Hope you can give some advice, please. Last month, we had 2 families stay for 2 weeks each, reciprocal exchanges. Family 1 were like locusts and used up EVERYTHING (they even drank all the beverages in our fridge and ate tins of soup we had put away on a high shelf!). There was no olive oil, dishwasher tabs, rubbish bags, or laundry soap, etc. for family 2, and they were unhappy about that and marked us down a star on our review. So, it looks like we’re going to have to do welcome hampers for each family with the basics? Thing is, we take supplies with us or buy them and we use very little of the host’s stuff - maybe some salt or a little oil or a rubbish bag. Otherwise, we do NOT use the host’s supplies. When we got home last week, we had to spend a lot of money to replace everything. Most hosts leave us a bottle of wine and we do the same. We also provide coffee and tea and put a small carton of milk and little tubs of butter in a baggie in the fridge for each family. Next May, we’re having 4 different families stay. Should I write off this locust family as a one-off? A friend suggested that I should write a note asking guests to replace what they use. Do I need to do that? I’m not running a flippin’ Airbnb - do I really need to buy supplies for the guests and leave hampers? What do you suggest?
Yes precise they can use but replace
You can put in your home guide what they can and cannot use. Many members put there that you can use what you want, but please replace if you empty anything.
I always have stock in our home, which should be enough for the guests, even with back to back exchanges (we haven’t had that many). However, I always have had splendid guests who didn’t use everything. I don’t do that with reciprocal swaps myself either, I evenb buy toilet paper (but not things like hand soap, which my last guests from a reciprocal swap even bought theirselves).
Especially when you do back to back swaps, you can mention that and tell your earlier guests that next guest also should have somebasic supplies.
Yes, make sure to indicate that they are told to replace what they use. For some things such as trash bags we always have lots because you have to buy at least a box of 20 bags but food and oils and such I would expect replacement. If you want to provide a very limited supply you need to make a basket but I suspect these people are outliers. I would just say replace what is there and see if that works.
Thank you to everyone for your suggestions. We’ll put in the info book to replace something if they use it all up, and we’ll do little bags with the basics and write each family’s name on it. Not fun to arrive late at night and there’s no bath tissue!
Always have that secret stash of bath tissue! The guys in my family would never remember to tell me if we ran out.
Guests should always replace what they’ve used if they’ve used the entirety, but not necessarily because they used a portion of oil, or one or two rolls of toilet paper, or some of the coffee, or some of the mayonaise, etc etc. After all, it’s a two-way street as the same applies to you when you go to their place. Always state in your ‘info book/sheet’ what you expect….’help yourself but please replace those items you’ve used up’. My method is to take a photo of what I’ve consumed and take it with me to the grocery store. As for the ‘locusts’, they should definitely take a hit on their review. They should think…’would I want this done to me by MY guests?’ If the answer is no, then don’t do it to them!!
I’m sorry that you’ve had this experience, and I can say that from my experience this is not usual. Most people exchange with the ethos that you replace whatever you use (apart from the little things like a bit of ketchup - as others here have said already). Do make sure though that you make it clear in your house guide. I also take photos of anything I have used to later take the supermarket and replace 
Hi! we usually leave a wellcome kit. And when we have done reciprocal exchanges or non reciprocal we allways replace in case we have uses something. Qe buy our own things allways.