Guests Smoking

[Michelle104]

We've recently had 2 different guests who smoked inside our house which is strictly against our House Rules.  This is the first time in our over 2 years of hosting on Airbnb as Superhosts that we have had to request payment on a deposit.

In our several back and forth conversations with Airbnb we were first advised to hire an outside company to remove the smoke smell, which would have cost over $3000.  Then later we were told by the same Airbnb rep that Airbnb does not cover smoke damage at all !  

In both cases it has taken my husband, myself and a cleaning crew 5 days of constant work to remove the smoke smell from the house and even then it is still faintly present in some areas.  This has cost us around $2600 in each case.  Yet Airbnb will not cover any of it under their Host Guarantee. 

Since we don't have control over the Deposit, it is completely up to the guests if they want to pay the deposit for cleanup of the smoke smell.  In one case Airbnb finally agreed to pay the deposit, since the guests refused to do so.  But the deposit was less than half of what we spent cleaning the house of the smell.  In the other case the guest did agree to pay the deposit, but again it was less than half of what we spent on the cleanup.

The Host Guarantee does not exclude Smoking damage.  But the Airbnb rep says that it is not 'Physical Damage' as defined in their Host Guarantee.  We disagreed that smoking damage is not Physical Damage since it includes having to discard smoke damaged fabrics and in some cases repaint walls and ceilings embedded with smoke smell.  But to no avail.  Airbnb will not cover smoke damage with their Host Guarantee.

We are dismayed at Airbnb's lack of responsibility, even saying that all cleaning is up to us, regardless of whether the guests broke the House Rules.  We are seriously considering using another Vacation Rental booking service as a result of this experience.  

[Raffaele-and-Astrid0]

Hi @Michelle104

I'm sorry for you trouble, where I work we use this machine for take off the smell, http://www.odorfreemachines.com/smoke-odor-removal/

cost $280USD , and remove the smell in less than few hours...better than $3000 🙂

I hope that this help!

cheers Raf

[Hilde8]

Thanks Michelle. Did you have it shipped over from US?

[Zak207]

Just to let you know ozone generators damage a lot of things. It's basically oven cleaner in the air. It will ruin a nearby fridge, wear out carpet, ect. Ozone should not be used.

[Zak207]

You can't use an ozone generator. It will destroy carpet and break down plastics and rubbers, make your fridge break down faster, damage fabrics. It's basically gas version of oven cleaner. Would you put oven cleaner all over your fridge, carpet, and everywhere the ozone goes?

Airbnb does.not cover smoking damage even though they advertise smoke damage remediation covered on their website. I paid the $3k to fix my smoke damage with many months of income 

[Raffaele-and-Astrid0]

Hi @Michelle104

(i wrote a message but didn't appear, I try again)

I'm sorry for your trouble, 

Without repaint the house, just buy for 280 dollar the smoke removal machine, or rented one for few hours,  remove the smeel in a couple of hours from everywhere, we use in hotel where I work, sometime guest just don't care.

good luck

cheers Raf

[Raffaele-and-Astrid0]

@Michelle104

more specifically are called "Ozone Generators", just google it.

Raf

[David126]

Have you approched your own Insurers? I wondered what their response was.

I do wonder about the competency of the people who adjudge claims and whether they have ever read the Host Guarantee.

There is an arbitration process, have yet to see anybody who has gone that route.

[Zak207]

Just to let you know ozone generators damage a lot of things. It's basically oven cleaner in the air. It will ruin a nearby fridge, wear out carpet, ect. 

[Robin4]

@Michelle104   Michelle firstly can I please congratulate you on your response to 'Ravi'. This is the sort of response that is so lacking when a guest complains about something. You were one hundred percent dignified and let the guest know you had taken their comments on board......

You can tell far more from the ways hosts and guests carry themselves during the review process than you can from professional photos and lots of verifications. I would book your listing in a heartbeat, of course you are a superhost, you do what most don't, you listen!!!!

To your filtration, we have a hepa filter which runs all the time and keeps the cottage air really fresh. Interestingly allergy sufferers say their hay fever symptoms virtually disappear whilst staying in the cottage.

I hate taking issue with other hosts but I have spent a lot of time going into this and I have to say.... DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON AN OZONE FILTER!!!

Air filters are cheap! a good quality ionising filter will typically cost around $250 US....which lets face it is one resonable booking!

There are considerable problems relating to ozone air filtration. firstly they are cheap (typically $100-120 US) but the also flood the air with ozone molecules which have been proved to lead to lung problems. There is concerted talk around the world at the moment among health authorities that ozone filtration should be banned!!

Spend just a bit more on an Ionising Heppa filter. We have a Whirlpool 'Whispure 2000' unit which we have had for about 5 years now and it has paid for itself at least 50 times over. I have built it into the air system in the cottage and guests do not even know it is there but they all comment on how clean/neutral the cottage smells.

Michelle you are never going to stop guests breaking you smoking rules....it's legal and it's an addiction and that's all there is too it.

My suggestion to you as you are an extremely seasoned, competent host is to look into air filtration online, learn as much as you can about it and select a filter that will best suit your needs.

I would not talk an occasional host into spending money on something like this....just buy a bit of air freshener! But you are a professional and you will gain a lot by doing this.

If you want any advice that could help you with sorting this out just send a message!

Cheers....Rob

[Zak207]

Ozone is toxic that's why you can only use it in a space that is vacant. But that doesn't even matter because the ozone damages everything including appliances. It will degrade rubbers and many other polymers (plastics) like polyester

[Alex357]

I just had an identical experience with Airbnb. Guests heavily smoked but I was refused reimbursement for extra cleaning services. 

Along with other claims denied I am pretty fed up with Airbnb and unless after my physical trip to their HQ these issues will not be resoloved, I will stop using Airbnb and will steer as many people away from them as possible, hosts and guests a like. 

[Stephanie254]

I am fighting with AIr BNB over an identical issue!

 I have video proof of guests smoking and blowing smoke while walking into the house and was just asked by air bnb if I had ( illegal) pictures of guests smoking inside!!  that this was what they needed for further proof!?  I cant immagine what people do if they do not have video survelliance systems to argue with them but I am appalled! I got the house Ozone treated  cheaply but they are arguing about the mailbox that was broken as well. I  have pictures of that too and have sent them but I keep getting the response that they need pictures of it for proof. what more can I send !? its not like I have pictures of the mailbox before it was on the ground!

We already use Home Away and while the interface is a bit rough I will be switching to that %100 instead if Air BNB does not side with me on this. and I would highly encourage you to do the same.

[Joel171]

Stephanie, how did your dispute get resolved? I'm dealing with a guest now that I just caught smoking inside my house. My rules clearly state that smoking is not allowed. Plus my son is allergic to the smoke. I'm wondering if I should have taken a picture of her smoking but then if I had done that, I probably would have gotten in trouble for taken a picture of a guest without their permission! But I did immediately send them a text stating how upset I was with them for smoking in my house and I received a response that said they were sorry -- so at least I have an admission on their part if they try to deny when I file a claim. Please let me know how it turned out for you. Thank you. 

[Stephanie254]

It ended up that Air bnb did resolve and awarded me the ozone treatment, and mail box replacement. It took about a month and a half and went back and forth stating that they needed pictures. All I could provide are the legal ones from our exterior cameras.and I took screen shots of every puff of smoke he exhaled towards our door. I sent them the ozone receipt and the mailbox estimate as well as a quote from our neighbor and our maid after I asked them to smell it too to make sure. I think the ozone worked wonderfully in removing it and we have since used it again. I highly recommend an ozone machine. And a doorbell camera.( It does say on our rental agreement that some areas are on surveillance) so they were aware technically.