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I’ve been hosting a Vrbo for almost 7 yeas and never had this issue before, wanted to throw it out to you all for advice.
My last guests stayed 4 nights, no problems during the stay. When I went in immediately after they left, I found urine and excrement on the master mattress and sheet (elderly parents stayed w/the primary). I also found 2 huge oil stains on my otherwise perfect driveway that had cooked in from Arizona’s heat during the 4 night stay.
Vrbo said I can claim the $500 against the guest I surmised it will take to remedy all of the above; my question is, would you? They agreed to up to $4K in property damage up front (I believe Vrbo does damage protection diff. than Air). Or would you see it as just part of doing business?
If things were ever broken in the past, guests have approached me and offered to pay for them. But this is actual DAMAGE, both to my mattress, sheet and driveway, not to mention completely gross to deal with.
Sorry, Bella88, Between the angry troll non-hosts and the endless requests for advice on whether a host should refund a guest for things that the guest causes, I get a bit tired.
Personally I wouldn’t charge these folks for damages. It shouldn’t be possible for guests to get bodily fluids on a mattress, because mattresses in strs should have protective casings on them. And what you describe should easily wash out of the sheets and even if it doesn’t, occasional sheet replacement is definitely part of the str business.
And I know lots of people do, but I could never understand why people are fussed about stains on the driveway. It’s a driveway, not one’s living room floor. To think a driveway should be spotlessly clean is just bizarre to me.
To be honest, bodily excretions are part and parcel of hosting. They shouldn’t have been on the mattress however, thanks to the mattress protector.
I know nothing about VRBO but my own STR insurance company, that I’ve been using for many years, wouldn’t even consider a claim for a mattress without a protective cover. For the protector, maybe, but not the way more expensive mattress.
Bed linens are really to be considered as consumables.
I wouldn’t put in a claim. It’s just one of the costs of hosting but as a few contributors have mentioned I think it’s essential to have a mattress protector in place.
Old people often inadvertently leak everywhere, which is unfortunate, but you should take comfort that at least they must have felt relaxed at your place.
The same goes for cars really, with the old ones leaking everywhere. Are cars like their owners?
I know dogs are like their owners and I like the look of yours Bella88 and funnily enough, looking at yours Rolf, it all seems to tie in and would explain quite alot.
Personally I wouldn’t pursue either claim. I do agree that, these days, mattress protectors are a must, and also that oil stains are a part of life. If there was damage beyond a mattress protector, that’s another issue.
That said, it does not make the damage any better to deal with—I am sorry you have to deal with it.
We had an older couple with us a few months ago and the husband fell severely ill due to some complication after his cancer treatment. He was vomiting blood (not in the bathroom…) and we did our best to accommodate our guests until the first responders arrived.
I would not have dreamt of charging the guests for the extra cleaning due to this incident. If it’s not a deliberate act of smearing feces etc. onto walls I’d chalk it off as “life happens”.
This goes beyond normal wear and tear. If it’s as bad as it sounds like, then I would claim 500$ and send a polite message that you hope they had a nice stay and that unfortunately during cleaning you noticed this and that (send photos if they request), so unfortunately this adds up to 500$ for fixing. Like some other say it’s just a driveway, but if photos are pristine and guest arrives to see it messy this mismatch in expectations/reality just sets the tone that “oh… I guess the inside will give me surprises too”
I dont feel being old is a good reason not to alert you. If it was a kid who covered up dirty bed without telling parents rushing out the door I would understand it
Thank you and I agree; the person KNEW they’d soiled the bed, as their clothing must have been even worse than my bed! To not say anything says they’re not a decent human. In 7 years I’ve never had incident or reason to have a mattress protector; lesson learned, but still above and beyond ‘normal cleaning fee.’
Driveways and garages are the first thing you see in a home; it sets the tone for the inside, like you said. The pictures are very clear and that their old car leaked all over the driveway; I’m just lucky it wasn’t their other car that was in my garage! Thanks for your input.
Yes, not a deliberate act; but still damage. If my kid broke dishes or my dog tore up a rug, it wouldn’t be deliberate either–but I’d still be RESPONSIBLE for it. Vrbo agrees and I’ll pursue the damages from the guest. Thanks for your input.
