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@Charmed59 It seems to me that it’s up to the host, if they choose to do same day turn-overs, to make sure the guests check out on time and the cleaners get in and prepare the place adequately for the incoming guests on time.
I don’t understand hosts who go out of town assuming everything will go without a hitch in their absence, neglecting to assign someone to take over for them.
The thing that gets me about this is that their property is more than likely the most expensive asset they have and they willingly rent it to complete strangers.
I wouldn’t lend my car, which is worth far less than the most modest property, to a stranger. But yet people rent out their large well-equipped homes. Bizarre.
Very interesting post.
According to some people here, all guests can be trusted… And you are a cynic and negative by taking precautionary measures to weed out potential trouble guests
Oh and if you do get a bad guest, it’s your fault because clearly it’s something you are doing to attract them.
Unfortunately, weeding out is an attempt that does not guarantee 100% success rate, but it’s worth trying.
I’m just curious, have you ever had 8 college kids throw a party at your STR? Have you had to pick up condoms off the floor, throw out sheets that were stained with colorful sex gels, broken chairs, stained furniture with nail polish, neighbors upset, spilled sticky drinks all over, etc.
Yes, it made me negative and cynic. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Hope you never have to deal with partying college kids.
There isn’t a single post here that says “all guests can be trusted.” By misrepresenting what a majority of the hosts here have posted you just make yourself look more angry and petty than you already do.
Many of us do advocate weeding out potential bad guests. Some us never seem to have them. Maybe we are lucky are maybe we are doing things that discourage such guests from booking.
Your snarky reply isn’t making the point you think it is. Ritz is supporting the point that if you keep attracting bad guests maybe you need to take steps to stop attracting them when she says this:
I’m going to tell a story on myself to illustrate the “always review” stance and why maybe a host shouldn’t be given the benefit of the doubt.
About two weeks ago I had a guest arrive and text me that the code for the smart lock didn’t work. I was home so popped out and checked and sure enough, her code didn’t work. I entered my code and it worked. So I made some excuses and said “well, you’re in now, let me go figure out what’s wrong.” What was wrong is that I never programmed her code in. What’s wrong is that I haven’t gotten back in my groove yet doing airbnb at a high volume. What’s wrong is a newish smart lock and I’m not used to programming it for each guest. Nothing else was said about it and I got a 5 star review, no doubt in part because I was home to fix the situation immediately.
If that guest had to wait for me to get my message or program the lock, she would have been completely justified to mention it in the review. I don’t think a star deduction overall would be a fair demerit but then again, I wouldn’t be shocked.
Another guest messaged me last weekend that the code didn’t work and I thought, “oh, no. I’ve really lost it.” But it turns out he wasn’t entering the code on the smart lock. He was at the manual lock box by my front door.
Yesterday about 3 pm I suddenly remember I haven’t programed the lock for yesterday’s guest. So I got that done in plenty of time. But the point is a host might be contrite and have good intentions but if they don’t fix the problem, guests deserve to know what they are facing. And if I get to feeble minded to do my job I should be reviewed accordingly.
Write the code on the back of your hand and make it the last thing you do before the guest arrives. That’s what works for me and my dreadful memory. 
That seems less painful than a review that says “host forgot to set the code.” LOL.
Since the lock can be set to only work from their check in to check out there is no reason to not go ahead and set it when I send the check in message. Oy!
Why not get a smart lock that is programmed automatically by airbnb? Zero chance of error:
This might sound odd but I still like doing things myself. Keeping active in my old age.
And I just have to LOL at this. Nothing is zero chance of error but I especially don’t want to rely on Airbnb to program my lock until I’m incapable of doing so myself.
Okay, I’m exaggerating a bit. Truth is I just bought this lock and I’d like to get back to being able to do this simple host task myself.
Shoot—I’ve got quickset halo. This interface works with kwickset z-wave. Oh well. I’m too invested in my current lock now.
No, you are not negative, you are smart. People can’t be trusted.
My very first guest threw a party and invited 20+ people.
I was left with weed, alcohol and take-out food everywhere.
The noise was so rowdy my neighbour called me in middle of the night to complain
They also left me with dirty walls, BBQ stains on the curtains and a broken toilet amongst other things. Fortunately, they had enough class to throw their used condoms in the trash.
At the time it was a horrifying experience, but after the incident I realized that this was a major blessing. In one night, I gained at least 8 months’ worth of experience.
I also learnt a valuable lessons, such as never to trust guests, no matter how nice they appear. Always do your homework, ask vetting questions and trust your gut.
Most importantly, CCTV cameras and hiding your modem are a must.
All in all, it was a brilliant experience, that I wouldn’t change for the world.
The hit dog, always hollers 