Hive Mind Help with Guest Review?

1

The guests have prior excellent reviews. They were good communicators about late arrival, then crickets, so I’m not sure what happened. It was a sort of Jekyll and Hyde scenario post-check out.

One the one hand, there were washed dishes neatly stacked in the drainer. Most of the used towels were pristine. At some point they were tidy enough to Swiffer the floor – no evidence of spills, but they left the mop out.

On the other hand, trash was not binned per the house rules, some was gathered in paper bags on the floor, but open snacks, used cups and napkins were scattered about. There were extensive makeup stains on a couple bath towels. I have a sign to use the provided make up wipes, not the white towels, to remove makeup. the sink was full of dirty dishes. My check out allows dishes left in the sink, but the food – major chunks not crumbs – wasn’t scraped off, yuck. Maybe that’s on me and I need to clarify the instructions.

I suspect they were responsible guests until they went out partying the last night – lots of late, jolly noises when they returned, despite the extensive soundproofing. I’m sympathetic to oversleeping and rushing to make a flight, or being hungover. We all have one-offs.

But I’d be less annoyed if they had the courtesy to message, “We had to dash this morning, apologies, left some mess and stained some towels.”

Side note, upon arrival they texted they were having trouble getting in. I went out and they weren’t there – then they came up the drive saying they had gone to the wrong house. My directions are very clear. Could have been a horrifying outcome there. This is generally a tolerant place, so worst case scenario probably would have been a call to the police instead of guns blazing, but police involvement can go sideways too.

As I write this, it is adding up to a “no” on re-hosting.

2 Likes
2

“Although Guests hd good prior reviews, this time they left quite a mess and did not follow house rules when leaving. Can’ recommend…”

4 Likes
3

Draft Review: Guests left kitchen untidy: trash not binned, open snacks and supplies scattered about. Contrary to signage, stained towels rather than using make-up wipes. Would not host again.

I’d omit anything that you think might have been unclear in your instructions, just to be fair.

So this rental is not in the U.S.? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

3 Likes
4

They do not sound that bad to me, I would have them back likely.

When I get a messy guest, when I am walking through I cuss them and say out loud, WTF is wrong with people! Then I clean up and get over it.

No review suggestion, I am not sure what I would say.

RR

5 Likes
5

What it sounds like to me is that they are basically clean people (the mop having been used, only what sounds like the late night before and breakfast dishes left, not all the dishes they used their entire stay, the unstained but used towels), who just didn’t leave themselves enough time to tidy up before checking out on time.

I would just leave an honest review. "I easily accepted this booking due to the guest’s past good reviews, but was rather dismayed at the state of disorder the place was left in. I do understand that sometimes guests don’t leave themselves a reasonable amount of time to tidy up and check out on time, but in that case, a note explaining that would have been a nice gesture. Check-in was also problematic, as they hadn’t followed the directions I sent. Future hosts may want to make sure these guests have thoroughly read all the information provided. Aside from that, communication pre-arrival was fine, and house rules, other than the pre-check-out instructions, were followed. "

I do find that after a few days have gone by, some of the annoyances I felt with a guest dissipate. I was highly annoyed with a recent guest situation, because he hadn’t bothered to check connecting bus schedules, told me he’d arrive around 2pm, but didn’t get into town until after midnight. As my place is really hard to find, I had to wait up and pick him up on the highway where the bus dropped him off at 12:30 at night- there are no Ubers here and no taxis hanging around that area at that time of night.
He did keep me informed of his delays, though, and apologized, and turned out to be a really nice guy, who just picked up the rake and raked my yard one day and made himself useful in other ways, and also left his room immaculate, so the original annoyance with his lack of planning kind of faded away as one of those part and parcel of hosting things.

6

I am a new host. But I also rent from air bnb. I am currently abroad staying at a place. The pics showed a pristine little studio, but the pics conveniently left out the building condition. It is a decrepit mess. The two apartments next door are abandoned. Weeds are everywhere. The neighbor is noisy and the host told me pre-reservation that it was a quiet place. She lied because she used to live here and knows you can hear everything. Also, the gap under the door is about 2 inches. Mice are everywhere outside. I am scared sleeping. I told the host I wanted to leave. I asked for a refund. I asked why she had left off information about the derelict building, the noise, and the drain flies all over the bathroom, which I got rid of. She won’t answer or refund. As I host I would never be dishonest on a listing. I tell the truth, even if it hurts. I do not understand this at all. The one pic she took of the porch is conveniently framed so that just the good is shown, not the abandoned apartments next door. I feel perplexed and saddened, and angry.

7

Contact Airbnb and ask for a 100% refund and alternative accommodations because the listing was inaccurate/incomplete (very noisy, adjacent properties empty, unkempt – BTW in my opinion this is a weak argument and I might omit it), because the nearly 2" gap under the doors (include pic, ideally with something that shows size of gap) is allowing mice and vermin into the listing. Drain flies swarm the bathroom (pic?). [The presence of vermin is the much stronger argument (vs noisy, unkempt, weeds) IMHO.]

Hopefully you’re within 72 hours of check-in because at some point it can be too late to complain about conditions that you knew about since check-in.

I would be reluctant to accuse the Host of lying because ultimately you do not know their mind. Maybe when she lived there she heard nothing because it was quiet. I think you lose credibility when you say something to Airbnb or the Host that is not absolutely true. It is better to make fewer accusations but grounded in fact and provable than to throw everything against the wall and hope that one sticks.

I don’t know that the Host has an obligation to take a picture of the adjacent properties or disclose their condition IF the adjacent properties’ only drawback is that no one is living there at the time the picture was taken. Arguably you have more privacy.

Of course, if you can factually state that they are truly abandoned and that there is activity there (vermin, criminals, other) that makes you unsafe that is different and relevant but I’d focus on the present conditions, which you can know, vs the Host’s state of mind, which you cannot.

If I were the Host or Airbnb I might ask you “When you saw that the listing did not show adjacent properties or a picture of the entire building, what did you do then?” My point would be that if this was so relevant to you, why did you not ask about it (on the platform).

Of course, you can cogently say “Well, I didn’t know that there was vermin there and that mice had easy access to the listing through a nearly 2” gap under the front door." That’s a good point. But, to say, just that the adjacent properties are empty means that they are abandoned (and yet noisy?) and that you needed to know that before booking raises the question of why you didn’t ask.

8

I must say it is too late. I am new to hosting and as a guest, honestly. I am also super nice and am one of those don’t want to make waves people. But I sleep each night wondering if mice are getting in. The drain flies, I got rid of them. I did file a claim/refund but they said it was too late. They didn’t think the gap in the door was enough, and they wanted proof of noise, which I didn’t take yet. So I scolded the host and will leave a poor review. I must say also that I feel terrible that people are so unethical. I would never treat a soul like this. I would be honest. If you could see how she framed the picture to cut out all the bad, you’d probably applaud her for her photography skills. Before I rented this place, I tried to google map it to see the place from the outside, but it is abroad and not shown. I feel very sad and embarrassed that someone did this to me. I feel stolen from. It’s like catfishing really. Like I was on a singles website and saw a head shot and said, baby baby! Then when we met she was 369 pounds with acne, no teeth, and one breast.

I honestly do not understand why airbnb would allow this either. I may go on other platforms instead. I understand from a guest’s point of view now much better. My vacation was long planned and saved for and I am so unhappy in this dump. It is a dump.

9

I’d encourage you to change your mind about this as it does not serve you.

Look, you’ve learned a few things:

  1. Don’t make assumptions about a listing. If there’s something unsaid or seen that is relevant to you, like the adjacent buildings, ask about it on the platform before booking.
  2. If you have any complaints about a listing, raise them at the start — ideally before unpacking. Always on the platform.
  3. Be prepared to take pictures and document the condition of the property at check-in.
  4. You’re a resourceful and resilient guest who can be a drain fly superkiller when needed.
  5. Travel with ear plugs.
  6. Other?

This is your opportunity to grow as a traveler and have fun, enjoy your trip, even when conditions are not perfect.

Of course, you might choose to leave a review that warns future guests and incentivizes the Host to fix the door gap problem and make more disclosures. Just be sure to make your review factual (e.g., don’t say ‘derelict’ building – say just what’s wrong with it if relevant) and relevant. If I were the Host I would study your review for some basis to ask Airbnb to remove it. Less is more.

Example: Listing is adjacent to two empty apartments, property filled with weeds, mice outside. Very noisy. Large gap under front door enables mice to easily enter unit. Drain flies were all over bathroom sink. Listing does not show a picture of the building or surroundings. Do not recommend.

10

Why not just put a rolled up towel or something at the base of the door? That seems like an easy alternative to sleeping in fear of rodents scurrying in.

11

How about we not let this suspicious new member take over this thread? They already started a new post separately. Let’s let them get on with their “vacation.”

5 Likes