So here is a new one to me, and I imagine our current environment is driving it. I put a bottle of hand soap in both the kitchen and bathroom of my rental, had to buy expensive bath and body works stuff because that’s all I could find right now, and I have been watching my toilet paper supplies dwindle, but I always leave enough for guests. My most recent guests left this morning when I went in to start laundry I noticed BOTH of my new bottles of hand soap and a full 6 pack of toilet paper were missing. I just put these items in the home 3 day ago when my guests checked in. I am now super short on supplies and am having difficulty finding what I need. Would this warrant a mention in my review. I really kind of pissed about it as I had to track down hand soap and would never normally pay over $5 for a small bottle, but I felt it was really important for my guest to have the soap. I have check trash and also really don’t think 2 adults and a toddler could use up 2- 8 oz bottles of hand soap in 3 days, (they checked in at 3pm Thursday and out by 10 am Sunday). I really want to call them out on this as in and SIX rolls of toilet paper REALLY. I really feel this is boarding on theft. Do I report it or really what do I do? They seemed nice enough but this was outta line in my opinion.
Do you have a security deposit?
If they didn’t actually use it, then it is theft. Not bordering on.
JF
I do have a damage deposit, however my guess is that Airbnb is not going to want to participate over what amounts to roughly $20, the issue is where I live I can’t even find toilet paper! Trust me I have tried pretty much everywhere I can think of, can’t even get RV toilet paper in the gulf coast vacation area we have our properties. I am going to now limit paper to one roll per day (our property is 4 people max). Usually I refill hand soap but recent ran out of the big bottle and can’t find it right now. I think I will report it to Airbnb, I know these folks are headed to Panama City to another Airbnb, wish I could warn them
If you leave items for guests, then you need to consider that using it all up (or not using it at all) comes with the cost they pay for your airbnb.
I wouldn’t report it or try to get compensated. Time is money and you should build your costs into your rates. I’m now only putting in one roll of TP and they can ask if they need more and that’s mostly for the reason you are saying…it’s not about the theft as much as your inability to get a replacement. If guest took say, my bottle of body wash I would give them a “no recommendation” low stars and a mention in the review. No one wants to host them.
I wouldn’t worry about it. Keep your spares locked up for the next guests; leave only what they need.
My prediction is that within days stores will have toilet paper back in stock anyway. There isn’t really a toilet paper shortage, just sudden extreme demand that the supply chain hasn’t caught up to yet.
I would never leave a 6 pack of toilet paper and 2 bottles of hand soap (especially expensive soap) for 2 adult guests and a toddler for a 3 day booking, even if there weren’t shortages.
Okay, they nicked it more than likely but it’s no big deal. Sometimes guests use (or lose or steal) every consumable you’ve left in the place. Others use almost nothing at all so it’s swings and roundabouts. And you have (hopefully) costed in all your supplies.
Why leave so much available for a short booking though? Sorry but it was asking for it a bit!
it depends on the rental doesn’t it? In my room, no but in a house where one soap bottle is by the sink, one in the shower and one in the kitchen, then yes. And as discussed previously, no one wants to run out of TP when it’s needed. I’d only be rationing due to the current situation.
I normally leave this much and more where my guests can access it. I figure the odds of someone stealing it are very low, while the odds of guests appreciating how well-stocked I am are much higher. Plus it wouldn’t cost that much to replace.
Of course, right now the circumstances are different and I have left out only what I think my guests will need and locked up the rest. I asked them to let me know if they run low and need more.
@Robin, would it be too hateful of me to say just get over it? We all need some perspective on what we and the world are going through. The loss of soap and toilet paper is nothing, compared to what we’re all facing.
I say that knowing that my husband and I expect to have only 10% of the Airbnb income we earned last year. In other words, 90% less than we earned last year. It’ll hurt us a lot.
And that’s how it has to be. The prospects in front of us are very, very grim. And by “us,” I mean the world.
I leave one bottle by sink in kitchen, and one in bathroom. The toilet paper I have always left one roll per day for stay, this time I had the 6 pack so put 3 out and set the other 3 under the sink. Just for ease. Lesson learned, I’ve never had this happen before
Chances are that you’ll have it happen a lot more unless you only leave the amount required for the stay. It’s not that people are dishonest as such, but for example I once rented a self catering place for a weekend and it was only after we’d drunk the wine in the rack that we realised that it might not have been meant for us. 
Some people, me included it seems, think that because you’ve paid for the accommodation, everything there is for you to use.
But sometimes things can be accidentally used up. They can spill the liquid soap, use all the loo paper to wipe it up, all sorts of things. But as I said, on the other hand you’ll get guests who hardly use a thing so it balances out.
My two night guest from two nights ago took the remainder of the TP off the roll holder with him. No cardboard center in the trash. Luckily I’d already been tipped off by posts here not to leave the normal spare roll. I don’t so much care if he takes the roll he had his dirty paws on but with the volume of bookings I do (or have done in the past) I might run out.
To be honest, I might have done the same I’m afraid to say. I’ve not been involved in any panic buying because living in hurricane territory means that I usually have reasonable stocks of most things. But in a shortage, I’d be tempted to try to score from a public loo.
Me too. I probably host more guests than average, but I leave 4 bottles of hand soap at least half full (1 for each sink in the house) and 8 new rolls of toilet paper plus 2 partial rolls on the holders.
Assuming I actually host any more reservations before the COVID-19 situation is over, I am going to reduce the extra toilet paper based on number of guests and length of stay. All of my soap dispensers are decorative and match the bathrooms. If one or more of them disappears, I will mention it in the review.
That’s true, didn’t really think about that. I do have one by the bathroom sink and one in the shower. But no “extras” stashed where guests could acess them. I’ve never actually understood why people put hand soap by the kitchen sink, though. I’ve always just used the dish soap if I want to wash my hands there.
I have separate hand and dish soaps, the dish soap always seems extra “bubbly” to me. It takes forever to wash off of my hands, while hand soap does not.
Could be my imagination though.
I have hosted since 2012 and have only had one guest take more extra supplies than I knew were warranted. If you spread this “theft” over all your experience it’s a very small cost of doing business. It’s hard to get compensated for inconvenience. People are scared and a little more focused on their own family’s needs than ever before. I agree with other hosts who say move on and limit supply in the future.
I do because I vaguely assume that it’s kinder to the skin. And I supply hand lotion to go with it too but neither get used very much.
Personally, I am totally weird because I don’t approve of hand washing in the kitchen sink. I mean, fine if I’m making pastry and rinsing the flour off but for dirty hands that have been gardening or detailing the car or whatever, I’ll always use the bathroom sink. One of my little oddities I guess. 