It happened quite a few times so far. Guests spilled orange juice or soda, or smeared blood, chocolate all over the sheets. It takes quite some effort and time to clean up and the sheets won’t look the same again ever. Can I claim that as damage and how much should I charge for that? How do you handle it?
Did you have to replace them?
I would personally see this as part of the joys of hosting and not something you would claim for - unless it was obviously purposeful and then would probably go beyond sheets.
We use plain white cotton bedding which can be easily washed at high temps and have never had a problem with stain removal.
We also factor in needing to replace all bedding annually when working.
That’s probably the key. Some mess is part of the business. There’s also something to be said of guests who alert you of these things before you discover them on your own.
Was this the only issue? I would imagine if it was malicious they would have intentionally damaged more than one item.
I absolutely agree with copenhagenhost. Stain removal and replacing items like sheets are just a part of doing business. Remember you can offset your taxes with purchases such as replacement items and cleaning materials.
I try to get to the rental as soon as the guests have left and the first thing I do is check the bedding, towels etc. for stains. There are invariably some marks so I treat them with a stain remover as soon as I can.
I also mention in our online guidebook that we would appreciate it if guests let me know about any spillages onto anything fabric as soon as possible so that they can be dealt with. Accidents happen and I don’t think guests should be penalised for day-to-day spillages that can happen to anyone.
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The stains are part of hosting I replace my sheets one a year because theyou get worn out and that’s normal .
It’s not damage
Bluefoot: “…chocolate all over the sheets…”
Yikes!
You are surely a huge optimist, generous of spirit & full of forgiveness.
Or your nose doesn’t work properly!
Dean
I recently had a female guest alert me of a accident and I was grateful because I was able to get the stains out and even though she offered me the cost of replacement sheets and mattress pad I gave her money back and all was good. I have changed my house manual to state please let me know immediately of any stains since I most likely can get rid of the stains before they set and not charge damages. I have three sets of sheet I keep in a seal container under the bed so I can quickly go in there and change the sheets right away. I get a few odd stains that are unexplainable to me Like today mustard stains, and I have relied on BIZ for these weird stains and so far so good.
I would make sure that you state clearly in your house guide to alert you and then a stain happens and be pleasant about it.
This is extremely helpful. There’s a greater chance of getting the stains out if they are cleared before they set in. I’m sure they’d be glad to have a fresh set of sheets to sleep on as well. Everyone wins.
I’ve hosted about fifteen guests so far, and had four sheets and towels ruined from stains. I am getting better, but I’ve had two groups of guests try to hide the stains by starting the laundry themselves, which means the stains get set in. I am going to add to the house rules to notify me of stains and spills so I can treat them properly, but I think young folks are embarrassed to say anything. (Hey, I’ve been there too! I know accidents happen.) But I’m getting tired of eating this cost and thinking of starting to take out a replacement cost from the damage deposit. Especially for stuff like a ball-point pen exploding in the bed, which I find more preventable than bodily fluid stains.
If I decide to take out from a guest’s damage deposit, do I use the resolution center or is there another spot on AirBnB for collecting a damage deposit?