Guest broke several house rules and did none of the check out check list

[Lauren3569]

Our last guest broke several house rules and did none of the items on the check out list.  Our list is simple, load and run dishwasher, take out trash, take all food, and put all dirty towels in one specified location.  None of these were done and they left late.  

We are new and are not completely sure how to handle the situation the right way.  How has anybody else handled it?

We appreciate the advice!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Lauren3569 If check out tasks are not written into the house rules then these are not actually required of the guest.

Assuming no real damage was done I would do nothing involving the guest and just leave an honest review so that other hosts understand what happened. If you raise it with the guest it will guarantee you a bad review and you will have gained nothing.

[Fred13]

The first thing you should do (being new) is read further opinions on this subject and give your initial approach (of asking much from guests) a 2nd thought. Your requirements, regardless of reason, perhaps constitutes a scenario that a lot of your guests are bound to fail to some degree in one way or another. Thus your relationship with your guests (and Airbnb) can become a source of some discontent much too often. That is sure to make your hosting a no-fun affair; simplicity is the key to fun hosting.

You could always ask for them to please do these things in passing conversation and/or charge a cleaning fee up front and skip the whole exercise.

While here, best to show where they will be coming to (photo of the home, not anything else) first and also re-consider allowing guests 1-8 to stay at the same price, this is oftentimes an invitation for 'el cheapos'  to ask others to just help split a bill. Being 3 bedrooms should list as 6 persons, but mention up to 8 according to group composition, which gives you an opportunity to evaluate a group. There is usually a demarcation in human behavior between 6 and 8 guests unless it is a family.

Good luck with your very nice place.

[Lorna170]

@Lauren3569  While check out lists are generally followed by guests, you have to expect the ones that pack up and bug out without doing anything...not even locking the doors.

There are guests who feel that they can leave everything to the cleaner.  Some guests will view the check out list as an "optional request" that they will do only if they have the time.  I have had guests who leave the property so tidy you wonder if they were even there, while others leave hurricane damage.

Look at the house rules that the guest broke.  If they smoked inside or caused damage to the furnishings, decide how to address that in your review -- guest did not abide by house rules [smoking, etc.] did not perform check out requests and was late leaving.  

Determine at what point the behavior of your guest is going to cause you harm or money lost.  Now that you are in the hospitality business, recognize that NO ONE is going to treasure your property the way that you do, and that a certain amount of "bad" guest behavior is going to happen.  

[Ana2038]

@Lauren3569 , we have an optional checkout list and ask very little of our guest. So we don’t mind if they don’t take out the trash; we actually prefer that they don’t as our city requires separation of trash, recycling and landscape/ compost. We certainly don’t want the wrong items put into the wrong bins. We try to make checking out as simple as possible for our guest but do ask that they respect our house rules. 

As, @Lorna170, has stated, “ no one will treasure your property the way you do.”  Hope the feedback from the community helps guide you in evaluating your first guest(s) stay. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Lauren3569 

Sorry that you are distressed! We do not ask our guests to do anything at all, when they leave. That eliminates stress for us and for them. As @Ana2038 says, we sort the trash, wash the recycling, and dispose of it all appropriately, compost included. Our house rules are reasonable for our location, and our guests respect them. They are on vacation so we feel it is our job to make their experience as pleasant as possible, with no responsibilities beyond respecting the property. It's just how we feel, and how we do it.

[Linda793]

Simple - put it in the review. 'Broke house rules and did not follow check out instructions' and dock a star. Honest review.

You are new - this is going to happen again. Most of my guests follow the rules and check out instructions. A very few don't. 

To help them - I have the check out instructions (Which are simple and as I tell them - it helps to keep the cleaning fee low)  posted in MULTIPLE places. On the fridge and in the unit guide and the back of the door. 

For the house rules that are MOST important to me - E.g. not smoking cigarettes or weed - that I found were broken sometimes - I put a FRAMED notice very prominently - saying 'if you smoke weed, I will smell it (i live upstairs) and you will be asked to leave'  Since I put up this notice, it has never been broken! Win!

I also put some handy notices in plastic 'notice stands' around the apartment with tips for check out .. Very friendly and nicely worded.   Has really helped. 

Often guests are just oblivious - they don't read the guide so you have to help them out a bit with them noticing what you want them to do.

Good luck!