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Haven’t been on the forum for awhile as my hosting has been largely trouble free. However we are coming back into that time of the year when I get a lot of guests from a particular country. Arrgghh.
So my last guest was here for just one night and was dreadful. I gave a bland review, rated them down on communication and observance of house rules. But after I received their review in turn. I sent them this.
Dear ______
I’m so disappointed that after having allowed you to check in early, had to deal with the fact that you checked out almost two hours late when I had a guest arriving that day, then asked me to mind your luggage and make sure someone was home when it was convenient for you to collect it, made good use of all the complimentary items provided in the room – you have left me the lowest star ratings I have ever received from a guest.
Hosts are continually asking Airbnb to send out guides letting guests (particularly guests who are not native English speakers) know what is expected of them however it never happens. So I will let you know as you are new to Airbnb.
It is polite to send a note when you book – which you did not. We are not hotels – we are individuals with families and lives letting total strangers into our homes.
It is NOT polite to assume you can check in and check out when you like despite the times clearly stated in the listing and provided to you when you book.
You may ask if it is okay, but don’t TELL a host you’ll be leaving your luggage with them for the day.
You should check the location is where you want to be. It is marked on the map and you can use Google maps. If it is not – then DON’T book. Don’t choose to stay there and then give the host a 3 star rating for location.
Renting out Airbnb rooms is how many people make ends meet and we rely on reviews. Thoughtless or inconsiderate reviews do little to foster good feeling among the Airbnb community and is why many hosts will not accept guests who are new to Airbnb.
I hope you approach your next Airbnb host with a little more consideration.
Regards (Wilburchien)
Was this too much? Is it unfair? They would have no idea they were being rude - it’s just part of their culture - every guest I have had from this country is exactly the same and I have obviously taken it upon myself to see they get educated.
Did you leave this in a review or private feedback? I don’t think it is unfair or out of line. Guests just suck at times, Wilbur and there is not much we can do about it. I doubt your after-the-fact reprimand got through to them, and now that they are gone, they probably won’t care what you think.
May I ask why you allowed the early check-in and late check out? I am VERY firm with these two things. They don’t get to tell me when they are coming and when they are leaving. You should have pounded on their door at the check out hour. “Excuse me, Check out time is in five minutes!! I have a check in today and need to begin cleaning!”
As for the luggage, say, no, I’m really sorry. I cannot accommodate and be responsible for luggage after check out.
You have to take charge of these kinds of pushy guests. I know it’s easier said than done, but anticipating the trouble and heading it off at the pass before they get the chance to push you can really work wonders.
If they try to push that issue, just bring up the factor of liability. For legal reasons/insurance considerations, I can’t hold on to your property after you have checked out.
It wasn’t in the private feedback section - I sent it to their email address. You may be right about them not caring but I want them to pause and think and then treat the next host better.
I allow early check in when there are no guests the night before as I’m in Australia and alot of my guests have made a long overseas flight (this couple had flown from Shanghai which is over 10 hours flight time). They arrive tired and bothered and schlep their way here by public transport with all their luggage.
I don’t allow late check-out but if I’m working from home and am going to be around I will mind their luggage after they check out if they want to go and sight-see in the city.
The morning these guests were meant to leave I had a job interview. So I left my teenage son in charge telling him that they would be coming down soon to give him the key and check out. He was too shy and embarrassed to go and knock on the door when they didn’t show - and I don’t blame him for that.
You’re right - I need to take control of the pushy guests but I think I’m quite the pushover. When he said ‘oh we’ll just leave our luggage in the room’ I got annoyed and told him he couldn’t and that he was already 2 hours late to check out and I had another guest arriving. I would have sounded annoyed and I think hence the poor rating.
I allowed one set of pushy guests to leave luggage once. He even asked to leave food because he had so much time before his next check in! And asked to borrow snorkel gear… All when I had a new guest checking in that day. He seems dismayed when I tiold him leaving bags in the carport was fine, then asked if he could put it on the lanai. I relented, and later discovered his bags left big scuff marks. Meaning I have to repaint that area of the lanai because his bag scuffed it.
I said no to the food because I had to clean. I relented on the snorkel gear because he PUSHED and promised he would bring it right back (he didn’t… there’s me calling right at guest check in… where is my gear?) …
Really, fellow hosts, why on earth should we be putting ourselves out there and doing favors for you pushy guests… when your reservation ended HOURS AGO… HOURS! And I am still dealing with you, hours later? Just no.
Did I get a nice review after all those favors I did? NO. (First he asked for late check out. NO CHANCE.) Then one by one asked for each of the other things.
They think we are a hotel and can make the same accommodations as hotels do!
Yes - i have Instant book and they booked in that way. My check-in and check-out times are on the listing, in the in-room guide, and I believe it’s on the confirmation they get from Airbnb once they’ve paid.
Yes you’re right, but so many of my guests are young European backpackers with heavy loads, delightful manners and who really appreciate the ability to do that. It means they can head off to Bondi Beach or the city unencumbered and as there’s almost always someone home I absolutely don’t mind as it’s not inconvenient. It was the assumption of this couple that grated. Also there are absolutely no facilities anywhere near where we live where you can leave luggage - guests would have to travel 45 mins back to the airport and then pay for storage.
This is true of any travel to Hawaii. People who travel internationally expect this sort of travel time. But Wilbur, letting them in early, just gives them free use of your place for hours. You know?
I get the thing with your son… Mine would have been the same probably.
I remember you’re mentioning this guest before - some people are appalling.
I just realised that I hadn’t pressed send on my email to that guest - but have now done so and I put Airbnb in copy. Stuff the consequences - it’s time they educated their guests. It’s not our job.
I’ve never ever been a Superhost Wilbur and have never had a problem getting guests. . I think it’s a bit overrated, so don’t worry too much about these clods.
It’s hard to rope our children in to acting as concierge and bouncer - as much as I’d like to as he’s 6 foot 2"
He thinks it’s bad enough having to help me clean the room and with this last lot of guests I let him off as it was just too awful.
I once had this conversation with BillyBob - it’s the hair issue with certain races - the bathroom after these particular guests looked as though they’d slaughtered someone’s black labrador in there - and after only 1 night. I get that people, like pets, moult - but do they really need to clean their hairbrushes straight onto the floor? What’s wrong with the bin? And if you accidentally leave lots of personal hair on the loo seat, don’t you just take a tissue and wipe it into the loo then flush? Sorry - all very gross I know, but I JUST DON"T GET IT!
Haha! My son too!! Only under threat of yanking his Internet once did I get him to help me with cleaning when I got called in to teach! He would totally avoid greeting the guests and even worse, be a bouncer! Never in a million years, even if his Internet was yanked, LOL.
This is the GROSSEST part of being a host. Hair in the drain… UGH!!! I bought a new bathtub drain cover thinking it would solve that issue. It didn’t. (They must be removing it) Was clogging. Had to reach down and pull out big glops of long hair mixed with soap scum and muck…by HAND…
BLECCCCCCCHHHHHHH. Got the drain clear but gross.
Now, when I greet guests who have long hair, I secretly cringe. When I have short-haired guests, I’m secretly grateful.
Feel free to vent here hosts, about your drain-clogging hair experiences. Just gross me out. That and toilet stripes. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww.
I am laughing out loud. I could never in a million years put my hand down the drain to pull out the gunky clumps of hair. Well of course I would have to but yick, my stomach is churning just thinking about it.
We need to have a post on worst ever hair stories.
Weird thing for me is that I don’t understand how their partners put up with it. I share a bathroom with plenty of other people, partner, kids etc. And hair just isn’t an issue. I guess we all just check before we leave the bathroom. It’s about being considerate to the rest of the family.
When those that stand up to pee leave a sticky film of spray around the whole loo which then every recalcitrant pubic hair can and does stick to, how can they imagine that their partner is happy to go in and use that after them?? Beggars belief if you ask me.
Yeah I get it, but there are so many places to stay in my area within a block even. Only 2 of us our Superhosts. We are 95% occupied as opposed to the approx 50% of fellow hosts.
LOL!!! My little drain opener stick was not working and I had no choice! Used gloves, if it makes you feel any better, but still so gross I wanted to throw up.
You are right… People with common courtesy do remove their own HAIR… especially if it is obvious!
So as a mother of boys, how do yours treat the loo? My twins, age 20 still don’t have perfect peeing skills yet… And I ask you!!! Just how long do I have to wait! If they use my loo in the middle of the night, then I wake up later and have to go, I drop right into the bowl, yikes! They also still “miss” at times. Boys’ urine is just stronger smelling too. That’s something I have had to learn to live with.
My two sons aged 19 and 17 are now pretty good - although they can be lazy using the brush - I don’t have to deal with spray issues. As they were growing up, each time they’d go to the loo and leave it in a state I’d go and find them - pass them some paper towels and a thing of Spray 'N Wipe and make them clean it - telling them it would have been much easier if they’d just dealt with it at the time. If they’d gone off to school and left it, I’d leave it until they got home. If they’d come home with friends, I’d just say ‘Darling, you need to go and clean the loo before you do anything else.’ Once was usually enough. Now they’re very good. It also helps that my husband is super neat and considerate as well.
My sons report horrendousness from their college suitemates… So now I think my two are neatnicks compared to what I hear about. And this thread is gross enough… but let your imaginations run wild about what doesn’t get cleaned up in a college dorm bathroom shared by four boys! YIKES… I got a text from my son about what was left behind after a weekend party once.
YET… in order to check out (at the end of every term) the RAs won’t sign off until the toilet is scrubbed. Guess who had to do it… just because we were in a HURRY to get home and get checked out. Gross! I know, I should have made my son do it but, I knew I could do it faster and better than he could and get us out of there.
College boy messes make the guests look like clean freaks.
. I think it’s a bit overrated, so don’t worry too much about these clods.
Just gross me out. That and toilet stripes. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww.