Tourist in China told to clean toilet 'for the next guest' after Airbnb stay or risk losing $940 deposit
A touring family in China was told to clean up after their stay, or lose their deposit.
PHOTO: Screengrab/Douyin
PUBLISHED ONFebruary 25, 2024 6:08 AMByKhoo Yi-HangIf you wouldn't wash your dishes after eating at a restaurant, you probably wouldn't want to clean up after living at an Airbnb either.
However, this Chinese tourist was tasked with just that - at the risk of losing her 5,000 yuan (S$940) deposit, according to multiple reports by Chinese media on Feb 16.
The tourist, surnamed Wang, had aired her complaints on Douyin.
She was on a family trip to Haihua Island in Hainan during the Spring Festival and had booked a 280-square-metre home via Airbnb worth 20,000 yuan for a month beginning on Feb 2.
When Wang's family left on Feb 15 - just 10 days after they checked in, forfeiting the rest of the money they paid for their stay - they were told that they wouldn't get their deposit back.
According to the agent that signed the contract with Wang, the family didn't clean the home well enough before leaving.
The family needed to clean the floor, refrigerator and make the bed to the same standard as when they arrived so that "the next guest could directly move in", South China Morning Post reported.
Wang was shocked and called the police, also complaining in her Douyin video: "I needed to wipe the toilet clean before I was allowed to leave."
"It is like a restaurant asking me to clean the dishes after finishing my meal," a Douyin user commented.
Another said: "Hainan is the most popular tourist resort with the best winter climate in China, but the agent provided the lowest-quality service."
Following investigations, it was discovered that the owner of the property entrusted the house to a housekeeping company, which in turn listed the home to an intermediary company that rented it out to Wang's family, CCTV News reported.
On Feb 15, Wang's family and the intermediary company got into an argument over the cleanliness of the home and Wang was returned her deposit that same day.
The intermediary company was also made responsible for subsequent hygiene matters.
In addition, the local government in charge of housing and urban-rural development spoke with the intermediary company and urged them to improve service levels.
khooyihang@asiaone.com