Airbnb host gave us a bad review!

[airbbbnb]

This is the first time I have used Airbnb. So perhaps I'm not versed at how to properly use it.

However, we spent up from 3.5 k for a house for a week and I think we had to pay around 200-250 for cleaning.

This was in a southern European country.

We have two young kids and we had a nice time but had to leave early due to a family emergency.

We stripped all the beds and put all towels and sheets in the washroom.

We cleaned the kitchen and sweeped the floors.

Some rubbish was left in the bins outside, because the weekly collection came after we already left.

We apologised for this and they told us not to worry.

We received a bad review - all around the fact that we left all the bedding and towels in the washroom and that they could see children's finger print marks on a lot of surfaces and on windows. They also mentioned that there was some sand on the floor under the beds. Obviously we didn't sweep well enough.

I don't really understand why I need to pay a cleaning fee if I need to clean windows ?

I'm never using Airbnb again.

I just stayed in a bungalow booked via Air BnB in Barbados. It was like a luxury hotel suite, we had a cleaner in every day, a private pool and gorgeous terrace and it was £117 a night. I was able to make some meals at home which saved a huge amount of money. I had a luxury holiday for a fraction of the price of a hotel.

I've never stayed in any property booked through Air BnB and been asked to clean, nor have any of my friends.

I always think “what is your home like then and do you live this filthy there”!!

I do wonder but maybe they think the Welsh elves do everything here. They leave our beaches, parks in a helluva mess. And don't ask what they do in the sand dunes, forest, leaving loo paper behind too.

You wash your sofa covers every fortnight?

I ran an Airbnb in my former home. I never expected guests to clean up before they left. Obviously I didn’t expect them to trash the place either but in 3 years never had an issue. My accommodation was pet friendly too. I probably enjoyed having the dogs more than the owners sometimes!!

@soupfiend not at home. But when you rent out to strangers I would. It was like a blanket sofa cover. It was 40c heat and 9am. It would have dried by the afternoon.

Would you not want it washed when strangers have used it before you?

We had a bad experience with AirBnB during Covid. We booked a lakeside cabin in the UK so we could go swimming and get away for a weekend but about a week before we were put back into lockdown in our area and could not travel. I contacted the host to rearrange and this was refused and they said we were not entitled to any refund as there was insufficient notice. AirBnB were sympathetic but ultimately useless as each host sets their own rules. I rent a house out through VRBO and we gave full refunds when the pandemic prevented guests from travelling.

I don't understand people thinking you should clean the Airbnb- obviously don't trash the place but at home if you pay a cleaner then you don't clean yourself, Airbnb charge hefty cleaning fees, why is it any different?

The point I find with air bnb or any self catering accommodation is to leave it as you find it, sometimes I have left slightly better lol. have been charged cleaning fee for dog , which I get. Re reviews, worst place stayed was in Wales small kitchen area , breakfast provided ( granola that was it! ) no plates provided even to do toast,, she complained about any smells of cooking yet we had to put up with her cooking smells, I didn't leave a horrible review, but just decided not to stay at that place again. if I have an issue usually will inform the host to allow them to put right. Have stayed in plenty amazing ones, but not abroad

One of the many reasons I have never used AirBnB is the idea that I am expected to thoroughly clean the place from top to bottom AND pay $250 for it to be cleaned. Sod that

I book a couple of Airbnb in the UK around twice a year as I own a dog. I do hate all the self reviewing malarkey as alot of Airbnb bookings are delayed - I assume its so the owners can check your reviews. I leave the place as found - if the owner wishes to deep clean afterwards then it's their choice. Some of the cleaning charges are a joke - £75/85 for a chalet and I simply won't book it. The more astute owners don't charge and absorb it into the rental costs. I do prefer Booking.com as you don't go through this review faff with them.

Use AirBnB every year (approx 10 stays so far all over England and abroad) had a wonderful time with no big issues or unusual cleaning requests. Have 2 more booked this year.

We have 5DC and have stayed with other families too. Often they feel homely, owners may let you use their things too (think shed with beach umbrella's, toys etc), logs for fires, sun loungers, swimming pools with toys. I like having a washing machine to use if needed etc.

Any small issues have been fixed straight away. Never had the finger pointed at us and think the owners like that we let them know something isn’t working as expected so they can resolve it. We have received welcome baskets with food and drink, local venue suggestions for activities and food.

We always leave a stay tidy, would not do lots of cleaning but general tidying up after yourself as you would normally do.

We have never stayed in one that expected us to clean top to bottom. We do always leave the place clean, empty bins, wipe round kitchen and bathroom sinks and give the loo a quick clean but that, to us, is just normal

Absolutely this - OP hasn’t done future users of the property any favours. The whole point of a review is to give potential future users an honest independent assessment of the property!

Our home isn’t the tidiest tbh, mainly a lot of clutter that I’m trying to cut down on and a sen child who is a whirlwind of mess but have been trying to teach him for years to be more tidy. He’s getting there but there are still things that we are working on.

It’s more that it’s someone else’s place and property and it would be disrespectful imo leave it in a state I wouldn’t want someone to leave in mine or that was not what I arrived to. Whether’s it is a hotel or a home rental type place someone has to go in and deal with whatever mess is left behind. Yes, it may be their job, but why choose to make it harder.

What we do on our own properties is one thing and what we choose to do on someone else’s is another.

I’ll say it again - in all the many AirBnbs I have stayed in I have never been expected to deep clean. I don’t know where this trope has come from.

If you book via AirBnb, booking, direct on the owner’s website, you get the same in house handbook which tells you about rubbish, breakages etc. There’s no different set of instructions for AirBnb-ers!

There is nothing on Airbnb about cleaning individual properties so why would that ‘put you off booking’. When there’s a cleaning fee, I expect them to clean.

If you compare prices, the costs are generally the same on all sites - it’s just Airbnb list them separately presumably to make it look cheaper on the front page! Or maybe years ago it was optional to clean yourself and save?

I can see reasons not to book Airbnb particularly where local people have been driven out, local facilities changed etc but that is just as true for Sykes Cottages and indeed any holiday home rental company and it really is up to local councils to tax and manage licences. But they don’t.

The horror stories I hear from a hotel manager friend of un flushed toilets, discarded nappies, used condoms etc left in hotel rooms makes me think lots of paying guests are not perfect and maybe AirBnb hosts have a lot to deal with too.

I'm not going to comment on your review as it's being mentioned very extensively already.
However, their review of you could backfire on them. I would not want to stay at a place where the owner gives a bad review over very trivial matters. I would not be able to relax at all. Being expected to clean after paying for cleaning is very cheeky