Nit-picky guests: how should i review him?

I had a 7 people group at my house. I don’t leave there. It is a 4 bd house that can accommodate 8 ppl (2 in each bedroom) plus 2 on an air mattress downstairs. When they arrived I got a text asking where was the air mattress. They didn’t ask ahead of time for me to set it up. I replied in 20 min. Everything seemed to be ok. After they left the guy who booked the house sends me a long list of complaints. It was difficult to find the parking pad (i don’t have a garage) and therefore I need to put a parking sign, the printout instructions I left on the coffee table needed to be laminated, the bulbs should be changed throughout the house, I did not provide check out instructions and they didn’t know what to do with the bed sheets and towel, they couldn’t find the garbage bins - they were on one side of the parking pad they couldn’t find :slight_smile: - and after they found it one of the 3 bins had a piece of trash stuck to the bottom and it smelled, I didn’t provide instructions what to do with the recyclables… the water pressure was not to his liking etc. the windowsill was too narrow for a person to sleep on, the living room sofa was too short for a person to sleep on…

Seriously? They were a party of 7. They were supposed to be all fitting in the 4 bedrooms upstairs. How many people did he have in his party that he needed a queen size air mattress and the windowsill? And if I don’t provide check out instructions you don’t know what to do? I thought, look, this guy is a perfectionist. So, I was expecting to have found the place in excellent order. But he forgot the outside light on and the basement one too. I didn’t have the chance to go to the house for two days, so the lights were on the whole time. I was furious.

I mean, the guy expects me to be perfect but he leaves the house ignoring that the outside bulb was on?

I mean, what kind of a person is this, who sees just my shortcomings but not his? “Oh, it was an accident” he said. Yeah and he was grilling me over a piece of trash on the bottom of a bin because the trash people didn’t shake it to well or something. The bins were not even close to the house and were separated by a tall fence.

Bottom line I told him to find another host next year. He got mad, But seriously, it’s my house, my rules and I don;t have stomach for nit picky complainers. basically he argued with me that I should change all the bulbs in the house with led bulbs in which case him leaving the lights on wouldn’t matter. While I ultimately want to change the bulbs i can’t simply throw out perfectly functioning bulbs. I will replaced them with led as they burn out. besides I don’t think he would leave the lights on for two days at his own house or his friends’. To me he was neatpicky and neglectful. what do you think? How should I review him?

I personally would give him 3 stars. Sounds like he had extra guests and neglected to notify you.

In that long list of complaints, there was not one item that wasn’t extremely petty. If that is all he could find, then you must have a great listing, so congratulations.

Guest was clean and tidy but extremely high maintenance. He had many complaints ranging from un-laminated instructions to the width of my window sill.

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Crikey. If you can’t sleep on the windowsill, as is your curious custom, try the floor. It will be as firm and probably wider.

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Oh, he complained about one of the beds being too squeaky. Funny thing is I slept in that bed too and to me in the best bed in the house.

Are you sure you didn’t rent to Goldilocks?

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Put that in the review! Goldilocks stayed here !

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I agree review him as fussy. It’s odd for a guest to comment on light bulbs, none of their business really because they don’t pay the electricity bill. Having said that I would change all the bulbs to LEDs. I’ve done all mine now and I regret not having done it sooner. My electricity bill has gone down even though prices have gone up. They are quicker to light up and most importantly they run really cool. I believe that makes them safer and they protect your light fixtures. I live in a villagey central city suburb, and I put all my old bulbs on my front wall and people were glad to take them.

Are you sure that some of the things you read as complaints weren’t actually just feedback/suggestions? As a guest, I’ve made suggestions that hosts have found useful and thanked me sincerely for, because they had never stayed in their own listing and there were things they weren’t aware of.

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I just had some feedback of things I am aware of. E.g. shower curtain instead of shower door, signs of age on neatly painted functional front door, all jobs which could be done if Airbnb rates weren’t on a race to the bottom. I don’t know how guests have the cheek with the low rates they pay.

I hate glass shower doors, I just remodeled two bathrooms and used a curved rod in the bathroom with a tub and a straight rod/curtain in the bathroom with just a shower. I would never put myself in the position of having to clean shower glass!

RR

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Yes shower curtains are so easy to bung in the washing machine. You can also change out the curtain design. I don’t know why they’re so despised. In the case of my loft shower I would have to have a door custom made by a boat builder to take account of the sloping ceiling - ridiculous waste of money.

That and the extra cleaning!

Edit: I also do not use the liners, they get gross fast I just wash the curtains more often and do not expect them to last forever. Maybe the liners are what is so despised?

RR

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Liners are not necessary with polyester curtains. I have a favourite dandelion one and a Scandinavian sprig design. They wash and wash and don’t wear out (in a net bag). I think the liners cling to your body. A lot of people don’t wash them so people think they’re gross. I know some guests have been surprised if they stay a couple of weeks and I change the curtain.

This man has not had sex in a very long time.

In a few days or weeks he will be a memory. One can imagine him scrutinizing the shower stall of a five star hotel while everyone else has moved on with their lives. Nothing to learn here.

NEXT.

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I love a good oxymoron.

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Me too! I loathe cleaning them. I wish guests would use the squeegee!!! Like that’s gonna happen. Well, I did have a couple of guests use it, but who wants to do that on vacation!

Can you not buy a product called Daily Shower Shine? It’s sold in every supermarket in the UK, with various brands heaving each other aside on the shelves. I buy the cheapest on the day and think it’s a whizz product. Spray, leave, come back later and polish with a microfibre cloth. Clean as a whistle.

Not that brand but there are products similar to that I think. It’s seems the word “daily” is key here with those products? Do you do that every day in guest quarters?

We have mainly one or two night stays in our B&B/our home, so I clean the glass after every guest. If there’s a few nights in between left unbooked, I simply give a quick polish on the day of the next arrival. I spray ours every day after use.

There are loads of brands here, but all for “daily” use, to make sure you buy loads!