Are these reasonable requests?

I thought I’d ask for an objective opinion as I tend to take complaints personally (my bad)

So I Airbnb the spare room in my apartment in Kensington, minutes from a tube station and Hyde park for a very low price given the neighbourhood. I’m an introvert so when I’m home guests do not have access to my sitting room unless I invite them (this is on my listing) however I was away this weekend and so the guest who paid the very low price for a private room and kitchen access got the entire apartment to herself. I thought anyone would be happy about this however the next morning she made some complaints I believe she wouldn’t have made had I been present in the flat: she requested I get someone to clean about 5 tiny crumbs off of the toaster and for my laundry that was hanging up to dry to be taken down (this was actually towels and bedding of the guests who left the day she arrived). I feel like crumbs on a toaster and washing hanging up would be perfectly acceptable in a shared home and she only complained because she misunderstood what I meant when I said “you’ll have the apartment to yourself”. I sent my cleaner up anyway but did remind the guest what she had paid for and those complaints were unreasonable. All ended fine but now I’m not sure what review to give as she had good ones already (although with someone else, she was alone with me). Do you think these complaints were unreasonable or did I just take it too personally because I thought I had done her a favour? I also allowed her to leave heavy luggage at my apartment the weekend before she arrived as she couldn’t take it on her trip.

This is my first post but I’ve been a superhost for a year. I’m also only 22 so most of my guests are much older than me.

Welcome to the forum–so glad you posted! I think it sounds like you are a very conscientious and kind host who had a bit of a bratty guest. We all get them, and I do think her complaints were petty for a private room in a shared space. You were kind to let her leave her luggage in your home. It’s a shame she felt compelled to fuss about a couple of minor things in the shared space. You kindly addressed her concerns, but I’m very glad you let her know she was being unreasonable.

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Thank you for your very sweet response. How would you review someone like this? I have seen on the forum hosts are very passionate about other hosts leaving honest reviews so they know in the future but she wasn’t that bad just petty as you say. I feel these ones are the hardest to review!

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Yes, whenever there are issues like this, it is hard to negotiate the review. Were those the only issues you had with her? Was she a tidy guest? Good communication, etc…? Personally, I wouldn’t dock her overall if she was an otherwise exemplary guest, but I’d probably dock her a star on communication. I’d definitely express your displeasure in private feedback. If you felt she was receptive and understanding when you told her initially, I probably wouldn’t mention it in the public review. If she was bratty when you told her, I’d definitely mention it because guest reviews are more for hosts than guests.

This is just my opinion, and I don’t share my inside home space with my guests, so in-home hosts might feel very differently to me.

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I would share in the review that her expectations were unreasonable. Lots of home share hosts would not want to host someone like that. I wouldn’t even give her a thumbs up.

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Her expectations and requests were unreasonable. To be honest this wasn’t a nice experience for you, was it? It’s bad for her to make you feel uncomfortable about your own home, which I am sure is nice plus a bargain! Why couldn’t she just dust off the crumbs herself? It’s great you’re eco friendly and not using a tumble dryer all the time. Fancy her expecting you to send a cleaner out for such tiny issues! What a petty princess! She should respect you and your home. If she’s that fussy she should book an hotel. You’re her host not her slave. Give her a thumbs down. In the review mention you had to send out a cleaner to deal with toaster crumbs! A lot of hosts wouldn’t touch her with a bargepole.

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Sometimes I have avoided emphasising the fact that I will be away to guests to avoid problems (parties?) and to manage expectations. Also I forgot to say you might like to raise your rates a little, you might get a better behaved class of guest. Pretend to be a guest looking in your area on Airbnb to set your price.

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