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Post by Inanna (Shaun) on Apr 18, 2016 20:52:19 GMT
so, last week I had two separate guests arrive, both wth copious dark hair and from cultures where men don't clean. Two days ago, when I went to clean one of the bathrooms, there was the most disgusting mess in the shower, handfuls of dark hair and I will not elaborate further, but it was truly the worst. I cleaned it up, asked one of the guests (the other wasn't home) if it was him, showed him the mess. He said it wasn't. I left a sign stating that cleaning up after yourself in the bathroom was not optional. It happened again today, so I updated the sign to give instructions of how to clean the shower after use. What should I do if this continues? I am considering a house meeting. I stated in my note that this was grounds for a reservation cancellation if it continues, but I am not sure how to catch who is doing this.
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Post by High Priestess on Apr 19, 2016 0:06:23 GMT
Inanna (Shaun) -- I know exactly how you feel since I have had this happen!! It's good to finally find another host like you Shaun who has the same situation I do, where we have more than one guest at a time, and guests who dont' know each other, and who use the same bathroom.
It is one of the worst problems to have with guests when this happens -- apart from really egregious things like a guest getting drunk and bothering other guests, or stealing from other guests, messes in the bathroom are one of the hardest things since finding a gross mess there can be so upsetting to other guests, and is so NOT what we want our guests to find in the bathroom!!!
As to trying to identify who it is, that is always tricky.
Here is what I would suggest:
First, talk to each guest who uses that bathroom, but talk to them privately and individually. When you talk to them individually, you can use your intuition and BS radar to assess who seems a likely candidate. One thing to look for would be someone who isn't as upset about the mess as one would expect a reasonable person to be -- taking it all in stride may suggest that is the person who did it, or then again it could be just another messy person. It's possible more than one person created the mess.
When you talk to them, first explain why this is not acceptable, and show them how to clean the tub. THen have them show you that they heard you by demonstrating what you explained. Clarify to the guest that they are responsible for cleaning out the tub after each and EVERY use, not only if it is "their hair" that messed it up. Explain that sometimes they may end up cleaning someone else's hair. THis point is where I see a lot of people not getting it. Some guests are very particular about only being willing to clean up their "own" mess, not someone else's, but this can't be permitted, or else the minute someone forgets to clean up after themselves, no one would ever clean the tub for the next ten years , because "That hair isn't mine." So the rule has to be , that one has to clean the tub after each use, not that one only has to clean out one's own hair.
Explain that if this problem keeps occurring, the person responsible may be asked to leave the house and find another place to stay, so that it is very important that this not continue.
If it keeps happening:
If there is any way of you being able to happen to find out who takes a shower when, perhaps you could arrange to "just happen to be walking by" at the time someone comes out of the shower. Then check the condition of the tub after each person leaves the bathroom. If anyone walks out of it without cleaning it, then that will be the "one" warning the person gets -- you will give them a chance by calling them back and requiring them to clean it. If they do it again, it's eviction.
I consider that we as the host will end up having to do some of the cleanup in a situation like this -- we may have to clean the tub several times before either the dirty guest leaves, or we figure out who it is and we can deal with it.
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Post by High Priestess on Apr 19, 2016 4:22:07 GMT
Shaun, I just heard about this change Airbnb made to their house rules help page, which should make it easier if any host has to evict a guest due to failure to follow house rules: globalhosting.freeforums.net/thread/2113/hosts-allowed-cancel-guest-breaksBasically, Airbnb is now saying that hosts can cancel a guest's reservation w/o penalty if guest breaks a house rule. YEA!! You may also be interested to see Peter's post about this where he has this info, as well as shows his own "terms of accomodation" document he has his guests sign. www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-217842Peter shared on APril 18 2016 New House Rules - Great New Features! Have you noticed the new House Rules? These are the new features I particularly like: "If a guest breaks a house rule, either before or during their stay, you can cancel their reservation without penalty. House Rules appear on your listing page, and guests must review and agree to them before requesting a reservation. They’re also sent directly to a guest once they’ve a confirmed reservation." Members here have frequently commented that their Guest has violated a House Rule, but it's not clear what recourse the Host has in these circumstances. Now, it's clear. The Host can cancel without penalty. If the Guest threatens a bad review in retaliation, that is blackmail and the Host should (a) report it to Airbnb CX and (b) insist that the Guest be kicked off the platform. Yay! One important feature I love is the fact that I was able to add a shortened URL at the end of the Pre-booking Message text box (those inserted in the "additional rules" text box remained blocked). This allowed me to attach my standard waiver of liability terms, which I have not been able to do since all links were previously blocked. Here's what I did. I inserted the following language: (1) in the "Additional rules" text box: "* please note the additional terms referred to at the end of my Pre-booking Message." (2) in the Pre-booking Message text box: "Also, please note these additional terms: bit.ly/1YDnp6X" This gives me an extra layer of protection for Hosts against liability risks if a Guest suffers loss, damage or harm during their reservation. Please don't rely on this as legal or professional advice. You should always consult an attorney before taking action with legal implications. Peter. (note: Peter is an attorney, albeit not a practising one) Peter's document: bit.ly/1YDnp6X |
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Post by Inanna (Shaun) on Apr 19, 2016 6:54:31 GMT
Thanks for all the great information, Deborah. Really appreciate it. Yes, it is one of the worst problems to have, short of drunken obnoxiousness. I think I know who it is, as the mess was exactly the same both times. Exactly. Uncanny. Anyway, I asked the guy and he said no, but was very chill about it. It's a great idea to ask the others and see what they say.
The new ability of the hosts to kick out the rule breakers is sorely needed. Hopefully It won't come to that! But it's been awhile since I've had to do that, about a year.
Its a a good reminder too, to double check the rules, to remember them clearly, and perhaps step up my game by doing something like Peter's terms.
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Post by Inanna (Shaun) on Apr 29, 2016 3:52:45 GMT
So, I solved the problem by posting a note, a pretty stern note, along with a little plastic box containing a sponge and cleaning spray. I put it in the bathroom where no one could miss it. And I asked everyone privately about the mess. No one admitted to it, but the bathroom has since remained clean. The supplies were there all along, but now, they are in the line of sight with a note. So even if no one has used them, they are not being so horribly offensively messy.
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Post by High Priestess on Apr 29, 2016 4:44:22 GMT
Shaun, I'm really glad that you found something that WORKED to try to alleviate this problem!! Great going!!
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