Bedbugs

[Mary7498]

We have a particularly difficult guest at the moment, who has questioned everything from the outset. He messaged me today to say his party keep getting bitten at night and he said the the bites resemble bedbugs, although he has no further evidence of the bugs themselves. He said this is a hypothesis rather than a certain diagnosis. I'm concerned but wary, given the type of guest I know him to be. Any advice would be most welcome.  

[Vivek143]

Hi @Mary7498 

That sounds like a difficult situation. Since the guest hasn't found any evidence of bed bugs, I'd avoid jumping to conclusions while still taking the concern seriously.

A practical approach would be to:

- Respond promptly and empathetically, letting the guest know you're taking their concerns seriously.

- Ask if they can share clear photos of the bites and, if possible, any evidence of insects or marks on the bedding.

- If feasible, arrange a professional pest inspection as soon as possible. An inspection report can help establish the facts and protect both you and your guests.

If the guest requests compensation or wants to leave early, contact Airbnb Support straight away.

They can review the evidence from both sides, document the case, and help mediate in line with Airbnb's policies.

Keeping all communication and any inspection reports within the Airbnb message thread will also help if the case is escalated.

Hopefully it's something minor, but a prompt inspection is usually the best way to give everyone peace of mind.

Let me know if it helps 👍🏻. You can also reach out for more questions and queries ☺️

[Mary7498]

Thank you for your comments. I haven’t been able to obtain photos of the bites yet as the guest and his party out for the day. I have been in contact with both Airbnb and pest control. The latter are willing to come out to confirm. I’m going to speak again to the guest this evening for an update and to request further evidence if he still feels there are bedbugs present at the property. I’m now closely following the advice of the Airbnb support team. 
Many thanks once. again. Your comments are much appreciated.

[Paula]

Hello @Mary7498, I'm sorry to hear about this situation. I just wanted to check in and see if there have been any updates since you last posted here.

Please keep us posted.

[Mary7498]

Thank you Paula

We believe the issue to be resolved. We have been in close contact with 2 separate pest control companies, and whilst neither were able to see us within the short period before our next guests arrived, they gave us detailed advice on how to detect the presence of bedbugs. We have done a very thorough inspection and a high level clean in the bedrooms. We can see no evidence whatsoever.

Thanks again

Mary

[Helen3]

Has he provided you with any photos of the bites or bugs @Mary7498 . If not request them immediately.

Tell him to seek advice from a local pharmacist to help his party identify the nature of any bites.

say you take any reports of bed bugs seriously and are happy to arrange a visit from pest control, once he shares photos  and to arrange for the booking to be cancelled if that is the case . 

[Mary7498]

Thank you for your comments. They are much appreciated. Please check my response above to an earlier post as this pretty much covers where I’m at. 
Thanks again.

Mary