HOST GUARANTEE / REQUEST MONEY/ BAD GUEST

[Sharon-and-Geoff0]

I recently had a bad guest.  No communication after they entered and I found out later that their phone number was not valid.  As my keys were not returned to my key safe at check out time.....  and after half a dozen unanswered phone calls and airbnb messages from me to see if they were still there or not ..... my cleaner entered the premises 40 minutes later and they were still there and in no hurry to leave.

The manager of the building also entered with my cleaner, and they soon left with their dog which was against rules and body corp by-laws.  

It then took 5 paid hours to clean.  I had to organise and pay another cleaner to help my normal cleaner.  Handyman required also to put frosted glass sliding doors back on their tracks (locked linen cupboard) as they had tried to get into the locked cupboard.  Normal clean is 1.5 hrs.

The dog had urinated on the lounge floor rug.  Linen was totally ruined with excess oil, new bathroom vanity basin (acrylic) was ruined with large burn marks ($900 and not including the plumber), beautiful expensive QS blanket was stolen, as well as blue tooth speaker, binoculars and singing bowl.  Smoke alarm was missing from its bracket on the ceiling and everything in the apartment had been moved including furniture, cutlery and crockery, pots and pans.

I had back to back guests and we delayed entry for the next guests 1.5 hours because of the mess we had to clean up.

I could not request money from the guest because she was not receiving the airbnb messages and as I said.... her phone was dodgy.

That night I took 2 hours to upload invoices, online quotes, photos of the damage etc to Airbnb Resolution centre. 

It was rejected on the grounds that I had to process my application before the next guest entered the apartment.  How does a host get invoices, online quotes etc in the time frame of a 10.00 departure and a 1.00pm arrival when it took till 2.30pm to clean the place and then hand the keys over to the next guest!

Airbnb resolution centre (staff member whose comprehension of the english language was poor) basically said I should not of let the next guest go in.  As if!!

To upload an application for Host Guarantee (or request money) it has to be done within 72 hours OR BEFORE the next guests arrive.

It is impossible to do this and hence the Host Guarantee is a farce.  

What also annoys me.... is that I know that Airbnb made no contact with my guest as her phone number was dodgy to verify my claims or to negotiate some kind of compensation.   Also... the resolution consultant that I had to deal with claimed that my next guest entered the apartment at 1.00pm which was so untrue.  There was no verification with my new guest so that they could confirm that their entry was delayed due to the long clean.  

All up it cost me approx $1900 in expenses and replacements.

No empathy from Airbnb.  They have changed.  I believed so much in the 'family' mantra but its fallen apart. They should also double verify contact numbers and email addresses of guests some how.  This one was new to Airbnb and her behaviour was calculated and deliberate.

[Sarah977]

@Sharon-and-Geoff0  So sorry you had these bad guests.

But you do have to follow the stated procedures or you give them an excuse to deny a claim. Has to be done before the next guest checks in. The 72 hours means that applies if you don't have another guest check in within that time period.

As I understand it (I've never had to make a claim myself), you don't need to submit invoices for repairs, extra cleaning, etc, before the next guest checks in, just take time and date stamped photos and report it- you can submit invoices later.

[Helen3]

I'm so sorry you misunderstood how the claim process works and that you had bad guests.

all you had to do was I initiate a claim before your next guest checked in you didn't have to have all the paperwork.

hopefully it's not too late for you to make a claim on your own home insurance for STRa

[Nathalie-Et-Gilles0]

@Sharon-and-Geoff0 

To be precise, you have to initiate a claim before the next guest arrive AND before the check in time written in your listing which is 1 pm.

Your check out time is 10 am and check in time is 1 pm.

Your guests were late to go out.

So there was very little time left to file a claim.

To have guests in and out the same day is risky.

A grain of sand can stall a machine.

[Colleen253]

@Sharon-and-Geoff0 To add to what others have said, as hard as it is to have to do so, you can also cancel the next booking, based on the space being uninhabitable due to the outgoing guests. There is provision in the HG to be compensated for the lost booking. 

[Christine615]

Call them back and demand arbitration. Airbnb needs to be more responsible for these awful guests. We don't book back to back anymore due to Covid-19 protocols, but I can say that Airbnb needs to curate its guests better - especially those that are new. Also - make sure you have cameras on the exterior - they're inexpensive and you can see how many people go in as well as whether there is a dog present.

[Sharon-and-Geoff0]

Thank you for your constructive reply.  The camera is especially a great idea:)  I've let the other matter rest.  Just have to move on.