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I’ve been renting out my place for a month now. I have had at least ten people stay in it. Only one complained about having rashes on the skin after staying at my place. He asked me about two weeks after checking out if I replace the sheets. Of course, I do replace them every time there’s a new host.
What can I do to prove it? And should I offer any compensation?
DO nothing. Certainly DO NOT offer compensation!!
You cannot prove that you change the sheets, any more than the guest can prove that the rash came from your sheets.
Two weeks after checking out, the guest has gotten a skin rash from somewhere else and may be looking to pin it on you.
Skin rashes appear now, not two weeks later. If a rash appeared two weeks ago why did the guest not mention it then??
What kind of laundry detergent do you use? Do you use a fabric softener? Some people can react to laundry soaps, especially scented ones.
Do you mean change the sheets every time there’s a new guest? (Replace means buy new ones)
Sounds like the guest might be a scammer. They should have complained straight away, not after 2 weeks. How can they prove the rash was caused by your sheets?
I’d just reply factually. Don’t offer a refund. I’d just approach it as they’re trying to find the source of their issue and you’re providing information on the type of detergents they may have come in contact with.
“Dear guest,
I’m sorry to hear you’re suffering from skin allergies! I know how hard it can be to track down the source of the sensitivity.
Our sheets are thoroughly laundered in X detergent with Y fabric softener between guests.
Thanks again for staying with us”
We had this happen once too. The woman complained that she was allergic to our carpets and gave us a really negative review. Don’t compensate if you’re sure you didn’t do anything to cause it.
I think they mean changing and washing them.
Yes, so do I.
202020
I had a guest during the summer who got a bite. I’m 99% sure it was a mosquito. I’d seen one in the room and tried to kill it but didn’t. Sure enough it got him. The crazy part is he messages me and says he got bit and it could be bedbugs or staph! Staph? Exaggeration much?
Anyway I wrote back and said I was sure it was a mosquito, so sorry people leave the door open (the room even has a screen door but it’s so inconvenient to close the door when loading up in the morning.) When I went to clean that morning I was able to hunt down the perp and kill it. And I took a before and after pic in case I heard from the guest again. He gave me a 5 star review and booked with me for his return trip.
People always jump to the conclusion that someone is out to get them. It could be that the guest is just trying to figure out what the rash is from. I agree that 2 weeks later is too late for it to be associated with your rental. I’d just calmly tell them that of course you change out the sheets and leave it at that. Maybe tell them they probably have shingles and they need to start acylovir within 72 hours for maximum effectiveness. LOL.
speaking of bugs, I had a guest comment that insects followed them into the room when they opened the door to come back in. Must fire my bug trainer immediately!
I would not tell this person the type of detergent/softner unless directly asked
If a guest contacted me about a rash two weeks after their stay, I honestly don’t think I’d respond. I’d write them off as slightly bonkers and leave it at that. Especially if they implied that I didn’t change the bedding. (If I did reply, it would be to tell him off severely for being so insulting).
The nerve of some people…
No, never apologize or offer compensation. You did nothing wrong.
As a person who suffers from a lot of chemical allergies, I get rashes often but it took years to figure out what triggers my reactions. (Contact Dermatitis is the catch all name). I get different rashes based on what I come in contact with, what I breathe and what I ingest. I would never blame a host. It’s my responsibility to keep my environment as safe as possible.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST FOR EVERY HOST TO CONSIDER…
Using dye and fragrance free laundry detergent, dye and fragrance free fabric softener and NO dryer sheets. You can now get the store brand of these products for the same cost as other products. Also, those room/air deodorizers are really toxic.
At long last I am in the process of booking a vacation!
I wonder how many of these hoteliers have to deal with ridiculous enquiries about rashes two weeks after the fact.
Never mind; don’t get me started.
I use only fragrance free products, except for my air deodorizer spray, which is mostly lemon oil.
For guest soaps, I use unscented liquid soaps from Bunny’s Bath of Port Townsend, WA. No messy soap dishes, no unused soap remnants.
FYI - unscented is not the same as fragrance free. There is a nature scent called Balsam of Peru (has at least 20 other names) that is used to mask scents. I’m very allergic to it.
I had two guests complain about an essential oil reed defuser in the bathroom. The first refused to stay because they’d been expecting scent-free accommodations (something I don’t advertise offering). The second was an easy-going guy who said, “oh by the way this thing made me sneeze so I moved it to the garage.” So I tossed it after that!
I really wish people would not use any kind of scents anywhere except in their own homes for their own use. The worst is aging women who wear too much perfume, especially and including my friends.
I have issues with some essential oils too. I don’t guarantee fragrance free (even with my allergies) Here’s how I word my listing to cover myself:
While the suite is not completely fragrance free, we do wash all of our linen and towels with fragrance and dye free detergent and softener. We do use bleach but if asked ahead of time, we can forgo this for you and I can clean the suite with the products I use with my fragrance allergies. While this won’t make the suite completely fragrance free, it will help a great deal.
This is a nice suggestion, though I’ve learned to trim back my copy and avoid offering too many extras. I’ve also found that needs of scent-free people can be hard to meet, so I do not want to offer something I can’t confidently deliver. So much is out of my hands, such as the fragrances previous guests bring into the space.