Security camera caught male guest peeing in pool

[Ash3391]

I have external house security camera which we declared on our house rules and we have signs noting that there is recording. Our cameras normally auto arm after midnight. It caught one of the male guests going up to the pool, unzipping and peeing straight into the pool. 

Not sure what to do about it. It will certainly cost more cleaning fees as I have to shock the pool and leave it unused for at least two days.

Any suggestions on how to handle this? Approach the guest, or airbnb?

I am always afraid to alert the guest about our concerns because we manage this property remotely and don't want any retaliatory action. 

[Huma0]

Wow @Ash3391 . That is NOT okay. Glad you have recorded evidence of it though. I would call Airbnb and explain the situation. Any rational person would agree with you that ths is NOT OK!

The problem is, right now, it's hard to get a timely, rational response out of CS, if any response at all. Still, I would not put up with this sort of blatantly disrespectful behaviour.

Did they appear to be drunk or high? Not saying that matters, but just out of interest...

[Ash3391]

Thank you for your reply. They appeared drunk. It was around 4am. 

The reason I say that is that this guest went on to swim in the pool the next morning with the other guests. Not sure if they don't recall what they did...

[Huma0]

@Ash3391 

Well, that doesn't prove that they were wasted, although certainly one would assume so. Anyway, that's not the issue, I was just asking because I wondered out of interest if this person was doing this out of some kind of malice/mental instability or because they were intoxicated.

There is some satisfaction in at least knowing that the idiot then swam in urine, the cretin!

Anyway, I think this is a good cause for complaint to Airbnb. You have video evidence. Also, make sure you get a quote for the pool cleaning and stress the point that the pool will be out of use for two days resulting in lost income.

[Amanda660]

Is this a whole of house listing or shared?

[Ash3391]

It is a whole house listing.

[Amanda660]

Get messaging the head guest.  How many days left of their stay? I’d be shocking the pool and charging them for it - hopefully they’re there for a few more days to appreciate the loss of amenity 😇

[Ash3391]

They left already this morning and we are cleaning now. We are just starting in AirBNB for 6 months and just got superhost status in July. We are really worried about negative reviews and try to avoid confrontation as much as possible. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Ash3391 

It was entirely wrong what the guest did, but no matter what evidence you have and what costs are incurred by you to shock your pool, I wouldn't expect Airbnb to help you in the slightest. Your guest faced with a video of him peeing in your pool and a payment request will be about the most you can do. Whether the guest pays your request, or negotiates it down, or doesn't pay at all, will all be down to the guest. Resulting retaliation will be the risk.

Abuses like this and other such abuses by guests are the reasons for Hosts leaving Airbnb for other platforms.

Your fears would be founded  "I am always afraid to alert the guest about our concerns because we manage this property remotely and don't want any retaliatory action." Pricing for listings should be reflected in allowing for a level of expected abuse. Airbnb abuse levels seem higher than most, possibly because Airbnb don't have your back when faced with claims of any sort so you need to charge this up front.

If I thought there was an easy way to inform, prove and charge for an abuse such as you have encountered, I would suggest it. I don't think there is. This is unacceptable and you will spend many hours chasing the reasonable solution you desperately require, but will never get.

Your only hope is a responsible guest. That has already been proven otherwise.

[Cheryl464]

AirBnB needs a system to rate guests so the rest of us are protected.  Specific details or names do not have to be used but at least there will be a record of poor guests.  Reviews help but more protection is needed. 

[Megan299]

I would do a resolution request for whatever amount you feel is fair, even the whole security deposit seems fair, in my opinion.  Attach  the video footage to the resolution request.  If they decline to pay it, involve Airbnb.  If Airbnb dares to not support you, push back and ask to have another Airbnb person review it.  I have had an instance where I had a 20 year old rent a large home that I allow up to 16 guests at, but I charge for extra guests over qty 6 guests.  This group claimed to have 6 guests, so they wouldn't have to pay extra, and then on the video footage I saw at least 25 people coming and going every day, driving & parking on my lawn, and partying like rock stars, screaming outside after midnight, and just going wild.  So, I asked them to pay $400 extra for the extra guest fees, and the guest declined.  I sent the video footage to Airbnb, clearly showing tons of guests,  yet they declined it too, saying that the guest had declined it.  This was ridiculous so I pushed back and asked for a different Airbnb person to review the footage, and finally they charged the guest.    Never be afraid to stand up for yourself or your property, due to fear of a negative review.  When I get a negative review, I just respond back to them with the facts and let the public decide who is telling the truth, or being unreasonable.  You can't become a Superhost by being an unreasonable person; most people know that.  So when a guest violates the rules blatantly, you have every right to charge them.  I have several properties and have been renting for approx 10 years, and I have never had a guest take retaliatory action, other than a negative review.  You will get some negative reviews, because some people you just can't make happy, no matter how hard you try, and let's face it, home ownership brings surprises that we can't control & can ruin anyone's good time.  I can't control a fridge going out on someone's vacation stay, but I can control how quickly I respond and handle it, and that is the best we can do as hosts!

[Huma0]

@Megan299 

Agreed. We can't be held hostage to guests' retaliatory reviews. If hosts continue to put up with bad behaviour in fear of that, the platform will continue to go downhill. Sure, maybe Airbnb doesn't have our backs a lot of the time (despite their marketing spiel), that's no reason to put up with it.

[Donald28]

@Megan299 your style of airbnb hosting is part of why counties and municipalities in greater Atlanta are disallowing short term rentals. Can you imagine how your neighbors felt having to endure the party that you allowed? Not cool. 

[Debra300]

@Ash3391,

I know my opinion is not with the majority, but I don't understand why you are making such a big deal about this incident, because as a pool owner you should always assume that people are peeing while they are inside the pool. Just because you saw him peeing doesn't mean that your pool maintenance should require additional cleaning and disinfecting or other water treatment that you normally have done.

@Huma0, @Megan299, @Cheryl464, @Ian-And-Anne-Marie0,

[Huma0]

@Debra300 

That's a good point and I did actually think about it also as many people do, unfortunately, as you say pee while in the pool.

Maybe it was just the blatant disrespect that got my goat!