Air B n B guests no longer need to clean up after themselves

[lonelylou09]

Wondering what everyone's thoughts are on the upcoming changes to Air BnB bookings where owners will no longer be able to ask guests to strip beds, remove rubbish or even wash up after themselves.
I'm a cleaner and I'm worried this will mean I can no longer do changeovers properly.
I currently do a 5 bed 3 bathroom that sleeps 10 and it takes me the whole check out time (5 hours) to turn the property over. That's with guests having to strip beds, remove rubbish to correct outside bins and at the very least load up the dishwasher and put it on.
If I have to add this on to It could easily add on an hour which means check out or in times would have to be adjusted and people already moan or turn up 2 or 3 hours early or leave an hour late.
So I'm guessing I'm asking what peoples thoughts are if you use air B and b. Do you do these things if asked and would continue too if you can't be asked to? Or do you think this isn't your place to do it? Does it make a difference if there is a cleaning fee charged separately?
My view is it's not a hotel ..its self catering and you should leave it as you found it. I always put a lot of effort into trying to ensure when the guests arrive it feels like no one was there before then and it's theirs for the week.
If I stay anywhere...even a hotel I'll strip the bed and set the bins ready to make it easier for the cleaner.
But although most guests are great you do get some that you just wonder what Thier own home is like.

My friend is a cleaner for a holiday park company and said that often it takes longer to undo what kind hearted guests have done to help clean. They have very clear instructions on how things need to be cleaned and left and if guests tidy too well she has to go over it all again anyway to ensure it meets standards.
I think it’s outrageous for air b n bs to charge such huge cleaning fees yet expect so much done so I think the rule change is a good one. They need to pay for more cleaners!

Do you not just leave it as you found it but with the towels in the bath or something?
Isn't that just common decency?

YANBU. I’ll definitely still be washing up for you, I can’t not, it feels so rude.

The washing up is an odd one. I like a place where they are happy for us to leave the DW running or leave things to drain on the draining board. That to me has the cooperative vibe that AirBnB used to have. I think it's fine to expect a cleaner to just do the putting away. It was unnecessary to go as far as sanctioning leaving washing up but equally I am glad they have stopped hosts insisting we wash up breakfast by hand, dry and put away when there is a perfectly good DW sat there.

Rubbish had always been a PITA in AirBnBs so I am glad to see this changing. I don't mind being expected to put bins out on bin night but having to dispose of all our rubbish when leaving in an unfamiliar city can be difficult.

Sheets more recently hosts seem to be saying leave them so we can check them anyway. I think it's reasonable to expect a cleaner to do it rather than guests. Stripping beds is quite physical and difficult for some people. We have a disabled person in our party and it feels like a leveller that we will no longer be asked to do this job that he cannot manage.

6 beds? Anyone over the age of 7 can strip a bed, surely? Were you the only adult?

@Qb2654what huge cleaning fees? I don’t add a cleaning fee, it’s built into my price. I don’t expect guests to strip beds, empty the bin, vacuum etc. I don’t have a long list of ‘must dos’. I ask them to turn the heat off and I do expect them to leave it in a reasonable condition. That’s just common courtesy.
If people start thinking they can leave rubbish around, not put dishes in the dishwasher and generally leave a mess which I then have to pay extra to clean then I’ll just hike my prices.
I get less than 10% of my bookings through Airbnb though, so not really an issue.

OP you say you think guests should leave the house as they find it. But you say it takes 5 hours to get the house clean and beds made, for the next guests. So are you saying guests should spend 5 hours returning the house to the state it was in when they arrived?

I always put bins out, dishwasher on, and strip the beds. But there’s no way I’m cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming the floors, especially not if I’ve paid a cleaning fee.

Crossposted.

Maybe the other adults were variously wrangling children and/or babies, emptying the DW & handwashing breakfast things, packing etc. Most of which my disability relative can manage.

Agree with this. I’m sick of seeing property owner's on social media posting videos like this “OH MY GOD look at the state they’ve left the place in how can people be so disrespectful” and there’s literally some rubbish in the bin, some food in the fridge, a plate in the sink and a towel on the floor.

Don’t get me wrong i would never leave a place filthy or with anything broken. But you pay to hire the property along with a cleaning fee so expecting guests to leave it spotless is a pisstake in my opinion. People are getting greedier. We are staying in an air b&b over half term with people either side of us staying in the same property too. That will be at least £1500 for the owner in the space of 1 week. I’m sure they can afford to add another cleaner if needed.

Fair enough. Just seemed an odd division of labour.

Ive never been asked to strip the beds and do a deep clean when Ive stayed in an air b&b. Where has this come from?
Im not paying a lot of money to stay somewhere and then have to clean the place instead of enjoying my last day.
Im tidy anyway and would always wash up before leaving.

I take out rubbish, ensure pots are clean/dishwasher is loaded. I certainly don’t strip beds, I’m not touching somebody else’s unwashed duvet/pillow/mattress.

There are already at least 4 threads about this exact topic! The one I've linked has 166 replies!

I would never strip a bed unless the old rules asked for it. Lots of hosts have explained why people stripping beds is a PITA for their laundry streams/checking for stains etc. Out of interest OP, if flat sheets are such an issue, why can't you use fitted ones?

I can't stand only being made aware of rules once INSIDE the property. Dogs not allowed upstairs, bins must be sorted into 7 different recycling bins, all dotted around the town etc.

As I said on another thread, I was given a poor score after being accused of putting glasses back it the cupboard dirty (we didn't use them!) said we'd moved furniture around (we didn't) and left the place messy! I stopped using Airbnb after that and if I want a kitchen, I'd now book via booking.com, an aparthotel or use other sites.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5591479-host-requests-for-airbnb-places?page=1

When you pay thousands to stay somewhere, you should be able to leave it like you do a hotel room. OP, if this change makes your job impossible, the owner will have to either give you more time (and money), or have two of you prepping the place.

I think the change is positive, but it will probably push prices up because some cleaners may feel it then takes extra time to clean the property.

I can't understand why on earth you would strip your bed in a hotel. You're paying for the luxury of staying somewhere that is made up when you arrive and cleaned after you leave. There is absolutely no need to strip the beds yourself.

Of the few AirBnbs I've stayed in, the rubbish emptying is an annoyance because it's always been in the basement, through several doors that require a code, or through a maze-like courtyard and down an alley. That being said, if requested, of course I do it. I've only stayed in one (exceptionally cheap) property that asked guests to make up and strip their own beds. It wouldn't occur to me not to clean up the dishes we've used; though it is always preferable if the owner allows for the dishwasher to be left on once you've left.

So, on the whole, I'd still clean up dishes/put the dishwasher on and leave the place tidy. But I value not being given a list of cleaning requirements after I've spent a fortune on accommodation and a cleaning fee.

I think guests should do their own washing up and leave the kitchen tidy. I don't think they should have to strip beds or empty bins. I usually do the bins as a matter of course but some of the demands by Air BNB hosts were getting a bit ridiculous.

This...

Things like emptying bins feels like I'm doing the job for them...

If this was the expectation I'd expect to pay a lot less..

I've stopped booking Airbnb. I found the properties were never as nice as the host made out, so many just felt yuck and it didn't feel like a restful break. I am very glad to see this rule come in though. So many times I've gone to use crockery or cutlery and found that the last people didn't wash it properly I don't trust people to do it anymore and I would feel I have to wash before use. Stripping beds - why? If I've paid a cleaning fee that should be included. Bins out yes of course I expect to do that but then hosts need to put them nearby so that I'm not killing myself lugging everything down the track.

If I pay to stay away from home I do not want to have to clean it thoroughly or strip the beds. I want to enjoy the time away that I'm paying for in a comfortable clean property! Airbnb has become a host piss take and I'm unsympathetic to anyone who is moaning about the new rules because I think the demands got ridiculous.

A 5 bed. 3 bath home will cost a fortune to rent so the owner needs to put appropriate steps in place, i.e. 2 cleaners rather than 1 to turn it around. The owners will be getting paid handsomely by the renters, so just need to pay for 2 cleaners if 1 can't do it in a perfectly normal changeover period of 5-6 hours!

I agree with this I'm afraid. I find the cleaning fees extortionate as they are (£125 for a one bedroom apartment a few years back - I didn't book it) without me having to do all the bed stripping and bin clearing. I'm on holiday to get away from that!

I always leave it clean and tidy, don't get me wrong, but I think some (not all) Air BnB owners use the cleaning fee to bump up their profits.

This

FWIW I'm another who couldn't bring myself not to leave a place decent, but if hosts want a deep clean isn't that what the fee is for?
What worries me is that some will start retaining deposits instead, exaggerating "the state it was left in" so they can keep the cleaning fee as pure profit

@Hedgly

So many times I've gone to use crockery or cutlery and found that the last people didn't wash it properly I don't trust people to do it anymore and I would feel I have to wash before use.

Same here. I'd never trust the previous guests nor cleaner to have clean things properly and always put everything we're likely to need in the dishwasher upon our arrival before we use anything. In the past, we've found remnants of food on crockery/cutlery and lipstick on glasses, hence why we wash everything ourselves before use.

And if they cleaned their own windows and hoovered their own rooms and scrubbed their own toilets, it'd also save you time.

I don't really use airbnb but often stay in holiday lets by myself with two young children. We often travel on public transport rather than driving.

I'll do what I can around getting everything packed up, the kids up, dressed and breakfasted and us all out by 10am. But realistically, I'm not going to be stripping beds nor am I going to be leaving two young kids alone in the accommodation while I traipse about looking for the correct outside bins. I usually manage to make sure rubbish is in the correct indoor bins, clean up any mess and crumbs, do a quick hoover, wipe down surfaces, check the bathroom is in a decent state and used towels in the bath and wash up any crockery or glasses we've used. The children are usually sat down outside in the garden or sat in the car while I'm doing a final check and clean.

If I can accomplish this while looking after two young children, I'd expect a cleaner whose job it is to be able to clean the place properly in five hours.

I will not do anything on top of this that is not clearly required in the T&Cs before booking.

10 am is rather early check-out time for me, I just don't have time to sort anything else then myself.

I don't mind loading the dishwasher and pressing start. I definitely can't do putting things away as well, as it won't finish in time.

The beds are on the edge, doing one isn't a big deal, but there are beds of children, elderly, someone who is at that time looking after children, packing, loading the dishwasher...

Unless it was a longer stay and I've done it already, I hate taking bin bags outside. At many places it just isn't that clear where to go and how to do it, especially at appartment buildings and it takes time I just don't have (getting outside with bags, finding the right back doors, getting back for my things)