Airbnb host check out demands - AIBU to ignore

[Senseonhorizons]

Been staying in Airbnb for last 3 nights, out of many, many we have stayed in this is our worst experience. There are lots of positives about the place, however it is f'ing freezing. Non functional heating on one floor so bedrooms were 12 degrees and we were all so cold in the night and now are ill, may or may not be connected.

I did contact host re heating on arrival and was given a load of instructions that don't work.

I have now received list of tasks to do on check out, none mentioned in property listing. They include stripping off beds and taking all sheets and towels downstairs, emptying bins in kitchen and bathrooms and taking to bins half way down the lane.

I feel like f'off do it yourself. We paid enough for the place. I know people did it in covid with sheets etc, but there is absolutely no reason to now

AIBU to ignore their demands?

I've always done this in any self-catered property including AirB&B's, and that was well before COVID too.

Stripping beds and emptying bins seems like a pretty reasonable request to me. I'd be expecting a partial refund for the lack of heating though.

I think those requests are pretty typical and refusing could cost you any deposit you've paid.

Ultimately the two issues are unconnected and refusing to follow their requests won't sort the heating problem, you need to raise that with them as a separate issue.

If your paying a additional cleaning cost then I don't think your unreasonable. I always put dirty towels in bath or on shower room floors. I never strip the beds. I do dispose of the rubbish but normally the day/night before, I wouldn't go out especially for a few bits. I always wash up and wipe sides but that's just habbit.

Hmmm tough one as its annoying with the cold rooms etc but stripping the beds and emptying the bins are 2 things I've always done when staying in self catering accommodation. I wouldn't go as far to hoover the floors or clean the bathrooms but I always strip the beds, pile all towels in one of the baths/showers, empty all the bins and wipe down the kitchen/oven. I feel this is basic standards how if expect a rental to be left.

I always strip the beds and empty the bins. This is just good manners.
I run and Airbnb myself and while I don't give instructions to my guests, it is always very appreciated if they can leave the place tidy-ish as this means the cleaners can spend their time doing an extra deep clean.

Don't risk yourself getting a negative rating.

I’d strip bedding but leave it upstairs, and empty bins but not wheel down the lane.

I think that is the basics and would look petty if you didn’t, and equally petty if they complained you didn’t take the bins down the lane etc.

Id get onto AirBnB about a partial refund for the heating and leave a 3 star review if not sorted satisfactorily.

Seems like two separate issues. Emptying bins and stripping beds is standard, even before covid, for self catering.

I would have an issue with the heating but it’s tricky to complain now that your stay is over. Did you go back to the host when the instructions didn’t work? Did they offer to come and help out?

Did you contact them again and tell them that their instructions hadn’t worked and it was still too cold?

I think taking the rubbish out is part and parcel of staying in any accommodation that isn’t a hotel. I wouldn’t strip the beds (I don’t want to know if I’ve been sleeping on stains etc) but I would empty the bins, make sure everything else was clean and tidy etc. If I didn’t want to do that, I’d stay in a hotel.

If it wasn't in the original agreement, then no.

They can't just add stuff as they feel like it.

I know at lot are saying, well its what you do, if it was specified before, then no problem, but it wasnt

Stripping the beds and emptying the bins are standard at any cottage rental

That seems standard to be honest. Heating not working is totally different but the temperature for sleeping in is fine.

If you want a refund on the heating / to be able to leave a bad review if you don’t, then do the things to avoid a bad review retaliation.

Generally I empty the kitchen bins, especially in summer, if they have food waste, because I wouldn’t want a cleaner coming in a day or two later to a stinky bin. I’d also wash up crockery and make sure there was nothing nasty to encounter in the bathroom. Generally I’d make sure the kitchen place was decently tidy. But that’s it.

I don’t empty other bins or strip beds because that’s part of the service and should be charged for (and usually is).

As a child I remember my mum and granny cleaning holiday cottages like crazy, so I think there’s a tradition of it, but that’s from a different era when women felt that creating a bit of mess reflected badly on them - it’s a business and cleaning is part of it.

This is why I don’t use AirBnB’s. If I’m paying a sum of money to stay there, and it seems to be becoming more normal to also pay a cleaning fee on top, I do not want to spend my last hours away cleaning and scrubbing.

Yes of course leave everything neat and tidy, and either washing up done or running in the dishwasher. Check the toilet is clean. But I fail to see what I’m paying for when I’m doing everything else for them too.

Better off staying in a premier or somewhere.

Those two requests are quite normal in lots of self catered accommodation including caravan parks and many air b n b's I've stayed in.

We have stayed in what feels like coming towards 100 AirBnBs over the years and never been asked to do this, and have never done so. I always make the bed, as in folding it nicely, leave the place clean and have lots of good reviews all saying how clean we left the place and welcome back anytime, so if they want to give me a bad one I wouldn't really care.

I asked for additional heaters, they did not respond to that. Said hopefully weather outside would warm up. I could not be arsed to argue and brought hot bottles and dressing gown!

I will leave 3 star review, couldn't do lower as some parts of it are lovely, but people should know about heating situation

In Airbnb there is always hefty cleaning fee..... so I'm already paying for it.

I cba to request part refund either, I suspect its a lot of hassle

I would strip the beds if asked, but not otherwise.

None of the actions on the list sound unusual for an Airbnb but I thought they should tell you in the listing / when you book not when you are about to leave!

I've never stripped beds at anywhere I've stayed in my life. As for taking the bins out she's just a CF, especially when charging a cleaning fee.

If you’re paying a cleaning fee I wouldn’t do it. Especially since it wasn’t in the original listing. I’m sick of air bnb/holiday rental places charging you for cleaning and expecting you to do it yourself as well

Stripping beds and emptying bins is standard in any holiday let.

Lack of heating sounds annoying but unless you have serious underlying health issues, no one is going to get ill because it is 12 degrees at night. Come on!

I would do it because Airbnb are bastards for claiming against you. They took money from me for a dispute, just claimed it from my bank and I couldn't get it reversed. I always warn people off Airbnb for this reason. I stay in hotels now.i dont go n on holiday to strip beds and schlep bin bags

I don’t mind emptying bins because they can get smelly. That a DH job. But I’d never strip beds.

We’re tidy people so never leave a mess as we hate living in it ourselves But I’m not a cleaner - I’ve paid for that.

Have literally used dozens of AirBnb, Vrbo, private rentals and have never had a bad review. This mythology about hoovering, washing floors etc has never affected me. And I’d never choose to be cramped into a small hotel room, having to sit in the bar for a drink, rather than spreading out in an Airbnb. But each to their own

The heating thing is a nightmare though and I’d have raised hell over that. Although I’ve had hotel problems too with noisy neighbours, bin emptying at 5am, noise from the bar/lift, charging me for other people’s drinks etcetc.