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Im new here and four months into hosting. Ive searched for answers to whether or not hosts charge guests for stains during their stay. I havent found one answer that hosts charge, although Ive stayed at a place where she said she did. I guess I want to officially ask the question to confirm the answer Im seeing. Does anyone charge for stains on sheets or the time it takes to get the stain out? My recent guest left 3 blood stains on the sheets and a coffee stain on the rug. We got all of it out without permanent damage. They didnt tell me when they left and the rest of the place was a mess, but nothing permanently damaged.
On another note, during the evening I got up to use the bathroom in my house and the whole backyard was lit up. Our guests had the blinds wide open and all the lights on. I wont go into details but I dont want my backyard to be a show for the rest of the neighborhood. Is this normal? Does everyone deal with this? and I just need to get used to it?
Thanks for your time in reading this and helping me get through the early stages!
Well, we’re not official here (as such) and we have a pretty wide range of opinions but I would never charge for stains. Stains are simply wear and tear and if you’ve priced your listing correctly and accurately you’ll have taken this into account.
Most of us have had to deal with loads of stains and it’s part of the job. I’ve never had a guest who has left a deliberate stain. People don’t deliberately bleed onto sheets. Stained towels (makeup etc) are a bit more deliberate but they are mainly due to lack of thought than maliciousness.
Furthermore, claiming is a nuisance, time-consuming and not guaranteed to work.
The blind thing is really annoying. In my last house some neighbours to the rear left lights on all night and it was a nuisance but you can’t do anything. You can try asking guests to turn off lights they aren’t using.
I wouldn’t charge for stains unless they were extraordinary or they made an effort to hide them and they got set in before I found them. For example if someone spilled coffee and then moved the furniture to hide it instead of telling me. I recently had a couple stay who stained all of the towels, one of the blankets, a sheet and a pillowcase. It had to treat and wash several times but all the stains came out. I felt kind of cross about it until I realized they stayed four nights at one of the highest rates I’ve had this summer and were no trouble other than that. Since they paid the same for four nights as most couples would pay for six I figured they “paid” for the extra cleaning and I could just let it go.
Re stains I provide free women’s sanitary products as there is no 24/7 pharmacy within 30km. Since then I haven’t had any problems. I put them on the shelf where people can see them when sitting on the loo. They go slowly over a couple of years then they all went at once. Which was not an option but it’s only $10 to replace them and saves my sheets and guests’ embarrassment.
I also have a backyard light which if left on they can’t see but I can so I sometimes need to text them to turn it off as it is right next to an internal light and not obvious what it does so they may accidentally turn it on at night. I mention that it disturbs the ducks and chickens if left on. I don’t see why you couldn’t text your guest if it was very late and politely remind them to turn off the light or shut the curtains so as not to disturb the neighbours. Or some imaginary backyard chickens.
It is purely self interest. Early on I discovered someone left a doona/duvet cover with large blood stains on it, which had been washed, and then put the spare doona cover over the top so I wouldn’t find it which I didn’t for several weeks* (all the while wondering if someone had stolen the extra cover). I had had some people staying who I had said could check out late like 3pm and then when I came home they were still here at 5pm. My washing machine takes about 4 hours to wash and dry a load so I figured maybe they had been trying to wash the stains out. I was a bit cross at them for trying to hide it but they were Indian and maybe it was just impossible for them to talk to me about it. They still could have left $50 for the dry cleaning though.
this was before I washed the doona/duvet cover EVERY SINGLE TIME between guests so let’s not go into that again.
It makes you realise why even half decent hotels must have such high costs as everything has to be kept spotless and looking brand new. At least I can let my towels age a little before replacing them and using the old ones myself.
