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?

In fairness I always strip beds/empty bins when in a rental, but the above is what I just don't get, especially when the "requirements" weren't spelled out before booking

This whole blasted thing needs sorting out, since why should you be expected to pay for a service and do it yourself?

Totally agree @Mistredd ! Who could be arsed with all that cleaning on a so called 'break'? I l often book an aparthotel if I want the space to lounge about and maybe make breakfast. I don't leave it a mess but equally, don't feel compelled to strip beds and empty bins!

I just empty bins, leave towels in bath and sometimes I strip the bed. I use Airbnb all the time and no host has asked anything unreasonable.

If you’re in any way doubtful about the host and think they could leave you a bad review because there were muddy paw prints on the duvet cover (as a random example) then just don’t leave them a review and theirs won’t be made public. It’s rubbish because it means that if you complain about anything while you’re there, you risk preemptive retaliation!

Agreed 100%

Sorry I haven’t read the whole thread but just a quick note on the bins: it depends on your check out day but I think guests are often asked to take the bins out so that the rubbish collection doesn’t get missed as the cleaners may not arrive until after the bin lorry has been. Otherwise the rubbish build up quickly and then next guests have to cope with a stinking full outdoor bin.

Emptying bi a and stripping beds seems normal to me.We also leave things tidy eg crumbs swept up etc. I sympathise about being cold though. I wouldn't expect heating in the bedrooms but would use spare blankets. Downstairs should be warm . After a number of cold house stays and unfathomable heating systems I never stay anywhere without a functional open fire or wood burner even in southern Europe.

I can't believe you have stayed in over 100 Airbnb's and never been asked to take your rubbish out!! I think you probably have not read the check out instructions before.

re: no heating situation - leave them a review that reflects this

Doesn’t everyone strip beds and empty bins as a courtesy?
heating definitely an issue though

We always strip the beds, put the rubbish out and load the dishwasher. We don’t leave stuff around the kitchen that needs washing and clear the fridge out.
However we are use to staying at LandmarkTrust properties so this is the norm.

If you were not told to do this as part of the booking deal then it’s out of order.
As is the heating issue and I would be making a formal complaint about that or / and mentioning it on trip advisor or similar.

Good for you, lazy hosts just wanting you to be a cleaner when they already charge for it.

Have you had any contact since @Senseonhorizons ? Especially about the heating?

Edit - did you actually get the breakfast? Not sure hosts realise the "breakfast" part should ever be done! Only once have I ever had this. Not sure what the think the 2nd "B" is for?

I’m a Airbnb host. Stripping beds and emptying bins is not cleaning! I don’t expect my guests to strip the beds but most do. I do expect them to bag up rubbish from kitchen and bathroom bins and place in dustbin outside. Agree with other posters that the heating is a different issue. Why didn’t you push them on their non response for more heaters? It’s unacceptable they ignored you.

I've stayed in loads of airbnbs as well. I load the dishwasher and put it on so that it's done when the cleaners get there.

I make the bed as I'm a grown man.

Everything else is, as far as I'm concerned, part of the cleaning fee I'm paying for. I just ignore all other requests and never got a negative.

I don't like to imagine.

Just been on a walking holiday. We mopped up boot marks, swept the floor (I always do this), cleaned the table and the counters as we went along. When we left, we also cleaned out the log burner we'd been using and wiped inside the fridge. Towels were piled up in the bath, as we'd do in a hotel. All rubbish bagged and put in the outside bins.

Our mess. We made it, we cleaned it up and ensured the place was left in a decent state. That's basic manners.

Bed-stripping was not a requirement and it would not have occurred to me to do so. That's a housekeeping task.

If there's a cleaning fee then I definitely wouldn't do all that, just strip the beds and get the sheets in the washing basket/washing machine and make sure it is left clean. Sounds like you've done what was reasonable. But definitely do at least contact Air BNB to let them know about the heating issue, not nice if a property isn't as described and someone vulnerable ends up freezing cold in there.

I also agree you should be told their expectations in the listing, some Air BNBs charge as much as or more than a hotel and if I'm paying that then expected to be doing 1001 jobs I would not be impressed.

I hate being cold, but I hardly ever heat my bedroom. 12C just for sleeping is fine if the blankets are warm enough. That's if you have a warm living room to spend time in, of course. I expect a hotel bedroom to be warm because I'll be living there too.

I also agree that taking the bins out is pretty standard. Whether it should be is a different matter, but I suppose the cleaner/host may not be coming straight away and it would fester otherwise.

@Jungfraujoch to play devil's advocate who does the bed stripping in a hotel? The same person that does the cleaning. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask guests to strip beds and put the dishwasher on but equally if the place is clean and tidy I don't think it's unreasonable for people to assume it's OK not to strip beds etc. Depending on the Air BNB price point and what's in the listing either assumption could be reasonable.

Bin emptying and bed stripping are standard in holiday properties. I wouldn’t know about air bnb as I’ve never thought it necessary to book that way.

The heating thing is annoying but does occasionally happen. I’d flag it up and ask for money off the rental. Can you report this to Air BnB themselves or is it that far off regular renting agencies?

I would leave the review knocking off a couple of stars off and explaining why factually.

Sounds Pretty standard so yes you’d be unreasonable to ignore - the heating is a separate issue.
although fwiw I always ask guests to leave bedding on so I can stain remove if necessary without having to wade through dirty bedding to see if it’s stained

I always try and leave any self catering cottage as I found it.
Brief list: Clean kitchen surfaces, empty and wipe out the fridge, tidy up, empty all bins, might run hoover round quickly if we have stayed a long time or if floors are sandy or muddy but I wouldn't wash a floor though. Similarly I'd only wipe hair and dust etc out of the bath and basin, not scrub it unless it was filthy. I'd strip the beds if asked, but not if not. But I'd def make the bed roughly so the place looked superficially tidy.

Airbnb is no different to the myriad of cottage agencies we used before it was invented. Self catering is not a serviced hotel and never has been. If you want someone to tidy up after you, book a hotel.

I always empty bins. I stripped beds this time because we were asked . Left duvet covers on though...

Despite leaving place clean, the owner is now trying to claim we flooded her en suite..

I would recommend anyone cleaning avers doesn't stay in a Dutch caravan. They come and inspect your cleaning. If it isn't good enough, they stand there, supervising, until it is spotless... it is quite the most terrifying experience.

I rent a lot of cottages.

Bed stripping is not.

It takes just as much energy to remake the beds as it does strip them. If you are going to be all ‘I’ve paid enough’ about it. Just get out the bed and leave it.

I quite like it when you have to strip the beds. It means that you kind of know that there will be clean sheets when you arrive rather than sheets that the cleaner thought looked clean enough without needing to bother changing.