Guest Stole Board Game

[Krystle0]

I've had an issue with a previous guest stealing from me. I didn't notice until I was preparing the property for the next guest. As everything looked in place when I went to pick up sheets and towels etc, and the house had been tidied (except a few cigarette butts in the garden), I gave a good review and moved on. It wasn't until after I'd left the review and 48 hours after checkout that I had noticed the game was missing. 

When preparing for the next guest I did a quick vacuum of the loungeroom and noticed one of the Guess Who pieces on the floor. I went to replace it, but the game was missing. They were only my third guest and I've already been stolen from.

My understanding is that now that I've left my review and 48 hours has passed, there is nothing that I can do apart from sending accusations of someone stealing a $10 board game. If I accuse the thief, what if they revisit and trash the place while I have no tenants? 

How can I covertly warn other hosts about this thief (or his travelling companions) without risk to me or my property? Is there anything I can do? The police will see it as heresay, and the AirBnb reporting window has expired.

[Sandra126]

Maybe ask the departed guests where they put it as you cannot find it? Innocently. Someone might have packed it up by accident.

[Krystle0]

Thanks Sandra.

I'll consider doing that but I don't see how one could pack a board game by accident (and then not message me after they realised when unpacking). Part of me is thinking "it's only $10, that's the price to pay for hosting", but the other is very disappointed that AirBnB don't have any way to follow up on a review or open a resolution after 48 hours. If the guest says "I have no idea what you're talking about", that's that, no recourse.

I've written a check-list for future checkouts to make sure that nothing is missing so I can contact the guest straight away.

I'll take it as a learning experience and be happy it was only a small easily replaceable item. 

[City-Limits-Ranch0]

Very irritating.  I was working on replacing a door knob in our Airbnb bathroom and was unable to complete the job so I put the old door knob back on and put the new one and the screwdriver in one of the bathroom drawers.  I even thought, as I put the screwdriver in there "I wonder if this will be here when I get back to this project."  Well, it wasn't.  But 3 sets of guests had come and gone (single night stays, daily turn arounds) since I checked on my screwdriver's presence so I don't know who to blame.  Someone stole my $5 screwdriver.  Bastards.  They did leave the new $30 door knob in the drawer.
 

[Chris138]

Lesson:  Don't leave ANYTHING that could easily disappear in the room that you will be upset if you loose.

I always say goodbye to my guests when they leave, and ask if everything was OK, so if anything I might notice is going with them, I might catch it.

[Sandra126]

@Krystle0, You will find that overall, guests are honest and take nothing. Sometimes they move things to unexpected places. When I started I was vaguely checking things every checkout but now I just go with it. It is too stressful to distrust! I find that some guests will add something, like a DVD or a book. Over the course of a year, you will have spent more costly time agonising over potential losses than the money it would have cost to replace, so I say relax!