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

[Jill41]

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:)

[Nicki54]

I am a guest, not a host, and have been staying at Airbnb’s for the last 10 months straight as we travel around the world. I just got a review saying I didn’t take out the trash or wash the dishes. This is true, but let me explain...  When we leave an Airbnb we leave it basically as we found it. I will take out the trash, if the host leaves information on where to take it. The trash is always in the provided bins/area - we never leave it strewn about. We also do our dishes, with the exception of sometimes leaving a couple breakfast dishes if we are in a rush leaving.  We don’t mop or sweep, generally, but if we spill or make any sort of mess, we clean it up. I paid a $40 cleaning fee in this situation, and the host greeted us. She did not mention any cleaning expectations, nor did she leave any sort of written documentation. On another note, the amenities listed were not provided, and when I messaged her to ask about it, she never responded.  

Threads like this make me twitch.  Being respectful is extremely important to me, and to be told I was messy on my review really rubbed me the wrong way. I went looking for guidance on the Airbnb site so I know generally what is expected - I thought maybe I missed something. Nothing there. Then I find this thread. One host says cleaning isn’t expected, one says it is, one says take out the trash, the other says leave it, etc. I think it would be really helpful and solve a lot of problems if Airbnb posted some basic guidance, and if hosts would take time to lay out expectations either via the app or by leaving instructions in the home. Yes, I get you use common sense, but to get knocked in a review for something 40 other hosts thought was acceptable is frustrating. If you have specific expectations for your guests, spell it out. If not, don’t review them negatively for it!  

[Sarah977]

@Nicki54  I'm a host and have never been a guest. I absolutely agree with you on all points. What you say you do before leaving would be fine with me. I totally understand if guests are in a rush to check-out on time, especially if they have children to dress and feed and need to get on the road or catch a plane, that there might be a few breakfast dishes left in the sink. As opposed to a breakfast table full of dirty dishes and food with jam smeared all over, filthy countertops, stovetop swimming in grease. I think a host has reason to be offended by that type of mess. 

But guests who don't trash a place and clean up their personal messes and don't cause damage shouldn't be marked down or given a bad review because they left a days worth of trash in the bin or few dirty coffee cups unless it is stated in the listing desciption that the host expects more. Most responsible adults understand what cleaning up after yourself means. If a host expects guests to take every bit of garbage out to dumpster, strip the beds, gather up all the towels and start a load of wash, that should be made very clear, so the guest can decide if they want to book the place with those requirements or not. 

My son-in-law travels a lot on business- he's not a messy guy, my daughter has him well-trained 🙂 Not someone who leaves his wet towels wadded up on the floor, or a pile of dirty dishes and take-out containers lying around. He uses Airbnbs a lot. He told me he resents being expected to strip the bed, start the wash, take the trash out to the dumpster- he's only stayed one night, paid a cleaning fee and has meetings to go to, planes to catch, etc.

 I'm sorry you encountered a host who expects things from guests that she doesn't state up front- she has no right to give you a bad review if she doesn't make her expectations clear before a guest books, and doesn't even have that info in a house manual. 

However, $40 isn't a huge cleaning fee for an entire place if you are paying your cleaner a living wage. At this point, I just rent a private room/bath for 1 guest in my home, they share my kitchen with me. It takes me about an hour and a half to clean the guest space each time- I'm into making sure every nook and cranny is immaculate. Then there's the laundry to do. So if hosts or their cleaners are only charging $40 cleaning fee for an entire place that sleeps a family or several guests, I think they should either raise the cleaning fee, raise the base price of the rental, or make it crystal clear to guests what they expect in terms of cleaning.

[Des3]

I completely agree.

I meant to add that the only time I’m annoyed is when gyrstvlesve damage, or mess that requires professional cleaning, like stuff on the carpets etc. 

Also, one group smoked on the balcony, and emptied the ashtray in the bin. My flat is open plan and it took an entire day to get rid of the smell. I didn’t mention it as they were elderly, had young children, left everything else spotless, so I thought it was just an oversight.

I should add, I’ve been a guest and host, so see it from both sides.

Des

[Andrea218]

Thanks nicki68 for your thoughts.  I've been hosting for almost 8 years, with over 400 sets of guests, and use AirBnB when i travel as well.  Like you, i use "LEAVE IT AS YOU FOUND IT" as my guide.   (and have often left places cleaner than when we arrived, only because i'm a stickler for clean floors, and surfaces).  

As a host i do not charge a cleaning fee, b/c i don't want anyone thinking they can leave "x" dollar amount of mess, since they've paid for it.   Our house is meticulously cleaned between visits - when i have someone else clean, it typically costs me $120-140 USD, depending on how long it takes.  And most people do (try to) abide to the "leave it as you found it".  I have separate instructions all guests receive when they book, that tell them how to handle waste, dishes (we just ask they're left clean on the counter or in the dishwasher), wet towels, etc.   SEldom have we needed to withhold $ for abuse - i think 3 times, and 2 of those were  parties of young guys (West Point Cadets, at that) who slept way past check out too. 

my not charging a cleaning fee (and instead figuring it into the listed fee) does put me at a disadvantage when it comes to people browsing the site for a place to stay; if they don't delve deep enough to pull up the cleaning fees, ours seems way more expensive others.   so i'm almost reconsidering.

PS i have a situation now where it seems someone ate a pizza in bed (all white sheets) with the grease going through even to the mattress pad.  I've been treating the stains, & will try hydrogen peroxide in the sun today.  If to no avail, and because of our  "no eating upstairs in the bedrooms" rule, i am tempted to charge them for the loss of our bedding, and honestly, i think i'd be within my right to charge them for extra time, if i do get the stains out.  Why should i spend my time on a mess uncaring piggy people make?   

[Rowena29]

Hi@Nicki68,

I agree it's very frustrating to get a negative comment from a host when you feel that communication was not clear. It was not really very appropriate of her to put this in the public feedback (IMO). 

I think your idea of airbnb providing guidnce for guests ( and also hosts for that matter) is an excellent one - BUT it woudl probably have to be generic - as each host has such a different expectation - as you have seen from these threads. 

EVen though I can completley uderstand how much it irks you ( it would really irk me too) try not to let it get to you.  All your other reviews are lovely and glowing and by now this review has slipped down the list. Also your response was diplomatic and reasonable and put her complaint into perspective. Future hosts will look at all of that, as well as the lovely reivews you leave yourself, and make their own informed opinion.  If you had IB'd my place I would look at all that adn not be remotely worried about hosting you - I could easily see what had happened and realise that you were an excellent guest.  Hosts are used to the idea of  horror guests who leave unfair reviews, so we are also empathic to guests who have recieved an unfair assessment from a host. POSSIBLY it might be worth your while to say to future hosts "what are your checkout expectations?" if there is no manual,  to absolutely cover yourself, but really I'm sure that in a few weeks this will seem like a very minor bump in the road. I do agree with @Sarah977 though, that a $40 cleaning fee is VERY  low and i can sort of understand that for that - which probalby only really covers the cost of laundry, the host thought you would do a few more chores, BUT she should have stipulated - absolutely! Honestly though, no future host is going to think  you are disrespectful.  Hope you continue to enjoy your holiday - sounds great!

[Saumya4]

Is a guest supposed to clean the dishes even after we have paid a cleaning fees? Got a bad review for leaving dirty dishes on the kitchen rack. The dishes were actually washed, but not dried.

[Sarah977]

@Saumya4  Yes, you are expected to wash your dirty dishes (drying them doesn't seem necessary to me, but every host has different expectations and rules that they should make clear to guests).

Cleaning fees at an Airbnb are meant to cover heavy duty cleaning- vacuuming, dusting, washing floors, cleaning and sterilizing the bathroom, washing the bedding and towels, making the beds, putting out fresh soap, toilet paper, etc, for guests.

Cleaning fees are not intended to cover personal maid service- guests are expected to clean up their own personal messes- wash the dishes, wipe the counters, clean the stovetop if you've made it dirty, make sure all the garbage is in the bin or taken out, depending on the check-out instructions, not leave food or food containers or half-filled cans of soda laying around.

[Nicky114]

I can understand tidying up after yourself, as well as cleaning the common areas you use as you use them.

To clean the place before you leave is ludicrous. Most Airbnb's are as much as motels. You should not have to clean up your own room when you leave. The money spent should be for cleaning the room before and after. 

I mean if I went to a hotel and they said there is a cleaning fee I would say get another guest. This is your business not the renters. If you go to a restaurant and pay for a meal you don't go clean the kitchen or your table area do you.

Get with it people. You make the money so you should work for the money.

[Seyedali1]

As a guest who makes sure everywhere is reasonably tidy and clean I had a very negative review to my surprise by my recent host. It was a small studio in Paris rented by a girl. It was her second time renting the property. We stayed there for 7 days and it was super clean at the time of check-in. At the time of checkout, we washed all the dishes, cleaned tabletops, made the bed that we used our own spare bedsheet for, gathered and put out the rubbishes, and organized her studio. The only part which needed vacuuming and mopping was the floor. Since we found the studio in a great condition, we bought her some local sweets as a gratitude at the checkout. Now I regret what I did. It was actually my wife's idea as I do not like treat people with irrational kindness without knowing them.

She left this cm after our checkout: "Very kind and polite people. But very disappointed by the condition of the apartment at their departure."

I asked her in a private msg to explain what made her disappointed. But she did not answer. What the ***** are some hosts thinking to themselves? Do they expect us to mop their floors or dry clean their linens at the time of checkout? That is beyond my imagination? Who the **** would mop your floor when you charge them the rent of a month for just 7 days stay?  

[MariaCecilia22]

wow! no you should not have to mop the floor or wash the linens... cleaning after yourself such as rinsing dishes  or pots you used and putting them in the dishwasher makes sense. But doing a thorough clean up? You should not have to if you paid for cleaning fee. 

[Rebekah102]

I’m a bit confused as to the cleaning fee. My recent stay was charged this amount: 

Price breakdown

$106.00 x 3 nights$318.00

Cleaning fee$69.00

Service fee$49.92

Occupancy taxes and fees$56.12

When I received the paperwork I find out I’m supposed to take out the trash? Clean the hot tub? None of this was mentioned. During our stay, we couldn’t sleep because the bed was so squeaky it made loud noises with every move. The 2nd night of our stay, the neighbors that were staying in the attached airbnb villa threw a party and we could hear their music and comments about ’**bleep**ing on the couch.’ 
The bed was listed as a California King, it is definitely a Queen size bed. The tv was listed to have Roku, it did not. And lastly, WiFi wouldn’t work. I’ve contacted airbnb during the stay, and waiting on their response regarding a refund. 

Total (USD)Will process in 2 payments$493.04

[Des3]

I’d have contacted the host and Airbnb and asked to be moved

I am a host, and include a cleaning fee (which goes direct to the cleaner, all other fees I calculate in my nightly fee), as without this, short stays make little economical sense.

This only cleaning I ask guests to do, us take the rubbish with them when they leave. This is mainly due to the smell, especially if they’ve cooked a lot, have dirty nappies and emptied the ashtray on the balcony into the bin.

Longer stays qualify for one or two mid stay cleans and linen changes, free of charge.

Its important to read the terms of booking and house rules to set expectations. Because of this, I will not allow instant bookings, and before I agree a booking, ask that guests confirm they’ve read my rules. I don’t want party people, and neither do my neighbours.

The last thing I want is unhappy or disgruntled guests.

I’m on a few other sites, and guests rarely read the rules, which as a host, I’m not responsible for.

In terms of the service fee and taxes, these don’t go to the host, so it’s unfair to include them in your calculations. All of these would’ve been quoted prior to booking, so it’s a bit late to complain about them after your stay.. With respect, didn’t you read anything about the stay?

It looks to me like you’ve learned a valuable lesson - buyer beware.

[Ashley850]

I guess im a bit confused.  I am currently staying at a place that is 240 a night in orlando (a bit on the expensive side ) but I am being charged a 180 dollar cleaning fee.  While I have washed all the towels, swept and will put my dirty dishes in the dish washer and wipe everything down and take out the trash.  can see why people would expect the host to do everything.  180 is a steep cleaning fee and I don’t see how hosts can charge this and still expect guests to clean things.  

You all say treat the house as if it were a friend of family member but a friend or family member wouldn’t charge you a 180 dollar fee 

[John1080]

@Ashley850, honestly, as a host and a guest, I can understand your feeling. If the cleaning fee is too high, the feeling among guests is that one shouldn't have to do all that. I don't know what the place looks like or how big it is, etc, but the $180 does seem high for a cleaning fee for me. The cost of cleaning is not cheap though. I pay around $100-$120 per each booking and sometimes more to have my place cleaned. My cleaners charge $30 per hour per cleaner, so really $60 per hour, so keep that in mind.

I would just tidy up and leave things decent, so you get a good review from the host and next time, maybe look for a place that is a bit more relaxed. 

Good luck to you! 

[Ashley850]

I agree. I always tidy up and am a bit OCD with 5 kids so I clean as we go and just do touch ups as we leave. Not mopping but sweeping and wiping everything down.  
The cleaning fee didn’t bother me but I was just pointing out to some of these hosts why guests would feel that way. If you are paying 180 dollars for cleaning (a 3 bedroom 2 bath townhome) then you should expect it to be left a bit messier than someone who doesn’t charge or charges 35 dollars.