Guest left Airbnb dirty? Normal mess such as unwashed dishes and a full bin is the cleaner's job, and we do not touch the deposit. Excessive mess such as a blocked sink, vomit or rubbish left for days can be claimed, at actual cost, with photos and receipts.
This article is for unit owners who want to know what happens when a unit is left in a bad state, and for guests who want to know what can and cannot be deducted. This is a common type of incident in the homestay business, not the story of a particular guest of ours.
On Malaysian Google, this topic mostly appears as viral news. A homestay owner in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, shared photos of a sink clogged with food waste and plastic, and claimed pillowcases and a blanket had been used as kitchen cloths (SAYS, 1 October 2025). In another case, a guest said a RM100 deposit was withheld over a toothbrush wrapper left on the table, after she says she had taken out the rubbish, washed the dishes and swept the floor (Kosmo, 4 June 2026). That report carries the guest's side only, but together they show the two ends of the same problem. What is missing is a clear line in the middle.
When a guest leaves an Airbnb dirty, what is normal mess and what is excessive?
Our test is simple: can the cleaner deal with it inside a normal check-out clean? If yes, it is normal work. The standard clean is already in the price of the booking, so the guest should not pay for it twice.
| Level | Example | Deduct from deposit? |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Dishes not washed, bed not made, bin full, a small wrapper on the table | No |
| Extra time | Rubbish left for days until it smells, the whole kitchen coated in grease, piles of rubbish bags | Yes, the recorded extra time |
| Specialist clean | Vomit, animal waste, sheets with stains that will not come out, a fridge full of rotten food | Yes, actual cost with a receipt |
| Damage | Sink blocked by food waste, pillowcases used as kitchen cloths and needing replacement | Yes, repair or replacement cost with proof |
| Not the guest's fault | An old pipe blocking on its own, mould from damp, insects from the building | No |
The last row matters just as much. A blocked sink is not automatically the last guest's fault. We ask the plumber what was actually in the pipe: food waste and plastic is one story, an old pipe is another.
This is also why we do not fine guests for not taking the rubbish out or not washing up, as we say in our check-out day guide. Taking the rubbish out is a courtesy, not a condition. A toothbrush wrapper is not worth RM100.
What do we do when the cleaner finds a unit in a bad state?
In this order:
- The cleaner stops and takes photos first. Before tidying anything: every room, the kitchen, the bathroom and whatever is dirty. Once it is cleaned, the evidence is gone.
- Report to the operations team with the photos and an estimate of the extra time.
- Check the next guest's schedule. Our default check-in is 15:00. If the unit will not be ready, the next guest hears early, not at the door.
- Compare with the baseline photos from the previous turnover, so we know the mess really came after this guest arrived.
- Keep the receipts: plumber's bill, specialist clean, the price of replacement linen.
- Tell the guest politely, item by item, within 24 hours: what was found, the photos, the actual cost and the balance being returned.
Every deduction in our system must have at least one photo attached. A claim against a guest can also only be tied to a booking that checked out within 7 days before the date the problem was found. The full steps for when a guest denies it are in our deposit deduction article.
How much can be deducted for extra cleaning?
Only the part above a normal clean, because the normal clean has already been paid for. The figures below are an example, not our price list:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Specialist clean after the guest (with receipt) | RM250 |
| Normal check-out clean, already in the booking | − RM70 |
| Deducted from the deposit | RM180 |
| Balance of the RM200 deposit returned | RM20 |
We have no fixed fines and no "hassle fee". As with smoke and durian, a list of fines looks tidy but does not survive a guest asking what it has to do with the actual cost.
What if the guest booked through Airbnb or Booking.com?
For platform bookings we usually do not hold a deposit, so the claim has to go through the platform.
| Channel | How to claim | What matters |
|---|---|---|
| Direct booking | Deduct from the default RM200 deposit | Photos required; balance returned |
| Airbnb | Ask the guest to pay in the Resolution Center, then Host Damage Protection | 14 days from check-out to ask the guest, 30 days to file the form (Airbnb terms) |
| Booking.com | Report guest misconduct in the extranet | No guaranteed payout; usually absorbed if there is no deposit |
| Agoda | Contact partner support | We could not find a clear host protection programme |
Airbnb's terms contain two limits every owner should know. First, payable cleaning costs are additional, reasonable costs incurred unexpectedly, for specified causes such as guest stains, pet bodily fluids or smoking. Second, only cleaning costs above the cleaning fee received are paid. In practice, "the place was a mess" without a clear extra cost may not succeed.
Hostfully's guide advises reporting within 14 days or before the next guest checks in, whichever comes first, so we collect evidence before the clean, not after. Some hosts do succeed: a host at Trion, Kuala Lumpur, says Airbnb approved a claim for an electricity bill of over RM630 after a two-month guest (SAYS, 11 September 2025). That is one host's account, not a promise. We do not guarantee that a platform will pay.
Who pays when the guest cannot be charged?
This is the part owners need to hear plainly: usually the owner.
In our owner report, the normal check-out clean is one line. Deep cleaning, warm cleaning and other cleaning are extra lines the owner pays. Our system lets the operator add a markup or discount on those extra cleaning lines, so an owner should ask any management company, including us, whether that line is the original price or has been marked up. You can check these lines with the 7 monthly statement checks.
A few more things that are unpleasant but true:
- A RM200 deposit is not enough for a truly bad case. The balance may never be collected.
- If there are no photos from before the clean, we do not deduct, even if we are sure. The cost falls on the unit.
- If the next guest has to be moved or refunded, that lost night is hard to claim back.
- We do not buy insurance for owners. See homestay insurance for owners.
- We cannot promise your unit will never be left dirty. With more than 100 units under management, we do not pretend it does not happen.
How do we reduce the risk from the start?
Prevention is cheaper than a claim:
- eKYC, deposit and guest score in buildings that support them. See our three layers of protection.
- Baseline photos at every turnover, so there is a "before".
- Enough bins and bags, and the building's rubbish room written into the check-in message.
- A check-out message with only three requests: food waste out of the sink and fridge, aircon off, keys or cards left behind. Long lists do not get read.
- Easy-to-clean kitchen surfaces and an obvious kitchen cloth, so pillowcases do not become rags.
If the same unit keeps being left dirty, the reason may not be the guests. Check first whether the listing is attracting a different kind of group from the one the unit suits. For the opposite situation, read how we handle a guest saying the homestay is not clean.
For guests: what should you do before check-out?
You do not need to mop the floor or change the sheets. What helps most is not leaving food waste in the sink, taking wet food out of the fridge, and telling us if something spilled or broke. An early message rarely ends in a dispute. If you receive a deduction without photos, ask for the photos.
The takeaway for owners
A guest leaving a unit dirty will happen now and then. What decides who loses is photos before the clean, receipts, the time limits, and the discipline not to deduct when the evidence is weak. If you want to know how we protect your unit and how these costs appear on your owner statement, talk to us here.