This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
This is my first forum post - I currently have a listing in my own home that shares our bathroom. Two nights/mornings in a row I’ve awoken to the toilet not being flushed.
The first time I awoke to the guests having already left for the day and the toilet not flushed and the latest time I was up late reading and heard someone use the facilities and not flush.
Is this something to address in their review or to add in to the handbook? I didn’t realize people don’t regularly flush the toilet.
oh horrendous, I’m assuming it was no. 1, and nothing worse. One of my lodgers use to not flush overnight, as he didn’t want to disturb anyone, and was brought up with “if it’s yellow, let it mellow”…
As a host you will regularly find that people do bizarre and incomprehensible things. As long as they aren’t causing damage, don’t sweat the small stuff.
Perhaps they think the flush will wake people. No excuse for not then flushing it in the morning. Perhaps you could tell people it’s fine to flush in the night, it won’t disturb anyone. Everyone’s plumbing is different and some noisier than others.
Gotcha, I’ll definitely mention that! They left this morning and I also found they took some of our food. They took half our bananas and some cans of soda.
They also left the toilet unflushed this morning after I flushed it late last night and apparently rummaged around and used more towels (we gave them three towels for two nights).
Are these things something that people would usually include in a review if they’re all smaller things like this but add up?
Or should I just add to my handbook that we don’t serve breakfast and flushing the toilet at night is ok?
I think rummage is intrusive and unacceptable.Put a lock on the linen cupboard. In my view 3 towels for 2 nights is totally sufficient (we had a big thread on towels!). However you might want to roll one or two up and put them in their bedroom drawers and tell them they’re there if they need extras. (I similarly have a blanket and pillow stored away.) I would mark these guests down for cleanliness and house rules and damn them with faint praise in their review.
Oh, and if they can’t see, they can’t want. So put things away out of sight, or lock what you don’t want them to have.
However, personally, I wouldn’t consider taking a banana or two a crime.
the non-flushing happened to me. But when I went into the bathroom and tested the lever, it was broken (it would not flush unless you held it down for a while). Before you accuse test it yourself with a casual flick; they might be assuming it works like normal bathroom toilets when it is in reality not flushing properly
I would include it but please make sure your rules or expectations are clear. Some hosts in shared homes are “help yourself!” In reading their listing you can see that they are bending over backwards and are drinking “the guest is always right” koolaid.
I’ve worded things like this like “guest didn’t reply to any of my messages which isn’t a problem here but might be for other hosts.” That way the guest can’t come back and say “I didn’t know replying to your messages was a rule.”
I’m not sure about mentioning the toilet in the public review but giving them private feedback might be wise.
I would not qualify twice as constantly and really, mentioning this in the public part review …and for my part I would avoid staying at your listing if I would see something like that mentioned in a review.
If it bugs you so much, it is something you might want to bring up in a conversation with the guest rather then pointing out to the whole world. There is also the option of the private part of the review.
While a not a pretty sight, it happens …in our area because water pressure may drop in the shower and then one forgets when the lid was closed …
My son once did before guests were due to arrive in our shared apartment …luckily I caught it before …so if it never happened to you, go ahead and throw the first rock or toughen up.
I am not sure there’s such a thing as flushing properly, most loos have their quirks and a lot are water saving. Am I the only one who thinks everyone is responsible for looking and checking whether the loo is clean and flushed?
@SamanthaStarns it’s possible that your guests are from an area that’s been suffering from water shortages, where water utilities ask folks to refrain from flushing if the contents of the toilet are only liquids. If, however, there were solids, they should have flushed. If they have already departed you can leave private comments after the review where you can tell them that you found their practice disturbing.
I had a similar problem, and I was about to blame the guest. Then I flicked the handle on the toilet and realize that unless you held it down for a few seconds it wouldn’t flush. Perhaps you need to try your mechanism to make sure it’s working correctly. Many guests, being so considerate, will be very light in their touch.
Hi all,
I’ve had two guests one after the other recently not flushing the toilet. A woman who did it a few times and it was obvious she didnt intend to flush the toilet because she put clean paper on top, then today a new guest, a builder was complaining about the outside gutter dripping next to his window which he had open so he heard it all the more, which of course needs addressing, then when I went to the loo after he had gone to work the toilet wasnt flushed. From personal experience I felt both people after making complaints did this to annoy me.
This topic is two years old. Many people who posted here are no longer active. Many members feel it is bad internet manners to bring an old topic back to life so I am closing this topic.
