Dirty apartment and guest refused to pay extra cleaning fee

Dirty apartment and guest refused to pay extra cleaning fee

I encountered a family who stayed in my apartment but left the place dirty. My cleaning lady took pictures to show me (food left over on counter and fridge, dirty chair, messy garbage can...etc) and I was charged $35 more for the extra cleaning. The guests actually also broke my toilet handle and I'm having someone fix it.

However, the guest refused to pay it but said there's already a cleaning fee when she made the booking. Yes, it is, but it's only $20 which includes the very basic. I sent a request in the resolution center but found there's no place for me to submit photos. I now doubt if the guest will really consider it and may be even leave me a bad review. 

 

Please help!!

 

39 Replies 39

I contacted Airbnb and it's obvious they allow this issue to continue by not taking a firm position on this matter. The first rep avoided the question. The second rep had no choice but to answer. Find attached my exchange with two Airbnb reps. I had to insist to get a straight answer:

 **

**[Private conversation removed in line with Community Center Guidelines]

As you can see, guests are not supposed to clean if they pay a cleaning fee. I rest my case.

 

it is obvious you have no clue of what service is. 

@Pedro753 

3.29AM: Cleaning depends on hosts entirely, so you must agree the conditions with the host

That looks like a pretty good answer to me !?

 

There's no generic answer.

 

Guests should leave Hosts accomodation as clean as they find it. Even though they never will.

 

Read the Host's House Rules where you want to stay before you contemplate booking. There is only an assumption that hosts will not be cleaning up after pigs. The hosts will tell you that additional cleaning fees will be incured if... find out about the 'if'.

 

Tell them that you do not want to do any cleaning, and that you want them to do all the dirty work and ask if thats OK? You will receive a definitive answer.

 

Either that, or that you will want to clean up after yourselves: You will polish the place like a pin, remove the grids from and clean the inside and outside of the oven including glasses, inspect and rewash the pans, plates, cups, glasses, knives, forks, spoons, polish the windows, clean and disinfect the toilets, clean and polish the shower cubicles inside and out, clean the bath, clean sinks, remove hair and debris from drains, polish surfaces, clean TV screens, clean door handles, clean tables, wash tablecloths, clean coasters, hoover cobwebs, sweep, hoover and mop the floors, wipe down tops of pictures and door surrounds, clean wardrobe fronts, shake out any rugs and hoover, remove and shake off debris from the sofa covers and cushions, rewash if neccessary, replace. Remove stray hairs. Remove bedding, wash and replace. Rearrange shelving and cupboards with plates, bowls, cups, saucers, glasses, knives, forks, spoons, any games you've used, any DVD's you've used. Wash and replace towels, teatowls, clean fridge, freezer, microwave, coffee machine, clean the fire, barbecue, hot tub, swimming pool, sweep outside areas, search out and clear cigarette litter, wipe down outside furniture, cut the lawn - whatever's needed. Tell them you might need to take at least a day over it and you will stay until it was as clean as when you started, or until the Hosts says its good enough for you to leave.

 

You will then get your $20 refunded.

 

clean my place for me which takes us over a day and we'll discount you $65.

 

Thanks for bringing this up, as Host's we're not charging enough. Either we put prices up and hide the cleaning fee or we just charge commercial cleaning rates instead.

 

Oh, :

3:52 AM

If you don't cause any damage to any of the facilities or something like that, they don't have a reason to complain.
Broken toilet flush....

If you charge 20 dollars for cleaning you are not charging enough.  Now, if you charge $150 plus, I don’t think people will clean much. I wouldn’t.  I have a hospitality management background and it’s obvious that using this service is not for me, mainly  because hosts don’t get that if they make money out of this, there are a whole lot of service expectations on the guest’s part and I don’t see any of the hosts commenting here as a viable option. I fear most have the same attitude. If we decide for a vacation rental it will most likely be one managed by professionals.  If you charge for cleaning and expect guests to clean you are basically taking advantage of them. 

In 2016 @Lydia16 wrote:

I encountered a family who stayed in my apartment but left the place dirty. My cleaning lady took pictures to show me (food left over on counter and fridge, dirty chair, messy garbage can...etc)... $20 Basic cleaning.   +$35  because it took the cleaner so much longer to clean the mess.

 

@Pedro753 

 If you charge for cleaning and expect guests to clean you are basically taking advantage of them. 

 

Guests left the place DIRTY @Pedro753  No self-respecting person would leave any accomodation dirty so that is unacceptable. If it was clean and tidy - no problem, the cleaning is included. The only persons taking advantage here are those guests who left the place dirty.

 

Wow, that is a massive and incorrect presumption. In New York City (for example, just so you know) we pay very high rent. I only rent my home to guests when I travel. I charge them 140$ a night which is what my apartment rent costs me per day with included utilities. And I charge 80$ for cleaning which is what I pay back to my cleaner (her standard fee). On top of these costs, my guests get to enjoy our space expensively-furnished by a designer (me) free of charge. 

 

So, no. If my guests leave my place trashed, filthy and leave minor damage,  it is me, the host, who is taken advantage of. If I ask for them to fix it, it is always reflected in their review. People often have no clue how expensive some homes are to run. I expect my guests to leave my home with respect. 

 

You do realize that if you don't clean up your dishes at the residence inn, you will have to pay an extra fee, right? Hotels with kitchens also expect you to clean up after yourself within reason.

@Pedro753  And guests need to behave as "guests" when they are staying in someone's home. Appreciative, respectful people do not leave a mess behind them, expecting someone else to clean up after them. Hosts expect to do the heavy duty cleaning, which includes vacuuming, dusting, mopping floors, and removing leftover food from the fridge, do the laundry, make the beds, put out fresh supplies, disinfect the bathroom. This is done whether someone leaves it super clean or not. All my guests have left their space clean and tidy. There was no need to "fight" with them, wash their dirty dishes, or pick up their garbage off the floor, because they behaved as responsible adults who show respect for others. I don't expect them to make sure they pick up every stray hair or scrub out the shower stall, neither do I expect to be regarded as a personal maid or mommy.

Grow up.

Ma’am, I think you are in the wrong business. Hospitality is about the customer. I wish you well. Sadly, I foresee a low rating from your costumers if that’s the attitude you will show them. Follow advise, my intention is to help. Raise your cleaning fee. It’s not your home, if it was, you would not allow strangers in. It’s your business, treat it as such. 

@Pedro753  I don't know who you are, or why you decided to start posting here, as you say you have never been a guest, nor do you have a listing as a host. I have 5* ratings across the board and pages of glowing reviews, so my guests are obviously happy with my hospitality. It is my home, I host a private room in it. I don't charge any cleaning fee, and as I stated, my guests are responsible adults who do not behave like entitled strangers, they behave like respectful people who appreciate being accepted into my home. Some of them have become friends.

We can do without your "intentions to help", troll.

Obviously you don’t get it. Good luck. 

@Pedro753 No, Pedro, obviously you are the one who does not get it. You have no business on Airbnb, so your "help" is not needed here. We get it, you don't clean regardless, so be proud of this and do whatever you want in your own house however filthy it is. Just don't teach other people how they should run their business, it's not appreciated.

I shared the info, people can do with it what they want. If they want to allow you to rip them off it's their choice. I wouldn't rent from anyone who charges for something and expects me to do it. Be professional. 

@Pedro0 Once again, nobody is interested in your opinion here... If you call not cleaning after yourself being a professional, I will leave this honorary title for your personal exclusive use. And by the way, you really don't have to worry about renting from the hosts here, nobody will rent to you since everyone knows now that you don't clean after yourself being professional!