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Please do vent! We’re in the same price range. Actually I’m a few dollars less because they don’t get a private room. Also, as I’ve said a few times before here, getting 4 stars is just fine. But even still, it pisses you off when some a-hole doesn’t seem to grasp or appreciate the fact he’s getting an amazing deal for a fraction of the cost of a low-end motel.
In the immortal words of Taylor Swift…“Shake it off, shake it off…” 
OMG I’d go postal. Condensation? Can you imagine what misery those 2 jerks spread when they travel?
That’s a great idea. I think I’ll even take photos of our living room after one of ‘those’ weeks. Better that they are not surprised!
You’re right, sorry! I just checked and it is 80%. I’m at 76% with that last review. 
hahahahahhahaha, what do they think a house is for? to look at?
I had a guest once who was complaining about a student who I was hosting… my listing is called “homestay”, the word “family” is in the description as well… he thought he had the whole 6 bedroom house to himself when he booked a room
and the “clean” house is such an issue… like, one sweeps the patio and all is nice and sparkling, then the wind starts and all the leaves are around again… at that moment the guest comes back … one could wind oneself into a knot
Oh, yes the stories we hosts can tell
Please don’t let this guest get you down. We had great rapport with two couples who stayed last week. They want to keep in touch and left great reviews. Today I looked at the star ratings they gave - one couple 2 across the board, the other 3. Not worth thinking about, chin up, that guest is in your past.
This kills me a lot. I sweep and mop the kitchen, sweep out the attached mudroom with slate floors. I can ask guests all day to leave shoes in the mudroom, but they inevitably keep tracking things through the kitchen. I probably sweep 1-2x/day when some guests are here.
I do also have a dog which is prominently featured in my ad. He’s quiet and old and doesn’t move around much, but he sheds which is why I vacuum the crap out of the place and mop/sweep and keep guest room doors shut after they’re cleaned and prepped. But I mean, I leave for six hours, come home, there will be dog hair on the floor (not a lot, but it exists in the house).
If they don’t keep him out of their room (which I don’t clean during their stay unless they give me permission), hair will appear there too. I’m always worried someone will complain about the hair even though they knowingly booked a place with a dog. Though thankfully, most people really like him so I hope that won’t be the case. I’ve yet to see a review that mentions the dog outside of a positive light, but I’m paranoid!
I worry about this too! We have 2 cats. Once the guest room is clean, they get locked out of that room. However, our cats tend to be very popular with guests. They greet guests at the door with us and the petting commences. Then they follow guests to their room and often invited in, at which point they jump on the bed, lie down and present tummies for rubbing. All sweet and cute, but suddenly the bedspread is covered in cat hair.
I think I wouldn’t be so paranoid, except my second guest ever gave me a 3 for cleanliness based on the fact a few moths got in her room through the A/C vents. I worry that guests may have an unconscious and unrealistic expectation that we have magic cats that don’t shed, or self cleaning floors, where the dirt they track in magically disappears in their wake.
3 cats here - shed city! 
I had one give me 4 stars for cleanliness because there were “ants in the laundry but apart from that everything was very clean”. I live in a house in the country, ants appear then disappear. I would literally have to be checking every ten minutes or spray something so toxic every week all other life would die as well. I am starting to distrust AirBnB’s “places near you get 5* 87% of the time” type statement. They told me in July I had 75% 5 star reviews for cleanliness but it was 7 out of 8 guests which is 87%. Who knows if they even work out the local average and how it is calculated. Maybe they just put that there to get people to try harder. On the weekend I had someone stay who gave me 4* for cleanliness and 5* for everything else. They had also managed to pull the bracket for the venetian blinds out of their fittings but didn’t tell me. You’d think under the circumstances they’d be a little generous in their stars.
I wouldn’t worry so much about the dog hair so much if I were you. We also have two dogs who are featured prominently in our listing. They both shed, yet we have five stars for cleanliness. I believe that people who book listings with dogs tend to be dog lovers and dog lovers tend not to be upset about dog hair. You are going to great efforts to keep your house clean. I’m sure that virtually all your guests appreciate this. There’s nothing you can do to satisfy the few who want to find something to dislike.
yeah go rent a model home!
me too
Welcome to the new kind of AirBnB guests… greedy a**holes that want a 5-star hotel but want to pay hostel prices.
I had some of that kind last week. Greedy Czech Snobs that expected a hotel and complained about everything.
When I asked them what they expected for this low nightly rate they said: “We expected AirBnB to be cheap and high quality”…
Is their home high quality, i wonder. I had guests who complained i dont have high quality sheets. I told them: i like my low quality sheets (300 ct, by the way). And he goes: nice bedding would make a big difference. I said: This is what i have in my home, i am sure your bed sheets are a much nicer quality. 50$ he pays for him and his son. All hotels around start with 80$ the cheapest Motel 6, and he dares telling me about low sheets quality.
I realize this is the hospitality industry but some people are beyond ridiculous. I stay airbnb and all I want is a clean room, clean sheets, a blanket if needed and a clean bathroom. Other than that I’m golden, people forget that you’re living there too.
Free parking and (usually) laundry service might be some of the perks we should emphasize more. They really do give us a competitive advantage, compared to hotels.
Besides pictures, and stating exactly what is being offered and comes with the room, how else can a host prepare a guest, so they don’t complain? Example: I have pictures of my room, showing it EXACTLY as I rent it. I do not have blinds, no curtains. In the written description of the room, this is also stated. I just had another guest give a low rating for me not having curtains. Everything they complain about, is written/shown in pictures in my listing. I’m in a condo, on the first floor. They read this, then book, then complain. It’s a pattern I would like to break. Would it be unprofessional of me, when a booking is requested, that I again point out all that I’m offering? I would really like some advice on this, thanks 
Why aren’t you investing in window coverings to allow your guest bedroom privacy? You’re on the 1st floor where people can see in. Wouldn’t you react the same way as a guest?
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. You cannot change guest behavior you can only change your behavior.
This is advised here often. Any issue a listing has like noise, dogs, no curtains (?!!! WTF) can be reiterated at the time of booking when they have the 48 hour free cancellation period.
The obvious and professional response to these multiple complaints would be to fix the problems. I’m stunned that a first floor condo without window coverings is allowed to remain listed on Airbnb. That would be like having no lock on the entry door or no lamps.