Ron and Nicole, we're so sorry to hear this! Knocking on wood, we haven't had this experience of a verbally aggressive and verbally abusive guest. When my wife & I were researching about airbnb spaces, we found that if we ever felt threatened we do have the legal right to call the police. I'm sorry I don't have the reference materials to hand, but the materials are out there.
If you haven't already, call your local NON-emergency police phone # to see if they can point you toward the exact laws for such things in AZ. I believe anytime if you feel *extremely* uncomfortable/fearful of/intimidated by any guest, you have the right to call the police - *extremely* being key. (Of course, sometimes, we will all inevitably be around persons whose manners, or lack thereof, we find offensive or objectionable; BUT a guest who is a 'total jerk' is NOT the same as a guest by whom one feels threatened.)
You will want to MAKE SURE, as others have noted, to immediately record everything said or observed that led you to feel *extremely.* So that it is on record to show the police when they arrive, and in a quickly accessible format, we think using the airbnb site is likely the best option for making a record of the interaction(s), plus then when dealing with airbnb, you have it right there.
As to the other issue you had about a year ago:
Age of Consent in general in the US is 18 years old, although in a # of states (maybe a third?), it's 16 years old (like here in our home state, WA); you will need to check for Age of Consent for your state of AZ, which you can google. If the young woman was 16, and if 16 is the Age of Consent in AZ, then you do not have recourse. HOWEVER:
If ever there is a situation again where you are concerned for the safety of an unregistered guest whom you suspect to be a minor (or, actually, ANY guest, regardless of age), you DO have some IMPORTANT legal RIGHTS and OBLIGATIONS.
You might ask the guests to show you their I.D.s, as you are "a responsible host looking out for the safety of everyone in the community." It may be that you will be able to verify that they are both at Age of Consent, and your mind will be put to ease. We've read in the Community Center many times that some hosts list in their Listing &/or in the House Rules that guests will or may be asked to show I.D. upon check-in, which might be a good way to go with that.
If the young guest does NOT have an I.D. or refuses to show it, you DO have the right (and also the legal obligation, if you at all have concerns about possible sexual exploitation of a minor, or sex trafficking) to call your local police about your concerns.
If it turns out to be on the up-and-up once government I.D. is verified &/or legally checked, it is reasonable to think the guests may be unhappy or embarrassed (maybe "he" looks a lot older than he is, maybe she looks a lot younger). But, like us, it sounds like you understand that it's far better to be inconvenienced and uncomfortable, than to risk in any way supporting sexual abuse of a minor (or of anyone) by turning our heads and looking away.
To help with the guests' feelings in such a scenario (where the legality of Age of Consent is verified), first, we would sincerely acknowledge their discomfort.
Second, we would turn it around for them, if at all possible, so they could see that their participation in age verification for consent/sexual safety issues is not JUST legally necessary for you as a host, but also that their participation can be seen as an example of their personal integrity/good citizenship/ understanding/graciousness (anything positive and compassionate, if at all applicable, added to a difficult situation, we find is always helpful).
We would next let them know we admire the courageousness of every person who cooperates in these important efforts to be more aware of our legal obligations to one another around safety and explicitly specified legal consent, that they are an important part of our nation's growing awareness of personal sexual safety.
And then, we could also thank them for cooperating in efforts to keep everyone in the community safe. If worded sincerely, showing best intentions & acknowledging our own discomforts (because, it's not as if these highly charged conversations are comfortable for us, either) in our new socio-cultural conversations around #MeToo, all efforts toward a respectful and safe society for everyone ought to be met with understanding & appreciation.
If they are not able to understand or appreciate these concerns, and it results in a poor review, we would simply restate our mandate to participate in keeping every guest, and everyone in our community at large, safe. Any prospective guests reading that response will either be VERY happy and grateful to support a responsible and caring host by booking with you, OR they won't book with you because they themselves are dodgy, and know you to be a host who looks out for the safety of all.
You absolutely have the legal right - and obligation - to simply immediately call the police anytime you fear for a young person's safety: SHAME ON WHOMEVER YOU SPOKE WITH AT AIRBNB CS FOR MAKING YOU THINK OTHERWISE!
