Hello hosts. Interested in your take on this… I recently had guests stay for an extended period (10 days) and it seems they emptied their own trash into the external trash cans during the stay. We have transparent trash bags. On opening the external trash can, from the multiple insulin boxes I realized that I had a diabetic guest staying. However I also see the guests placed an uncapped, used syringe directly in a thin plastic trash bag and thrown it directly in the trash. (I have since hygienically retrieved it and put it in a sharps container). I was pretty shocked by this and it made me wonder who would be liable in the case that either my cleaner or a city employee got stuck by a needle while handling the trash.
Do hosts have any opinion on both a) where the liability lies and b) how or whether I should communicate with the guest on this topic.
Wow. I hope you gave them a scathing review. Who the hell does that. Insulin syringes can be used for many solutions. I guess you would be responsible as it is your property but that is just a guess.
I find it hard to believe a homeowner could be held responsible for what is in an external garbage can, as anyone could walk by and put something in a garbage can, unless it was in a secured area. You could ask a lawyer.
Yes, I would message the guest about this, if for no other reason than to make him aware not to do this in the future. Although that he did it in the first place sort of indicates a lack of responsibility. I’d suggest an approach along the lines of “This may have just been an oversight, but I wanted to let you know that…”
Awful experience, I hope it was an oversight by the guest. Never the less how thoughtless for putting the needle into a thin bag. They could have asked at the very least, or used an empty bottle to store the sharps. Perhaps a Sharps Container conveniently placed would prevent future mishaps?
Good Q @Lozette. However I don’t want to be in the business of providing and emptying sharps containers. Also agree that, in the world of half the population apparently on self injected GLP-1 inhibitors, most people would’ve figured out how to seal a used syringe in a soda bottle.
It was a ‘perhaps’ suggestion re the sharps container and you did mention using one. Lots of good advice and sympathy generally found on this site.
Liability is a question for an attorney, not something to guess at. Even if you aren’t criminally liable you would likely get sued if someone got poked. Our attorney advised us to increase our liability umbrella to $2 million. Whether you would be liable or not is a good question. One I hadn’t considered. Thank you for posting this question.
As I am sure you know that dealing with sharps is considered hazardous material. I would absolutely charge them a hefty fee for your time and disposal. (At least 4150). I have a $500 deposit on my VRBO Guest House and I can just charge the guest for any amount of damages up to that amount.
I would be very concerned by this and your are definitely exposed if your housekeeper had been the one handling them… This guest needs to be informed and there need to be consequences…
$4,150? Or $41.50? Neither of these ‘fees’ seem reasonable or logical, just wondering what you’d base these amounts on? I also have a VRBO that I can charge anything “up to” $4000 but I’d never charge anyone anything near that for such a nominal ‘mistake.’
I think the number was supposed to be $150 (the $ sign is above the 4 on a lot of keyboards)
Thank you all. Guest will be informed, in a private but clear message. ‘There need to be consequences’ sounds very Game of Thrones to me - ultimately noone was injured and I can’t see the basis for assessing any kind of additional charge. Not one thats defensible.
That $150 makes sense! 
This has me thinking, a sharps container under the bathroom sink would be a good idea, or not if a kid dug into it and injured themselves…
Here is a free sharps container if anyone wants to have one on hand
RR