I'm new to Airbnb and have had a great experience with guests so far. However, I recently had a situation where a new guest, who seemed genuine, booked my place for four guests but arrived with eight. My property is only allowed for four guests, and I explicitly state that larger gatherings and parties are not permitted in my listing. I have a camera doorbell that recorded the additional guests arriving and engaging in what appeared to be a small party.
I contacted Airbnb for assistance, providing video evidence of the situation and allowing them to speak with the guest, who claimed the extra guests were only dropping things off. However, the camera footage clearly showed a gathering with drinks and a cake being brought into the property. To make matters worse, the next morning, my cleaner discovered that six people had stayed overnight, and the property was left in a mess, including vomit in the ensuite.
Unexpectedly, on Monday morning, I discovered that my Airbnb profile had been suspended without any explanation. It took some effort and reaching out to the Airbnb community to discover that a support person marked my video submission, which briefly blocked the camera, as a guest violation, leading to the suspension of my account. I've been through a frustrating process just to understand what happened, and I recently submitted pictures showing the camera's placement on the front door in an appeal to have my account reinstated, especially since I have upcoming bookings.
It's been a frustrating experience, and I hope Airbnb can resolve this issue promptly, as I'm just starting my journey as a host. Currently, my messages are going unanswered, and I'm eager to get back to hosting.