‘She made it sound like we destroyed the place’: Airbnb host charges guests a $70 cleaning fee, then leaves them a bad review for not cleaning up, guests seek payback

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Oct 4, 2024 9:00 AM EDT

As much as people love to talk about how great Airbnb is, there is also a lot wrong with that concept, starting with the people who become hosts. Everywhere you go, you'll hear at least one horror story of an Airbnb host who overcharged, gave terrible reviews, or even put up a hidden camera in the bathroom (if you know you know). This is why many people prefer to go back to 'the old-fashioned way' and simply book a hotel.

While this story is not as bad as a hidden camera tale, it is a perfect example of how some Airbnb hosts take advantage of their guests. OP (original poster) shared how disappointed they were after their host left a bad review because they didn't properly clean up the place, despite the host charging a $70 cleaning fee in advance. The review was left after OP already put in their positive review, and they are now seeking a way to get even with the host.

Keep scrolling to read the full story. After you are done, click here for a story of a new hire who refused to listen to her coworker's training.

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  • 01
    airbnb 147 Q New York Aug 12-29 SPACIOUS PRIVATE ROOM in MANHATTAN Arconditioning cen $26/night Search as move the map $30 Fright Cory, Confortable and Nice place in Bay Ridge Ⓒkafed -463 70 Sunt Spacious Apartment in Brooklyn 563 $100 364 A 527 So $36/night New $37 1100 = = 543 Add a place or address to the X map for reference ° 526 536 4 A A NO . 7 B 7 9 ° 9 31P 8 % 5 2 6 P 1 La Y U ' ° W E R T L 3 ix 1 b J ய Y K E H L S D F G H P J K L . 9 6 b B A n P 0 Л A Z x C v B N M T 10 A 4 C M " b " 9
    via cottonbro studio

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    AirBnB host gave us a bad review for not cleaning...after charging cleaning fee.
    via Catdadesq
  • 03
    Got charged a $70 cleaning fee when booking. No instructions for checkout or trash removal (large building, not obvious where trash removal happens) so
    via Catdadesq
  • 04
    we figured that stuff was part of the cleaner's job. We put the dirty dishes in the sink, made sure all trash was in bags, and left. Host wrote a review basically making it
    via Catdadesq
  • 05
    sound like we destroyed the place. Sounds like our crimes were 1) leaving a blanket on the floor, 2) not noticing an earplug that had rolled under the bed, and 3) not scrubbing the
    via Catdadesq
  • 06
    bathroom. Per the host, this disgusting mess made her want to quit AirBnB, which honestly she probably should.
    via Catdadesq
  • 07
    I can respond to the review, but there's no way to do so without coming across as defensive or petty, so I basically just have to live with it, which makes me irrationally angry.
    via Catdadesq
  • 08
    Catdadesq OP There were no checkout or cleaning instructions whatsoever--lots of general rules that we followed eg no shoes inside, don't use the laundry machine, etc. but nothing for cleaning or checkout. No dishwasher and we were in a hurry
    via Catdadesq
  • 09
    so we left like a couple of plates, cups, and forks in the sink--we mostly ate out so not like we were leaving a huge cooking mess or anything. If it's that important to you that I clean all the dishes or take the trash downstairs or
    via Catdadesq
  • 10
    whatever, leave it in the instructions--don't charge me a $70 cleaning fee (for a maybe 500sf apartment) and then expect me to know what's not covered by the fee.
    via Catdadesq
  • 11
    Petal2da Metalll You should respond to the host review and get ABNB involved as well. She sounds irrational, and if you can put that in a review you will stop a lot of people from suffering the way you did
    via Petal2da
  • 12
    Catdadesq OP Unfortunately she didn't review me until after I'd already reviewed the place positively and I don't think that non-host users can her review of me or my response.
    via Catdadesq
  • 13
    borderbox I recently had a similar situation. Contact Airbnb support. Both of your reviews will be removed and you won't be able to post new reviews on each other. It was a relatively quick and painless process for me.
    via borderbox
  • 14
    ☑Catdadesq OP That's not a bad idea, I'll give that a try. Thanks.
    via Catdadesq
  • 15
    Hegnards Airbnb review system works in a way where you have a time limit to leave reviews. And you don't see the other person's review until either both of you posted one, or that time limit is up.
    via egnards
  • 16
    Catdadesq OP Yup. And the apartment was nice so unfortunately I left a mostly positive review before I saw this.
    via Catdadesq
  • 17
    Zyklon00 Yeah leaving the dishes like that is not something I would do Edit: so many downvotes? Everyone would just leave the dirty dishes?
    via Zyklon00
  • 18
    Catdadesq OP I do the dishes if the checkout instructions request it and/or if I haven't paid a cleaning fee. But I figured two plates, two forks, and two cups wasn't too big a burden for the $70 cleaning fwe.
    via Catdadesq
  • 19
    juanito_f90 At this point it's better to just get a hotel room.
    via juanito_f90
  • 20
    Catdadesq OP I definitely prefer hotels but my wife and I both needed to work during the week and hotel workspace setups usually s.k.
    via Catdadesq

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reviews guests cleaning review annoying work customers reddit story Airbnb host mildly infuriating entitled Reddit karen entitled people
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