Need help/advice with review on a fellow host

[Christine615]

Okay my wonderful fellow hosts, this time I need some advice.

I'm perplexed about how to write this but I want to be honest so let me explain the situation and would love some "suggestions."

I don't allow last minute instant book reservations. It's our guest home and we're sometimes using it, but I also have Covid-19 buffers in place and if I'm on deadline it's hard to juggle my schedule since we clean our own place.

I got a 10:30pm request to book for the next day. The guest asked if she and her family could check in at 11am because their son needed to be put down for a nap at 12pm. I explained that no, we couldn't accommodate that on our schedule and declined the reservation.

At 7am we received a message from another guest (male) which said "we are so excited to be staying at your place this weekend." That's it. It's a same day check-in which I normally don't allow but we had time to get it ready by 3pm. I check and this guest had 7 five-star reviews, one as a host, six as a guest. I didn't make the connection that this guest was the spouse of the person who tried to book the night before because Airbnb HIDES all the information except first names. We approved the request and sent check-in information for 3pm. Then got a request for an early check-in. That's when we noticed that the guest's spouse's name in one of his reviews and was the same as the woman who tried to check the night before. So I explained that I his wife had already asked that question and that the answer was no. He seemed to be appreciative and very polite but it should have sent up red flags. (Again - new host? They two listings but only one review).

I was able to restock supplies and make sure everything would be ready and sent a note that we could allow them to check-in anytime after 12 noon if that would help. They said it would - then showed up at 11:50am. Sigh.

At check-out, my daughter/co-host called to say they had not followed house rules. Our Easter egg in the greeting is to put the towels in the laundry hamper near the washer.  If they don't do that, we know they didn't read the house rules. Honestly, its been the best indicator. Otherwise, we don't ask for much (cleaning fee is just $50). We ask that they return our home they way they found it, wash and put dishes away, bag their trash and put the dirty towels in the hamper. That's it. We strip the beds and do the rest while cleaning.

So we arrived to find dirty dishes in the sink (not scraped or rinsed), a fridge full of food including our plates filled with half-eaten portions, and a trash can overflowing for a 4-night stay. Also, we have a handwritten note explaining how to operate the television, DVD, and Google Fiber. That was ripped in half.

It's not earth shattering. But now I'm wondering if all those 5-star reviews are from hosts who don't write honest reviews because they're scared of getting a bad one.

The driving time from their city to mine is more than 8 hours. It is possible they were flying (with child and an older woman who was not identified as nanny or family member). But the timing of the request and Airbnb's annoying habit of hiding last names made this complicated (and wondering why we were the only vacancy they set their heart on.) Mostly annoyed that a fellow host (even a new one) didn't bother to read the check-out rules and left us with extra work after asking for favors up front.

So - am I just being grouchy, or am I right to think someone who has hosted at least one would know better?

I'm tired. Let's play "Write Christine's guest review for her."

Lol! (Hugs and love in advance)

.

[Laura2592]

@Christine615 how about:

We are always pleased to welcome a fellow host. Clean up took extra time and our house rules seem to have been missed. We thank so and so and their mate for staying with us but feel our listing is probably not the best fit for their needs. 

I have heard hosts are poor guests overall and am so self conscious when staying in an Airbnb that recently I have just skipped them and booked hotels.  I have overlooked things that my own guests sure don't but didn't want to make waves. 

I don't think you are being cranky. 

[Sarah977]

@Christine615  These people were deceitful, presumptuous and rude. You aren't being fussy at all in my book. I would consider them awful guests.

" These guests' first request was declined, due to the request for early check-in which was presented as  necessary for them. Then the spouse sent another request under a different profile, also requesting an early check-in, and not connecting the 2 requests as being the same family, and having been able to get the house cleaned in time, I agreed to an early check-in, for what I assumed were different guests from the original declined request.

The earliest time they were given to check in was noon, yet they arrived earlier.

Check-out instructions were ignored and we were greeted by a pile of dirty dishes, an overflowing trash can and a fridge full of half-eaten meals, on more plates.

Due to the deceitful nature of the booking request and the mess left in their wake, I cannot recommend these guests."

[Colleen253]

Ugh. We’re just guaranteed, no matter what, to get burned when we go against our ‘normal’ aren’t we? I think you’re suspicions re the good reviews are right @Christine615. I would put  everything else aside and just focus on the fact that these folks were plain disrespectful and gross. It doesn’t matter whether you were once a host or not, cleaning up after yourself is basic manners. And no, I don’t think you’re being grouchy. I mean, ripping up your hand written instructions? That almost seems aggressive.

“Blah blah whatever nice thing you can find to say. Unfortunately, our house rules were disregarded and and cleaning hours beyond the norm were required with X and family. We would not care to host again.”

“At 7am we received a message from another guest…” I got caught by this recently too. One very bad review among two nice ones. I declined, citing concern over the bad review. Guest argues back. I neglect to block the dates. Next night an inquiry for the same dates rolls in. I instantly realize it’s the girlfriend of this guy. Brand new profile no info no verifications, nothing. I said no to her question. Got distracted, still didn’t block the dates (MY BAD WHEN WILL I LEARN??) and a few hours later another request comes in. OMG, already. It’s clearly an associate of this same guy. Just won’t quit. These people are so persistent I’m now afraid they’ll slip through somehow, someday. 

I used to get so many requests for early check in. I would agree, stress and bust my hump to get things ready, and they’d roll in a few hours AFTER check in. I got so tired of this that I put something in my house rules about it (Covid has been a convenient and valid reason to just say no). Now if a guest asks, I know they didn’t read my house rules. “As mentioned in our house rules, so sorry we can’t accommodate early check in.” Very few of my guests are flying in, and they can arrange their arrival to fit the listed check in time, or go do some sightseeing or something. Lots to do around  here.

[Sarah977]

As I've said before, it astounds me that people want to force themselves into places where they are clearly not wanted.

[Brian2036]

@Sarah977 

Because I said I want this and therefore you have to give it to me?

 I wonder what the response would be if the host said, “I see that you’re fixated on my rental. I really don’t like you, but I might be willing to rent to you at triple the listed rate.”

[Anonymous]

@Brian2036  The response would be a complaint to Airbnb, followed by a likely suspension for violating the terms of service. If the word "discrimination" comes up in that complaint, you're cancelled.

Cute, though 🙂

[Brian2036]

@Anonymous 

I would argue that my statement does not constitute discrimination against any protected class.

Obnoxious buttholes are not a protected class. Not yet, anyway.

If pressed for a reason why I dislike a particular person I would probably say “Because I hate everyone.”

Nothing discriminatory there, right?

 I do realize, however, that what might stand up in court is irrelevant when dealing with CS.

Discrimination = whatever your case manager says it does, subject to change without notice.

So I probably wouldn’t say that no matter how much I would like to. Pity.

[Anonymous]

@Brian2036  "I hate everyone" is an awfully strange defense when you're running a hospitality business. And charging people different prices for the same thing based on how you feel about them is quite literally discriminatory, so claiming ignorance of someone's association with a protected class would not work out well for you as a lifeboat.

It's so much easier to simply decline; there's nothing to gain from citing any personal animosity. Save that for venting about it on the forums 😉

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

My experience is that families with small kids always leave a mess.

I would write something like: " Not recommended due to insisting on the early check-in, leaving the mess behind, and not following our check-out instructions"

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Christine615 

I really like @Sarah977 's review and think their deceitfulness is something to be mentioned along with the fact that house rules were not followed and the mess they left behind.  It says a lot about the type of people they are. 

[Anonymous]

@Christine615  I agree with the general consensus here that these are not desirable guests, and they deserve to be reviewed accordingly. But I would keep it short and squarely focused on the failure to follow instructions and the disgusting mess left behind at checkout.

One thing about next-day or last-minute bookings:  quite often, they come from people who have just been kicked out of their previous accommodation. There's no good reason for a family with a small child to suddenly need an apartment before naptime tomorrow morning.

[Brian2036]

@Anonymous 

MOST EXCELLENT POINT!

 I hadn’t thought about it, but if someone was peremptorily evicted that day, the next host has no way of knowing because nothing has been posted yet.

Spooky. Someone on a loot and pillage rampage could keep it up for quite some time before the ratings caught up with them.

 I would hope that Airbnb treats guests who had to be terminated early the same way they treat hosts who have been reported for alleged safety violations…. That would be instant suspension without explanation.

What are the chances of that happening?

[Sarah977]

@Brian2036 "I would hope that Airbnb treats guests who had to be terminated early the same way they treat hosts who have been reported for alleged safety violations…. That would be instant suspension"

Quite the opposite. Airbnb has called hosts in the same area as the listing a guest has been asked to vacate, begging them to accept a guest who is in a desperate situation, without explaining why. Would you expect any less from CS?

[Brian2036]

@Sarah977 

I didn’t expect it, but hope springs eternal…

I guess I have to add one more category of unacceptable guest to my list.

 I would be tempted to accept someone in “a desperate situation” but not unless I get a convincing explanation.