Specialised Team Lack of support and ignoring my messages!

[AC-Property1]

I have a guest that booked my property for 5 months, paid for 3 months and rejected the Aug payment. I have received a notification from Airbnb that payment didn't go through since Aug 14th, nearly 2 weeks ago. A case was open and forward to the specialised team which keep ignoring all my messages and although I am calling 1-2 times a day I still receive the same answer the specialised team is looking into it. After googling the guest name I found out he's just a professional scammer, he threatened me if I do not give him refund and also in his past had a court arrest. I have mentioned to Airbnb how worried I am about him staying on my property, with zero payment and I don't seem to get anywhere. There is a massive lack of support or true guidance from the team. They keep telling me that they have sent the guest a payment deadline which obviously has been going on since 14th Aug, no payment is made and yet his reservation still active! Yesterday I was told that his payment deadline was today and yet no cancelation and no replies from Airbnb.

How to escalate this issue further. I do not understand on what grounds Airbnb still have his reservation active if no payment is made since 14th Aug.

Please can someone help? Is going viral publicly @Twitter and alike the best solution to get attention to this issue? 

Any help here is much appreciated. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@AC-Property1 All the advice you will receive on this forum is not to use Airbnb for long term rentals. As you have found you now have a tenant without a contract or deposit who is no longer paying the rent.

Airbnb only really finds guests and takes payment (most times). Realistically they can do nothing on the ground so it is up to you to evict the guest. To do this legally though is fraught with difficulty so you will need a lawyer and probably bailiffs. Perhaps start with a good bailiffs company and ask their advice.

You could just wait till the guest is out and move yourself in with some large friends but this is probably an illegal action.

[Helen3]

what a horrible situation to be in .

I am rather confused if the guest didn't pay for the fourth month why is he still at the listing @AC-Property1 . Did you not ask Airbnb to cancel the booking as the former guest hadn't paid? 

Presumably you have kept all communication on Airbnb so there is a record of the guest threatening you? 

I am not sure what you are expecting Airbnb to do in this situation? As the STR business owner it's your responsibility to to get the former guest out .

when you vetted the guest what checks did you put in place to ensure you weren't inadvertently creating tenancy rights ?  As a property management company with multiple listings I'm sure you are more familiar with this risk than me . I would suggest you speak to your solicitor and get legal advice around how you get the former guest removed.

[AC-Property1]

Hi Helen & Mark 

Thank you for your help. 

The guest paid for 3 months and missed his Aug payment. I have been asking Airbnb to cancel but they say the specialised team is working with the guest to collect the payment. 

And if I cancel I am penalised for canceling. I want them to cancel so then I have the rights to kick them out but whilst the reservation still active I don't feel I can do much or not? Airbnb senior case manager told me a couple of times that Airbnb will pay me regardless but in all honestly I just want this person out and do not want to host them again. I just don't understand on what grounds Airbnb still have this reservation active and why delaying so much to cancel it. 

My payout is currently on hold and the reservation active. 

Any suggestions here. 

[Helen3]

My suggestion is the advice in my earlier post.

Tell Airbnb to cancel.

Speak to your solicitor by far your biggest problem is that it looks like you have created tenancy rights . What vetting did you do with the guest re whether he had permanent accommodation elsewhere before accepting the booking? 

[Joan2709]

@AC-Property1 

This booking should have been cancelled by Airbnb already for non-payment per their written policies regarding long-term stays.

Perhaps one of the moderators can forward this to the appropriate Team at Airbnb?

@Bhumika @Rebecca