House Rules Violation

[Camille618]

Hello,

I have my first airbnb guest and she has already violated the house rules. She told me that it would just be her and her daughters staying but I have seen a man spend the night the past two nights. He is seen on my security cameras that the guest was made aware of. My house rules state "Only the guests noted in the booking are allowed on the premises." She has not responded to my text asking who this man is and at this point I am frustrated. What are the best next steps? Can I ask him to leave the premises since he is not listed as a guest?

[Laura2592]

@Camille618 how long is the reservation?

If it ends soon, I would probably not say anything else and just leave a review that stated "So and so brought extra guests to my space and violated house rules. Not a guest I would have back or recommend." 

If its longer, you can ask the guest to cancel the remainder of the reservation and refund her any unused nights. Call ABB and let them know that the guest violated your house rules. If you have a screen shot of the security footage, send it to them. Ask for their help in getting the guest a new accommodation.

Here are some things to note:

1. Bad guests target new hosts. They know you need the reviews. Your first few guests may likely be your worst
2. Lots of guests bring extra people which is a huge pet peeve of many hosts. Make your house rules very clear about what happens if you find this out. Will they be asked to leave? Charged extra? I just checked out your house rules and don't see anything about extra guests. Maybe that is elsewhere in your listing? Flesh out your whole description and make that really clear. 
3. Don't communicate with the guest outside of Airbnb if there is an issue. You need a record of conversations on the platform.
4. Don't do long term stays when you first start out. You need lots of reviews and long term guests can push you into landlord territory without any protection. There seems to be a market of people who are willing to pay more than regular rent to bypass a background and credit check that a regular landlord would do. Airbnb is NOT well suited as a platform for long stays, no matter what the site tells you. Just don't do it. 
5. if you have instant book on, make sure all your filters are checked (recommended by other hosts, verified ID, etc.)
6. Expect that if you give a guest a hint of any problem at all, many people will leave a bad review.  Be prepared to leave an honest, factual and unemotional review of your own. 
7. NEVER mention the security camera. Guests have booked with this disclosed but there is hysteria about "hidden cameras in Airbnbs." Perfectly legal to have one outside. But the minute that a guest is caught doing something wrong, many will cry "surveillance!" and ABB will open an investigation that shuts down your listing indefinitely. Its always better to say something like "neighbors reported that it looked like 3 or more people were staying at the house. Your reservation is for 2-- I will be sending a request to update the guest count so that you can add the additional person to the reservation. We need to keep everything accurate for the fire code and insurance. There is a small charge of $20 per night per extra guest over 2, so I will be sending you that request as well. Thanks so much!"
8. Check with your guests before they show up. "Hi-- I see you are arriving this week and I am looking forward to hosting you. Just checking to make sure that your info is accurate-- 2 guests for 2 nights? Please let me know if your plans have changed. Thanks!"

[Camille618]

The reservation is until Oct 17. This is my last time listing. 

[Laura2592]

@Camille618 don't be discouraged. As I said,  your first guests are usually the most difficult.  There are a few reasons... you don't have the experience of what's a base line, the guests who jump on new bookings are often not the best because they feel like they can take advantage of your inexperienced for freebies.  And sometimes there's just bad luck.  But it gets easier as you go, just like any new skill. And you have a really nice place that I'm sure a lot of people would enjoy.  

I think many people believe that hosting is "easy money" and "passive income." It's not easy nor passive if you want to do it well.  We were landlords for many years and this is more work by a mile. Hang in there. 

[Camille618]

I really appreciate this. Thank you so much. 

[Sarah977]

@Camille618  Up to you, but don't let this one experience put you off hosting. Just don't take any long term bookings. Set your max at one week, or whatever you feel okay with. Don't use Instant Book until you get comfortable and more experienced- require guests to send Booking Requests so you have an opportunity to read any reviews they have, communicate with them and ask some questions before deciding to accept or decline. (I have never used IB and never will)

Look over your listing description and try to word it to market towards the demographic of guests you want, whether it's business travelers, digital nomads, families, tourists, etc. Don't try to appeal to any and everyone. Mention things that might discourage the types you don't want. (Like people who just live out of Airbnbs or locals looking for a place to party.)

On the other hand, entire homes with off-site hosts are the ones where guests can easily take advantage, so sometimes it's just better to find a responsible, full-time tenant. Maybe not as lucrative, but a lot less stressful.

I'm a home-share host and have  had quite lovely guests and no bad ones. Some hosts say they could never share their home with strangers, but I would never want to deal with the stress of strangers left to their own devices in a separate home, having to monitor with cameras, etc.

But most hosts do it quite successfully. 

[Camille618]

Thank you for your feedback! I really appreciate it. This has definitely been a learning experience for me and I know what to do in the future. 

[Elaine701]

@Sarah977 @Camille618 

Sarah, you are again... Absolutely spot-on with your advice. Particularly the part about wording your description to appeal to the guests that will most enjoy the accommodation (the ones you want). And maybe even a subtly worded picture painted that suggests to the ones you don't want that it's not right for them. 

It's unfortunate that you had to learn by fire at first light, but once you have the experience behind you... just as others say... there are some really rewarding days ahead of you. 

Don't give up so easily. It's a new cupboard for you... You just didn't know where to find the sugar, that's all. Now you know. And you'll have to find a few other things too, but eventually, you'll be a top chef in your kitchen. 

🙂

[Riza100]

Hi Laura,

Thank you for the tips. It makes all sense to me. This is my third week and had similar situation with @Camille618. The first two guests were headaches and definitely gave me handful of lesson right off the bat. The first guest stole my personal care products  (to give them to his girlfriend after asking him why) after providing freebies. The second guest hid her 8 lbs dog in her purse and kept the dog in her room. A well trained dog for sure; we're impressed. So, I confronted them with indirect questions and it went well but I had to write an "honest-bad review." That's all I can do.

However, after reading the rest of your comments and others as well; I have to change some of my house rules and booking policy.

Thank you!

[Laura2592]

This may also help...

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Tips-for-new-hosts/m-p/1257038

[Colleen253]

@Camille618 I can't find where you address extra guests on your listing. If I couldn't find it, the guest probably missed it too. This could be a misunderstanding, so proceed delicately. 

Your additonal rules state only "You will have access to the entire first floor which is everything you see in the pictures. My personal belongings will be upstairs and in the basement which is not accessible to guests."

[Camille618]

I sent a separate message with house rules and one rule stated no other guests allowed on the premises. Thank you for your feedback!

[Laura2592]

@Camille618 make sure thats reflected in the listing.  When guests book, that's what they agree to. In a dispute,  Airbnb considers house rules to determine if the guests or hosts are liable. They don't put as much emphasis on additional guidance that comes after the booking. So the safest thing is to make your rules clear and thorough.  

Believe it or not, many guests are totally unaware that they can't bring whoever they please to a space.  They figure "I'm paying.  I can do what I like." It's a really common attitude. 

[Camille618]

Before I gave access to my house she agreed to my house rules. She finally replied to the message I sent about the additional guest and understood where I was coming from. She said this was the last time he would be staying there but I saw him again this evening on my outside camera. 

[Sarah977]

@Camille618  It's a possibilty that the guy is someone she doesn't want around, either, but feels powerless over. Like an ex- boyfriend or a husband she was trying to escape from for domestic abuse who found out where she is staying. 

Not your problem of course, but it's easy to assume someone is ignoring your wishes when there may be something else going on.

There sometimes comes a point when the host has to say " XX, it appears that you are unable to abide by the rules here, so I suggest that you look for an alternative place to stay that suits your lifestyle and needs and we terminate this booking asap. You will be refunded for the cancelled dates."