Vacation rentals have their perks, including no crowded lobbies and usually, no overpriced breakfasts. But the Airbnb experience comes with its own rules, and plenty of guests break them without realizing it. Hosts might smile through the stay, but behind the scenes, they're losing patience. It doesn’t take much to leave a bad impression, and a few common habits drive hosts up the wall.
These are some of the sure-fire ways you land on the unofficial blacklist.
Treating It Like a Hotel
Image via Unsplash/visualsofdana
Airbnb hosts don’t offer concierge services, bellhops, or breakfast buffets. Still, many guests act like they’ve booked into a resort. Hosts report guests expecting daily room cleanings, fresh towels delivered mid-stay, and 2 a.m. check-ins without warning. One London host told Business Insider that guests complain if the building’s exterior doesn’t look high-end, even when the inside is spotless and matches the listing.
Some guests also demand hotel-like perks, such as free upgrades, extra beds for unexpected guests, and early check-in and late check-out on a one-night booking. These kinds of requests create scheduling headaches for hosts who often manage cleaning, guest turnover, and maintenance alone. Airbnb isn't a full-service hotel. The more guests expect that treatment, the more strain they put on someone running a property without a full staff.
Ignoring House Rules
House manuals exist for a reason. Hosts spend time explaining how appliances work, when to take out the trash, and what to avoid in the home. Guests who ignore these instructions often leave chaos behind. A host in Wales said guests regularly left the heat on full blast with the windows open, even though his manual asked otherwise. Another in Denver asked guests not to open certain closets in her primary residence. They did it anyway and used the contents without permission.
These rules help protect the home, keep costs reasonable, and ensure things run smoothly for the next visitor. Skipping the instructions often leads to repairs, missing items, or extra cleanup, and none of these are built into the booking fee.
Leaving a Disaster Behind
No one expects guests to deep clean the property before leaving, but basic cleanup matters. Hosts commonly return to find piles of dishes or trash stuffed in random corners. One Florida host recalled a pan coated in a dozen scrambled eggs, crusted and forgotten on the stove. Another found personal items left in the sheets, everything from underwear to candy wrappers.
Worse are the guests who overdo it. Stripping beds, moving furniture to “help,” or mixing recycling with trash can create extra work. Most hosts have a cleaning routine that depends on the home being left in livable shape. When it’s not, they’re stuck scrambling before the next check-in.
There’s also a growing trend of using properties for things they were never meant for. Someone booked a place for two people, only for it to turn into a 20-person party on a rented yacht. Another host in Spain had to send her mother to do a wellness check after a drunk guest passed out with the door locked and wouldn't respond. These situations go far beyond normal wear and tear.
Making Petty or Strategic Complaints
Reviews can make or break a listing. Some guests know this and use it to their advantage. Hosts have dealt with people who dig through closets, lift mattresses, or inspect under beds looking for flaws they can use to get discounts or refunds. One reported a guest complaining about a photo frame under the bed and demanding compensation for it.
Other guests complain about things the host can’t control, like the building's design, street noise in a busy city, or the absence of a rice cooker in a Western kitchen. These comments affect ratings and make it harder for hosts to attract responsible guests. The irony is that many of these same guests leave glowing reviews for hotels where they never saw a single employee.
Airbnbs don’t run on hotel-sized budgets. Many are family homes or second properties. Blasting the AC with the windows open or leaving the lights on all day creates a noticeable dent in the utility bill. With rising energy costs, that behavior matters.
Taking What Doesn’t Belong to You
Hosts don’t expect every bar of soap to survive the stay. But some guests help themselves to anything that is not nailed down. Towels, remote controls, mugs, lamps—yes, lamps—have all gone missing. A longtime host once returned to find almost everything gone except the furniture.
Not every case is that extreme, but the smaller thefts add up. Full bottles of shampoo, cookware, and extra linens all cost money to replace. And when they go missing, the next guest walks into a home that’s incomplete.
Expecting the Host to Be On-Call
Hosts want guests to enjoy their stay. However, some guests treat them like customer service agents on a 24-hour line. They call about slow Wi-Fi, the TV remote, or how to operate a shower. While quick help can make a stay smoother, too many guests overuse the contact feature for things they could figure out with a minute of patience.
Final Thought
Being a respectful Airbnb guest isn’t complicated. Read the listing, follow the rules, and treat the place like it’s someone’s home because it is. Most hosts are happy to go the extra mile, but it only works when guests meet them halfway. A little awareness goes a long way in keeping the peace.