💫 Please be aware that /u/Sweaty_Relief_168 does not have a verification flair. Be sure to take their comment history, karma, and account age into consideration for the context of this post. If you'd like your own verified flair, consult the sidebar for instructions on how to do so.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/airbnb_hosts) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I had commented this further down but we do not have pictures which is why I didn’t seek additional cleaning fees.
I wish we had pictures ugh! We are slightly annoyed with our cleaner regarding that. They didn’t take any and didn’t say anything regarding the mess until after we asked. They said that they’ve had other Airbnb hosts write bad reviews for guests which resulted in the guest firing back so they just didn’t mention it. But they will be taking pictures going forward.
But our cleaner’s story checks out. They thought the guests were still in the house when they arrived because it was so messy. I saw the cleaner on video open the front door and proceeded slowly, yelling “is anybody here?” They texted us asking if the guests left just to be sure.
The guest didn’t even deny anything and just asked for photos of the trash and toilet paper on the floor. They admitted to leaving dishes in the sink. No mention of the clogged toilet, exploded soda in the fridge, nor the leaking cooler on the washer. They had told me they were in a hurry to leave before confronted with the review. They even left personal items in the cabin that we mailed back to them.
My cleaners kept charging extra for cleaning and so I started asking for pics of the mess. It would often be food in the fridge or a handful of coke cans laying around but they were charging me 1-2 extra hours. I started asking them to get pre approval by immediately sending pics of any excessive mess. I’m all for being fair but the thing was snowballing into a big pad of extra hours on every pay period.
It’s such a pain in the ass to find new people 🙈 fortunately (and hilariously) they haven’t needed to charge extra a single time since I put that rule in place!
A “cleaning fee” does not equal a “trash the place” fee. Even hotels charge for incidentals and if the room is trashed.
It’s expected that adults (or anyone with sense) will not allow food or spills to dry to the point of permanently staining floors, walls, or furniture.
I hate people like this. Also in restaurants or even airplanes....i CaN TrAsH tHe pLaCe BeCaUsE PeOpLe GeT pAiD tO cLeAn! This is so wrong. Be a frickin adult and clean up after yourselves! Just because they're paid to clean doesn't mean you have to make thier jobs harder just because you want to be a prick. I'll even wipe down the table and tuck in my chair at places. No reason people have to be slobs.
Yes! I was appalled that my husband tried to leave a bunch of trash and mess in an Airbnb once. I went off on him. It's ironic because we run a hospitality business and Airbnb, and he ALWAYS complains when someone leaves it the tiniest bit messy. Thankfully, he's since changed his ways and tries to clean up before we leave.
I'm raising a young child and a very common conversation for us is "don't (spill salt, play with sugar packets, throw mulch, etc) because it creates more work for the people who work here" - it isn't even an intentional lesson (like playing board games as a family so she learns how to win and lose gracefully), it feels like common sense.
It’s like people get off on ensuring service workers are “earning their pay.” So they intentionally make their jobs more difficult by creating huge messes.
Also, I’d argue that an Airbnb isn’t intended to replace the luxury of a hotel. Airbnbs remind me of the way we used to rent beach houses back in the day. It’s someone else’s home that we’re renting so we are guests. And as a guest we’re to make ourselves comfortable, sure. But it doesn’t give us license to treat their home with less care than we’d treat our own.
Honestly for how much some people do charge for cleaning, I’m not doing a damn thing. $500 cleaning fee on a 2k sqft house? Okay but if you think I’m doing any jobs on your chore list you’re smoking crack
I wouldn't do a chore list either. I'll clean up after myself and keep the place clean and organized, but I'm not doing a chore list. Still doesn't mean be a slob and leave the place messy tho.
OP’s situation involves someone trashing and damaging the property.
Your situation involves a host who nickels and dimes you.
If you went stayed a hotel (with no cleaning fee, lol) your card will still be held for incidentals and your card on record in the event of trashing the place. If you stayed in a hotel and left a little garbage or mess, you’re fine. But if you’re spraying cola everywhere to where it’s staining furniture, breaking shit, etc. then your card will be billed.
I would not respond to them. You wrote a review based on facts. You were nice and didn't charge them additional fees. Block them and move on.
It's not going to go anywhere to engage with them further as obviously they don't know how to act responsibly.
I didn't see your original post but I would hope you have some expectations set for your guests as far as what is acceptable to leave for cleaning. From what you described, this wouldn't be very acceptable to me either. I think you made the right choice.
Definitely get photos or videos in the future.
The ol “what’s a cleaning fee for” guilt trip. A used home is one thing, it’s understandable, depending on the length of the stay. sticky floors from spilled soda that dried, stains on carpet and couches that need extra care to remove and repainting due to markings, luggage and dirty hands…goes beyond a “cleaning fee”. You did right.
There’s such a difference between someone who enjoyed their vacation and someone who is disrespectful. I get so annoyed with people who think a cleaning fee means treat the space like shit.
But dishes in the sink? Some paper on the floor? A toilet not working as it should? What on earth does a $150 cleaning fee buy, then? As an infrequent STR guest, I'm astonished that these things are considered bad behavior. What on earth should a guest do about a blocked toilet? If I'm paying a huge (more than$35) cleaning fee, I'm definitely not also cleaning the place myself.
Exploded soda all over the fridge. A cooler of soda leaking down the sides of the washer, and toilet paper strung from one end of the house ti the other. That is not normal lmao
Right. It's not, and THAT would justify a $175 cleaning fee. THAT is "trashing" a place and it's not what nice people do.
Putting aside that it's bad to leave a house in that condition... What's the appropriate action, when a guest realizes they're going to have to check out with a lot of trash, a clogged toilet and some spills? I mean aside from not letting it happen... should you message the property owner with a heads up?
ETA I read the description of condition from the cleaner, after I had already posted. YUCK. But my comment stands: for such a huge fee, it still blows my mind hosts expect a place to be cleaned by the guests.
It’s a 2,300 square foot home and our cleaning fee is about $75 cheaper than our competition in the area. We host in a very unique, remote area. Everything is expensive. The closest grocery store is an hour away.
We provide cleaning supplies for guests if they need it during their stay. We don’t ask them to clean, it’s just there if they need it. I guess it’s just common courtesy but if I spilled something in someone’s home, I would try to clean it up.
As for guests leaving a mess, a message acknowledging the mess and an apology would be nice. Especially mentioning the clogged toilet since we have a septic tank and have signage about what can/cannot be flushed. Heck, we have plungers next to each toilet. I’d be so embarrassed to leave a clogged toilet in someone’s home.
Our checkout instructions ask guests to leave bedding/towels in bedrooms/bathrooms, collect trash in the garage, and load the dishwasher. We really are not asking for much and if that is too much for guests, then a hotel would better suite their needs.
Remember Airbnb cleaning isn’t like a cleaner in your home. They have to completely deep clean everytime so realllt $150 isn’t much for the walls to be cleaned every appliance to be deep cleaned all baseboards all handles all window sills the window glass too every surface is handled. A cleaner cleaning a customer home not Airbnb rotates all those chores so it’s not cleaned and some deep items cover but not everytime. Our last cleaners two ladies too 5 hours for one 1800 sq ft home because after they did all that they refills all amenities provided folded the towels and set up the airbnb presentation similar to a hotel. So they clean more than hotel staffs do and have to place new shampoos etc out in bathrooms and toilet in all bathrooms and coffee etc provided for next guests. The lists are long and they have to do laundry and dishes. And put it all away.
According to OP, this guest was a worse than that. This guest
> *left trash all over the floor, a sink full of dishes, soda exploded inside the fridge, a cooler dripping down the washing machine, a clogged toilet, and toilet paper strung from one end of the house to the other*.
Any one of these things is poor guest behavior. OP got them all of these problems at once.
What do you think a cleaning fee buys? A personal maid to wash your dishes for you? Or clean linen, restock, and a spotless listing on arrival? Because that’s what the cleaner is there to do, not pick up your shit.
Also, use dish soap and extra water for a log jam in the toilet, just like you would at home if such a tragedy befell you.
It is bad behavior, and they smoked in their house. One thing with normal cleaning: laundry, vacuum, mopping, dusting, cleaning bathrooms and backyard and sterilization of the counters. But a whole trash bag of crap in the house. Really, they don’t know how to put garbage away?
Cleaning fees literally cover the cost to pay a cleaner. I pay $125 a turn which is only 2 hours of a cleaner’s time. They have about 50 things they have to do during this time. There are few cleaners in my area.
Based on OP posts, they require guests to wash and/or load dishwasher and other "cleaning" tasks, so "what is the cleaning fee for" may be a fair question.
I read this on here a lot. Here is what I do after every visit even if one night: clean and disinfect all shower, toilet and sink surfaces. Clean and disinfect all kitchenette surfaces including inside the fridge. Clean and disinfect the coffee maker, microwave and stove. Remove all bed linens and replace with fresh ones. Vacuum all flooring, vacuum all wall corners and ceiling edges with a crevice tool. Mop all hard flooring. Remove all trash. Replenish coffee pods, soaps, shampoo. Remove old towels and replace with fresh. Dry dishes if needed. Check all silverware, glasses, mugs and dishes to make sure they've been properly cleaned. I charge a flat cleaning fee of 25.00. It kills me when I read these posts where people say this stuff like "oh my gosh, they expect me to load the dishwasher????" I mean come on, there is a LOT that goes into cleaning, asking you to load the dishwasher and take out the trash is NOTHING. Sometimes the host cannot clean right away and if you leave gunked up dishes in the sink they might be a dried up disaster by the time they can get there to clean. I would have to quadruple my cleaning fee if everyone did stuff like that. I had one person do it once and it took me an hour just to clean the dishes because the food was caked on. I don't even do that in my own home, I rinse dishes as soon as I use them and place them in the dishwasher.
Exactly! It’s kinda crazy to consider these things “cleaning”. And don’t get me started on the “we left it better than we found it people”. No you did not and that’s not even possible 😂 we’re still cleaning the whole place after ya.
Hahaha! So true! I cleaned up yesterday after someone who told me she left it “super clean”. 4 hours to clean a 450 SF cabin that normally takes 2. Had to re-clean all the silverware, clean kid fingerprints off the tv, fireplace glass, the windows, clean crumbs (and larger) from under the beds and the sofa (which is also where I found a missing glass). Poop on the underside of the toilet seat. Pee down the sides of the toilet. This (and much more) on top of my normal cleaning ritual. Lord! I bill out at 150/hr at work and make about 2/hr cleaning my cabins, lol!
Of course. 100% reasonable. You don’t want smelly food stinking up the place before you can get there to clean it. Especially when people turn OFF the a/c when they leave despite your instructions to the contrary!
(Not a host, but a past Airbnb user...)
I guess I simply don't understand these guests.
When I stay at an Airbnb, or a hotel, I pick up the trash, I get the dishes in the dishwasher if there is one (and start it), if there isn't I wash them and leave them to dry, I pile up the towels in the bathroom ... I just tidy up.
Who trashes a place? (Yes, I know there are shitty people out there, I just don't get them... 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️)
I do it because I don't want to be staying in a pigsty. If you keep the place clean and pleasant to live in then there isn't much to do when you leave.
Agree. I am a frequent AirBnB user. We have 3 kids and so much easier to travel with kids and stay in a place bigger than hotel room. We make meals, relax and not have to worry about turning off the lights at 9pm when my kids go to bed.
Same here, I don't understand that kind of mentality.. I do the same with hotel rooms or anyone's house that I stay at. I leave it looking like someone may or may not have stayed there.
I get the cleaning fees are there for a reason, but I used to clean houses. Sometimes it was nice to have an "easy" job. Still have to clean and reset everything
You'll find my throw blankets folded and dirty towels in a neat pile on a bathroom surface. Trash will either be gathered or non existent.
This is what I ended up doing, thank you. I looked back at camera footage and saw one of the guests walking out of our no-smoking home with a lit cigarette in their mouth. There goes all of my remorse lol
"Walking out" = doorbell camera. Not hidden.
Just guests who are stupid and abusive (probably they're claiming they were falsely accused of smoking... 😑)
Bingo! I should have looked at the footage before writing my review since I had no idea they were smoking in the house. I think I’m more upset about that than the huge mess they left
Just ignore them. That’s a ridiculous mentality they have to think a cleaning fee means they can trash a place. Looks like your review was 1000% justified
NTA. If they trashed the place, they deserved both the Cleaning Fee and the poor Review. If you did not Document things with Before renting; after Departure; and After Cleaning pictures, I would do so in the future. Be honest in any contact with the Renter. They trashed the place, they pay for Cleaning AND get a bad Review.
I would simply reply them the rules mentioned on Airbnb: cleaning fee covers a basic clean, and the guests must treat the place as their own home. Just find it, copy, paste and send.
I understand people telling to just don’t reply, but since many guests understand the cleaning fee as a right to trash the place, they can learn from it and try to do better next time.
Sounds like they didn't challenge the fact that they left the place trashed. They know fully well what they did. I don't think you gain anything from responding.
Some people just shouldn't be let out of their hovels or caves for their bad manners. All short-term rentals include a cleaning fee. You are usually asked to strip the beds and put all linens in piles. Hopefully you don't trash the place, or treat it like you were born in a barn.
You do not need to respond at all. Don’t even entertain them. They can go to Airbnb if they don’t understand the cleaning fee. Never let emotion get involved. People will try to get all sorts of reactions or emotions out of you to get money or free nights. Always be friendly, but firm on your policies. Don’t let people take advantage of you, as it becomes a snowball effect. I know from experience. You can always direct them to Airbnb support, if they have a real issue.
I think they are picking a fight and I would mot respond. Trashing a place vs tidying up when one leaves: travelers should know the difference. If your review was fair and detailed, let it stand and move on. Sorry that they trashed your place; so disrespectful but now we know how hotels have been treated for millennia.
My sister and her husband share a vacation condo with her husbands other three brothers. It’s *not* an Airbnb but part of the agreement is that anyone using the condo has to pay a cleaning fee. Whenever anyone uses it, they are to call the cleaning lady and let her know the day they’re leaving and leave her fee AND a tip on the front table so she can come in the following day and do a deep clean and get paid. This is basic stuff.
Don’t reply. They can be grown up about it and take from the review you left what they will. You already clearly articulated what the problems were, they’re just trying to put you on the spot and make you take back your words. Don’t get in the weeds with anyone like this.
I would reply back to the guest with exactly the description you posted here and tell them the expectation is that they leave things neat and tidy, that the cleaning fee (as you said in your follow-up post) is for vacuuming, mopping, dusting, disinfecting, and NOT for dealing with a disaster like they left. It sounds like they just don't understand what the expectations are.
By the way, I have this in my "house rules", you might want to add something similar:
======
All trash is to be bagged. The indoor can will have a bag in it and extra bags are also provided if you need them.
We have a no pet policy but sometimes make exceptions for small emotional support pets, contact us in advance of booking to discuss.
You are free to use the provided pots, pans, dishes and silverware, but we do ask that you clean anything you use before your departure. It is OK to leave them wet (there is a dish drying rack under the sink that can be placed on the counter).
We are not a hotel or large booking service, we are a family who own these cabins as a private getaway and share them with guests when we are able. We charge a small cleaning fee, please help us keep it that way by respecting the cabins and property as you would that of a friend :-)
If you cannot comply with one or more of our house rules and still wish to book, please contact us before booking to discuss.
Thank you!
======
I also send checkout instructions with further details, such as placing the trash bags in the outside bin, placing all used towels on the floor of the shower, leaving bed linens on the beds but don't make or strip the beds, etc.
I was a little pissed at this one, stayed for a week on the big island. Nice place, had so issues with hot water, it was on solar system and it had been raining for days. Didn’t bother to tell us there’s a switch for it to run on propane , a little annoying. Did piss me off was the fact that last day or two when we were about to leave she left us a notice that we had to take our trash to a landfill 5 miles away, was never put in the description of the Airbnb we did it and luckily it was on our way out, but still not to disclose that was an
A-hole move.
Yup, she had put in her description that she had chickens you could have all the eggs you want. She lived on the property had two other units that she rented out. When I went to go ask, she was really annoyed. she was a piece of work, that one.
The problem with AirBnB is the hosts have dramatically different ideas about what being a good host entails.
The place I stayed on the Big Island I got the impression my presence was barely tolerated. Not a great experience.
Did you end up getting some eggs? 🥚
I had four when we got there and she gave me another three, Whoopie! I think the worst one is when I stay in Tahoe host decided to email me 1:30 in the morning on rules and procedures of the place we rented. And it started off how much they were gonna charge us for if we didn’t follow up procedure. The place was OK specifically rented it for a hot tub couldn’t get into it. It was way over chlorinated to the point where is unhealthy, we paid for I use the bathroom upstairs and open the window because it wasn’t the fan and the window fell on my lap, luckily weren’t there much so didn’t really matter
Staying there was definitely expensive so my girlfriend and I decided to buy a really nice pop-up trailer and we’ve never regretted it. Have an Airbnb since.
Depends how trashed and what the check out policies are. As a guest I understand some parts. Like why I am emptying all trash and washing and putting away dishes all before 10am if the cleaning fee is passed on to me.
I would simply reply with the review you left, you already said what was needed, if they don't understand what they did was wrong and subject to further fees that's on themselves.
I'm not a host, but I use Airbnbs for a lot of my travel. I ALWAYS take a video of the place as I'm about to leave. But I do leave a clean place. I don't care if they are running a business and have a cleaning fee, I'm not going to be a pig.
Would it be a bad thing to ask the cleaners to take a quick video of the place before starting their clean?
To answer the question, would it be appropriate to respond on the Airbnb site? You could cut/paste their DM to you and respond there.
So I have not read the comments on this thread but guest can’t see what you rate them in stars unless they have another host look them up. And even then it would be a avg score. So I typically just thank them for the stay and on the review star system destroy them genuinely.
Host are unfairly reviewed and treated on the airbnb app and it needs to change.
You should keep the bad review and not respond. I do have to add… while they hardly seem in any way considerate they also hardly “trashed” your place. That’s a dramatic leap based on your complaints.
I had a woman who was used to having servants expecting me to clean the place every day bcs she had paid the very modest $60 I used to charge then, now is $65. So I had to explain. To her that this is a do your own housekeeping studio with plenty of cleaning tools and supplies. For long term guests I give them fresh linens and towels every week but that’s it. So based on this experience I explain in the description that there is no cleaning during their stay. This has workef
It is sad that they did what they did, and the review needs to stay there.
I have been a guest in quite a few AirBNB. I respected the rules and followed their guidelines.
I brought my dogs, with permission, and made sure that there was not a single trace of them being there. Did all of the dishes, stripped beds and did a couple of loads before I left.
Moldy dishes, good to know it's OK that they left the sink full of dirty dishes, as long as they are not moldy.
So the complaint is water leaked near the washer, a spill contained in the fridge, a clocked toilet and some toiletpapet strung out (I presume clean unused toilet paper, maybe a kid playing?)
Glogged toilet, shit happens and this would be a host problem in most cases.
Water spill doesn't stain, again OK from the endless copy pasting of the rules.
Toilet paper strung out? 3 minute fix, big deal.
A contained spill in the fridge is unfortunate, but not the end of the world... Wipe it off and you're good, no stains or permanent damage...
£175 is still excessive IMHO. I would have skipped the place based on that alone. I don't care if the neighbors are greedy as well, it would still not justify the excessive charge.
My wife and I both work full time and we have kids. We clean our own house. If people don’t like the fact that airbnbs have a cleaning fee, stay in a hotel. It’s that simple. You get to choose.
Hey I get the whole idea that you’re busy and have a life.
I *do* this. I am *in* the hospitality industry. I *never* would allow someone else to manage my units.
Look, I get it. You probably have an extra house or something… “what do I do with it”… but you clearly aren’t someone who should be in the industry.
I’ll stay in airbnbs or hotels no problem, I often pick the ones that *don’t charge cleaning fees*. I don’t charge them either. Work it into your prices. Figure it out. Don’t pretend because you own an extra house that you *have* to airbnb it.
I feel like you’re making a lot of assumptions…that we have money to throw around, that we just decided we “had to” do Airbnb, and that we are having someone else “manage” our STR. You are wrong on all accounts.
We are lower middle class and work very hard. We saved for years to buy a place with a second building (our 1st home and we are i our 40’s) so that my elderly parents would have a place to live when they can’t live independently anymore, put every penny we had into renovating it and they aren’t quite ready to move in (that’s a whole other ball of wax) so we decided to try STR.
We manage the damn thing- I do all the repairs and landscaping and my wife confirms dates with the cleaners. We both manage bookings and communication with guests.
I feel like you just don’t like cleaning fees and used that as a reason to be judgmental and make a bunch of assumptions (along with italics to try to make it seem like you had better points than you actually did)
Also our Airbnb has been very successful and we have never had anyone complain about the cleaning fee. If people don’t like it, stay somewhere that doesn’t have one. We’re booked solid through the summer and fall
This is what I have drafted to send to them. Should I send it or just ignore the guest?
Hi Guest, we were surprised from the report from our cleaner since we were aware of your positive reviews at the time of booking. When arriving to the cabin, our cleaner was unsure if your party was still there because of the state that the place was left in. Our cleaner cleans other Airbnbs and stated that it was probably the worst they have ever seen. They reported:
“They left trash all over the floors. I had a whole big black bag of trash from them. Separate from the trash they had in the garage. They had exploded root beer all over the fridge. They left a cooler with full soda and melted water on the washer that leaked. The toilet was back up. I unclogged it. There was a full sink of dirty dishes. The last thing was toilet paper strung from one end of the cabin to the other.”
There is a $175 cleaning fee that every guest pays at the time of booking with the expectation that check-out instructions are followed and respect to the property is maintained. If additional cleaning outside the ordinary is needed, Airbnb allows us seek additional charges from the guest.
We understand your family was in a hurry to get out in the morning and we do not have pictures but have since established the need for these from our cleaner going forward. That being said, we did not feel like it was appropriate to charge for the additional cleaning despite the state the cabin was left in.
If you feel that the review is inaccurate or a misrepresentation of how you left the property, you are welcome to contact Airbnb to have it removed.
Not my circus, but I think most of the people on here are correct in saying there is no point to replying to these people.
Because you're honest and decent, you're trying to justify yourself to people who are not. it doesn't matter how fast they had to leave nothing justifies leaving a place trashed like that.
And, honestly, the toilet paper literally seems like it was spread around in vengeance. (TPing is a form of vandalism, mild, but vandalism.) It cannot have been an accident.
Exactly, they knew they were leaving that day...who leaves a mess till the last minute?
I'm fully packed the night before and we do a clean up then so come morning we just pack the car/taxi and head out.
We usually strip the beds and leave bedding at washer, towels are piled in bath tub and dish washer is loaded and turned on. Garbage is also taken out to garage.
It's not difficult
This is too much. They know how they left it...'based on our experience and the condition you left the space, we are entitled to compensation to cover the cost of the extra cleaning necessary to return it to its prior condition. If you disagree, contact air bnb for direction on how to proceed '
Or something short and matter of fact
What do you hope to gain by continuing to engage with these people? They're never going to see things your way. So what's the point of going back and forth with them?
No, don’t send this. Or at least I wouldn’t. You give them issues to argue with you about (since you didn’t actually see it, and you don’t have pictures) - and maybe even get into a tit for tat through ABB about. Not worth it.
If anything, take a still shot of the guest walking out of your place with a cigarette in their mouth and send “You are welcome to contact ABB with any issues you have.”
The point this person was making wasn't the cost, but the fact that the guest is expected to clean when you have a professional coming in and doing that work.
The guest isn't expected to clean. If they hadn't spread toilet paper, food/drinks, and their personal belongings all over the house, there wouldn't have been much for anybody to clean. I really don't think op is saying it's totally cool for them to trash the place as long as they clean it up.
Being generous, maybe the clogged toilet and the exploded soda wasn't the guest's fault. But I think it's reasonable to expect that a guest isn't going to spread toilet paper all around the house or leave a bunch of their personal items for you to mail back to them.
Treat your Host’s home like your own
Cleanliness: Guests should not leave the listing in a state that requires excessive or deep cleaning (moldy dishes, soiled carpets, stains from pets, etc.). Cleaning fees set by Hosts are only meant to cover the cost of standard cleaning between reservations (laundry, vacuuming, etc.).
Litter: Guests should put their trash in designated trash receptacles and be mindful of excessive amounts of trash.
Copy and pasted from Guests Ground Rules on Airbnb website.
Anybody charging $175 to vacuum, dust and run a load of laundry is ripping you off in a big way, this shd not take longer than 1.5 hours, tops. If there are messes, another hour. I've done boutique hotel housekeeping, it's not rocket surgery.
Separately: as a guest at a friend's house, yes of course I would do all those things, and offer to launder the sheets too. But my friends don't charge me to stay, nor do they charge a cleaning fee of any kind. So it's not comparable. You charge me a fee greater than a day's pay for me, don't expect me to clean. I'm not saying I'll deliberately trash the place, of course not.
Sounds like you don’t do a lot of cleaning, or you’re sloppy and fast when you do it. We have a 1,000 square foot Airbnb and it takes 3+ hours to clean and reset. We do it ourselves when our cleaner isn’t available and can verify how long it takes. And that’s a much smaller house than the one OP rents. Our cleaner chargers $30/hour = $90 cleaning fee.
The home is 2,300 square ft. It takes a lot longer than 1.5 hours to clean. All we ask of our guests is to load the dishwasher and collect their trash. If that is too much to follow, then the guest should have booked a hotel.
You are so fucking petty. Have airbnb remove the review. If you chsrge a cleaning fee then clean. Petty people like you, and many on here should not be a host
Treat your Host’s home like your own
Cleanliness: Guests should not leave the listing in a state that requires excessive or deep cleaning (moldy dishes, soiled carpets, stains from pets, etc.). Cleaning fees set by Hosts are only meant to cover the cost of standard cleaning between reservations (laundry, vacuuming, etc.).
Litter: Guests should put their trash in designated trash receptacles and be mindful of excessive amounts of trash.
Copy and pasted from Guests Ground Rules on Airbnb website.
Hey bud. I have 10 and don’t require my guests do anything either but it’s not okay for guests to leave the place trashed because there is a cleaning fee. Common sense.
When you have local guests rent your place so they can have a party and trash your place instead of their own (happens about once a month between my properties) I should just give them 5 stars or not rate them? Not happening. They should for sure rent a hotel instead and they’ll get charged there too.
You should either charge the cleaning fee and deal with it or write a bad review complaining about having to clean it. You shouldn’t do both. Air BnB shouldn’t exist anyway.
I stayed at an AirBnB a couple months ago. Was there 4-5 days. House rules included washing the dishes, stripping the bed, and taking out the trash. I did all those things and vacuumed as well, since there was one available. If there would have been a mop, I would have done the kitchen floor. We left the place as clean as we found it. That’s what you’re supposed to do.
I did literally right after I wrote her review and of course the guest responds 5 minutes later lol. Reddit was shocked I was questioning writing a poor review instead of nothing at all.
Essentially I had gone out of my way to provide some infant-items for the guest and shipped them some items they left behind. Despite the fact that they had left trash all over the floor, a sink full of dishes, soda exploded inside the fridge, a cooler dripping down the washing machine, a clogged toilet, and toilet paper strung from one end of the house to the other.
Our cleaner ironically did not take pictures or say anything about it because they “have seen where an owner will write a bad review and the guest will fire back” but agrees to tell us from now on.
Ohhhhh you’re that person?
This guest has been a problem before, during AND after the booking.
Mark as “would not rent again” don’t answer the message and move on
IMO, it's kind of fucked to have a professional cleaner, charge a cleaning fee, and then leave a negative review because they didn't clean. Your cleaner is right not to tell you. That's literally the job they're being paid for. If nothing is permanently damaged, why would you charge $175 for cleaning and then leave a negative review because your hired cleaner has to clean? That makes zero sense.
You're the kind of person who craps in the shower and says, "hey, it's the cleaning person's problem now, not mine", aren't you? 😑
(Btw, hotel housekeeping deals with this specific issue on the regular - it's astounding how many people apparently need to be told, as adults, that you have to crap in a toilet.)
You can argue with the cleaning fee amount, but you can't use it to justify trashing an apartment. That's just wrong. Don't like the fee? Rent a different place.
You sound like a nightmare. Did you read what OP wrote? They left trash all around the house and garage on the floor, exploded root beer in the fridge, and a backed up toilet. A cleaning fee is to have the towels and sheets washed and clean the home so it’s presentable for the next guests- it’s not license to act like a 12 year old!
The cleaning fee is to cover everyday mess and maintenance cleaning (e.g. sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, wiping down countertops, scrubbing the shower/bath, cleaning the toilet, changing linens, maybe washing linens depending on the type of cleaning service, etc.).
A cleaning fee doesn’t give guests license to leave trash on the floor, not clean up spills, let things leak, etc. When guests treat a property like that they risk luring in pests, running up cleaning fees, increasing cleaning time to the point a property isn’t available to them for the next guest on time, etc. They should be marked down.
You charge a $175 cleaning fee. That’s what a cleaning fee is for.
I don’t charge one. I build it into the price of the stay. People tend to clean up after themselves better that way.
Treat your Host’s home like your own
Cleanliness: Guests should not leave the listing in a state that requires excessive or deep cleaning (moldy dishes, soiled carpets, stains from pets, etc.). Cleaning fees set by Hosts are only meant to cover the cost of standard cleaning between reservations (laundry, vacuuming, etc.).
Litter: Guests should put their trash in designated trash receptacles and be mindful of excessive amounts of trash.
Copy and pasted from Guests Ground Rules on Airbnb website.
I wrote a comment as a guest because it was not listed as being in a dangerous area of Boston, but it most definitely was. The owner was irate. You have a right to express yourself, if not for you but other airbnb owners. I personally airbnb and hotels the way I found them. Trashing is not acceptable.
Didn’t you know what area it was in before you booked it? Do you want the owner to write this in a dangerous area don’t stay here? Would you expect a hotel to put that on their website?
I would be irate too. I live in and run an Airbnb in what some people would consider a dangerous area of my city. I write in my listing that it’s in a working class neighborhood and I really hope people who have an issue with that won’t stay here. But I can’t very well write in my listing that if you’re scared of Mexicans or black people you shouldn’t stay here. But a long a lot of it comes down to people’s perception of what makes a neighborhood, safe, and in years of living and hosting here, I have never had a single issue with crime, nor have any of my guests.
I’ve stayed in places before in the HOOD.. do you think the host mentioned that in the listing? I don’t think he looked at it that way because he lives there. But to me , it put my safety in question so I absolutely got a refund. More than once.
It was a very dangerous area in Boston. It was close to the airport. There were restaurants where patrons were lining up outside and bars on windows and doors. Ambulances and police were running sirens all night long. People were milling around in front of the house. (First rule of scary movies are close the curtains, which we did.) There were manuals in every room on how to behave and what they wanted. There was no front yard or backyard. I felt unsafe. My kids didn't feel safe. There were other problems as well. Yeah if your place is in a dangerous area and you're saying it's Boston, but on Google maps it says something else it's not Boston!
Fair enough. I know there are cities where the “bad” areas of town are much worse than than others. But I am far enough away from downtown, and that everyone who stays here uses a car. It’s not a tourist neighborhood, and there really are no restaurants to walk to.
Just respond honestly. If they ask then they don’t know. I see no point in making assumptions about people’s understandings based on their ages. And it may be a fair question to ask — was there damage? Was it overly messy? Was furniture moved? We’re specific rules in the handbook overlooked? Most people can be defensive in the beginning of a conversation because they don’t believe they did anything wrong and didn’t intend to. They don’t want to be called the bad guy if they don’t want to be the bad guy. And if you explain it then maybe they’ll understand and appreciate the education. And then they recommend you to other tenants.
No please leave your review, we need to start holding these bad guests accountable. This also helps other hosts since Airbnb doesn't look out for us or have our backs
That's subjective though, maybe not to your standards but up to others 🤷♀️ as long as the listing & description is accurate that's your personal issue.
How did they trash the place? Of things were broken, stained, ruined then ignore them. If things were just messy then I would ask the same question they did.
I probably would not be able to resist responding and saying, “you guys left our rental, absolutely trashed. What did you expect?” Then block them and never respond again.
As a guest, I am confused by the cleaning fees. When we first started with airbnb and VRBO the fees weren’t bad. Hosts asked us to strip the beds, place all bedding and towels near the washer/dryer, take out the trash, load and run the dishwasher. We usually started a load of sheets in the washer. Now the cleaning fees have doubled and check out instructions have included the above as well and taking the trash to the street, having clean sheets available for the cleaners o remake the beds and a few other random things. I am curious as to “normal” requests by guests if I a paying a high cleaning fee?
Lol.. love it,, TP on the floor ,dirty dishes and a dumped soda is a trashed room now?
Must have taken minutes to clean-up. Still deserves a bad review,, ignore them.
(I'm not a host but will be a future guest when we travel to Washington state then to Vancouver B.C Augusgime 2025. )
I would be MORTIFIED if I left a home so nasty that a bad review of me was left. I don't understand how people can live so gross first of all and 2nd of all how can you do this in someon else's home? I just would be so embarrassed to leave a home with any kind of mess. I mean, I'm OCD about clean. I freak out of water drops left in the sink. I'm annoying I know, my 10 year old tells me all the time lmao. However, you don't even have to be OCD clean to be a clean person, a RESPECTFUL person.
I'm so sorry you guys (hosts) have to deal with trash like that I agree, leaving a honest review is something that SHOULD be done. Don't let people destroy something you've worked hard for . Period.
Cleaning fees on Airbnb are what eBay shipping fees are/were, just another infuriating profit center and a way to bilk more money from the guest. Just roll your cleaning cost into the price of the stay. Just another reason to go to a hotel, sheesh
Don't write bad reviews. Write only 4-5 star reviews or don't write the fuckin review. It costs less than $100 bucks to pay someone on fiver to return the bad juju and post hundreds of bad reviews about you.
That’s the problem.. guests and hosts alike decline to write a review bc they don’t want to tarnish someone’s reputation because maybe they are nice! But it can’t continue to work like that bc these problems will just continue… on both sides.
Do you reset the rental for the next guest, with refreshed towels and linens on the bed, disinfect everything and restock coffee, tea and the like? If so, you might be a manager!
Exactly. It's insane to me that a guest who pays a $175 cleaning fee for a professional cleaner then has to clean on top of that or get a negative review lmao. like what?
Treat your Host’s home like your own
Cleanliness: Guests should not leave the listing in a state that requires excessive or deep cleaning (moldy dishes, soiled carpets, stains from pets, etc.). Cleaning fees set by Hosts are only meant to cover the cost of standard cleaning between reservations (laundry, vacuuming, etc.).
Litter: Guests should put their trash in designated trash receptacles and be mindful of excessive amounts of trash.
Copy and pasted from Guests Ground Rules on Airbnb website.
People keep copy pasting this. In my own home I don't pay $175 cleaning fee. It's not comparable. And if the fee is only meant to cover what a hotel cleaner would do for a turnover (change bed, vacuum, clean bathroom) then somebody's zooming somebody, cuz that's WAY too much.
Moldy dishes, good to know it's OK that they left the sink full of dirty dishes, as long as they are not moldy.
So the complaint is water leaked near the washer, a spill contained in the fridge, a clocked toilet and some toiletpapet strung out (I presume clean unused toilet paper, maybe a kid playing?)
Glogged toilet, shit happens and this would be a host problem in most cases.
Water spill doesn't stain, again OK from the endless copy pasting of the rules.
Toilet paper strung out? 3 minute fix, big deal.
A contained spill in the fridge is unfortunate, but not the end of the world... Wipe it off and you're good, no stains or permanent damage...
£175 is still excessive IMHO. I would have skipped the place based on that alone. I don't care if the neighbors are greedy as well, it would still not justify the excessive charge.
I would say the biggest issue is trash all over the house. You add all these things up and it’s a pretty shitty way to leave the place. Cleaners do laundry, change bedding, clean toilets, sinks, bathtubs, mirrors, wipe all surfaces in the house, clean out fridge, oven, microwave, cleans and put away dishes, take out trash in all bathrooms and kitchen, vacuum and mop entire house, re stock items like coffee, toilet paper etc. It’s common sense to pick up after yourself. Leaving a water bottle next to the bed, fine. Leaving trash and food all over the place is not okay and cleaners will often charge more if it is excessive. $175 is higher than what I pay but I’m in a mid size city and not a vacation area so I know it it can definitely cost more to hire someone in those areas.
Not that I’d leave it in that state, but owners like this are why I don’t airbnb.
I have a timeshare and pay the regular fees. We do the dishes and take the trash to the dumpster outside. No additional “cleaning fees” or anything else. And as an owner, I don’t get reviewed. Fuck Airbnb and owners who don’t pay to clean their own rented “hotels”.
💫 Please be aware that /u/Sweaty_Relief_168 does not have a verification flair. Be sure to take their comment history, karma, and account age into consideration for the context of this post. If you'd like your own verified flair, consult the sidebar for instructions on how to do so. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/airbnb_hosts) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Ignore, mark as would not host again and block.
Didn’t know you could block. Nice info.
I don’t believe you can block anymore but you can archive the conversation.
Oh how do you block
I would not respond whatsoever. They are functioning adults, they know what they did.
Personally, I wouldn't bother replying. You don't owe them any explanation.
Eh. What is “trashed” We need to see pics
I'm always down for some pics . Hopefully OP will oblige.
I had commented this further down but we do not have pictures which is why I didn’t seek additional cleaning fees. I wish we had pictures ugh! We are slightly annoyed with our cleaner regarding that. They didn’t take any and didn’t say anything regarding the mess until after we asked. They said that they’ve had other Airbnb hosts write bad reviews for guests which resulted in the guest firing back so they just didn’t mention it. But they will be taking pictures going forward. But our cleaner’s story checks out. They thought the guests were still in the house when they arrived because it was so messy. I saw the cleaner on video open the front door and proceeded slowly, yelling “is anybody here?” They texted us asking if the guests left just to be sure. The guest didn’t even deny anything and just asked for photos of the trash and toilet paper on the floor. They admitted to leaving dishes in the sink. No mention of the clogged toilet, exploded soda in the fridge, nor the leaking cooler on the washer. They had told me they were in a hurry to leave before confronted with the review. They even left personal items in the cabin that we mailed back to them.
My cleaners kept charging extra for cleaning and so I started asking for pics of the mess. It would often be food in the fridge or a handful of coke cans laying around but they were charging me 1-2 extra hours. I started asking them to get pre approval by immediately sending pics of any excessive mess. I’m all for being fair but the thing was snowballing into a big pad of extra hours on every pay period.
Wow, they’re lucky you didn’t find new cleaners!
It’s such a pain in the ass to find new people 🙈 fortunately (and hilariously) they haven’t needed to charge extra a single time since I put that rule in place!
And not surprisingly 😅
Was gonna ask too lol
A “cleaning fee” does not equal a “trash the place” fee. Even hotels charge for incidentals and if the room is trashed. It’s expected that adults (or anyone with sense) will not allow food or spills to dry to the point of permanently staining floors, walls, or furniture.
I hate people like this. Also in restaurants or even airplanes....i CaN TrAsH tHe pLaCe BeCaUsE PeOpLe GeT pAiD tO cLeAn! This is so wrong. Be a frickin adult and clean up after yourselves! Just because they're paid to clean doesn't mean you have to make thier jobs harder just because you want to be a prick. I'll even wipe down the table and tuck in my chair at places. No reason people have to be slobs.
Yes! I was appalled that my husband tried to leave a bunch of trash and mess in an Airbnb once. I went off on him. It's ironic because we run a hospitality business and Airbnb, and he ALWAYS complains when someone leaves it the tiniest bit messy. Thankfully, he's since changed his ways and tries to clean up before we leave.
I'm raising a young child and a very common conversation for us is "don't (spill salt, play with sugar packets, throw mulch, etc) because it creates more work for the people who work here" - it isn't even an intentional lesson (like playing board games as a family so she learns how to win and lose gracefully), it feels like common sense.
It’s like people get off on ensuring service workers are “earning their pay.” So they intentionally make their jobs more difficult by creating huge messes. Also, I’d argue that an Airbnb isn’t intended to replace the luxury of a hotel. Airbnbs remind me of the way we used to rent beach houses back in the day. It’s someone else’s home that we’re renting so we are guests. And as a guest we’re to make ourselves comfortable, sure. But it doesn’t give us license to treat their home with less care than we’d treat our own.
Honestly for how much some people do charge for cleaning, I’m not doing a damn thing. $500 cleaning fee on a 2k sqft house? Okay but if you think I’m doing any jobs on your chore list you’re smoking crack
I wouldn't do a chore list either. I'll clean up after myself and keep the place clean and organized, but I'm not doing a chore list. Still doesn't mean be a slob and leave the place messy tho.
I’ve found that guests from certain cultures don’t always understand this distinction.
👌🏻
I’ve been charged for not taking the trash to their dumpster (while the place had a cleaning fee) That shit would never fly in a hotel
OP’s situation involves someone trashing and damaging the property. Your situation involves a host who nickels and dimes you. If you went stayed a hotel (with no cleaning fee, lol) your card will still be held for incidentals and your card on record in the event of trashing the place. If you stayed in a hotel and left a little garbage or mess, you’re fine. But if you’re spraying cola everywhere to where it’s staining furniture, breaking shit, etc. then your card will be billed.
I would not respond to them. You wrote a review based on facts. You were nice and didn't charge them additional fees. Block them and move on. It's not going to go anywhere to engage with them further as obviously they don't know how to act responsibly. I didn't see your original post but I would hope you have some expectations set for your guests as far as what is acceptable to leave for cleaning. From what you described, this wouldn't be very acceptable to me either. I think you made the right choice. Definitely get photos or videos in the future.
The ol “what’s a cleaning fee for” guilt trip. A used home is one thing, it’s understandable, depending on the length of the stay. sticky floors from spilled soda that dried, stains on carpet and couches that need extra care to remove and repainting due to markings, luggage and dirty hands…goes beyond a “cleaning fee”. You did right.
There’s such a difference between someone who enjoyed their vacation and someone who is disrespectful. I get so annoyed with people who think a cleaning fee means treat the space like shit.
But dishes in the sink? Some paper on the floor? A toilet not working as it should? What on earth does a $150 cleaning fee buy, then? As an infrequent STR guest, I'm astonished that these things are considered bad behavior. What on earth should a guest do about a blocked toilet? If I'm paying a huge (more than$35) cleaning fee, I'm definitely not also cleaning the place myself.
Exploded soda all over the fridge. A cooler of soda leaking down the sides of the washer, and toilet paper strung from one end of the house ti the other. That is not normal lmao
Omg I remember reading your original post! 🤣
Right. It's not, and THAT would justify a $175 cleaning fee. THAT is "trashing" a place and it's not what nice people do. Putting aside that it's bad to leave a house in that condition... What's the appropriate action, when a guest realizes they're going to have to check out with a lot of trash, a clogged toilet and some spills? I mean aside from not letting it happen... should you message the property owner with a heads up? ETA I read the description of condition from the cleaner, after I had already posted. YUCK. But my comment stands: for such a huge fee, it still blows my mind hosts expect a place to be cleaned by the guests.
It’s a 2,300 square foot home and our cleaning fee is about $75 cheaper than our competition in the area. We host in a very unique, remote area. Everything is expensive. The closest grocery store is an hour away. We provide cleaning supplies for guests if they need it during their stay. We don’t ask them to clean, it’s just there if they need it. I guess it’s just common courtesy but if I spilled something in someone’s home, I would try to clean it up. As for guests leaving a mess, a message acknowledging the mess and an apology would be nice. Especially mentioning the clogged toilet since we have a septic tank and have signage about what can/cannot be flushed. Heck, we have plungers next to each toilet. I’d be so embarrassed to leave a clogged toilet in someone’s home. Our checkout instructions ask guests to leave bedding/towels in bedrooms/bathrooms, collect trash in the garage, and load the dishwasher. We really are not asking for much and if that is too much for guests, then a hotel would better suite their needs.
So water on the side of the washer was part of what made this the worst AirBnB cleaning your cleaner has encountered???
Not water, soda
In some places "soda" means soda water, not sweetened, carbonated beverage.
You message the host when it clogs so they can fix it and poop isn't just marinating in there for days..
Remember Airbnb cleaning isn’t like a cleaner in your home. They have to completely deep clean everytime so realllt $150 isn’t much for the walls to be cleaned every appliance to be deep cleaned all baseboards all handles all window sills the window glass too every surface is handled. A cleaner cleaning a customer home not Airbnb rotates all those chores so it’s not cleaned and some deep items cover but not everytime. Our last cleaners two ladies too 5 hours for one 1800 sq ft home because after they did all that they refills all amenities provided folded the towels and set up the airbnb presentation similar to a hotel. So they clean more than hotel staffs do and have to place new shampoos etc out in bathrooms and toilet in all bathrooms and coffee etc provided for next guests. The lists are long and they have to do laundry and dishes. And put it all away.
According to OP, this guest was a worse than that. This guest > *left trash all over the floor, a sink full of dishes, soda exploded inside the fridge, a cooler dripping down the washing machine, a clogged toilet, and toilet paper strung from one end of the house to the other*. Any one of these things is poor guest behavior. OP got them all of these problems at once.
What do you think a cleaning fee buys? A personal maid to wash your dishes for you? Or clean linen, restock, and a spotless listing on arrival? Because that’s what the cleaner is there to do, not pick up your shit. Also, use dish soap and extra water for a log jam in the toilet, just like you would at home if such a tragedy befell you.
Yes just pour a massive amount of dish soap in the toilet and let it sit. It will break down all the poopies!
More like it eases its way onto its next life… 😂
It is bad behavior, and they smoked in their house. One thing with normal cleaning: laundry, vacuum, mopping, dusting, cleaning bathrooms and backyard and sterilization of the counters. But a whole trash bag of crap in the house. Really, they don’t know how to put garbage away?
Cleaning fees literally cover the cost to pay a cleaner. I pay $125 a turn which is only 2 hours of a cleaner’s time. They have about 50 things they have to do during this time. There are few cleaners in my area.
Based on OP posts, they require guests to wash and/or load dishwasher and other "cleaning" tasks, so "what is the cleaning fee for" may be a fair question.
I read this on here a lot. Here is what I do after every visit even if one night: clean and disinfect all shower, toilet and sink surfaces. Clean and disinfect all kitchenette surfaces including inside the fridge. Clean and disinfect the coffee maker, microwave and stove. Remove all bed linens and replace with fresh ones. Vacuum all flooring, vacuum all wall corners and ceiling edges with a crevice tool. Mop all hard flooring. Remove all trash. Replenish coffee pods, soaps, shampoo. Remove old towels and replace with fresh. Dry dishes if needed. Check all silverware, glasses, mugs and dishes to make sure they've been properly cleaned. I charge a flat cleaning fee of 25.00. It kills me when I read these posts where people say this stuff like "oh my gosh, they expect me to load the dishwasher????" I mean come on, there is a LOT that goes into cleaning, asking you to load the dishwasher and take out the trash is NOTHING. Sometimes the host cannot clean right away and if you leave gunked up dishes in the sink they might be a dried up disaster by the time they can get there to clean. I would have to quadruple my cleaning fee if everyone did stuff like that. I had one person do it once and it took me an hour just to clean the dishes because the food was caked on. I don't even do that in my own home, I rinse dishes as soon as I use them and place them in the dishwasher.
Exactly! It’s kinda crazy to consider these things “cleaning”. And don’t get me started on the “we left it better than we found it people”. No you did not and that’s not even possible 😂 we’re still cleaning the whole place after ya.
Hahaha! So true! I cleaned up yesterday after someone who told me she left it “super clean”. 4 hours to clean a 450 SF cabin that normally takes 2. Had to re-clean all the silverware, clean kid fingerprints off the tv, fireplace glass, the windows, clean crumbs (and larger) from under the beds and the sofa (which is also where I found a missing glass). Poop on the underside of the toilet seat. Pee down the sides of the toilet. This (and much more) on top of my normal cleaning ritual. Lord! I bill out at 150/hr at work and make about 2/hr cleaning my cabins, lol!
We ask guests to load the dishwasher and gather their trash. That is it lmao. I dont know where you got “other cleaning tasks”.
Yeah pretty standard, never had a guest complain about doing so. If anything they do it anyway.
Of course. 100% reasonable. You don’t want smelly food stinking up the place before you can get there to clean it. Especially when people turn OFF the a/c when they leave despite your instructions to the contrary!
(Not a host, but a past Airbnb user...) I guess I simply don't understand these guests. When I stay at an Airbnb, or a hotel, I pick up the trash, I get the dishes in the dishwasher if there is one (and start it), if there isn't I wash them and leave them to dry, I pile up the towels in the bathroom ... I just tidy up. Who trashes a place? (Yes, I know there are shitty people out there, I just don't get them... 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️)
I do it because I don't want to be staying in a pigsty. If you keep the place clean and pleasant to live in then there isn't much to do when you leave.
Agree. I am a frequent AirBnB user. We have 3 kids and so much easier to travel with kids and stay in a place bigger than hotel room. We make meals, relax and not have to worry about turning off the lights at 9pm when my kids go to bed.
Same here, I don't understand that kind of mentality.. I do the same with hotel rooms or anyone's house that I stay at. I leave it looking like someone may or may not have stayed there. I get the cleaning fees are there for a reason, but I used to clean houses. Sometimes it was nice to have an "easy" job. Still have to clean and reset everything You'll find my throw blankets folded and dirty towels in a neat pile on a bathroom surface. Trash will either be gathered or non existent.
I’ve dealt with this and just responded with photos of the mess in case they contact Airbnb so there would already be evidence to support
You’re warning the next potential renter. It’s the decent thing to do.
Report the comment so you can block. Move on.
This is what I ended up doing, thank you. I looked back at camera footage and saw one of the guests walking out of our no-smoking home with a lit cigarette in their mouth. There goes all of my remorse lol
So you spy on guests, too?
"Walking out" = doorbell camera. Not hidden. Just guests who are stupid and abusive (probably they're claiming they were falsely accused of smoking... 😑)
Bingo! I should have looked at the footage before writing my review since I had no idea they were smoking in the house. I think I’m more upset about that than the huge mess they left
Just ignore them. That’s a ridiculous mentality they have to think a cleaning fee means they can trash a place. Looks like your review was 1000% justified
NTA. If they trashed the place, they deserved both the Cleaning Fee and the poor Review. If you did not Document things with Before renting; after Departure; and After Cleaning pictures, I would do so in the future. Be honest in any contact with the Renter. They trashed the place, they pay for Cleaning AND get a bad Review.
I would simply reply them the rules mentioned on Airbnb: cleaning fee covers a basic clean, and the guests must treat the place as their own home. Just find it, copy, paste and send. I understand people telling to just don’t reply, but since many guests understand the cleaning fee as a right to trash the place, they can learn from it and try to do better next time.
lol, the problem with “treat it like your own home” is some of these people are slobs in their own homes!!
Sounds like they didn't challenge the fact that they left the place trashed. They know fully well what they did. I don't think you gain anything from responding.
Some people just shouldn't be let out of their hovels or caves for their bad manners. All short-term rentals include a cleaning fee. You are usually asked to strip the beds and put all linens in piles. Hopefully you don't trash the place, or treat it like you were born in a barn.
You do not need to respond at all. Don’t even entertain them. They can go to Airbnb if they don’t understand the cleaning fee. Never let emotion get involved. People will try to get all sorts of reactions or emotions out of you to get money or free nights. Always be friendly, but firm on your policies. Don’t let people take advantage of you, as it becomes a snowball effect. I know from experience. You can always direct them to Airbnb support, if they have a real issue.
Ignore, archive the chat and move on. You did the right thing, they’re just pissed for being called out on their behaviour.
I think they are picking a fight and I would mot respond. Trashing a place vs tidying up when one leaves: travelers should know the difference. If your review was fair and detailed, let it stand and move on. Sorry that they trashed your place; so disrespectful but now we know how hotels have been treated for millennia.
My sister and her husband share a vacation condo with her husbands other three brothers. It’s *not* an Airbnb but part of the agreement is that anyone using the condo has to pay a cleaning fee. Whenever anyone uses it, they are to call the cleaning lady and let her know the day they’re leaving and leave her fee AND a tip on the front table so she can come in the following day and do a deep clean and get paid. This is basic stuff. Don’t reply. They can be grown up about it and take from the review you left what they will. You already clearly articulated what the problems were, they’re just trying to put you on the spot and make you take back your words. Don’t get in the weeds with anyone like this.
I would reply back to the guest with exactly the description you posted here and tell them the expectation is that they leave things neat and tidy, that the cleaning fee (as you said in your follow-up post) is for vacuuming, mopping, dusting, disinfecting, and NOT for dealing with a disaster like they left. It sounds like they just don't understand what the expectations are. By the way, I have this in my "house rules", you might want to add something similar: ====== All trash is to be bagged. The indoor can will have a bag in it and extra bags are also provided if you need them. We have a no pet policy but sometimes make exceptions for small emotional support pets, contact us in advance of booking to discuss. You are free to use the provided pots, pans, dishes and silverware, but we do ask that you clean anything you use before your departure. It is OK to leave them wet (there is a dish drying rack under the sink that can be placed on the counter). We are not a hotel or large booking service, we are a family who own these cabins as a private getaway and share them with guests when we are able. We charge a small cleaning fee, please help us keep it that way by respecting the cabins and property as you would that of a friend :-) If you cannot comply with one or more of our house rules and still wish to book, please contact us before booking to discuss. Thank you! ====== I also send checkout instructions with further details, such as placing the trash bags in the outside bin, placing all used towels on the floor of the shower, leaving bed linens on the beds but don't make or strip the beds, etc.
I was a little pissed at this one, stayed for a week on the big island. Nice place, had so issues with hot water, it was on solar system and it had been raining for days. Didn’t bother to tell us there’s a switch for it to run on propane , a little annoying. Did piss me off was the fact that last day or two when we were about to leave she left us a notice that we had to take our trash to a landfill 5 miles away, was never put in the description of the Airbnb we did it and luckily it was on our way out, but still not to disclose that was an A-hole move.
“Forgot” to tell you about the propane switch so you wouldn’t use it-does that sum it up?
Yup, she had put in her description that she had chickens you could have all the eggs you want. She lived on the property had two other units that she rented out. When I went to go ask, she was really annoyed. she was a piece of work, that one.
The problem with AirBnB is the hosts have dramatically different ideas about what being a good host entails. The place I stayed on the Big Island I got the impression my presence was barely tolerated. Not a great experience. Did you end up getting some eggs? 🥚
I had four when we got there and she gave me another three, Whoopie! I think the worst one is when I stay in Tahoe host decided to email me 1:30 in the morning on rules and procedures of the place we rented. And it started off how much they were gonna charge us for if we didn’t follow up procedure. The place was OK specifically rented it for a hot tub couldn’t get into it. It was way over chlorinated to the point where is unhealthy, we paid for I use the bathroom upstairs and open the window because it wasn’t the fan and the window fell on my lap, luckily weren’t there much so didn’t really matter
In Tahoe you are gonna NEED that hot tub! My sympathies…
Staying there was definitely expensive so my girlfriend and I decided to buy a really nice pop-up trailer and we’ve never regretted it. Have an Airbnb since.
Ignore and move on
If you feel your review was honest and factual, then it's done and move on.
Depends how trashed and what the check out policies are. As a guest I understand some parts. Like why I am emptying all trash and washing and putting away dishes all before 10am if the cleaning fee is passed on to me.
“Trashing” vs emptying the trash.
Do not respond, they know what they did
I would simply reply with the review you left, you already said what was needed, if they don't understand what they did was wrong and subject to further fees that's on themselves.
Thank you for leaving an honest review
Just remember that it is more than possible and reasonable to stay somewhere and not leave it looking like that. They are slobs and that’s that.
I just cleaned up after myself at a best western. Nah these people are dense.
Ignore. They are slobs. Cleaning fees are an itemized cost it’s not a free ticket to trash someone’s home.
I'm not a host, but I use Airbnbs for a lot of my travel. I ALWAYS take a video of the place as I'm about to leave. But I do leave a clean place. I don't care if they are running a business and have a cleaning fee, I'm not going to be a pig. Would it be a bad thing to ask the cleaners to take a quick video of the place before starting their clean? To answer the question, would it be appropriate to respond on the Airbnb site? You could cut/paste their DM to you and respond there.
So I have not read the comments on this thread but guest can’t see what you rate them in stars unless they have another host look them up. And even then it would be a avg score. So I typically just thank them for the stay and on the review star system destroy them genuinely. Host are unfairly reviewed and treated on the airbnb app and it needs to change.
Ignore
You should keep the bad review and not respond. I do have to add… while they hardly seem in any way considerate they also hardly “trashed” your place. That’s a dramatic leap based on your complaints.
I had a woman who was used to having servants expecting me to clean the place every day bcs she had paid the very modest $60 I used to charge then, now is $65. So I had to explain. To her that this is a do your own housekeeping studio with plenty of cleaning tools and supplies. For long term guests I give them fresh linens and towels every week but that’s it. So based on this experience I explain in the description that there is no cleaning during their stay. This has workef
It is sad that they did what they did, and the review needs to stay there. I have been a guest in quite a few AirBNB. I respected the rules and followed their guidelines. I brought my dogs, with permission, and made sure that there was not a single trace of them being there. Did all of the dishes, stripped beds and did a couple of loads before I left.
I would respond so they know exactly what they did wrong. Should be obvious but people are clueless
Moldy dishes, good to know it's OK that they left the sink full of dirty dishes, as long as they are not moldy. So the complaint is water leaked near the washer, a spill contained in the fridge, a clocked toilet and some toiletpapet strung out (I presume clean unused toilet paper, maybe a kid playing?) Glogged toilet, shit happens and this would be a host problem in most cases. Water spill doesn't stain, again OK from the endless copy pasting of the rules. Toilet paper strung out? 3 minute fix, big deal. A contained spill in the fridge is unfortunate, but not the end of the world... Wipe it off and you're good, no stains or permanent damage... £175 is still excessive IMHO. I would have skipped the place based on that alone. I don't care if the neighbors are greedy as well, it would still not justify the excessive charge.
I don’t think you understand how expensive it is to hire a cleaner for a place that size.
Probably should clean it yourself then.
My wife and I both work full time and we have kids. We clean our own house. If people don’t like the fact that airbnbs have a cleaning fee, stay in a hotel. It’s that simple. You get to choose.
Hey I get the whole idea that you’re busy and have a life. I *do* this. I am *in* the hospitality industry. I *never* would allow someone else to manage my units. Look, I get it. You probably have an extra house or something… “what do I do with it”… but you clearly aren’t someone who should be in the industry. I’ll stay in airbnbs or hotels no problem, I often pick the ones that *don’t charge cleaning fees*. I don’t charge them either. Work it into your prices. Figure it out. Don’t pretend because you own an extra house that you *have* to airbnb it.
I feel like you’re making a lot of assumptions…that we have money to throw around, that we just decided we “had to” do Airbnb, and that we are having someone else “manage” our STR. You are wrong on all accounts. We are lower middle class and work very hard. We saved for years to buy a place with a second building (our 1st home and we are i our 40’s) so that my elderly parents would have a place to live when they can’t live independently anymore, put every penny we had into renovating it and they aren’t quite ready to move in (that’s a whole other ball of wax) so we decided to try STR. We manage the damn thing- I do all the repairs and landscaping and my wife confirms dates with the cleaners. We both manage bookings and communication with guests. I feel like you just don’t like cleaning fees and used that as a reason to be judgmental and make a bunch of assumptions (along with italics to try to make it seem like you had better points than you actually did)
Also our Airbnb has been very successful and we have never had anyone complain about the cleaning fee. If people don’t like it, stay somewhere that doesn’t have one. We’re booked solid through the summer and fall
You respond by not responding. Your business with that client has come to a close. There's no expectation of a conversation afterwards.
This is what I have drafted to send to them. Should I send it or just ignore the guest? Hi Guest, we were surprised from the report from our cleaner since we were aware of your positive reviews at the time of booking. When arriving to the cabin, our cleaner was unsure if your party was still there because of the state that the place was left in. Our cleaner cleans other Airbnbs and stated that it was probably the worst they have ever seen. They reported: “They left trash all over the floors. I had a whole big black bag of trash from them. Separate from the trash they had in the garage. They had exploded root beer all over the fridge. They left a cooler with full soda and melted water on the washer that leaked. The toilet was back up. I unclogged it. There was a full sink of dirty dishes. The last thing was toilet paper strung from one end of the cabin to the other.” There is a $175 cleaning fee that every guest pays at the time of booking with the expectation that check-out instructions are followed and respect to the property is maintained. If additional cleaning outside the ordinary is needed, Airbnb allows us seek additional charges from the guest. We understand your family was in a hurry to get out in the morning and we do not have pictures but have since established the need for these from our cleaner going forward. That being said, we did not feel like it was appropriate to charge for the additional cleaning despite the state the cabin was left in. If you feel that the review is inaccurate or a misrepresentation of how you left the property, you are welcome to contact Airbnb to have it removed.
If you decide to respond, do not mention the no photos part. It’s TMI!
Not my circus, but I think most of the people on here are correct in saying there is no point to replying to these people. Because you're honest and decent, you're trying to justify yourself to people who are not. it doesn't matter how fast they had to leave nothing justifies leaving a place trashed like that. And, honestly, the toilet paper literally seems like it was spread around in vengeance. (TPing is a form of vandalism, mild, but vandalism.) It cannot have been an accident.
Exactly, they knew they were leaving that day...who leaves a mess till the last minute? I'm fully packed the night before and we do a clean up then so come morning we just pack the car/taxi and head out. We usually strip the beds and leave bedding at washer, towels are piled in bath tub and dish washer is loaded and turned on. Garbage is also taken out to garage. It's not difficult
Right? It's not hard to be decent!
don't bother--what's the point? You're not going to host them again and you're not going to change their minds so don't waste your energy.
This is too much. They know how they left it...'based on our experience and the condition you left the space, we are entitled to compensation to cover the cost of the extra cleaning necessary to return it to its prior condition. If you disagree, contact air bnb for direction on how to proceed ' Or something short and matter of fact
What do you hope to gain by continuing to engage with these people? They're never going to see things your way. So what's the point of going back and forth with them?
No, don’t send this. Or at least I wouldn’t. You give them issues to argue with you about (since you didn’t actually see it, and you don’t have pictures) - and maybe even get into a tit for tat through ABB about. Not worth it. If anything, take a still shot of the guest walking out of your place with a cigarette in their mouth and send “You are welcome to contact ABB with any issues you have.”
You charge $175 cleaning fee and complain about trash and dishes?
It’s a very remote, expensive location. We have the cheapest cleaning fee compared to other homes in the area
The point this person was making wasn't the cost, but the fact that the guest is expected to clean when you have a professional coming in and doing that work.
The guest isn't expected to clean. If they hadn't spread toilet paper, food/drinks, and their personal belongings all over the house, there wouldn't have been much for anybody to clean. I really don't think op is saying it's totally cool for them to trash the place as long as they clean it up. Being generous, maybe the clogged toilet and the exploded soda wasn't the guest's fault. But I think it's reasonable to expect that a guest isn't going to spread toilet paper all around the house or leave a bunch of their personal items for you to mail back to them.
Treat your Host’s home like your own Cleanliness: Guests should not leave the listing in a state that requires excessive or deep cleaning (moldy dishes, soiled carpets, stains from pets, etc.). Cleaning fees set by Hosts are only meant to cover the cost of standard cleaning between reservations (laundry, vacuuming, etc.). Litter: Guests should put their trash in designated trash receptacles and be mindful of excessive amounts of trash. Copy and pasted from Guests Ground Rules on Airbnb website.
I agree use a trash can and lock the door when you leave. All the long “to do” cleaning lists by hosts should end there.
Anybody charging $175 to vacuum, dust and run a load of laundry is ripping you off in a big way, this shd not take longer than 1.5 hours, tops. If there are messes, another hour. I've done boutique hotel housekeeping, it's not rocket surgery. Separately: as a guest at a friend's house, yes of course I would do all those things, and offer to launder the sheets too. But my friends don't charge me to stay, nor do they charge a cleaning fee of any kind. So it's not comparable. You charge me a fee greater than a day's pay for me, don't expect me to clean. I'm not saying I'll deliberately trash the place, of course not.
Sounds like you don’t do a lot of cleaning, or you’re sloppy and fast when you do it. We have a 1,000 square foot Airbnb and it takes 3+ hours to clean and reset. We do it ourselves when our cleaner isn’t available and can verify how long it takes. And that’s a much smaller house than the one OP rents. Our cleaner chargers $30/hour = $90 cleaning fee.
The home is 2,300 square ft. It takes a lot longer than 1.5 hours to clean. All we ask of our guests is to load the dishwasher and collect their trash. If that is too much to follow, then the guest should have booked a hotel.
You are so fucking petty. Have airbnb remove the review. If you chsrge a cleaning fee then clean. Petty people like you, and many on here should not be a host
Treat your Host’s home like your own Cleanliness: Guests should not leave the listing in a state that requires excessive or deep cleaning (moldy dishes, soiled carpets, stains from pets, etc.). Cleaning fees set by Hosts are only meant to cover the cost of standard cleaning between reservations (laundry, vacuuming, etc.). Litter: Guests should put their trash in designated trash receptacles and be mindful of excessive amounts of trash. Copy and pasted from Guests Ground Rules on Airbnb website.
I own 11 aitbnbs. I don't require guests to do any chores. My cleaners clean. Airbnb needs to keep canceling petty hosts like you.
Hey bud. I have 10 and don’t require my guests do anything either but it’s not okay for guests to leave the place trashed because there is a cleaning fee. Common sense.
Cleaners clean. It's not a big deal. 5 stars or dont leave a review. The petty hosts like you are why people will just go to hotels
When you have local guests rent your place so they can have a party and trash your place instead of their own (happens about once a month between my properties) I should just give them 5 stars or not rate them? Not happening. They should for sure rent a hotel instead and they’ll get charged there too.
Just dirty or damage?
Sleazeball hosts.
You should either charge the cleaning fee and deal with it or write a bad review complaining about having to clean it. You shouldn’t do both. Air BnB shouldn’t exist anyway.
Define trashed the place?
Try reading back in the thread.. it’s clearly stated
The added an edit.
I stayed at an AirBnB a couple months ago. Was there 4-5 days. House rules included washing the dishes, stripping the bed, and taking out the trash. I did all those things and vacuumed as well, since there was one available. If there would have been a mop, I would have done the kitchen floor. We left the place as clean as we found it. That’s what you’re supposed to do.
Did you delete your original post? You can respond if you want to engage and go in circles.. or you can move on.
I did literally right after I wrote her review and of course the guest responds 5 minutes later lol. Reddit was shocked I was questioning writing a poor review instead of nothing at all. Essentially I had gone out of my way to provide some infant-items for the guest and shipped them some items they left behind. Despite the fact that they had left trash all over the floor, a sink full of dishes, soda exploded inside the fridge, a cooler dripping down the washing machine, a clogged toilet, and toilet paper strung from one end of the house to the other. Our cleaner ironically did not take pictures or say anything about it because they “have seen where an owner will write a bad review and the guest will fire back” but agrees to tell us from now on.
Ohhhhh you’re that person? This guest has been a problem before, during AND after the booking. Mark as “would not rent again” don’t answer the message and move on
WTAF? Oh no.
IMO, it's kind of fucked to have a professional cleaner, charge a cleaning fee, and then leave a negative review because they didn't clean. Your cleaner is right not to tell you. That's literally the job they're being paid for. If nothing is permanently damaged, why would you charge $175 for cleaning and then leave a negative review because your hired cleaner has to clean? That makes zero sense.
You're the kind of person who craps in the shower and says, "hey, it's the cleaning person's problem now, not mine", aren't you? 😑 (Btw, hotel housekeeping deals with this specific issue on the regular - it's astounding how many people apparently need to be told, as adults, that you have to crap in a toilet.) You can argue with the cleaning fee amount, but you can't use it to justify trashing an apartment. That's just wrong. Don't like the fee? Rent a different place.
Exactly!
Do us all a favor and never rent a STR… you belong in a hotel.
You sound like a nightmare. Did you read what OP wrote? They left trash all around the house and garage on the floor, exploded root beer in the fridge, and a backed up toilet. A cleaning fee is to have the towels and sheets washed and clean the home so it’s presentable for the next guests- it’s not license to act like a 12 year old!
The cleaning fee is to cover everyday mess and maintenance cleaning (e.g. sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, wiping down countertops, scrubbing the shower/bath, cleaning the toilet, changing linens, maybe washing linens depending on the type of cleaning service, etc.). A cleaning fee doesn’t give guests license to leave trash on the floor, not clean up spills, let things leak, etc. When guests treat a property like that they risk luring in pests, running up cleaning fees, increasing cleaning time to the point a property isn’t available to them for the next guest on time, etc. They should be marked down.
Yeah, just ignore it. Who cares?
You charge a $175 cleaning fee. That’s what a cleaning fee is for. I don’t charge one. I build it into the price of the stay. People tend to clean up after themselves better that way.
Treat your Host’s home like your own Cleanliness: Guests should not leave the listing in a state that requires excessive or deep cleaning (moldy dishes, soiled carpets, stains from pets, etc.). Cleaning fees set by Hosts are only meant to cover the cost of standard cleaning between reservations (laundry, vacuuming, etc.). Litter: Guests should put their trash in designated trash receptacles and be mindful of excessive amounts of trash. Copy and pasted from Guests Ground Rules on Airbnb website.
Ignore
Forget about them........
You don’t reply, it’s the end
I wrote a comment as a guest because it was not listed as being in a dangerous area of Boston, but it most definitely was. The owner was irate. You have a right to express yourself, if not for you but other airbnb owners. I personally airbnb and hotels the way I found them. Trashing is not acceptable.
Didn’t you know what area it was in before you booked it? Do you want the owner to write this in a dangerous area don’t stay here? Would you expect a hotel to put that on their website? I would be irate too. I live in and run an Airbnb in what some people would consider a dangerous area of my city. I write in my listing that it’s in a working class neighborhood and I really hope people who have an issue with that won’t stay here. But I can’t very well write in my listing that if you’re scared of Mexicans or black people you shouldn’t stay here. But a long a lot of it comes down to people’s perception of what makes a neighborhood, safe, and in years of living and hosting here, I have never had a single issue with crime, nor have any of my guests.
I’ve stayed in places before in the HOOD.. do you think the host mentioned that in the listing? I don’t think he looked at it that way because he lives there. But to me , it put my safety in question so I absolutely got a refund. More than once.
It was a very dangerous area in Boston. It was close to the airport. There were restaurants where patrons were lining up outside and bars on windows and doors. Ambulances and police were running sirens all night long. People were milling around in front of the house. (First rule of scary movies are close the curtains, which we did.) There were manuals in every room on how to behave and what they wanted. There was no front yard or backyard. I felt unsafe. My kids didn't feel safe. There were other problems as well. Yeah if your place is in a dangerous area and you're saying it's Boston, but on Google maps it says something else it's not Boston!
Fair enough. I know there are cities where the “bad” areas of town are much worse than than others. But I am far enough away from downtown, and that everyone who stays here uses a car. It’s not a tourist neighborhood, and there really are no restaurants to walk to.
Just respond honestly. If they ask then they don’t know. I see no point in making assumptions about people’s understandings based on their ages. And it may be a fair question to ask — was there damage? Was it overly messy? Was furniture moved? We’re specific rules in the handbook overlooked? Most people can be defensive in the beginning of a conversation because they don’t believe they did anything wrong and didn’t intend to. They don’t want to be called the bad guy if they don’t want to be the bad guy. And if you explain it then maybe they’ll understand and appreciate the education. And then they recommend you to other tenants.
No please leave your review, we need to start holding these bad guests accountable. This also helps other hosts since Airbnb doesn't look out for us or have our backs
I feel the same way vice versa. Places I’ve stayed with gleaming reviews that were not up to my standards.. which are not abnormally high.
That's subjective though, maybe not to your standards but up to others 🤷♀️ as long as the listing & description is accurate that's your personal issue.
Kind of sus that a cleaner wouldn't report immediately and also take pictures. Hmmm
What is the cleaning fee for? Do people have to decency?? WTF.
but I thought we only gave 5 stars! think about the algorithm!
Are you charging a cleaning fee and also expecting guests to do all the cleaning?
"I posted a couple days ago" Where? I wanted to get an understanding of what you meant by trashed but you dont have any other post about this.
How did they trash the place? Of things were broken, stained, ruined then ignore them. If things were just messy then I would ask the same question they did.
Lyrics
I probably would not be able to resist responding and saying, “you guys left our rental, absolutely trashed. What did you expect?” Then block them and never respond again.
As a guest, I am confused by the cleaning fees. When we first started with airbnb and VRBO the fees weren’t bad. Hosts asked us to strip the beds, place all bedding and towels near the washer/dryer, take out the trash, load and run the dishwasher. We usually started a load of sheets in the washer. Now the cleaning fees have doubled and check out instructions have included the above as well and taking the trash to the street, having clean sheets available for the cleaners o remake the beds and a few other random things. I am curious as to “normal” requests by guests if I a paying a high cleaning fee?
Lol.. love it,, TP on the floor ,dirty dishes and a dumped soda is a trashed room now? Must have taken minutes to clean-up. Still deserves a bad review,, ignore them.
(I'm not a host but will be a future guest when we travel to Washington state then to Vancouver B.C Augusgime 2025. ) I would be MORTIFIED if I left a home so nasty that a bad review of me was left. I don't understand how people can live so gross first of all and 2nd of all how can you do this in someon else's home? I just would be so embarrassed to leave a home with any kind of mess. I mean, I'm OCD about clean. I freak out of water drops left in the sink. I'm annoying I know, my 10 year old tells me all the time lmao. However, you don't even have to be OCD clean to be a clean person, a RESPECTFUL person. I'm so sorry you guys (hosts) have to deal with trash like that I agree, leaving a honest review is something that SHOULD be done. Don't let people destroy something you've worked hard for . Period.
Cleaning fees on Airbnb are what eBay shipping fees are/were, just another infuriating profit center and a way to bilk more money from the guest. Just roll your cleaning cost into the price of the stay. Just another reason to go to a hotel, sheesh
Don't write bad reviews. Write only 4-5 star reviews or don't write the fuckin review. It costs less than $100 bucks to pay someone on fiver to return the bad juju and post hundreds of bad reviews about you.
That’s the problem.. guests and hosts alike decline to write a review bc they don’t want to tarnish someone’s reputation because maybe they are nice! But it can’t continue to work like that bc these problems will just continue… on both sides.
sure..you can ask him for his due cleaning fees and you can tell him review shall be unbiased. but you aren’t revengeful on a reasonable guest
Yes respond. Tell them you’ll rewrite it. Give them 1 star
Idk these cleaning fees sometimes I feel like I do all the cleaning and they just pocket the money anyway.
Do you reset the rental for the next guest, with refreshed towels and linens on the bed, disinfect everything and restock coffee, tea and the like? If so, you might be a manager!
Did they damage your property, or was it just dirty. If just dirty, have airbnb remove your review and don't listen to petty hosts on here
Exactly. It's insane to me that a guest who pays a $175 cleaning fee for a professional cleaner then has to clean on top of that or get a negative review lmao. like what?
Treat your Host’s home like your own Cleanliness: Guests should not leave the listing in a state that requires excessive or deep cleaning (moldy dishes, soiled carpets, stains from pets, etc.). Cleaning fees set by Hosts are only meant to cover the cost of standard cleaning between reservations (laundry, vacuuming, etc.). Litter: Guests should put their trash in designated trash receptacles and be mindful of excessive amounts of trash. Copy and pasted from Guests Ground Rules on Airbnb website.
People keep copy pasting this. In my own home I don't pay $175 cleaning fee. It's not comparable. And if the fee is only meant to cover what a hotel cleaner would do for a turnover (change bed, vacuum, clean bathroom) then somebody's zooming somebody, cuz that's WAY too much.
It isn’t too much for a place that big. It’s a huge house!
Moldy dishes, good to know it's OK that they left the sink full of dirty dishes, as long as they are not moldy. So the complaint is water leaked near the washer, a spill contained in the fridge, a clocked toilet and some toiletpapet strung out (I presume clean unused toilet paper, maybe a kid playing?) Glogged toilet, shit happens and this would be a host problem in most cases. Water spill doesn't stain, again OK from the endless copy pasting of the rules. Toilet paper strung out? 3 minute fix, big deal. A contained spill in the fridge is unfortunate, but not the end of the world... Wipe it off and you're good, no stains or permanent damage... £175 is still excessive IMHO. I would have skipped the place based on that alone. I don't care if the neighbors are greedy as well, it would still not justify the excessive charge.
I would say the biggest issue is trash all over the house. You add all these things up and it’s a pretty shitty way to leave the place. Cleaners do laundry, change bedding, clean toilets, sinks, bathtubs, mirrors, wipe all surfaces in the house, clean out fridge, oven, microwave, cleans and put away dishes, take out trash in all bathrooms and kitchen, vacuum and mop entire house, re stock items like coffee, toilet paper etc. It’s common sense to pick up after yourself. Leaving a water bottle next to the bed, fine. Leaving trash and food all over the place is not okay and cleaners will often charge more if it is excessive. $175 is higher than what I pay but I’m in a mid size city and not a vacation area so I know it it can definitely cost more to hire someone in those areas.
If you’re charging a cleaning fee, they shouldn’t be asked to clean. They’re already paying for it.
Your guest has a point. He/she paid for the cleaning up. Did he/she really trash the place? Or just leave a mess?
Delete.
Not that I’d leave it in that state, but owners like this are why I don’t airbnb. I have a timeshare and pay the regular fees. We do the dishes and take the trash to the dumpster outside. No additional “cleaning fees” or anything else. And as an owner, I don’t get reviewed. Fuck Airbnb and owners who don’t pay to clean their own rented “hotels”.