Our first Airbnb experience gone wrong

[Davina60]

We are brand new to the Airbnb community and, unfortunately, our first guest experience has been anything but positive. This guest picked up a prostitute, brought her back to our condo, and proceeded to party. They caused significant damage: ruined linens and towels, threw up on the balcony, and broke a door lock. Given how drunk they were, I can only assume they got into some kind of altercation.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, this guest later claimed his cell phone was stolen from the condo, he only reported this after the charges for the damage were made. Now, our Airbnb account has been blocked, and all of our upcoming reservations have been rescheduled.

To say this feels unfair is an understatement. We’re still reeling from the damage and disruption, and now we’re left questioning whether Airbnb is the right platform for us at all. Has anyone else had a similar experience? How did you handle it?

[Lorina14]

@Davina60 

I’m sorry this happened to you. Is there any way to put an outside camera so you can monitor if unregistered guests show up and then you could have caught this incident before it took a turn for the worse?

Unfortunately from what I’ve read on these forums, when your listing is shut down for “investigation” it could take weeks until it is resolved. The team that investigates only communicates via email and even with countless calls (even if one is a superhost) many hosts in this situation seem to be out of luck until the investigation process is complete.

If you know that they had a party, this is grounds for cancellation of a reservation and/or having the guest removed as parties are not allowed per the terms and conditions of Airbnb. If it is also spelled out in your house manual with the consequences of what happens if unregistered guests are present then you have stronger grounds for them to favor your side. If you have an automatic key lock that can show when it is opened/used then you could prove you didn’t enter the space when he wasn’t there. If you had outside cameras (must disclose them and location in your listing in the description and camera section) you could also provide this footage to the investigation team.

I have read other hosts in similar situations end up putting their space up on other platforms as they cannot afford to be banned for the entire time the Airbnb investigation is going on. 

I hope you have all communication on the Airbnb platform or app to document how you mentioned to the guest about damages, with pics, and mentioning that house rules were broken. I hope this clears up quickly for you and keep us updated with what happens.

[Lorina14]

@Davina60  

You could also have posted this in the host circle as you would only get responses from hosts/co-hosts. Guests/general public would not be allowed to see this if it is on the host circle forum.

[Davina60]

So, I’m new to Airbnb and apparently, I’ve already made the rookie mistake of posting in the wrong spot. Classic, right? But let’s get to the real story: I’ve got a condo in a super secure building. Think: security cameras, 24-hour guards—basically Fort Knox, but with nicer furniture. Still, somehow, a guest manages to claim his cell phone was stolen from my place.

Now, I’ve got video footage of everyone who came and went from my condo (thank you, cameras!)—and guess what? Not a single person went in there and swiped his phone. So, I’m pretty sure the only thief here might be… the prostitute he probably brought in. (Yep, you read that right.)

Now, here’s where it gets fun: Airbnb, instead of congratulating me for having top-tier security and showing actual proof that the guy is lying, has blocked my account. Blocking. Me. The person who’s trying to play by the rules! And guess what? The liar? Not punished. No consequences. It’s almost like Airbnb is handing out gold stars for dishonesty.

Anyone else had this happen? I need to know if this is the new Airbnb game: “Let’s block the host with evidence and reward the guest with a free pass for shady behavior.” If so, I’m ready to play.

[Zheng49]

It's standard protocol to suspend the host's account and all listings while the investigation is in process. This can and will usually take at least a week.