Still on the homestay coalface! I just had a guest check in last night. My listing says in the Details one load of laundry is permitted per week. (There’s a launderette 5 minutes walk away, and I do the linen). I have only had one other problem guest laundry wise in more than 3 and a half years. The guest unexpectedly asked to do laundry the first morning. I said she would have to wait 2 days as I had 2 loads to dry (no tumble dryer and happy) . She sent me back a message dictating she was going to use my machine today, Tuesday and Friday, as its listed as an amenity. All her rudeness is on the app. No!!! My whole family only does 2 or 3 loads a week. Airbnb are on the fence but sympathetic at the moment. She has not apologised/reassured me she’ll follow the rules.
So, make a high amenity charge and make her go to the launderette for the tumble dryer? Ask her to leave immediately? Leave her to break another rule so Airbnb will be able to cancel her? Do a deal and lose half the weeks money?
I would charge a ridiculous fee that she won’t want to pay. Even if you have washer checked as an amenity, it doesn’t mean free. It even says on the amenity list, “In the building, free or for a fee” under washer and dryer.
Yes, then she would have to go to the launderette afterwards anyway, so use the dryer, completely pointless. I am so annoyed with her rudeness though I just want her to go. I guess even if I cancel her she can still write a review.
I thought so but there was one time where someone was cancelled quickly and neither could review. Urghh, it’s more making everyone suffer because of a pita guest. I would end up removing everything! So grateful this is a rare problem, I cant have idiots who cant manage their clothes interfering with the military precision of my laundry. Shes a horrible personality anyway, looks at you like you’re something on her shoe. Urghh.
Oh dear. I think it’s much better to remove it if it is something that guests will abuse and then you can offer it to guests as a free added extra, who are decent guests.
Maybe untick it as an amenity and say it’s negotiable in the text? It’s a shame because the good guests really deserve it. The last guest was right into laundry: net bags, colour catcher sheets, 30 degree washes etc, rocking those 8kg. Girl after my own heart lol.
I’d go right into super-syrup mode:
“Oh, I’m so very sorry! I’m sure that you saw in the listing that guests are permitted one load of laundry a week. I’m sure that you understand why. That’s so good of you to be so understanding, thank you so much. If only all guests were as considerate.… Thank you. Must dash… Have a lovely day…”
So nauseatingly sickly sweet,I know…
Some people believe zero tolerance works to end entitled attitudes.
I would probably go for no conflict, let her launder all she wants and then give a thumbs down with a review that clearly tells all future hosts that she doesn’t read listings or thinks rules don’t apply to her.
Its a bit impractical to let her launder all she wants because she would have to tumble dry it at the launderette anyway.
… but then she’d have to carry all her wet, heavier washing down to the launderette which would be more inconvenient for her anyway (and serve her right!). I’d charge her a nice fat fee for the extra use of your machine and give her the inconvenience of taking it to the drier … I bet she’d soon realise that perhaps she doesn’t need to do quite so much laundry after all …
Its an 8kg machine ffs, with a pulley airer to match. It would easily wash everything in her large suitcase at once!
A guest is a guest is a guest.
They must respect your rules. I gather it’s expensive there to do laundry, and your rate is competitive.
But most importantly, this person is dictating terms in your home.
A real peach.
I wonder what else they have planned for your home?
You must do what you feel comfortable with. But clearly there is no room for negotiation here. I would reassert my position, offer to let her do x loads on y day on platform, and then disconnect the washer dryer, or leave things in it to “soak”.
My experience with asserting yourself is generally quite positive.
But if she has a hissy fit on the review, leverage her review to point out to other hosts and guests that rules are rules.
Cheers!
Yes the wash load I had planned before she arrived is blockading the machine! I am so pissed off at the likely review. Another guest who would not read, even though I specifically asked her to read the rules before she arrived. What else does she have planned? 'When can I do some proper cooking ', she says. I can feel my stated reserved right to exercise discretion over ANY kitchen use coming on. Still waiting for Airbnb to callback.
Did she mention why she needs to do laundry so frequently?
I had a few guests set up micro domains in my home.
It comes down to calmly and succinctly restating my position. And, that they are making me uncomfortable. That if this does not work for them, they have the opportunity to leave within the hour with the balance of the stay refunded.
Follow up on platform.
This is something I have to do, not Air. But more often than not they see your point AND leave positive reviews.
No. If she has special needs she should have disclosed it. Some people have some very inefficient and illogical approaches to laundry.
She has just bailed from Switzerland because it’s so expensive. I guess she couldnt afford to do laundry. Not my fault
I involved Airbnb because she wasn’t responding to my messages. I think she bit off more than she could chew, and thought she could push me around. I think I made the error of telling her she couldnt do stuff, rather than letting her do it and explaining the consequences.
I used to think … the more amenities I can check, the better. Now with the recent trends and the more I read this forum, I am starting to think … less is better.
Less to complain, more to offer and “surpass expectations”.
If your laundry is such a strict regiment, don’t even offer it.
Nobody will book you just for it anyways, at least that was my experience. My guests, almost all travellers rarely used it even though I had it checked forever. I did however always offer to throw it in with my stuff and I just hung it with my line dry items.
On my trip to Colombia I would have loved to have use of the laundry, but in the end I settled on a nice listing with a cheap price, which did not offer it. Got it washed instead and all was fine.
I LIKE YOUR ATTITUDE!!!
Undersell!