is a nice guest, but she left the lights on (and I couldn’t go to the apartment before the next guests’ arrival, 4 days later…) and the dishes unclean inside the dishwasher (very straightforward to use and I was available to answer any questions), so the next guests had to empty the dishwasher themselves


I also didn't know she won't come until days later. The key needed to be left inside, and you need the key to lock it when you're outside. I was internally freaked out to leave the apartment "open" that it never occurred to me that she won't be back quickly. The concept of a town being so safe is so foreign to my brain!

Edited: formatting

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Lizette52 unless there are instructions to the contrary I would hope guests leave the dishwasher running if they do not have time to run it before they leave.

I just found my place in such disarray after guests left. They had spilled on the porcelain stove early in their 6 night stay and had ‘cooked on’ the spill to make it very difficult to remove. I spent an hour scrubbing with fine steel wool. They are getting a bad review from me. They moved furniture pieces and tied up linen curtains in knots. Ugh!

Eugénie1
Level 10
Prahran, Australia

Always charge a cleaning fee

Emily1842
Level 2
Lake Montezuma, AZ

As a psychologist and recently negatively reviewed guest ive been reading these with some fascination. What we are really talking about here is communication and expectation management, crucial for all relationships. I suspect if you polled guests for private rentals a good percent would say " i don't want to have to clean my vacation home that's what I'm paying somebody for. that's part of the appeal."and a good percentage of hosts would say " it's disrespectful to leave a place a place dirty and it's not like a hotel room because it's mine. " 

 

First of all expectations, norms, and common sense should have no role in this because everybody has different expectations and standards of cleanliness. it must be written out clearly both before and after the guest rents it so they know what they're getting into. poor communication and no rules to follow is on the host.  personally as a guest if I could filter to ones that I did not have to clean at all, including dishes, I would probably choose those ones because that is a service i want. The no worries about upsetting someone service. Lack of cleaning isn't personal or disgusting. It's just a service that needs done by someone. 

 

Leaving the place as you found it really has no meaning at all because that's impossible without doing a through clean. When a landlord asks me to leave a place as I found it I scrub the baseboards, wash the walls, wash the windows, wash inside the oven, mop, scrub the bathtub etc. Leaving an Airbnb place as I found it would also mean a full clean--- no hairs on the bathroom floor, no toothpaste on the mirror, no crumbs on the carpet, no soap scum on the bathtub, clean sheets, clean towels, clean put away dishes. This isn't what's expected usually so it's just confusing to say. 

 

Tidying is also a nonsense word that should be avoided. To most people tidying means organizing to some people it means cleaning. My recent host claimed the house was left on tidy all over which I have no idea what they meant. All the objects were in their original places. All the trash was in bags. blankets were folded. pillows were stacked. Towels were never even touched in the first place.  there would have been however been some dust and crumbs and loose hairs. I was there for 30 full days. Im not even sure if there was a vacuum or tub scrubbing type supplies provided. 

 

The host also asked for me not to wash the sheets in the checkout instructions, yet claimed the sheets were soiled and the place had to be sprayed for bedbugs. I don't know what they mean, no photo evidence was provided of any normal or abnormal soiling. I washed them once during my stay for myself. I do recall there being some balls of carpet lint at the bottom of the sheets where the feet go night after night. The host was not the cleaner. I feel I might have gotten a cleaner who was really trying to take the host for all they were worth and trumping up the list of charges to get more hours. 

 

For example, the cleaner took a picture of the full trash can and charged for excessive trash which made no sense to me. The host didn't ask for the trash to be taken out, nor does it take any more time to take a full trash bag to the chute versus a half full trash bag. I felt like they were abhorred I actually used the trash can and there was food in it, but most of that food was what I threw out right before leaving from the refrigerator, and the cleaner came one hour later. It wasn't just sitting there rotting.

 

Expectations is not a word that should be used with airbnb. Rules are what is important. If you want dishes done and put back, say it. If you want countertops and stove tops cleaned, say it etc. My host didn't say anything other than "WE will be performing a deep cleaning, please remove your belongings and tidy up the place, feel free to strip the bedding if you want to go the extra mile." This seems like a self-sabotagingly casual instruction. Even our communication afterwards they were passive aggressive like this, pretending like they understood my views and complaints and agreeing to be more explicit in checkout instructions next time when we were communicating directly and then leaving a review that said I was the worst, most disrespectful, guest ever.

 

I  don't know if this false politeness and having certain unspoken expectations for "right" behavior is a Southerner thing but seemed weird and shocking altogether. 

 

I also felt like my host was comparing me to shorter-term guests unfairly. They said that most clean up takes less than 1 hour. I think somebody should be prepared to clean for more than 1 hour after a 4 weeks apartment stay with full kitchen, bath, living, and bedroom usage.  And I am also not responsible for the paranoid decision to call an exterminator when no proof of needing an exterminator was provided. I can tell you for sure there were no pests or pest droppings.