I'd like to join this suit and I have recently had a situation that was handled so poorly by air bnb, is costing me thousands and they have done nothing to help including not being able to get management involved at all.
I had two college students check into one of my row houses that was spotless and has had great reviews.
These students booked to stay until the end of August when going back to school so we made sure the home had extra toiletries, linens etc.
We had a guest stay prior to them that was a traveling nurse and gave us rave reviews. They were there for 3 weeks and after they left we had 12 days in between their departure and the check in. We had 2 of us detail clean the entire place too to bottom.
After nearly 2 weeks I get a message that one of the girls have a bug bite. The next day I get a message that they think there's bed bugs. I immediately called the exterminator. This is a first and I've been doing this for 3 years.
The next morning when I came by after the exterminator arrive the one of the two girls answered the door in hysterical. When I asked why she was that way she couldn't even speak. I saw the exterminator and he said there's no bugs in 1 bedroom, 1 alive and 1 dead in another and 2 live ones in the couch. He said this was a new infestation.
At this point the hysterical girl went from one extreme to the other excited about them going to New York for the rest of the summer instead of staying here. The exterminator told them not to leave that wherever they go they are going to bring the bugs. I made arrangements to spend $550 to get the treatments done for the next 3 weeks.
The place was a pigsty yet the proceeded to tell me how there was a glass in the cupboard that was dirty when they arrived. I heard on the news the dorms where they just came from had a bed bug infestation found recently too right after this happened.
The next day air bnb sent me a message that because if the "severe infestation" they were told they could leave immediately and not only were they refunded the money for the rest of the month that I was paid but they also refunded the time they were there and an additional $300 to go elsewhere.
They didn't leave until late the following day and they left the heat set at 79, the front door unlocked and trash everywhere.
I'm supposed to get $1,750 a month and air bnb refunded them over $2,000 from my account. I'm also having to deep clean and pay for the treatments.
The last guests were called and they had no traces of bugs and the exterminator told us that they were from the students because they couldn't have survived in the time in between guests plus there were too few and they were very new.
Air Bnb's case manager will not return my calls or put me in touch with management. All she says is this is "company policy" on how this has been handled. They took my listing off and told me once I provide proof the extermination is complete they will open it back up for future bookings... I do not believe I will put this property back up for air bnb. They have no intention on refunding me any money.
I feel helpless and considerably taken advantage of. Additionally these guests brought them to another location.
I don't know if anyone else has had this kind of situation but I can say this has made me consider a law suit in addition to finding other means to get all my units rented in other ways.