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My guest messaged me at 9:30 to let me know that she had checked out after a two night stay. When I arrived two hours later to clean, I saw that she had left the dining room window wide open (it had been raining since at least 8:00), and the windowsill, wall, baseboard and hardwood floor below were soaked. I did a quick walk-through and saw that the other windows were closed, so I went back and mopped up the water, washed the wall and baseboard (some of the windowsill stain had dripped down the wall below), and continued cleaning. A little while later, while I was changing sheets in one of the bedrooms, I saw that the windowsill there was completely soaked, with water on the wall/carpet below. Apparently, the guest had closed the window after the rain had come in, but she made no attempt to wipe it up.
My departure instructions, which are posted prominently in the kitchen, specifically ask the guests to close all windows and lock the doors when they leave (Iâm not absolutely certain, but it didnât sound like the deadbolt unlatched when I entered my code on the keypad) ). I was also irritated to see that that she had taken all of the snacks and every non-decaf K cup (I leave a generous assortment) when she left.
I got the message from Air earlier this evening that she had left a review, so I wrote one for her. Iâm still pretty pissed off, but I think Iâve toned it down somewhat - I left out the âcannot recommend this guestâ bit. I would have put that in but this is her first review, so Iâm inclined to cut her a little slack.
Do you think this will get the point across to future hosts?
âXXXXX responded to messages promptly and left the apartment in satisfactory condition. However, two windows in the apartment had been left open while it was raining (one remained open after checkout) causing water to collect on and penetrate the windowsills and drip down on the walls and baseboards below. I hope this guest will take the time to review and follow departure instructions in the future to avoid unfortunate incidents like this one.â
Doesnât seem to me the apartment was left in âsatisfactory conditionâ!
âThe guest left windows open, causing rain damage to sills, walls, carpeting and floors. House rules require closed windows when leaving the property.â
Just as you have done, I would chalk up the the snack raid to the cost of doing business and not address it in the review.
Nope - smack her please! If she does this at first first Airbnb stay, what else will she do if she thinks she doesnât have to mop up water that she allowed in!
I always ask myself - would I have this guest back, and in this case it would be NO.
The review needs to be honest; being the first one shouldnât make any difference. A bad guest is a bad guestâŚbut you at least havenât given up on their ability to be a good guest in the future! Myself, I have trouble tempering my outrage with guests causing damage to my home and small business.
Aside from the âsatisfactory conditionâ (âŚbc the guest caused damage to your home due to their negligence, as well as theft of the consumables), your review is extremely nicely put while still honest. #hostgoals#inspired
Remember reviews are mostly for your fellow hosts, not to make the guest fell warm and fuzzy.
âCannot recommend Guest. This was her first AirBnb stay. She was good with messages. But not good at reading and obeying the House Rules â left two windows open causing water damage inside the apartment; as well as taking all of the snacks and coffee pods intended for multiple guests.â
If you feel that she will leave you crappy review just say âcannot recommend this guest due to house rules non-complianceâ. Thatâs more than enough. This way she wouldnât be able to counter with anything that can lessen your argument.
Remember most guests DONâT CARE (especially this type of guests) about your review. They can always create 10 new air accounts. For hosts your short note without the whole story would be sufficient.
Keep in mind that the more you write the more you expose yourself and your sensitivities. Itâs good for forum and discussions but not good for hospitality business.
Donât forget that there are many ways the bad guests can hurt you outside of air review. It could be google, tripadvisor, and much much more sinister than that.
Avoid open confrontation and potential vengeance at all cost. This is why many hosts donât leave any reviews if the situation wasnât too bad.
I never said it was her first stay â only that it was her first review.
I submitted my review last night. I was happy to see she gave me 5 stars across the board. She also hasnât responded to my review either publicly or privately, so Iâm hoping that she feels appropriately chastened and will be more careful next time.
In addition, I would give her a thumbs down. Wood floors can easily get damaged with all that rain as well as the musty smell you might get with the wet carpeting. Itâs better for her to stay at a hotel next time. At least in most hotels, she wonât be able to open the windows.
I did a quick walk-through and saw that the other windows were closed, so I went back and mopped up the water, washed the wall and baseboard (some of the windowsill stain had dripped down the wall below), and continued cleaning. A little while later, while I was changing sheets in one of the bedrooms, I saw that the windowsill there was completely soaked, with water on the wall/carpet below. Apparently, the guest had closed the window after the rain had come in, but she made no attempt to wipe it up. 
Or perhaps only a larger assortment of decaf ones?