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?

This is why more people are returning to hotels. Airbnb hosts charge cleaning fee so like fuck would I be cleaning.

I would do as asked re bedding/bins, but then leave a bad review re the heating. Heating should just work - it shouldn’t need any complicated instructions, let alone needing to contact the owner.

One of the good things about being away is not having to clean.
I would never stay in an Airbnb - apart from contributing to the housing crisis they’re overpriced, cheeky to charge cleaning fee while expecting guests to clean? and nowhere near the good value and convenience as a basic travel lodge.

I do wish when hosts put this list of demands on guests - in the so called “welcome packs” (what a welcome!!) that people would photograph them and leave a copy in their reviews.

It is so frustrating when you are paying for accommodation, paying a hefty cleaning fee to then be expected to do a load of work yourself. If the hosts aren’t prepared to be transparent I wish the guests would let the next guests know.

No advice for you, I just get the frustration. Airbnb is nowhere near what it was

Honestly this is what puts me off self-catering accommodation and stay in hotels when possible

We've just come back from 4 days in our favourite Airbnb. It's £95 a night for a 3 bedroom house (sleeps 6). It has a garden, parking, bathroom, shower room, books, board games, host always leaves wine or soft drinks and bakes brownies, well furnished, nice views, quiet. It's not only cheaper than the local Travelodge, it's so much better.

I don't mind a Travelodge (actually I do, I prefer Premier Inn as the children's beds are much more comfortable), but we've stayed in some brilliant Airbnbs, including railway cottages, shepherds huts, medieval houses and a treehouse.

Just leave the place clean and tidy. Message to say that you had no heating and nothing was done to put that right.

I would never leave a self-catering property without emptying the bins and stripping the beds takes no time at all so wouldn’t object to doing that. The heating is a separate issue.

It’s great you’ve found a good place that suits you and yours.

I usually go on walking holidays so just want somewhere to crash in the evenings with no hassle.

I think it's very much the same as if restaurant asked me to wash dishes I eat from...

I wouldn't class 10 mins of stripping the beds and emptying a bin as 'spending hours of my holiday scrubbing' but there you go. I like to leave other people's homes tidy and reasonably clean. I'm the same in hotels though, I'd put the towels in the bath & leave the duvet turned back, it takes seconds.

As everyone else in the world has said, normal in a self catering let.

Stripping beds is NOT standard

Don't give in to greedy landlord demands. And leave a bad review mentioning the additional demands!

LOL

It's not someone's home, it's a business.

If you don’t take sheets off, empty bins etc I expect they will charge you extra, which is annoying given they probably pay a cleaning company to come in. We always empty bins, put towels in one area altogether. I have taken sheets off in 2020, 4 beds took about 30 minutes and not something you want to be doing on last morning when you are busy packing up. I would definitely mention the heating in your review, there’s nothing worse than being cold.

I clean Airbnb places.. Personally I don't care how it is left.. It is my job to clean it!! Ime it would be appreciated not to find used condoms on top of an open bin though....

That sounds a fairly typical request for most holiday rentals I've stayed in

When DH and I go alone, we want the same. We hike a lot and often just camp or stay in a youth hostel. However, with two DC both with underlying health conditions, Airbnbs can be an absolute godsend in terms of comfort, facilities and ability to cook/ relax. All sorts of accommodation have their place and while I agree about the housing crisis, they're not necessarily overpriced, v convenient and have lots of positives to recommend them. Just like places simply to crash have their positives.

You shouldn't have to do any of those things if you are paying a cleaning fee. What do they think the fee is for? It's as a previous poster said, you wouldn't be asked to wash the dishes at a restaurant.

depends if the OP can be bothered to stay in an AirBnB again I suppose!

We've had this debate before on here, and many AirBnB owners are unreasonable and demanding when it comes to what they expect their guests to do.

Especially as they are so expensive!

I'd much rather stay in a B&B or hotel.

I think they've asked quite normal things, that now seem unreasonable to you because you found their accommodating lacking.

My cleaner strips beds and empties bins. I don't understand why everyone who seems to let on airbnb has a cleaner that doesn't!

Emptying bins has always been the case since I was a kid last century. Stripping the beds is a new one though, I used to be put all the towels in the bath though. One place we stopped asked us to put the towel wash on before leaving!

It's not a hassle for the host to process a refund to you. It's 2-3 clicks in the app. Just remember that the host also pays airbnb fees so the value of the booking to them is a lot lower. (Where a guest pays £210 a night inc cleaning host receives £173). You can ask the host of a refund, if they decline you can refer it to airbnb support for resolution who will probably support you given you raised the issue at the beginning of the stay. Always communicate within the app so support can see the responses.

You sound the sort of guest that is better suited to a hotel

You don’t pay for cleaning and do it yourself . As long as you don’t leave dirty dishes, food and crumbs then that’s fine. I’d point out the cleaning fee to them.