Hello,
I have had a very similar experience.
One guest was due to check-in on 29th June into my one bedroom apartment. It is actually my home and I move out most weekends to allow for air bnb guests as I cannot afford my mortgage after my partner left me. That evening I received noise complaints from my neighbours. I contacted the guest and they said they would keep the noise down. When I arrived on 30th I could see 5 women check out (late) and heard them reading my message about checking for damages. I found my apartment completely trashed. There was sick all over the floor, lamps broken, helium balloons, a box showing helium balloon canisters, spilt drinks over electrical devices, hand/foot/make up marks all over the walls, some of the walls had chunks taken out of them, ash all over the bedroom where they’d used jewellery holders as an ash tray to smoke out of the window, cake/icing all over every surface, a huge pile of washing, an attempt to wash towels as they’d clearly vomited in the bed etc.
My neighbour then informed me that she called the police at 2am as the party was so out of control. There were about 20 people in and out of the flat, screaming and shouting. She said that she called the police as there was an argument in the middle of the night and it sounded as if someone was being murdered. When the police arrived, people were jumping out of the window to escape them, and the party continued to the early hours of the morning into the back garden. I have the police report, photos and I have invoices for the damages. However, I cannot afford to get the work done unless I know there will be a payout. Due to my apartment now being seen as unsafe, my listing was removed, and only the guests I already had booked were being honoured. I submitted the claim on 1st July, and have been calling ever since. The resolution centre say the same thing every time: it has been escalated to the specialist claims team. When I ask for the direct contact details of the specialist claims team they say they do not take calls, and only work via email. I then asked them for the email address and they said they do not have it. In total, I must have called between 10-15 times, with the same conversation. Each member of staff informs me that the specialist team will email me within 24 hours, but they never do. They escalate the case every time I call, and I have this email confirmation that it’s been escalated, but the claims team have not contacted me once.
I no longer feel safe in my home, and I am no longer able to get new listings, but even if I could, I would be put off now as I would be so anxious of this happening again. I took time off work due to stress and therefore am missing out on earnings in multiple ways. I want to go to the press as they clearly do not care about their hosts at all. Their system is flawed, and they’re taught not to answer a straight answer. I will not be recommending air bnb for hosting and will not rest until the claims team have at least spoken with me.
