Air BnB Not Supporting Hosts (Surprise, Surprise)

[Steven1110]

I was not going to be present when my guests arrived so sent them clear instructions on where to park and how to access their accommodation. They ignored my instructions and consequently damaged my property which I warned them would occur.

I contacted Air BnB to have the remainder of the booking cancelled (and refunded) and requested that the review for this visit would be disabled as you could be sure that the guests would take revenge by leaving a bad review. I was informed that even in these circumstances the guest would be able to leave a review which would of course affect your host standing.

So far as Air BnB is concerned if the host cancels mid-booking, even if it is because the guest has broken rules, damages property or exhibits other grossly inappropriate behaviour the guest who has committed the wrongdoing is still able to leave a review. You can imagine how fair and honest this would be! 

The result of this is that the guest is staying another night and no doubt will continue to ignore my request and do more damage to my property.

I have suggested to Air that they put in place a review process (along the lines of their extenuating circumstances policy) where they can make the final call but will not hold my breath for this to occur. My hope is that this post will at least be read by Air BnB and that some action will be taken to rectify this situation and provide support for their most valuable asset which is the host.

Cheers

[Anonymous]

@Steven1110  Several countries, including the UK, have consumer protection laws requiring Airbnb to allow reviews for stays that are canceled on or after the check-in date. There's not a protocol for a host to pre-emptively disable the review process, and personally I don't believe there should be. I do think it would be fairer to remove star ratings for stays that end in termination or damage claims, but both parties still deserve the right to present their side of the story in the written review.

If these guests' behavior is continuing to endanger your home, the fear of one single bad review (amidst your hundreds of great ones) doesn't seem like a good reason to keep the booking. But if their only known infraction was improperly entering the property on arrival, it might be a little over the top to kick them out now. 

[Steven1110]

@Anonymous, thanks for your comments.

I agree with your comments about the star ratings; in these circumstances, they should be disabled. This is my main concern as host status is determined by the star score. I'm happy with both parties being able to comment on the stay. 

As for the seriousness of the infraction; it was not simply "improperly entering the property". They intentionally disregarded my instructions (with an explanation of why the request was made) which caused damage as predicted. The damage is "unclaimable" but is damage all the same.

Like many (if not most) I share my home; it is not an investment property. I should be able to be comfortable with the guest's attitude and behaviour in my home and not be penalised by Air BnB if I am not comfortable with them staying. 

Cheers

[Anonymous]

@Steven1110  Your farm stay looks like a very special place, and considering the sensitivity of the amenities you offer, it makes sense to remove guests who aren't behaving responsibly. But the possibility of bad guests retaliating in the review is going to be a factor on any major listing platform; Airbnb is not unique that way. But as long as you don't use Instant Book, you can usually filter out the disrespectful and inattentive guests in the request process. Once the booking is confirmed, you're basically at the mercy of these people's personalities - some of which just aren't compatible with what you need from guests.