Yeah, those are readily available at dollar stores, too. I have a small one in the guest bathroom sink. It really helps to catch hair and assorted other detritus. I’ve found contact lenses in them, too.
I think that the Austin Country Flea Market still happens. It’s out there off 290 East. I used to work at a nursing home out there on the weekends. It is quite a scene, right by the Jesus Window Tint (you know I’m not kidding, lol). It’s an awesome Texican affair. They are my people. The elote asado is worth the trip. You can totally get some cool shoes for cheap!
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That was my brief stomping ground area way back when. I stayed off and on at a place called Greenbrier community, between Elgin and Bastrop. My daughter was the first baby born there, almost 45 years ago.
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Sounds to me that they only material thing you are sure of is that they used force on the oven door. That could have been an innocent mistake. Is it possible that the oven door was sticking – why wouldn’t it open easily?
As to food in garbage disposal, is not leaving it there in House Manual/Rules? Doesn’t seem like a biggie. Our cleaner is there within an hour of check-out time. So if they had cleared the disposal an hour earlier that matters?
I’d give a five star review and then send them a private note, complimenting them on things like removing shoes (for us a biggie) on how they could have done better, though in our house I don’t see anything here that I would suggest that they could have done better. I wouldn’t mention the food in garbage disposal as it feels nit-picky to me. The note will need to be diplomatic lest they decide not to return. My private note would remind them how much we’d like to see them back.
On the very messy kitchen, my theory is that usually this does not take that much longer to clean. Even when we have pristine guests we take usually four hours to clean because we clean after each rental period not based on the mess (except for beds) but based on our routine. So a messy kitchen does lengthen the cleaning time but not by much for us.
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Found it! It looks amazing. Says they are #8 on Travel Channel’s “Top 10 World’s Best Flea Markets”. I can’t wait to check it out. Thx, @JJD! 
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When the rare guest follows all the rules but leaves a messy kitchen, I assume there might have been a time issue. I get one or two a year and give them the benefit of the doubt and don’t ding them for it on a review.
I put it in the personal part of the response as an educational/ heads up that some hosts might give a more negative review. I like the karma with that. 
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Ultimately I decided on one star loss for cleanliness & a public message saying guest was easygoing and welcome back but did run out of time to do the kitchen checkout.
I decided the ice, disposal & oven are on me. I have implemented suggestions here that take the disposal out of the equation & I tore the ice bucket down and triple checked all is well, including the door seal. Oven shelf guides are also no longer an issue.
Basically, while I had never had these issues before this was a great catalyst in further guest-proofing the house. So I’m grateful for this guest in the end
LOVE these @NordlingHouse !!! I ordered some for my own house also. 
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Florida in-home host here. My current guest, whom I was dreading based on pre-arrival communication and lack thereof, has been nice enough but seriously lacks in communication skills. As an at-home host who asks for permission to go in to the room and clean up dirty dishes (no food in bedroom listed in HR… but I’m OK with a coffee cup or water) and refill the filtered glass water bottle, she’s already eaten an entire bag of potato chips in bed and had red wine in the room and eaten breakfast there. In spite of daily responses of “No, please don’t due to bugs or I’ll have to charge you for the exterminator visit (also in HR)” when asked if she can eat in the bedroom. Daily. As if my answer’s going to change.
She’s admitted that even though she’s a host, she didn’t read and she’s left a mess in the kitchen after every meal.
I’m mentally working on the review when she checks out later this week. Def 4* for communication and following HR and cleanliness. Like I said, she’s nice enough, but definitely the “Ask for forgiveness and keep on doing it despite being told 'No,” type."
I don’t consider that “nice” at all. What it is, is passive-aggressive.
Most sociopaths are adept at presenting themselves as “nice”.
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That’s a great response and review.
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What it is - entitlement. As much as she says she’s independent and thinks about what it’s like as a host, she’s completely like the behaviors she doesn’t like.
I’m not going to slam her in the review or make personal comments like passive-aggressive or sociopath. Those are harsh. And I’m not a licensed therapist. I will say she’s selfish and insecure because she’s a woman in a male dominated industry who keeps talking about the degree she has that has nothing to do with what she does now.
I wouldn’t welcome her back just because the maintenance level isn’t what I’m looking for in a guest and she’s trying the gaslighting thing with me and that’s a non-starter. Trying to decide how to phrase the review and if I’ll hit the “would not host again” button.
@aelilya I wouldn’t grant the forgiveness you did of “ran out of time to do the cleaning.” You’re much nicer than I am. 
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Be honest and detailed, for as you know, the review is for us other hosts.
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Lol. Well, yeah. I meant it to communicate a time management issue but also could have been plain laziness or indifference. I’m hoping future hosts will read it and (1) decide for themselves if they can tolerate it, whatever the reason OR (2) know they need to issue an extra reminder upfront 
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I need to remember to tell a future host that I ‘ran out of time’ due to a ‘time management issue’ so that I can get out of doing this house rule requirement during my next stay. Do you think I could use the same reason for not doing other things required of me? Seems like it is a pretty easy system.
“no shoes in house” oops sorry - I ‘ran out of time’ due to a ‘time management issue’
“communicate how many people are staying” oops sorry - I ‘ran out of time’ due to a ‘time management issue’
“do not eat in bedroom” oops sorry - I ‘ran out of time’ due to a ‘time management issue’
Hmmm… seems like a good approach! 
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@Rolf I don’t think she was saying that she’d accept that as a valid excuse for whatever. But I think most of us judge things on a case by case basis to a large extent.
If a guest is trying to check out on time, and cleaning up thoroughly means they will overstay, which is the preferable option?
Of course, they could have made sure to do the majority of the requested check-out stuff the night before, like tidy up and pack everything they wouldn’t need in the morning, so there were only a few breakfast dishes to do, but I have found that many people, not just guests, have an unrealistic idea of how long it will take to do something.
If you then throw kids into the equation it becomes even more logistically difficult. I well remember being all ready to go out the door, go to grab my bag and car keys, only to find that the 2 year old has removed the shoes and socks I just dressed them in. Or you have them all bundled up in their snowsuit and boots and they say “I have to poo.” 
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@Rolf You do you. You, as a perspective host, would clearly see they didn’t do what was expected in this area and could make the judgement you choose.
For some the “why” may matter and the host can ask the potential guest. For others like yourself, the potential guest can take a hike, regardless of “why”.
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I do recommend that you create a scheduled pre-check-in message in Airbnb, if you haven;'t done already, that says something like “I’ve left a hard copy of the House Rules on the kitchen counter. Please be mindful that this is a shared space, no shoes inside the house, to clean up kitchen/cookware/dirty dishes and refill filtered water right after using them, and kindly no food/drink other than water in your bedroom (concern: bugs, spills, stains). Thank you in advance for your consideration.”
Sometimes when someone [immature] is fully aware of rules before they’ve violated them they’re more likely to uphold them. Also, I fully understand that many people don’t read rules. So highlight in the message at check-in a few of the ones that are most important or perhaps something someone would not know as common sense.
If it were me, on the second violation I would strongly consider asking/requiring them to leave, getting the authorities involved if necessary.
She sounds passive aggressive, and I would provide an accurate review, saying to Airbnb and in the review that you would not host them again. Please protect future hosts.
BTW, you talk of ‘daily responses’ [?] as if she asked daily whether she can eat/drink in the bedroom THAT day?? That sounds like this ‘nice enough’ person is playing with you.
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I certainly wasn’t suggesting you refer to her as such in a review.
And I wasn’t suggesting that she’s a sociopath. My point was that “nice” means very little. Anyone can speak sweetly in order to win people over and get them to accept their rude behavior. Words are cheap- actions are what matter.
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Thanks but, I’ve been doing this for 5 years. I have all the messages, info, and as an in-home host, daily communication over coffee, lunch, dinner, or wine in the evenings. I have updated word documents that I print out in protective sheets and they’re put down on the desk in the guest room and I send Messages and I speak to them in person. Short, to-the-point bullet points without a lot of fluffy verbiage. That’s all thanks to many of the people here.
This is willful on her part and at this point my issue is how I’m going to word her review so that not only she but other hosts know that she doesn’t recognize boundaries unless she’s pushed them too far and that she only half-heartedly cleans up after herself and Just. Doesn’t. Listen.
This is Florida yet she left her shoes outside on the porch overnight. Bugs. Feral cats. Racoons, Spiders and Snakes. All or any could have come up to her shoes or lain in wait in the shoe. Something she’s been repeatedly told about.
Still tries to eat in her room and only didn’t have her lunch there today because as I was walking to the kitchen to get my lunch, I saw her heading through the great room to her side of the house with her lunch and she jumped about a foot and mumbled “It’s OK, I’m eating in the bedroom.” She saw the expression on my face and went to the lanai table.
I told her that I’d charge her for the exterminator but I don’t think she believes me.
We’re saying the same thing but with different words.
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Something like, “While XX was verbally polite and pleasant, she repeatedly took food and meals into the bedroom, completely ignoring my ongoing requests not to do so. There was also an issue of her not bothering to clean up after herself in the shared kitchen. Due to her refusal to comply with a simple request, and lack of respect for others in shared spaces, this guest is not suited to a home-sharing situation.”
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