Can someone help me?

[Katelyn16]

I'm staying at an Airbnb in Vienna, and we just got a threatening note on our door (apparently a neighbor) saying that Airbnb is a crime and we need to go home. We've contacted the customer service line, and the woman there told us that we need to have the person who paid for the trip, an admin at our university call, she wouldn't speak to us, the guests. We need to be able to speak to someone about that to do, the owners are saying this has happened before and we need to know if we should leave the building or if there is an Airbnb policy for this. We canot get ahold of the admin at our school who official paid (from our money) and booked the trip. 

[Emiel1]

hello @Katelyn16 ,

Your host has to act on this, as he/she is responsible providing you accommodation without nuisance like this. So address your concerns at the host. best regards, Emiel

[Katelyn16]

Hi Emiel, we have contacted our host and he is not willing to do anything. Apparently we knew about the threats from previous guests and didn’t let us know prior to today’s incident. We would like to speak with Airbnb, but they are refusing to speak with anyone but the guest whose paying for the stay, which is the secretary of our university. As the actual guests we would like to speak with someone about this. 

[Emiel1]

hello @Katelyn16 , Airbnb makes a mistake here, as you are booked via a business account of the university and have the full right of being heared by Airbnb as being the actual staying guests! Also the host is in error, as he has to act on safety issues like this. But the negative reviews will probably do the job in future. Please do not worry to much, "barking dogs don't bite" and someone leaving such anonymous notes on a door is just a coward. But mention the incident clearly in your review, so potential guest are warned.

[Marit-Anne0]

Short term rentals may be illegal in Vienna, but you are not doing anything illegal @Katelyn16 so no need to vacate.  If anyone is doing anything illegal, it is your host or the neighbour sending you notes. If the neighbour has any issues, that person needs to address the host, not you.  Relax and stay on.

[Katelyn16]

HI Marit, we have no way of knowing which neighbor is sending threatening messages - but our host is not doing anything. Apparently this has occurred with other guests. Our issue is that we would like to speak with Airbnb about this, but they will not speak with us, the guests, merely the individual on the bill - who is, unfortunately, a secretary at our university that used our private funds as this is a school trip. We are likely not leaving, but need a route in case things get worse. 

[Sarah977]

@Katelyn16  Since this was a third party booking, which is not allowed on airbnb, they are within their rights to not speak with you. Can you not contact the secretary of the university to deal with this? That person is the only one who can deal with airbnb at this point.

In the future, make bookings under your own account, so you can handle any issues which might arise, with an arrangement for the university to re-imburse you.

[Katelyn16]

We are listed as guests on the booking. I believe that our secretary maybe had done the booking as a Business Booking, as it was the university booking the Airbnb for us. The host knows of everyone on the trip, through Airbnb, and we are guests. The funding needed to come from the school secretary as it was university funds. We cannot get ahold of her.

We have sent her an email, but it isn’t the weekend. She has nothing to do with the trip other than this, and hopefully will Ben able to transfer one of us to the “managing host position.” However, we should Ben able to speak with someone as invited guests to the Airbnb, especially in a situation like this. 

[Katelyn16]

Excuse me, it is* the weekend. 

[Linda108]

@Katelyn16  Sounds to me that this is a sanctioned business travel and the school secretary is registered to be able to book on behalf of employees.  This is an allowable third party booking.  

@Sarah977  This is an allowed third party booking.  

I agree with @Emiel1.  This is an error by Air BNB.  @Katelyn16  Be sure to speak with Air BNB rep.   Here is a guide for contacting Air BNB.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Contact-Airbnb-A-Community-Help-Guide/m-p/16165#M728

Do you want to be relocated?  You should not have to deal with "threatening messages".

[Katelyn16]

Hi Linda, we don’t want to move or do anything drastic. We just want to speak to Airbnb to make sure they know about the issue, and then speak with them about our best course of action as we would like to avoid any future negative interactions with this neighbor/neighbors? I was hoping they would be able to give some advice or shed some light on the situation. 

[Sarah977]

@Linda108   Katelyn had not been clear that this was a business travel booking (and, in fact, at this point she really doesn't seem to know for sure how it was booked) or that she has been able to message the host through airbnb as a registered guest (she just said she had contacted the host, which could have been a phone call or a text message) when I said it was a not-allowed third party booking. So if that is the case, that it is a sanctioned business travel booking, then I certainly stand corrected.

Unfortunately she seems to have gotten one of those airbnb reps who is dismissive without hearing or understanding all the pertinent info, or simply is not sufficiently informed of the policies.

As the host says this has happened before, I'd be curious as to whether it has been mentioned in reviews of this listing. If it has, I'd wonder why it was booked anyway by the university secretary.

[Rene-and-Zac0]

@Katelyn16 How is  the note “threatening “ you?

Are they going to take away your birthday? Or are they going to make you wear tight pants all day? 

I think if I was in South America, I’d take it seriously but in Vienna?, they better put some chill on it. 

We’re Americans, we don’t play that “ding dong leave a punk note on the door stuff”.  Next time you hear someone outside the door, yank it open and ask them “what’s up?”. 

We have a reputation to uphold, you’re not French right? Because what you’re doing sounds French.

Don’t live your life in fear. If they really were serious, you’d have the cops at your door. 

Don’t be scared of some passive aggressive “note” that was left on your door. Make a paper airplane out of it or ball it up and leave it on the floor in front of the door. 

Now if I was staying at some big black castle in Transylvania, I might be a little concerned but seriously, Vienna? 

Relax and enjoy your stay and don’t live your life like “chicken little”. 

[Katelyn16]

I think a note written in giant black bold lettering saying “AirBNB is Crime. Go Home!” Is threatening, especially when we are in a locked building with very few neighbors. Our host admits these people are “psychotic” and “xenophobic” and at the very least, we would like to speak to someone at Airbnb about our contingency plans in case anything happens. 

[Sarah977]

@Katelyn16  Unfortunately, what you would like and what is possible are not compatible. The person who made the booking on your behalf needs to deal with this if you really think it needs dealing with. The note on the door is certainly nasty, but it did not threaten you with anything. And the host tells you that this neighbor has done this before and that they are psychotic, so I'd just ignore it if I were you. If other guests actually had repercussions to their stay at this listing due to the neighbor's nasty notes, that should appear in the guest reviews for the listing.