An unexpected problem occurred when a young couple stayed for a long period at a hotel in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. This was reported by Chinese media outlet Fenghuang News.

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According to reports, the affected party was a hotel in the city's Eastern New Area. According to staff, a man and woman in their 20s stayed in one room at the hotel for 145 days. During that time, the two refused room cleaning, explaining that they "don't want others entering the room." Even when staff went to deliver disposable amenities, they were told, "Just leave them in front of the door."

Subsequently, when staff prompted them for several days' worth of unpaid accommodation fees, they became unreachable and were even blocked on WeChat (a chat app). Checking the hotel's surveillance cameras revealed that the two had checked out in the early hours of several days prior without informing the hotel.

When hotel staff opened the door to the room the two had used, they found the interior piled high with various household waste, such as delivery containers and packaging bags. Videos filmed at the scene confirmed that trash was piled up like mountains in the room's passageways and along the walls, leaving almost no space to walk except for the bed.

According to hotel staff, 20 bags of garbage were removed from the room. Although there was no significant damage to the furniture or fixtures, the walls were stained, and thorough cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization were required.

Staff stated that they currently have no intention of pursuing legal action against the couple, but experts pointed out that "the couple's actions constitute not only a breach of contract but also an infringement of rights." They added, "Guests have incidental obligations such as using the room reasonably, maintaining basic hygiene, and treating the facilities with care. The two refused cleaning for a long period, severely soiled the room, and left without paying the accommodation fees, thus they bear responsibility for compensation."

According to the article, similar cases occur frequently in China. At a business hotel in Changchun, Jilin Province, a guest stayed for two years, and after their departure, trash was piled up to a height of over 1 meter in the room. Cleaning took three days, and some of the facilities required renovation.

Furthermore, at a hotel in Chongqing, two women stayed for one month and refused cleaning. There was a case where the room was littered with trash after their departure. In Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, there was also an instance where a female guest who was on a long-term stay refused cleaning, and a large amount of moldy food and delivery containers were piled up in the room. (Translation/Editing by Kitada)