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
Stephanie6
Level 10
Boulder, CO

Hi @Lydia16,  Unless you have made it clear the guests that you expect all food to be disposed of and all surfaces wiped clean it is not reasonable to expect guests to meet your expectations.  As a guest, when I pay a "cleaning fee" I do not expect to be required to leave the apartment/room in a clean condition (although I do!).  If you raise your cleaning fee for all guests a small amount you can cover the rare extra cleaning fees and not have to go through the hassle of trying to charge the guest and risk a bad review.  The broken toilet handle is another matter, but it can be considered a cost of doing business unless you have a security deposit.

 

My guests often leave "gifts" behind for me.  Sometimes I get a nearly full bottle of bourbon, soda, limes, beer, twinkies, and other times condoms (new).

Not all is lost, it seems that bad hosts are just a few. Congratulations!

Hello, I face a similar issue but about the toilets.

I don't understand how one can leave toilets dirty behind oneself. 

even a cleaning fee cannot justify having someone else cleaning your urine, pubic hairs and other intimate souvenirs on/in/around the toilet seat/vase/floor.

how to deal with that?

@Geraldine50

Sorry, but any normal human "extras" left behind in the bathroom are normal ... and some hosts think it is inconsiderate, but I've seen the same in many public restrooms. I expect that many people will do the same in my studio. Therefore I have a cleaning fee. No, someone doesn't necessarily purposefully "leave behind" urine, pubic hair, etc, behind...They just do it.

You are a host. Deal with it. If you have a cleaning fee and don't want to deal with a guest's personal "leavings" then you should probably get out of the businessness. Guests don't think this way. You deal by dealing. Clean it up!

@Jann3 I am very confused by your answer. Shall I understand that it is normal for you not to use the toilet brush and pee outside of the toilet vase and all other the toilet seat? and leave it to someone else to clean?

I guess it is then a question of education.

 

Jann, you know and understand service. Congratulations!

If you charge cleaning how do you expect people to clean?

@Pedro753 

A cleaning fee is a cleaning fee. It is not a Skivy fee or a manservant fee or housemaid fee. In our homes which we let out to you we expect that guests show respect and keep them clean and tidy. Part of us letting them out to you is we rule that they should be kept clean and tidy. Guests agree to this.  If you don't want to show respect and uphold the letting agreement go to a hotel, pay more, and leave your mess there instead.

 

We are not saying "Cleaning Fee $20 trash as much as you like, live like a pig".

 

Your mindset is indicative of the type of guests we as hosts need to deal with. 

@Lydia16 

There are just some people in the world who think if they are paying guests , they can be dirty slobs regardless of whether they are staying at someone's home thru Airbnb or at a hotel. I'm not saying this is right - but it's just the way some people are and as a host, you'll have to find a way to deal with it.

 

You should consider including a check-out checklist - what you expect guests to do before checking out. Such as clearing away left over food, taking out trash, basic tidying and putting things back where they belong etc. What seems obvious to you may not be the case for others, so it's best to be specific and state the obvious to manage everyone's expectations. The broken toilet handle IS something you should get compensation for and I hope you get paid for that. Also, don't be afraid of bad reviews. Good luck~

 

And @Geraldine50, I agree that it is rude of people to leave urine stains "around" a toilet (pubic hairs I doubt are intentional and people tend to be oblivious of how much they shed) BUT like I said before, some people think that as a guest, they can be as dirty and disgusting as they want to be and expect others to clean up. It's not right but I consider it as a part of the "dirty" side of hosting. Some one has to scrub toilets to keep them clean - some people clean up after themselves, some don't. If you get a guest that doesn't, then it falls on you. Simple~

Kris192
Level 2
Westerville, OH

The guests left the place smelling of 'dog'.  It took 3 extra hours to clean pet hair and deodorize and carpet clean, couch clean, mattress clean etc.  Can I charge an extra cleaning fee?

You provide a hospitality service.  I’ve never used Airbnb, but if you charge people a cleaning fee, your customers expect you to cleanup after them.  If the problem is your $20 fee, raise it to what handy or any other app would charge. Being competitive is far from being cheap.  You can’t fight with your guests. Charge more and have a cleaning profesional pickup the pubes.  You depend on reviews, be profesional and think as a professional. 

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

Sounds as tho' you know nothing about the mutual respect ethos of airbnb @Pedro753 , & as you say, you've never used airbnb...... If you ever do, please familiarise yourself with airbnb's history, culture, & expectations! Someone on this forum recently summed it up well with: "When you open the door to an airbnb guest, you expect to receive a gracious friend, not an entitled customer!"

@Helen350 , my issue with all this is hosts charging a cleaning fee and expecting guests to clean. Leaving dirty dishes is nothing short of being a pig, that being said; if you charge for cleaning, clean, don't expect guests to pay for it and clean too. I was looking for a house because our friends want all of us to stay at a vacation rental because of the convenience of having a kitchen.  I would never rent a room at someone's house, nor would I rent one to someone at mine. I saw cleaning fees of $150 plus... If all Airbnb hosts are as hospitable as most I've seen commenting here, I think we will end up at a Residence Inn or any other extended stay hotel, those have kitchens too.

@Pedro753 

 I think we will end up at a Residence Inn or any other extended stay hotel, those have kitchens too.

 

Do that. You obviously won't be paying for cleaning (but you will be). The accommodation won't be as good, it'll cost you more and you can be gross without anybody mentioning it about you.

 

Maybe it's that accountable thing? Being held to account for living like a pig is not very nice to hear or realise.

 

Cleaning fees on Airbnb are either charged extra or included. You pay for it either way. Many hosts discount the cleaning way below commercial rates because they are house proud. Pig guests are just expectant, take advantage and complain when they're called out.