Guest left something behind? How to handle lost property in your B&B

Short answer: when your housekeeper finds something a guest left behind, log what it is, which room and which date straight away, store it in one fixed place and message the guest the same day. If the guest wants it back, you post it only after they agree and at their cost, or they collect it. If nobody responds, you keep it for a fixed period that you set in your house rules in advance. That way you never have to think about it and there is nothing to argue about.

Chargers, coats, cuddly toys, reading glasses, a ring next to the sink: every B&B and holiday rental finds something after check-out now and then. It looks like a detail, but how you handle it shapes what a guest says about their stay. A guest who gets their wedding ring back with a friendly note will remember you. A guest who has to send three emails for their charger will too, for the wrong reason.

1. Log it immediately, not "later"

The biggest mistake is putting the item on a chair in the storeroom and finding it weeks later without knowing whose it is. Agree with your housekeeping team that they note three things for every item they find:

• what it is (as specific as possible: "black USB-C charger", not "cable");
• which room or which holiday home;
• which day it was found.

With the room and the date you can always find the guest in your bookings. A photo helps: the guest recognises their things straight away and you avoid any discussion about the condition you found it in.

2. One fixed place, separate from your own things

Keep everything in one place: a box or cupboard with bags and a label per item (date and room). Valuables such as jewellery, documents, a laptop or cash go separately, under lock. That way everyone on your team knows where to look when a guest calls.

3. Tell the guest yourself, and quickly

Don't wait until the guest notices. Send a short message the same day, for example:

Good morning, while cleaning your room we found a black charger. Is it yours? Just let us know whether we may post it to you or whether you would like to collect it.

Use the channel the guest booked through. With Booking.com and Airbnb, contact often runs through the platform's messaging system; with a direct booking, by email or WhatsApp. Keep everything in one conversation attached to the booking, so you can see later what was agreed.

A word of caution: sometimes a "forgotten" item is sensitive, for example when a guest stayed with someone else. Keep your message neutral and don't describe the item in detail in a message someone else may read. "We found something in your room, may I give you a quick call?" is sometimes the better choice.

4. Posting it back: after agreement and at the guest's cost

Only post something when the guest explicitly asks for it and confirms their address. The usual practice is that the guest pays for postage. Tell them roughly what it will cost up front and ask them to pay before you send the parcel. A small handling fee for packing is fine, as long as it is in your house rules beforehand.

For valuables, choose a tracked and insured service and keep the proof of postage. If the parcel gets lost, you can show that you sent it.

For small things like a charger or a toothbrush, postage often costs more than the item itself. Say so honestly: many guests then prefer to leave it.

5. Set a retention period in your house rules

Not every guest responds. So decide in advance how long you keep forgotten items and what happens to them afterwards, and put that in your house rules or terms and conditions. A few months works for most B&Bs. After that you can take clothing to a charity shop and throw away or donate chargers and small items.

For genuinely valuable things, such as jewellery or identity documents, where you cannot reach the owner: ask your municipality how it handles found property instead of disposing of it yourself. How to set up terms and house rules is covered in writing terms and conditions for your B&B.

6. Prevent it: a last check at departure

A few small habits prevent most of it:

• The socket next to the bed is the number one spot for forgotten chargers. Have your housekeeper always check there first, as well as the safe, the bathroom and under the bed.
• A reminder in your departure message: "Don't forget your charger and the contents of the safe" in the message on the morning of departure helps more than you'd think.
• A fixed step in your cleaning checklist: "checked for lost property" as a standard item after every check-out. See also our cleaning checklist after check-out.

How BedFlow PMS helps

BedFlow PMS has no separate lost-property module, and you don't need one. What you do have:

• With the housekeeping checklist you add "checked for lost property" as a standard item to the checklist your cleaners fill in after every clean, with a photo if you like. You get the summary straight away via Telegram.
• In the booking's internal note you record what was found and what you agreed with the guest. The guest never sees that note; your team does. See managing bookings.
• You answer messages from Booking.com, Airbnb and WhatsApp from one inbox next to the booking, so the whole conversation about the forgotten coat stays with that one booking. See answering guest messages in one place.

In summary

1. Log what, which room and which date straight away, ideally with a photo.
2. Keep everything in one fixed place, valuables under lock.
3. Tell the guest yourself, the same day, through the booking's channel.
4. Post only after agreement and at the guest's cost, tracked for valuables.
5. Set a retention period in your house rules.

Want to see how the checklist, the internal note and the inbox work together? Try BedFlow PMS free for 30 days or check the pricing first.