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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.
