Airbnb host check out demands - AIBU to ignore

Oh interesting. We have never gone through AirBnB ourselves but the holiday cottage company sometimes outsourced to them.

It’s been explained by multiple posters. It’s so the linen can be easily checked for stains. If it’s scrunched up, they just have to spread it back out on the bed.

A fair number here think it is beneath them to even take the bins out!

I can be hit with a £300 fixed penalty fine and if I am then you can be sure that the guests will be paying it via the courts if necessary.

Is that because you'd like to re use the bedding? Just guessing as I genuinely can't fathom why you'd not want it otherwise. It is saving you a job and I can't see a reason why it wouldn't be helpful but please do enlighten me. I've been to many where it's asked for. Why don't you like it?

Pretty standard stuff tbf and if you don't do it, you only satisfy yourself. So don't get mad - get even. The way to make your point is a review on Air BnB; potential customers usually read them in advance and most wouldn't want to stay somewhere cold as well as have a reasonable request ignored. You might also want to leave a note for the owners to let them know you are leaving this review; you never know, it might make them feel a bit repentant and they offer some kind of compensation.

As an Air BnB host it is an annex on my house which I also use for family, what I would like is more transparency on the site about cleaning fees. I do not charge a cleaning fee as I feel my price should be inclusive of cleaning, I do charge a small amount for additional guests to cover the additional washing and bed changing. I think it should be easier to see an all inclusive price earlier in the booking process - really at the comparison point. As it is very easy to choose what seems a more economical option that then hits you with a massive cleaning fee.
All I ask my guests to do is to separate their recycling into one other container and then we place in the correct receptacle.

No it doesn’t cut both ways. You can leave poor reviews on listing sites for hosts, but the host is limited in what they can say as a review or in response.

This.

I own a cottage too and surely you don't really believe this doesn't work both ways?

We've had great reviews and a few comments over the years I'd roll my eyes at. But such is life.

You could introduce a fine for non-differentiated waste. In Tuscany the local council fine for un-sorted waste 350 EUR. That concentrates guests’ minds wonderfully and no-one has actually incurred the fine.

Have read all the OPs messages.

I have not stayed in THAT many AirBnBs but in my experience the requests like the bins and the sheets are in some sort of instruction book which is left in the property and visible when you arrive.

I agree there is something galling about having complained and gotten nowhere and now a list of 'to-do's' is coming your way even thought they are things that are not too onerous.

We actually have a cottage and would not ask people to strip beds/deal with the towels ourselves.

They can f**k off, but may be said a little nicer. The lack of heating is a separate issue that you deserve compensation for, but to ask you to do their donkey work when a) you’ve probably already paid a cleaning/service charge and b) they’ve left you cold is bloody rude.

EVERY Air BnB I’ve stayed in charged me a cleaning fee, so I’m not doing part of their cleaning for them! Beds that have been slept in have the duvet turned over so they know those need changing. Used towels get put in the bath. If there’s a washing machine and detergent provided I’ll start a towel wash for them and leave a note.

I leave all crockery washed and put away, and worktops clean. If the kids have made a mess I’ll hoover/sweep. I rinse out the bath and ensure the kids haven’t left wee on the bog seat. I don’t do this because I think it’s expected, it’s just good manners. But I don’t empty bins unless I’ve filled it to capacity and I’ve never stripped a bed. Also never lost a deposit.

That said, if it’s one of those Air BnBs where the host leaves a little welcome basket of goodies, I’ll drop the host a message to ask what we can do. We stayed in a caravan in Weymouth for a week and the host had been in touch to ask how old the kids were etc. The caravan was lovely anyway, but the host had made the kids’ beds up with Minecraft and Unicorn bedding, provided games and toys. Outside there was chairs, table and parasol, a BBQ with charcoal, a sand pit and toys on the decking, even a pushchair for my toddler. She’d left milk, juice, bacon and eggs in fridge for us, as well as a full fruit bowl, bread, a cake, biscuits and stuff for hot drinks. There was shampoo, shower gel and everything you could need in the bathrooms. She’d gone absolutely above and beyond for us so I’d have happily emptied bins, stripped beds, polished the inside and outside of the windows if she’d asked, which she didn’t. I could’ve gone shopping to buy everything that was provided which would only have saved the host money on shopping for the next guest, so I sent her a bouquet of flowers to say thank you.

Also, hotels 5 x price of Air BnB? You’re not really meant to compare The Savoy to the humble Air BnB 🤣

Just thought I'd share a picture of the fridge as it was left the other day by some guests.

It had to be stripped out and completely bleached, including that water collecting tray underneath as that was also full of bloody water.

That was of course on top of the regular cleaning and the hour it took to sort out the bins as food waste had been put in with the recycling and the waste contractors won't accept unsorted waste in Wales now.

Sometimes we need every second of the changeover window.

Luckily most of our guests are lovely but some seem to really enjoy making work for my cleaners. If you think you are getting back at the owners you really aren't. It's the cleaners who have to deal with it. I pay well above minimum wage and employ my own staff but many owners use agency cleaners who pay NMW.

I do strip my bed when I go away, however I don’t consider this normal behaviour!…. I don’t know anyone else who strips a bed and tidied up before leaving a hotel type break,
I’ve always wondered if me stripping the bed is inconvenient because they must have to go through the pile of dirty sheets to check I haven’t stolen a pillow case if bath mat etc….
I would 100% report the lack of heating and customer service to both him and to the company you booked through.
I would also include in a review that ‘it’s a shame we had no heating as this ruined an otherwise lovely break”
I also don’t think it’s unreasonable not to strip beds etc, if it wasn’t something in their T&C’s which was set out prior to your booking/stay then he shouldn’t be requesting it!

It’s not hassle. Just message them

And stripping a bed is literally less than a minute's work. Why would you make guests who are paying good money do the cleaner's 1 minute job? It's insane.

And look at all the comments on here from people saying they resent being asked to do it.

What do you do to check? I'm guessing you'd have to spread it out over the bed - just like if the bed wasn't stripped.

I have been doing self catering for 15 yrs and it’s so easy to check the linen when guests have stripped it. I always thank guests for leaving the place tidy and making our job just a little bit easier!

@Onthehuntstill & @Whatafliberty I'm an Airbnb host and it's really not helpful to strip the beds.

I always do this in any case

I strip the beds even when not asked, to make sure they change them. I hope others strip the beds before me too. Taking rubbish out is standard even in caravan holidays. Only place I've ever left rubbish in bins is hotels.

I'm an Airbnb host of 10 years experience.

I assure you guest reviews for hosts/listing are genuine.

The reviews which hosts leave for guests are, however, questionable. We're pretty much obliged to say nice stuff even about shitty guests.

I'm an Airbnb host - please please do not strip the beds. We need to check the linen for stains before washing, and it's much harder to do this if the linen is piled on the floor.

I'm really happy if the guest just leaves it tidy with no actual damage.

I've been an Airbnb [super]host for 10 years. I don't ask guests to do anything other than ensure windows and doors are locked when they check-out. That's it.

I wouldn't ask or want them to strip the bed; occasionally a guest does it unasked, and it makes it much harder for my cleaning lady to check the linen for stains (which has to be done and will mean the sheets have to be soaked in Vanish before washing).

I don't care if they don't do the washing up. Mostly, if they do it by hand, it's not to a standard required for the incoming booking, so gets done again anyway.

I deal with the rubbish, too. If they're staying for a longer period like a month, there are bins in the garden for decanting the kitchen bins. And my cleaner takes care of the outdoor bin emptying in a longer stay as I give guests a free mid-stay clean and linen change.

Totally. You said it 4 days before I did 🤦‍♀️