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I have a small house and don’t mind the cleaning as it’s quick. What I find the most painful are the guests who don’t leave you alone. I work from home in the afternoons and once in a while I have a guest who doesn’t respect my work time (I can even tell them I’m working but they want to keep trying to engage in small talk). Others think you’re there to entertain them (even if your ad states you’re not).
I don’t mind people asking questions or having small talk over breakfast or in passing (some of my guests are really cool!). But some people just don’t get it.
Yes, that’s a valid point. We have been extremely lucky in the US with AMAZING cleaners, outside of accidentally putting the throw pillows on the wrong bed, we have never had any issues. Spain however is a different story, the cleanliness standard is a bit different. Since I split my time between the US and Spain, I have to just let it go. Our property manger in Spain is fantastic, knows the standard I expect, and knows that I come unannounced to do checks. Usually things are good, but he does cycle through cleaning crews, bc they do get complacent.
Stereotype much I don’t mess it up at all. My female lodger on the other hand does. Lol plus there’s endless long hairs appearing everywhere. Surprised shes not a skin head. Haha
My sister works with students in the college of Architecture in a prestigious private US university. She reports the same thing - they don’t know how to find a phone number, how to call a firm, etc…
I have latex gloves and a sponge that only get used in the bathroom. For some reason, when there’s latex between me and the strange bodily fluids, I can clean the toilet, tub, sink, whatever. If I don’t have gloves I gag.
I"m a nurse…there is no bodily fluid that scares me
I can handle suctioning trachs, washing up urine, bowel movements, vomit, blood, sputum, mucus, wound drainage of any degree of purulence.
But belly buttons? Those laparoscopic incisions at the umbilicus? OMGosh. I cringe, seriously cringe.
I agree, gloves, and in my case surgical gowns, are friends when cleaning bathrooms after guests.
The hardest part of hosting for me is when I have guests that don’t pay attention and ask repeatedly about things already made obvious to them in listing or follow up information/emails.
Another thing that is s stessful for me is to leave reviews for guests that have been disrespectful and either not bothered about house rules, directions, etc. or were just plain crazy.
The other stuff, cleaning, etc. can be automated and I find a certain joy in the routine of those things compared to the other aspects of hosting.
For me it is trying to figure out what is the right amount of interaction. The toughest person for me to host is one that stays locked up in their room. (unless it is a couple, then I get it!) I don’t know if they are uncomfortable and that is why they stay out of sight.
What do you say to someone who brings a puppy in your home when your house rules state no puppies but you love this person and what she stands for. My house rules also says you have to keep your dogs with you at all times but she planned to leave them at my home while at work. That was a tough one. She was a three week stay and already at my home when I found out. She was an animal activist that saved three dogs from China from slaughter. She was a great role model for my children. We worked it out by keeping her dogs in my home and I left a great review.
I can’t resist any dog; I’m a big blob of gush around a puppy. There’s no way I would have been able to resist letting the puppy stay, especially considering the circumstances. I think you did the right thing. Rules are important, but so is seeing the big picture.
Rebecca, i am glad it all worked out and she is obviously is doing a great thing by saving those dogs, but rules should be rules and guests have to respect them. I love dogs myself, and i had a big dog who was my baby and we still miss him after 5 years, but i can not accept dogs in my house now and i am very strict about it. People manipulate and pretend they did not read the rules or did not understand. I experienced it few times when people showed up with small dogs and i did not let them in. One even insisted that i allow dogs until i asked her to show me where she saw it.
Dont let people manipulate you, and let them guilt you into overlooking your own rules, does not matter what the reason is. After all it was not you who put them in this situation, but them. You are not responsible for their action, and its their sole responsibility to find appropriate listing for their puppies.
Breaking rules creates anarchy and we definitely do not want this in our homes.
My long term guests also keep themselves in their rooms at all times. One guy moved in 10 days ago and i never saw him since then.
I dont think you need to worry that much about your guests staying in their room at all times. Ever stayed at hostels? I did, and you see young people who dont really talk to each other as they are dead tired after their travellings. All they want to do is rest.
WHen i stay at Airbnbs i stay in my room too almost 100% when i am at the house. First reason is that i am usually tired from seeing sites, second is that i dont want to disturb hosts. After all they are tired too after a day of work. Third, we are strangers. Though i am prompt to talk to people i dont know, i am not sure if this particular host is. And i leave it up to him/her how they want to interact with me.For me its fun, but for them its a job
We have two non-woven throws that we put out if guests have dogs and we ask the guests to use them on the bed or sofas if the dog is likely to jump up onto them.
I don’t mess it up at all. My female lodger on the other hand does. Lol plus there’s endless long hairs appearing everywhere. Surprised shes not a skin head. Haha
