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If you’ve been hosting on Airbnb for a while, you know that smoking can bring a host of problems. Not only is it harmful to the person doing it, but it also leaves a bad smell on your property.
Who likes a house reeking of tobacco and marijuana? Their odor sticks on drapes, carpets, walls, furniture, and linen in any home. It even gets into the air ducts. And it’s one of the nastiest and hardest smells to get rid of.
In the following video, my partner Jon talks about how he prevents any smoking in Airbnb by using certain tools.
Smoking can leave a room unpleasant and downright unsuitable for its next occupant. It leaves behind what’s called third-hand smoke, which is residual nicotine and other chemicals that cling to dust and surfaces after someone smokes in an area. Scientists regard it as an environmental pollutant that’s hazardous to health, with children, the elderly, and pets being the most at risk.
Aside from the lingering bad smell, there could be burn marks on fabrics, nicotine stains on surfaces, weed fragments laying around, cigarette butts here and there, and ash everywhere.
You may have already announced a no-smoking policy in your house rules. But what if a guest breaks it? What do you do so you don’t end up losing your next guest’s reservation?
As more and more states legalize marijuana, smokers may feel they’re more at liberty to smoke, vape, and do recreational pot wherever they can.
How do you prevent them from slipping in and wreaking havoc in your rental?
Ridding your house of unwanted odors can be time-consuming, costly, and laborious. Whether it’s tobacco, cannabis, pet odor, burnt food, fishy smells, curry, even human body odor or heavy perfume — it takes hours, sometimes days, of intensive cleaning to make your space smelling fresh again.
It also takes a while to get financial compensation from Airbnb.
Here are things you can do to start remediating the situation quickly.
While Airbnb expects hosts to seek resolution with their guests first, it’s wise to also report the incident to Airbnb immediately. Their Resolution Center guides both hosts and guests in addressing any kind of conflict.
That said, Airbnb would usually ask for evidence that documents issues being complained about. Documentation includes a written account of what happened, photos, videos, and receipts. Here are the relevant things you can present:
Airbnb allows you to make a claim within 14 days of your guest’s checkout date, or before your next guest’s check-in — whichever is earlier.
You can start by airing your unit out. Use two fans, a high-intensity one, and a normal box fan. Place the box fan in the window so it can suck the smokey air from the room and blow it out. Then put the other fan on the opposite side of the room and turn it on full blast.
That is just the initial phase of the venting process. According to the Mayo Clinic, third-hand smoke can’t be eliminated just by airing out rooms, opening windows, and using fans and air conditioners.
To wipe out all lingering third-hand smoke, we recommend using an ozone generator. These machines work by cleaning the air and killing all fungi and bacteria, breaking them down to the molecular level. They cost anywhere from $70 to $100 and will turn out cheaper than regular professional or intensive cleaning. They can also be rented.
Air purifiers like Blueair, Levoit, and Winix will work, too.
If you can’t get hold of these machines, use natural air purifiers and odor absorbers like charcoal, coffee grounds, gonzo rocks, and Moso purifying bags. These are fragrance- and chemical-free and won’t cause any allergic reaction to your next guests — except for coffee, which smells great anyway. Set them out in small dishes around your home and let them sit for several hours or overnight.
Wipe down walls, windows, doors, counters, and all surfaces with a wet rag and baking soda, ammonia, scented cleaner, lemon juice, or vinegar.
Put all linen — curtains, beddings, towels — through a deep wash. Ask your cleaning crew to steam-clean the carpet. And place mattresses and all soft furniture out in the sun if possible.
If the smell is really bad, consider replacing the filters of your air conditioner and heater.
In this next video, Jon tells us what he did after his neighbors complained of weed smoke coming from one of his apartment rentals. Get a few tips on how to address smoking in your Airbnb, too.
Let your arriving guests know that you’ve just deodorized the place. Explain to them that you had smokers use the property against your wishes.
If there’s still a hint of smell and the new guests notice it or not — and whether or not they mind it — at least you alerted them in advance.
Airbnb encourages hosts to clearly state their no-smoking policy in their listing descriptions and message threads — and guests are fully expected to comply.
You’ll want to distinguish between “no smoking” and “no smokers” because there’s a slight difference between them.
If you state “no smoking”, smokers could still book your unit because they’ll understand it to mean they can’t smoke inside your property but will be happy to do so in your yard.
If you’re okay with that, it’s fine. You may even want to direct them to areas where they can smoke, like your balcony, front porch, or a vacant spot down the street where neighbors won’t be bothered. The decision is yours.
But if you don’t want anyone smoking anywhere on or outside your property, clearly say “No Smokers”. Be strict and clear.
And make sure the rule is easily seen. If you don’t publish your policy, it would be easy for guests to assume that smoking is allowed, and they can use the no-declaration against you when you’re making a claim.
Restate your policy in your welcome message or check-in instructions. You may also reinforce it all around your property. Purchase formal “No Smoking” signs and post them where they are easily seen — behind every door or above light switches. That way, they have no excuse for “not knowing”.
With your smoking policy, include a smoking fee. You could tell your guests that if they leave a scent of tobacco or marijuana inside your airbnb, you’ll have to charge them for the cleaning fees to get it out. Explain how much it’s going to cost you to ozonate the air, hire professional cleaners, and how you even risk getting a poor review from your next guest. You can charge anywhere from $100 to $200 for smoking.
There are various ways to find out if any guest is violating your no-smoking rules.
First of all, smoke alarms. Airbnb gives them for free to all hosts with an active listing. In most places, state authorities require rental property owners to have them anyway. They not only ensure the safety of your guests and of your property, but they also aid you in ensuring that your guests have a problem-free stay.
But there are smarter, more sensitive detectors that are WiFi-enabled and specially designed to monitor tobacco and marijuana smoke. One is the FreshAir sensor, a plug-in device that can alert your mobile or laptop with time-stamped reports of smoking incidents. Those can serve as evidence that you’ll need to enforce your no-smoking rule. It’s very discreet and won’t easily be noticed by smoker guests who want to sneak a joint.
Another is Nest Protect, an industrial-grade sensor that does a good job of detecting and alerting you of any type of smoke. It speaks up and tells occupants what and where the issue is before it sounds off an alarm.
Finally, and as mentioned above, you can install an outdoor camera to monitor traffic outside your front door. Smoking, along with drinking, often happens when guests invite some friends over and start holding a party. There’s a device called PartySquasher that can sense when a group of people or cars start gathering around your property. It’ll alert you through SMS or email so you can check what’s going on and do something about it.
Don’t hesitate to warn guests that anyone caught violating your no-smoking policy will be given a bad review. If they do, go ahead and follow through with your warning. Give them a thumbs-down and 1 star on house rules and cleanliness.
Nobody likes giving a bad review, but if it’s the only way to prevent them from doing the same thing in other Airbnb properties, then you’ll just have to take the initiative.
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