cpmvfsgu days 8 and 9: monday and tuesday on salt spring island; whether or not to leave a negative review for an airbnb

I've spent the last two days reading, blogging, scratching, and occasionally eating and sleeping. There were other things to do on Salt Spring Island, but I was too uncomfortable to do anything. It was very nice to have uninterrupted time to read and write.

Tomorrow we'll take an early ferry to Crofton, drive up to Campbell River, take care of our appointments, then head back home. 

* * * *

I've had a long running argument by email with the host of this cottage. I'd like to leave a negative review, but I've read that bad reviews can seriously damage a host's standing with Airbnb. Also, I don't have many reviews on Airbnb and I don't want to be reviewed as a bad guest. I wish the cottage was listed on TripAdvisor, as I have a more substantial body of reviews there.

I've also read that a guest's review is not published until the host reviews the guest -- so if the host wants to suppress a negative review, they can simply decline to leave feedback on the guest. I haven't been able to confirm this.

Despite these issues, I feel uncomfortable not leaving a more fulsome and truthful review. To me that's how things are supposed to work. 

Here's the deal. The listing for the cottage said "self-clean". I interpreted that to mean that no one services the property while you are there -- that you're on your own. As it turns out, the host expects guests to clean the home for the next guests! 

We would never leave dirty dishes or a mess. But we are not going to vacuum, scrub the bathroom, wash the inside of the fridge, and so on. This host expects us to do that, or to leave $100 in cash -- a fee that was not mentioned in advance. We are doing neither.

The host does say that she has a cleaner coming in to provide the "second, covid cleaning".

She left us two towels, and no extras, and claims that guests bring their own. There is no washer/dryer in the house, and no laundromat on the island. It's damp here and towels don't dry. In our experience, there is usually a closet full of towels. The host claims that would substantially increase her costs.

I have been traveling a long time and have stayed in many different kinds of places. No owner of any vacation property has ever expected me to clean their house. Who goes on holidays expecting to clean?

Again, to be very clear: dishes washed, dried, and put away; all garbage and recycling taken outside; nothing messy or out of place; bed stripped as requested. And that ought to be enough.

To review or not to review?

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