Damages within an hour of arrival.

[Miz0]

Hi - hope someone has an idea what to do here...

I have a guest who arrived at my house whilst I'm out at work, as a lot of them do. Within an hour of her being there she text me to tell me she's boiled the kettle on the stove, but it is a plastic electric kettle.

I've asked her to pay for it, but I am concerned about her being in my property if this is what happens - I mean, it's a plastic kettle with a plug on it and she said she didn't know it was electric!

According to the Air BnB policy I will be penalised if I cancel the booking though - is this correct even for these kind of circumstances?

I don't know if there is any damage to the stove yet, or if there's melted plastic on it - it'll be costly to fix if so. And I don't feel very safe leaving my property with her in it whilst I go to work for the next ten days at the moment!!!!

Miz

[Lawrene0]

Maybe wait until you meet her face-to-face, @Miz0. Was she jetlagged? Is she appalled at her awful mistake? Will she pay for the damage?

If not, and if you get the sense after meeting her that it will be a nightmare stay, you might give Airbnb a call and explain. They may be able to find her someplace more foolproof? If that is the case, it will all be handled without penalty. 

Honestly, though, you do not imagine, before hosting, that you will have to put a note on a plastic kettle that says "This is electric! See the cord? Do not put it on the stove!"

[Miz0]

Thanks Lawrence! She's going to give me some money for a new one... Fingers crossed for the rest of the stay!

[Jim-and-Marcia0]

It's likely an honest mistake. Electric kettles are common in some countries, but not in others. She notified you in a timely manner and that's a good sign. Ask her to pay for the kettle and any damage the mistake caused. Then give her a thorough orientation to your home and your expectations. If you have a security deposit (which is a good idea) you can make a claim against it. However, for this type of situation, I would be more inclined to collect the money in cash and document that you've done so via the Airbnb messaging platform. 

[Sandra126]

When you meet her, talk her through the house and show her how everything works. I have had someone put a plastic thing on my woodstove, it melted. ''didn't realise it would be so hot''.

As for me, I once house sat and burnt some stove hotplate covers because I didn't realise how they worked. I did drive 140 kilometres to buy new ones before owner returned, kicking myself for stupidity all the while. It happens.