I’ve had guests arrive today for a 6 night stay.
I’ve just discovered a river of water flowing from the toilet. It’s been blocked by human waste and the toilet has overflowed (gross)
The water has flooded the bathroom (tiled floor) and the hallway (oak flooring)
The wooden boards have started lifting as the water was so bad and seeped under the floor.
Can I claim from Airbnb for the cost of repair?
We’ve never had a problem with the loo before but it was very full of you know what.
How she didn’t see it I don’t know!
20 towels later there is still water seeping up from the floor.
I’m at my wits end tonight as hubby is away so have to deal with on my own.
So was it the guests who arrived today that blocked the loo? Or was it the previous guests?
the guests that arrived today.
I’ve never had a problem with the toilet. I had to use a plunger to unblock it.
I don’t think I’ve gagged that much ever!
The husband was very sorry but I’ve now got a ruined oak floor.
I can’t ask the guests to pay as it was obviously not done on purpose but will Airbnb pay for the damage?
To be honest from my understanding this is the sort of thing that builds up over time - a blockage doesn’t happen with one guest. And I don’t know if Airbnb will cover it, I guess you’ll have to try and make a claim and see what happens. It sounds like the damage is extensive …
I agree. I doubt that any individual guest, especially one that has just arrived, could block up a loo so badly. It must have been building up, maybe for months.
I get what you’re saying but trust me… I’ve seen c**p left in toilets before now after having kids and grandkids here but this was not a ‘normal’ amount.
Poor woman may have been poorly and I just don’t understand how she could not have seen it.
Surely most people look and check it’s flushed?
What a conversation to be having!!!
I very much doubt Airbnb will pay as they don’t seem to pay out very often by all accounts.
I don’t want to embarrass the poor woman by mentioning it in the morning but the damage is done. Lovely pure wool rug is out in the garden now too!
when your plumber comes to clear the blockage you could ask what caused it; you’ll probably be surprised.
On a separate note it’s probably worth letting guests know where the stop cock is.
Well, yes. But I do find it a bit odd. Here in South Florida our plumbing is not the best but modern toilets can cope with most things that are chucked down it, as long as they come from the body. (Not huge amounts of paper towel or anything like that though).
Yes, what a weird conversation!
But as @Zandra says, your plumber will no doubt investigate the cause. We had a very slow draining bathtub for ages which was snaked often but we finally discovered that the cause was a shampoo bottle top that had been down there for at least two years.
1 Like
We have had two clogs since starting the AirBNB. This bathroom has been lived in for 9 years and when our “tenants” were up there [they are my kid and her guy] there was never any clogging. Only when we have large people, who eat crappy food do we get the clogs. It doesn’t build up in our case. It can, however, become overwhelmed by too much waste at one time.
We have taken to plunging following each guest, and have never had anything get suctioned. I don’t believe, that in our case, it is a case of the previous guests. This is a single family home, city sewers with a line to the street that is only 10 years old, and a new toilet and line from the rooms to the street.
Do I have evidence? No, of course not. I simply have the power of observation and history. My Husband and I have used our bathroom for the 14 years that we have lived here and never needed a plunger.
I don’t really “blame” these guests though. Stuff happens and I am certainly not going to try to figure out how to write a rule that only people with small amounts of waste per day are welcome. 
1 Like
I think you’d be better off making a claim on your home insurance. As far as I’m aware Airbnb only pay out where it’s the guest’s ‘fault’ (and I think that would be difficult to prove in this case). However this is the sort of thing home insurance is generally for, assuming you are covered for short term rental
4 Likes
And the cost of the repairs is over your deductible and will result in a greater payout than the amount your home insurance will go up for filing a claim.
2 Likes
Yes. Hopefully the guest is not like me, who prefers cheaper payments and higher deductibles… because this kind of stuff could NEVER happen to me!! (Off to check my policies now…)
1 Like
Why would anyone in their right mind not know how to turn the damned valve off. That stops the flow of water to the toilet!!!
2 Likes
I have had a few blockages and a Toilet would not flood just due to a blockage.
Sounds like there is an issue with the tank if the valve is not operating properly, and easy check and fix.
Because the valve may not be where you think it might be. In my old house the valve was under the kitchen sink. In my current place it’s in the airing cupboard. There is nothing in the bathroom or on the toilet to stop water flow in the case of a blockage.
I will ever understand this point of view. I’ve seen it mentioned several times and I don’t understand how poop from a fat person and a thin person differs. Especially given thin people also eat crappy diets.
My thin, vegan friend on the other hand eats an exceptionally high volume of low calorie fibrous food. He goes three times a day. Great for his body but certainly (if I’m following your logic) taxing on the loo he’s using.
Is there something I’m missing? I would expect tissue paper usage to be the issue not the size of the person using the loo.
2 Likes
I don’t believe that I said a fat person. I said a big person… A 26 year old male who is 6’5" inches tall, and has an active metabolism can eat a tremendous amount of food in a single day. Now place three of them in your rooms, all using the same bathroom. That group was all very slender and quite athletic. They ate over a pound of potatoes each at each meal they ate at my house, plus the other stuff on the plate. When out, they ate the cheapest food possible and lots of it. A pizza each for lunch, and the breakfast that I provided… instead of the normal two items, they requested four.
I do believe that cheap oils change how we process food. I also believe that the amount of food we consume changes how much waste we produce.
I would do a google search but am not sure I wish to have this topic in my search history!
2 Likes
Sounds like my vegan friend to be honest. Glad you cleared that up we’re on the same page then.
1 Like
I will be able to test this. We have 3 30ish men coming to town for the Marathon this weekend. Old house , old plumbing. Will report back!
1 Like
I lurked on this site for many months before I actually registered. I am as amazed now as I was then about where some of these topics go, lol. I always have to be careful what I’m drinking at the time because I might crack up from laughter and ruin my gadget du jour, or I might gag and have to run to the bathroom… 
2 Likes