When does the guest's window to ask for a refund run out?

[Ann72]

Here's the situation:  Guest booked for a week.  On the night of check-in, at about 9:30 pm, he wrote, "we had a medical emergency and won’t be able to make it up until next weekend :/."  That was a Saturday night, and their reservation was to run through the next Saturday morning.  Then someone else was checking in.  What was he saying?

I wrote the next morning, "I hope everything is okay. I haven’t seen any rescheduled dates or a cancellation come through so just wanted to ask what your plans were."

He answered that they would be arriving Monday night.

So they arrived two days into their stay without altering the reservation or asking for any kind of refund.  They wouldn't be due a refund as it was all so last-minute, so I didn't offer it.

Upon checkout, my housekeeper discovered that they'd brought a dog to a no-pet house.  Dog hair everywhere in huge drifts.  Furthermore, there were deep gouges on the mahogany stair treads.

I'm not going to ask for any kind of resolution.  Airbnb won't do anything about the dog, and I won't be able to have the stair properly looked at until next month.

So I'm just going to leave a terrible review.  Really, the guy was just so thoughtless - what if the guests arriving after he left had severe pet allergies and that's why they booked a no-pet place?  And the stair thing - he clearly didn't bother to read the house manual because I clearly say not to drag heavy suitcases up the stairs as the wood is somewhat susceptible to damage.  Ever since I wrote that the first season every single guest has respected it.  

In conclusion, he didn't read or follow the house rules, he didn't read or follow the house manual, and he didn't even bother to read the guidebook, texting me about where the grocery store was and other simple questions that were answered in one of the above 3 things.  (What millennial can't use the internet for questions, anyway?)

After checking out, I've heard from him three times - he wanted to know where I'd sourced some items in the house, he thought he left an iPad there, and today, he messaged me just to say he'd left me a review.  Smiley face.

My question:  when can I safely leave a bad review that won't result in him attempting to demand a refund?

[Emiel1]

@Ann72 

Unfortunately a guest can ask for refund up to 60(!) days after checkout.....

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1370/how-do-i-request-a-refund-from-my-host

[Kelly149]

@Ann72 the stay is over and complete, he can only amend his review within the first 48 hours of him posting it, and that only if your review hasn't been entered yet. That being said, the answer to when can a refund be granted by ABB is "anytime they darn well please"

I've seen other hosts say not to mention an unapproved pet, bc then a guest could tell abb this is a service animal/ESA and have the review dropped. A bad review needs to be clearly bad and very neutral, IMO. And how do you know they brought a dog, maybe a wandering coyote just came inside for a grooming session? How dare you imply.... Actually part of the medical emergency means that the husband's hair is becoming coarse and falling out, no dog at all, how dare you...Etc Etc Etc

"xxx at times did not communicate enough, other times too much. Unfortunately, there was damage to the home and quite a lot of inappropriate clean-up required after their visit. It was clear that our provided house information was either not read or simply not followed. We would not allow them to return and at this time cannot recommend them to other hosts."

or "not guests we would have back for a second visit"

[Ann72]

@Kelly149  If I hadn't gotten busy with work this week I would have said how much the coyote scenario made me laugh 🙂  You never know though, right?!?  LOL

[Kelly149]

@Ann72 I mean, we've all heard some pretty crazy justifications for why whatever happened wasn't their fault... best to have no room for arguments

My kids' favorite one of these is: "but I didn't MEAN for that to happen!"  They're very sick of me saying "but you didn't mean for it NOT to happen"

[Ann72]

@Kelly149  I’ve never heard that answer before and it’s seriously brilliant.  So many people grow up thinking that if they didn’t MEAN to hurt someone’s feelings, or do a bad job, or whatever, they’re off the hook.  Your answer is so good!  It’s one of those momisms that kids might not fully understand but that get in there and do the job. 

[Anna9170]

@Ann72  It is horrible to say such a thing, but the guest can demand a return for a very long time, about 2 months, and it has nothing to do with the left feedback.
I had a guest who broke his little finger on his leg half an hour before coming to the apartment where I worked. He did not respond to any of my requests to cancel the reservation, and gave advances that is about to arrive, perhaps tomorrow. A week after "check out". (it is clear that he did not even enter the apartment), the guest sent a document from the hospital to the sapport ayrbnb and left a 1* review. I managed to cancel this review, and I consider it a huge victory.
BUT! Do you know what I mean? August, a week with a locked calendar, a refund, a small resort town, it's a month of profit in the low season...
Hang on to the review, because you have to tell STOP to those people who behave this way. But do not mention the dog, please, because it will be a reason for Airbnb to remove your review because of discrimination, because service animals blah blah, and you can not prove to anyone that it was or not, as with drugs, you will still be guilty.

[Ann72]

@Emiel1 @Kelly149 @Anna9170  Thank you - this is exactly the input I needed.

Airbnb says a guest has 24 hours after check-out, but I thought I'd heard differently, and you've confirmed it.

@Kelly149  Excellent template, thank you.  I'm not worried about his review, but I didn't want a terrible review to spark an attempt to get a refund.  I need the money from his two unused nights to repair the stairs tread.  I had a brief review prepared with some specifics but will definitely leave out the dog (although my gardener not only met the dog, but cleaned up after it).  I'll just take the less is more approach thanks to you and @Anna9170.  I think I'll wait until next week, especially now that he messaged me with a smiley face.  His entitlement knows no bounds.

[Sarah977]

@Ann72  This somewhat recent phenomenon of people being completely uninterested and seemingly incapable of reading anything beyond a one line text message is getting rather wearying, isn't it? 

It's another part of the entitlement syndrome. "Oh, couldn't be bothered to read all that. I only do the things I like to do."

[Emilia42]

@Ann72 

It might be tricky for these guests to even prove to Airbnb that they were not there for all nights booked. It would be one thing if they didn't show up at all. I don't think he'll ask for a refund. I think if he really cared he would have done so already. I hope he surprises you and offers to help pay for the stairs. The ONLY dog guest I ever allowed also left scratch marks all over my stairs. Never again. 

[Anonymous]

@Ann72 The Guest Refund Policy covers issues that might cause a guest to leave early, and Extenuating Circumstances may apply to cancellations. But there's not an existing policy that could be interpreted to mean a guest can get a refund for arriving after the check-in date. I mean sure, he could make something up and try to con a free stay, but there's no trick you can do with the timing of your review to prevent that.

For what it's worth, the majority of my guests have been unaware of the existence of the Guidebook and House Manual features until I explained how to view them. I wouldn't put any essential information in either place without reiterating it in the messenger.

[Ann72]

@Anonymous  Oh Lord, I haven't expected a guest to find those things on my listing since 2015.  I send every guest the house manual, driving directions, guidebook before their trip, and leave printed copies at the house.  Only once in all the years I've hosted has any guest said, "I found that on the site."   Anyway, he had everything, he just didn't read anything.  It's a relief to know there's not a super-obvious EC claim lurking here, though.

I still think I'll wait until the end to leave the review.  You just never know what an entitled male Karen might try to do.

[Ann72]

Left the review today.  Stars:  1/2/1.  Disappointing guest, didn't recommend to other whole-home hosts.

His review - stellar.  But in his private note, he was excited to tell me his sister joined them for the last day or two!  Sweet kid but lacking any clues about adulting whatsoever.

[Helen3]

I am sorry to hear about this guest. @Ann72 

I can’t see why he would have any grounds for claiming a refund. 

Going forward do look at CcTV or similar so you can see if guests bring in pets/ additional guests not on the booking.