China tourist who spent US$2,800 on family homestay told to clean toilet, make beds before going home or lose deposit
- Woman books 280-square-metre house on popular holiday island
- Agents keep deposit, order thorough clean of property before leaving
A tourist from China who paid 20,000 yuan (US$2,800) for a homestay was ordered by the letting agent to scrub the toilet clean before departure or her deposit would not be returned.
The traveller, surnamed Wang, took her family on a trip to Haihua Island, also known as Ocean Flower Island, in southern China’s Hainan province during the Spring Festival.
She chose a 280-square-metre house at the costly monthly rental of 20,000 yuan to avoid the holiday crowds.
After staying in the house for two weeks, they left on February 15, forfeiting the money they had paid for the rest of their stay.
However, the agent they signed the contract with refused to return their 5,000-yuan (US$700) deposit, saying they did not clean the toilet to a standard high enough so that “the next guest could directly move in”.
The agent continued to find fault, also saying the family did not clean the floor and refrigerator, or make the bed to the standard of neatness it was when they moved in.
Wang called the police and posted videos of the agency’s unreasonable request online, receiving more than 6 million views on Douyin.
Online observers supported Wang after seeing her videos, saying the house looked tidy and it should be the agency’s job to arrange for a thorough cleaning before the next guest arrives.
On February 16, the local government said they had requested the agency return the deposit and urged it to rectify its business practices.
“It is like a restaurant asking me to clean the dishes after finishing my meal,” a person on Douyin said.
“Hainan is the most popular tourist resort with the best winter climate in China, but the agent provided the lowest-quality service,” said another.
“I would rather go to Southeast Asia than Hainan for a holiday,” someone wrote on Weibo.
According to China Daily, Haihua Island attracted about 580,000 tourists during the Spring Festival holiday from February 10 to 17, 61 per cent more than the previous year.
Hainan province welcomed 9.5 million tourists during that time.
Demand was so high that prices for a return flight to the destination soared 20-fold to as much as 20,000 yuan in some cases.
Homestay has been increasingly popular among young tourists in China in recent years due to cheaper prices and bespoke experiences.
It is not the first time such properties in the country have been mired in controversy.
During the Labour Day holiday in May 2023, a homestay in a city in eastern Shandong province tricked a guest into cancelling the booking she had made at a lower price, so it could charge more to rent the property to somebody else.
