Check-out Procedures

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I have been hosting for over a year. It has been mostly ups, with a few crazies tossed in to keep things REAL and interesting.

There is poster posted next to the apartment sink about check-out procedures: including check-out time, put keys back in box, garbage in bags and wash the dishes before you go. All my guests have followed his until recently.

My last few guests have left a pile of dirty dishes, even though the rest of the apartment is tidy. (I do grade them down and give this feedback in reviews). It is not a huge deal, but I do think it is inconsiderate. I do charge for cleaning, but the extra work and cuts into scheduled cleaning time which can be tricky and cut it short if we have guests arriving the same day.

I provide so much info prior to check-in I am contemplating sending them a note before check-out just reminding them about check-out procedures.

Does anyone else in this forum do a check-out reminder? Or have a different process in place?

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Do you have a dishwasher or are they done by hand?

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By hand. All my guests have done so to this point, but the past two weeks not. It is weird.

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It seems to have been a weird month in general.

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What sort of listing do you have?

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It is a full size, separate, private apartment (mother in law) in our home.

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Do you have a security deposit? Is it a big enough issue to say “$25 charge if you leave dirty dishes”?

Honestly, we have to wash all our dishes anytime someone cooks, anyway. I don’t know how the rest of the world washes dishes, but if my guests are an example, they really don’t. They get put away greasy and sticky. Even if they are washed and left in the drainer.

As @felixcat said, it’s been a bit of an off month for some of us. I had a few weeks of wackiness but it seems to have calmed down. Hopefully this will pass for you.

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Sometimes I prefer they don’t wash the plates from breakfast. Always need to be washed again.
I would feel embarrassed if I was the guest to heva the host find the grease dishes after I ‘washed them’.
When I go to someone else home, family or friend and I help with the dishes I t hibk I clean it even better than home. I don’t know how those guests have the face to leave like that

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@Vera @dcmooney same here, and having a dishwasher doesn’t seem to help. I still have my housekeeper check the dishes and cutlery that’s been put away in the cupboard by guests.

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I think if you charge cleaning fee you shouldn’t get upset about dirty dishes. After you took guest’s money for cleaning fee it’s a bad taste to mention in a review they didn’t wash couple plates.

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I do not charge a cleaning fee. I also do advertise this in my listing.
My house manual says: "In order to maintain the no cleaning fee policy, please leave the apartment tidy on departure. No cleaning is necessary though,"
In this way 99% of my guests have left the apartment extremely clean and tidy on departure. Dirty dishes have never been left on departure. Though I always check glasses, plates, cutlery if they are left dirty in the cabinets and drawers.

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I think leaving dirty plates is like leaving sh!t marks in the toilets. No civilised person would think of doing that. Even with a cleaning fee, even with a maid. We’re humans not pigs.

I am lucky as the worst thing I have seen for now is guests leaving a greasy cooktop. I think that meeting guests for check-out helps to keep things civilised :slight_smile: I do have in my house rules that guests must do the dishes, keep the kitchen clean and tidy and not leave a mess in the apartment.

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I hate when gests are leaving not washed with fat dishes in the cupboard

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I have the check-out procedure posted in the bedroom. Prior to this I messaged it to the guest the day before departure. Now I’m thinking of doing both.

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What if at check out you found your house was in a mess? What would you do? We live in the apartment together with the guests, I can’t meet them all at check out and I would like to know the difference it makes.

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Nothing you’re going to do is going to stop ill mannered guests from exhibiting this sort of bad behavior. It’s my opinion that guests should have the common sense and good manners to gather their dirty dishes and either leave them clean in the dish rack or put them in the dishwasher and turn it on.

I understand the need to post these requirements as part of check out procedures, as some people unfortunately need to be told. That being said, if they don’t want to do it, you can tell them six ways from Sunday and they are still not going to do it.

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I leave a check-out list for each guest… as well as having it in the house manual and house rules. Most guests do a pretty good job. Here it is in case it might be helpful to anyone else. The bullets are check boxes, so they can check them off as they complete… in case they’re into that kind of thing! :slight_smile: Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Helpful Check-Out Tips:
We think of airbnbing kind of like camping… try to leave no trace. Well, almost no trace… while we don’t expect you to deep clean the place… we would greatly appreciate it if you could leave our home pretty much as you found it. This would include the following:
• Be sure to take a quick look around to see that you have all of your belongings. If you inadvertently leave something, we’ll be happy to ship it to you.
• Leave all used towels, wash cloths, hand towels, etc. in a pile in the bathtub or in the big basket in the living room.
• Leave the bed(s) that have been used unmade or feel free to strip them and leave bedding in the big basket in the living room.
• Empty the leftover water/coffee/grounds from the coffeemaker and rinse.
• Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher and run. We are happy to put them away.
• Be sure to remember to take away or dispose of whatever food you brought in with you when you leave.
• If you have moved, turned off, or unplugged something, please try to return it to its original position/condition.
• Take out trash and recycle. (Big blue labeled bins are on the north side of the garage in front of where you park.
T• Turn off all lights, close and lock the exterior doors and arm the alarm system as you leave.
We thank you for being our guests and we hope you’ll return to stay again soon!

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Thanks for all the feedback! I love being part of this conversation.

Though I have been contemplating it, I have been reluctant to send a “check-out” reminder text as another Air host did this to us when we stayed elsewhere. It made me feel micromanaged and resentful, especially since they knew I was host as well (with great reviews). We actually discussed this with the other hosts and they explained people not following rules, etc. so as a fellow host I do understand their point of view, don’t I ever!

I have to agree with @Barthelemy that I think leaving the dirty dishes is highly disrespectful. Especially since it is in the house rules, welcome book/manual and a poster right next to the sink, which you cannot miss if you grab a dish in the first place.

My cleaning fee (which is on the high end for our area) does not even cover paying a professional cleaner and laundry fees - so I did the dishes personally so they don’t have to take the time when they arrived to clean and flip.