What is the most common cleanliness complaint about homestays?

General maintenance and cleanliness issues, such as dust, worn furnishings or things not being kept up between guests, come up more often than any single specific problem.

Are pest issues common in homestays?

They are reported occasionally, more often in rural or farm-stay properties than in apartments, and are worth asking about directly if the listing is in a more remote setting.

Should I ask about cleaning between guests?

Yes. Asking how a property is cleaned between bookings, and how recently your stay follows the previous guest's checkout, is a reasonable question that a confident host will answer easily.

What can I do if a homestay is not clean on arrival?

Photograph the issue immediately and raise it with the host right away, before you unpack. Prompt, documented communication gives you the best chance of a resolution.

Cleanliness and hygiene red flags to watch for when booking a homestay

By Janice · Updated 2026-07-25

Cleanliness is the single most frequently praised quality across guest feedback for homestays in this directory, which also means it is the area where a property falling short stands out the most. Here is what to watch for before you book.

What guests most often flag

Looking across recurring feedback themes for homestays broadly, the most common cleanliness and maintenance concerns are not dramatic. They tend to be things like general upkeep lagging behind photos, air conditioning or plumbing issues that were not addressed, and occasional pest problems, more often reported at rural or farm-stay properties than at apartments or condos.

None of these are universal, and the majority of feedback across this directory is positive on cleanliness specifically. But knowing the pattern of what does go wrong helps you ask better questions before booking.

Wifi reliability and washing machine access also come up periodically in guest feedback, and while neither is strictly a hygiene issue, both affect how comfortable a longer stay feels. If either matters to your trip, it is worth confirming directly rather than assuming from the listing description, since not every host lists every amenity in detail. For pool-equipped properties specifically, the pool safety checklist for private-pool homestays covers water quality and maintenance questions worth asking too.

Reading between the lines of a listing

A few signals in a listing itself can hint at how seriously a host treats upkeep:

Photo recency and detail. Listings with clear, close-up photos of bathrooms and kitchens, not just wide living-room shots, tend to reflect hosts who are comfortable with close inspection.
How recent the reviews are. A property with strong reviews from a year ago but nothing recent is harder to judge than one with consistent positive feedback in the last few months.
Specificity in the host’s answers. A host who can describe exactly how the property is cleaned between guests is generally more reassuring than one who gives a vague “yes, it’s clean.”

Close-up of a freshly cleaned homestay bathroom with clean towels and toiletries neatly arranged

Questions worth asking before you book

Ask	What you are checking for
How is the property cleaned between guests?	Confirms there is an actual process, not just an assumption
How long since the last guest checked out?	Helps gauge how fresh the turnaround will be
Any recent pest treatment, especially for rural properties?	Relevant mainly for farm-stay or more remote listings
Is air conditioning and plumbing in working order?	These are among the more commonly reported maintenance gaps

What to do if there is a problem on arrival

If a property does not match expectations on cleanliness, document it immediately with photos and message the host before unpacking or settling in. Most hosts respond well to a clear, prompt, specific report, and it also protects you if you need to raise the issue with the platform or seek a partial refund afterward.

Keep the tone factual rather than accusatory in that first message. A specific description, such as noting a stained mattress cover or a bathroom that has not been cleaned since the last guest, gets a faster and more useful response than a general complaint, and gives the host a clear starting point to fix the issue or offer a resolution.

Using reviews as your best signal

Beyond direct questions, recent guest reviews remain the most reliable indicator of ongoing cleanliness standards, since they reflect actual recent stays rather than a listing description written once and rarely updated. A property with consistent, recent praise for cleanliness is a stronger bet than one relying on older reviews or none at all.

It is worth reading a handful of reviews rather than just the star rating summary, since a property can have a high average while still carrying one or two recent, specific complaints worth knowing about ahead of time. A pattern across several recent stays tells you far more than any single glowing or critical review on its own.

To compare properties by recent guest rating, browse the full directory, and see how we score listings for how cleanliness and other factors are weighted in the ranking here.

FAQ

What is the most common cleanliness complaint about homestays?: General maintenance and cleanliness issues, such as dust, worn furnishings or things not being kept up between guests, come up more often than any single specific problem.
Are pest issues common in homestays?: They are reported occasionally, more often in rural or farm-stay properties than in apartments, and are worth asking about directly if the listing is in a more remote setting.
Should I ask about cleaning between guests?: Yes. Asking how a property is cleaned between bookings, and how recently your stay follows the previous guest's checkout, is a reasonable question that a confident host will answer easily.
What can I do if a homestay is not clean on arrival?: Photograph the issue immediately and raise it with the host right away, before you unpack. Prompt, documented communication gives you the best chance of a resolution.