guests breaking rules regarding pet

[Lebeth0]

The day they were to arrive my guests texted with a dilemma.    They had no one to leave their cat with and asked to bring him.   We have a strict no pet policy in the cottage but I offered an alternative.    I suggested they set him up in my studio which adjoins the cottage by a door.    The space is heated and cooled.   They agreed.     Two days into their stay I went to my studio to meet the cat.   No cat.   No food bowl,  bed or water.    Since they haven't left the cottage since their arrival I can only assume they took him into the cottage against our agreement.    I knocked twice....no answer.

I'm asking for suggestions regarding some sort of penalty for these guests.    Additional cleaning fee?    A truthful review?   Any suggestions welcome.

Lebeth

[Sarah977]

@Lebeth0  You are a very experienced host, I see. It's a shame, but this seems to be a problem with bending your rules to accommodate guest requests, they then take advantage of your goodwill and push the envelope.

I suspect these folks intended to bring the cat from square one. They could have boarded the cat at a pet-boarding facility if they couldn't find a friend or family to take it. 

I do think it was rather naive of you to think they would be okay with the cat being all alone in your studio, even though they agreed to it. 

How long are these people booked for? If it's a short stay, I would simply slam them in the review. If it's a longer stay, I would message them about it, saying you made an exception for them out of goodwill, they agreed to the conditions of the cat being in the studio, and they have abused your trust, and give them an option- they either find a place to board the cat or leave. I just wouldn't want people like this around for long, regardless of whether they paid an extra fee.

[Lebeth0]

Thank you Sarah.    I have to agree with you.   I was  naieve.   I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

Lebeth

[Sarah977]

@Lebeth0  Just to clarify, not so much naive in trusting the guests, but that a dog or cat that is accustomed to the companionship of its humans will be problemaatic if left alone in a strange environment. Meowing, barking, dogs chewing things up, scratching at the door, urinating or defecating inside, that sort of anxiety behavior. 

If it was a hamster in a cage, that would likely not pose any problem 🙂

It occurs to me that the cat might even have been meowing piteously and incessantly, so the guests took it into their space. Still not okay, but maybe not intended as a flagrant ignoring of the agreement.

[Mark116]

@Lebeth0  You could tell them that since it appears the cat has not been housed in the agreed upon area, that the space is going to require a deep clean at the cost of XX.  But, they can say no and you won't have much recourse, it is a total crap shoot whether Airbnb would support you here.

Depending on how long the stay is for, I would tell them that the cat has to be moved into the vacant space.  If it is a longer term stay, you might consider trying to get a neutral cancellation but as @Sarah977  said you will probably have to offer to let them stay if they board the cat somewhere first.

It's too bad that they abused your trust and your generosity and I would absolutely mention that you made an 'emergency' exception and allowed them to house their pet on the property and they completely disregarded the agreement.

[Helen3]

I agree with @Sarah977  these people always intended to bring their pet with them. 

Knowing they have lied to you after you bent over backwards to accommodate them I would have no hesitation in asking Airbnb to cancel the booking. I would then contact the guest and give them say an hour to come back and pack up their belongings and leave as they have broken your agreement to keep their pet in the studio apartment.

I would also ask them an additional fee for extra pet cleaning .

Obviously leave an honest review.