Hosting Gone Wrong: The Bidet Incident
Just when I thought February would be smooth sailing—with a full calendar and two returning guests —a leaking bidet had other plans. Here’s what happened, what I learned, and why every host should seriously double-check their bathroom fixtures—especially the sneaky ones.
February started on a high note. I had a full calendar with two bookings from returning guests—one for six nights, the other for three. The 6-night booking felt particularly special because these guests were among the very first to trust Issa Suites back when it had two reviews. I still remember being their first-ever Airbnb host—and the first to review them as guests.
Since then, we've stayed in touch. They regularly travel to Cebu for business, and whenever they ask about availability, my place is often booked. I advised them to reach out at least a month in advance—and this time, it paid off. My unit was available, and they booked directly with me.
Pro-tip for hosts: Once you've built trust and rapport with past guests, consider offering direct bookings.
It saves them from platform fees and saves you from the 15% host commission. Just make sure you've had a smooth experience with them before making that leap.
When these returning guests checked in, everything went smoothly. They were happy to see the upgrades—like the shower door, divider, and new cooktop—compared to their first stay.
Everything was going well… until Day 3.
When the Bidet Betrays You
While working on a project that afternoon, I got a text from the building maintenance staff. She said that water was leaking from the unit. My heart dropped.
I could think of one leading cause, but I knew I had to go to the unit and find the exact source of the flood.
Thankfully, the building staff acted fast. They turned off the water supply, preventing the leak from flooding neighboring units. I immediately called the guests to ask permission to enter the unit, and once I got it, I went straight there. The culprit? A familiar foe: the bidet.
This wasn't the first time we had issues with that bidet. It had already been replaced once, but the high water pressure had loosened the connection again, leading to a slow but dangerous leak.
Miraculously, the water had flowed outside the unit into the hallway instead of flooding the apartment. The damage was minimal, fortunately (sigh). After a ₱300 inspection fee and a cleanup of the wet bathroom and hallway, things went back to normal.
Hosting Lessons from This Experience:
I can't imagine this happening while I was away on vacation. Sometimes, the timing is great, but other times, it isn't so kind (like the first 4-star review I got for a bed measurement mistake) - I wasn't around then to personally attend to the issues.
Here are a few key takeaways from this horror story:
- Check your bidet regularly: If you have a bidet, especially in a high-rise building with strong water pressure, inspect the connections often. Don't assume that replacing parts will fix the problem for good.
- Regular inspections are key: Routine checks—especially before and after a guest's stay—can save you from bigger issues. Keep a checklist that includes plumbing connections, water pressure, and drainage.
- Design for disaster prevention: My bathroom now has more rugs than I'd like, simply because there's no floor drain in the toilet area. If you're renovating, consider installing proper drainage or modifying your setup to contain leaks better (like a drainage hole under the shower divider).
- Don't overcorrect after one incident: I wanted to post huge reminders everywhere for guests to check the bidet daily, but I stopped myself. One incident doesn't mean you should overwhelm guests with rules. Instead, focus on prevention through maintenance.
- Direct booking = no review: Since this was a direct booking, no review was left. But the guests were happy with their stay and promised to return. Direct bookings mean more income, but they also mean less public proof of your hosting wins. If you've accumulated enough reviews, it's okay to accept direct bookings occasionally. (It's super helpful during slow months.)
This experience was a reminder that even with returning guests, things can still go wrong. But with quick action and clear communication, any host can turn a mishap into a lesson.