Hi, I need help from the hosts.
I had a guest who stayed with three other adults for one month in my one bedroom condo in California. They created a whooping $600 electric bill and now do not want to pay for it. Airbnb does not want to pay either. The guest provided a driver's license from Arizona with a PO Box on it. Issue date is 7/9/2009, expiration date is 5/2/2025 which now I suspect is a fake ID. Normally with previous guests before these ones, the electric bill was between $50-$100. I cannot pay $600. It is clearly stated on my website that it is the guest's responsibility to pay for the electric bill. I pay for everything else (water, garbage, internet, cable tv etc).
The guests' IDs were: 1. A man from Arizona (with a PO Box) 60 years old - main guest who booked my home-issue date: 5/2/2009; expiration 5/2/2025 - how is this possible, 16 years between an issue date and the expiration date? Isn't it normally 5 years to 10 years not some odd 16 years between those two dates?
2. A man from New Mexico - 52 years old = He has a temporary license on a piece of paper, and a copy of his ID provided was cut so not all the information is provided
3. A woman from New Mexico - 64 years old - License issued 7/8/24, expires 7/7/2032. How can it be 7 years between the issue and the expiration dates?
4. A man from Fontana, California - 30 years old - DL issued on 4/3/24, expiration date: 9/27/29. Shouldn't the expiration date be 5 years and not 5 1/2 years from the issue date?
Now that I looked closely to the provided copies of IDs, these issue and expiration dates seems off. Is this how dates are normally on the driver's licenses? I know when I renew my Driver's license, it is always 5 years exactly the expiration date. How can an expiration date be 16 years after the issue date in Arizona or 8 years after an issue date in New Mexico? Something seems way off.
I escalated the case to Airbnb about the $600 electric bill that guests do not want to pay, but Airbnb is not helpful. Airbnb sides with the guest and said that the guest refuses to pay and Airbnb does not and will not cover for the electric bill.
1. How can I get reimbursed for $600 electric bill?
2. Are these driver licenses from these guests fake ones? Something seems off about these issue and expiration dates.
3. What recourse and options do I have in terms of how to get paid? Did I host people with fake IDs? Should I go to the police?
Can you offer any advice please?
I can provide information (names etc) on these guests so that if other hosts rent to them, do not host them.
I'd appreciate any advice. Thank you very much!
