Resolution Center Fail - Heading to small claims

[Pat101]

Well ... that was a big waste of time. On our 4th AirBnb reservation a guest threw a weekend long party and trashed our house. A broken teak lounger, towel rack(s) ripped off the bathroom walls, smashed glass at the pool, dented drier, doors knocked off hinges, clogged toilets, missing blender tops - which would explain the margarita mix up the kitchen walls. They also had twice as many people on the property as are allowed according to a city ordinance and which we state in our house rules as grounds for eviction and security deposit lose. Our cleaners said it was the "worst they'd ever seen"!

After many, many emails back and forth, Airbnb decided we were owed $13 for a cutting board the guests destroyed on the grill and wrote the rest off as cosmetic damage and "wear and tear". Intersting choice since we only finished renovationing and furnishing our house 2 months before the incident. We were vandalized and Airbnb completely turned their back on us. They've basically set the precedence that guests can trash your house and there no ramifications. Great news for guest! Terrible news for hosts. 

We're in the process of taking the guest to small claims court. Has anyone said screw the  "Resolution Center" and taking their issues to court? Any luck if so? 

[John2199]

I not only got denied the $450 to get the property back to normal conditions after the guest smoked illegal substances in the house but they deactivated my account after 8 years of being a member and cancelled all future reservations without any explaination or request for further information.  Airbnb DOES NOT protect people renting thier property on thier website.  VRBO has the guest pay for insurance from a third party and they reimburse you immediatly even when the guest tries to deny they caused damage because they don't want to pay for it.  Airbnb should be put out of business if this is how they treat their loyal customers and hosts!

[Patricia2165]

Because they are assholes or just whole asses

[Jean226]

My guest put a fire pit on my composite deck floor. The only way to fix it is replace the flooring for over $5500. They vomted all over bedroom floor which did come out after I had it professionallycleanedfor $100. Resolution center does not respond. How can Contact them?

[Fred13]

Terrible experiences folks, no doubt. The following questions always come to mind when I read about these types of events:

#1 - "How did these lunatics end up in your place in the first place?" (Any clues missed before accepting these bookings?)

#2- "How did they pull these crazy stunts with you not becoming somewhat aware of it as they happened?" (Separate place?)

#3 - "What age range were these 'guests'?" (aka more like home terrorists)"

[Donna240]

@Fred0, My guess for #2 is that the Steven lives in Los Angels, so was unaware of the abuse until the guests left and he or his cleaning crew entered the premises. More than 60% of single family homes in Palm Springs are 2nd homes (vacation) or either investor or bank owned and a majority of them are operated as short term rentals. Palm Springs has been a party town for decades, but the influx of short term rentals that are "managed" through emails and lock boxes are getting so out of hand that the 30% of homeowners who actually live there are putting up a ballot measure to severely restrict short term rentals. It is no fun to live next door to one of these houses used for parties, but some homeowners are literally surrounded by these investment properties on all sides. My information is from a real estate broker who lives in Palm Springs. When so many places are filled to the brim with short term renters who are screaming, laughing and diving into pools all night until 3 and 4 a.m. the police department can't answer all the complaints. I'd be willing to bet that many of these abuses would not happen if there was management on site; how could they?

[Fred13]

Exactly, so the absentee landlord/owner list it through Airbnb with their infamous 'Host Guarantee' (until you read the 'fine print' called Terms) and expects to be protected just like another host who is ON site, who takes protecting their place seriously and takes personal responsibility for their own decisions? This is taking 'it is always someone else's fault' to a whole new level.

[Sheila276]

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@Donna240 wrote:

@Fred0, My guess for #2 is that the Steven lives in Los Angels, so was unaware of the abuse until the guests left and he or his cleaning crew entered the premises. More than 60% of single family homes in Palm Springs are 2nd homes (vacation) or either investor or bank owned and a majority of them are operated as short term rentals. Palm Springs has been a party town for decades, but the influx of short term rentals that are "managed" through emails and lock boxes are getting so out of hand that the 30% of homeowners who actually live there are putting up a ballot measure to severely restrict short term rentals. It is no fun to live next door to one of these houses used for parties, but some homeowners are literally surrounded by these investment properties on all sides. My information is from a real estate broker who lives in Palm Springs. When so many places are filled to the brim with short term renters who are screaming, laughing and diving into pools all night until 3 and 4 a.m. the police department can't answer all the complaints. I'd be willing to bet that many of these abuses would not happen if there was management on site; how could they?

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Airbnb could resolve the issue by simply publishing the reviews we write about bad customers but only 5 star reviews are published on visitor profiles.

[Pete28]

The easy answer is to simply state in your booking that you live nearby to the property - who is then going to rent it for party night when many others are available 🙂

I have read read enogh now to not put anything of value in the Airbnb, since if it is destroyed I won't get anything back. In addition I make sure to personally say hello to each set of guests. 

[Darian5]

I agree completely, AirBNB does not screen their guests at all and they dont have a clue who's travelling with them and they don't bother to ask.  In my case, I live in a studio attached to the back of the house (no common entrances) and I have 7 security cameras around the perimiter of the property but once they close the doors I really don't know what's going on inside, granted at this point I'm definitely paying closer attention but at the same I'm trying to respect the guests privacy because it's really 5% of the bookings that are causing major problems and probably another 10-15% that are just disgustingly messy, but the other 80% are generally very nice people.   The age of the people that have destroyed the house were all early 20's, although I have to be honest, I'm not convinced some of these people even are old enough to drive.  One thing to poetentially look out for is young guests from places that arent very far away and according to the sheriffs the one nighters are by in large the ones that cause the most problems for everybody.  Part of the problem (and I really don't know what the solution is) is that in the few instances when I did contact airbnb while the mayhem was going on they didn't do much and really I guess they couldn't, an email and a text message from airbnb is not stopping a 30 person rager.  I also AirBNB one of my parents places out when they are travelling and for some reason (thankfully) they have had no issues whatsoever, they're house is in Monterey, CA whereas I am up the coast in Santa Cruz, CA.  Initially the only major difference in the booking policies between the two houses was the security deposit so I was convinced that would solve the propblem but it didn't, the house was trashed within a few weeks of adding it.  At this point i think certain areas just attract people that want to rage, Santa Cruz attracts a different crowd than Monterery and Carmel, that's the theory I'm working off of now.  Also, I am somewhat relieved to read that other people are having issues with people crapping all over the property, it is disgusting but also just the weirdest thing ever, it's not like an infant pooped on the floor or even a super old person not making it to the bathroom, its a bunch of normal looking (ish) adults and somehow they end up **bleep**ting on the couch or the walls or wherever, I even built and plumbed in an extra toilet in a little closed deal outside and it still happened again.  I party a lot and i have never once in my life seen somebody just **bleep** on a bed.  

[Jen125]

Yes this happened to me. Hey made it so difficult to stay in touch, no one would email or call me back. And I was written they could give me $44 for some towels after the bed and carpet had pee on them. They even refused to pay for the sanitization cleaning which I sent them the receipt for. Dealing with them has been a nightmare. How did small claims court go? I am headed there now.

[Jen125]

And I'm a super host and long time user! I was so disappointed they didn't back me up.

[Michelle821]

god, so sorry.  i'm a new host, and starting to read these nightmares makes me mad that airbnb doesn't protect the hosts.  looks like guest everywhere are jerks, and somehow know NOTHING will happen to them if they trash someone's house!

[Matthew285]

@Michelle821 

I think this is why some hosts concentrate on preventing these incidents from happening in the first place. The perfect situation is to not have to ever deal with the Resolution Center (at least with regard to getting repayment for physical damage.)

Our listing is inside our house, so if someone started throwing a party, we would know instantly (and could take action to shut it down).

For hosts who do *not* live down the hall from their listing, the task of prevention is much more difficult. But it is no less important. Some hosts count on neighbors to help keep an eye on loud or abusive guest behavior. Some use technology, such as outside security cameras or noise monitoring devices (which must be disclosed). Some just physically visit the listing to check on it.

We always hope the Resolution Center will back up the hosts, but you should still always do what you can to protect yourself and your property.

[Michelle821]

thanks matthew, trying trying- i'm on my third month of full on bookings, so far so good, but i can't imagine someone trashing the place.  while I don't think i'm in the kind of city where it's going to be full of partiers, you never know.  seems my house is booked for people traveling for work and funerals mostly so far!  I don't even know what the rules are on kicking someone out if they get horrible or when you call the police to remove them, or what airbnb does with insurance or security deposit.  so far i've had a guest make reservation for one and then claim he didn't know he had to say his wife and 3 teens are coming.  (it's extra after the first two people.)  it was too late to request change in reservation becaues it had already started.  what was i going to do, kick him out.  i requested the money and he wouldn't pay.  so i'm letting them stay and then when they check out I have been trying to see if I can get the security deposit to cover the extra $225 he didn't pay.  I doubt it but didn't want to lose the money he already paid by kicking them out, that would be mean too.  

[Sarah977]

@Michelle821  Yes, that's what you do if someone books for 1 and then shows up with a whole family- you don't let them in the door. I know it's harsh, but that's what you have to do if you don't want these things to happen. The guest can immediately contact airbnb, and alter his reservation (which means paying for the extra people) before he is allowed in your house. Or he can ask them to find him alternate accomodation. Now you have 5 people in your house , 3 of whom need to be paid for, and the man refuses to pay but expects to stay?