Disappointed host

[Tracy393]

I have been a host  for Airbnb going on 2 1/2 years. I have 4 properties listed with the company.

I have had no issues recovering any kind of fees  from Airbnb due to broken items/or broken rules. 

 However, recently, A guest broke a rule. 

 I have a condo in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is known for heat and high humidity. 

 It is very hard on air condition systems.

 My rule is not to turn the air conditioner below 68° And it keep the doors open while running the AC.

 It states it will freeze the unit and the guest will be charged $300.

The units  air condition is the appropriate size for the condo  and is in good working order.

 The guest came in, turned the air down to 60, it froze up the unit.

Out of 122 guest, over the last 2 1/2 years, this only happened one other time.

Airbnb rectified the issue.  

 My cleaning lady caught the issue as soon as she walked in to clean. 

 She immediately started to thaw the system  with a hair dryer, it was a two hour process using a lot of towels.

 She charged me $75 additional cleanup fee because of the problem. 

 We were able to get the unit up and running before the next guest arrived. 

I called a heating and air company out to check the system to make sure there was no damage from the freeze over because 

 I have the unit pretty much booked up all summer.

 The service charge for the AC unit was a $100 

 I submitted the claim and ask the guests for payment. They declined. 

 I was sent to the resolution center where I dealt with Mike. 

 It was the most horrible experience I have ever had with Airbnb. 

After Several emails back-and-forth, and several phone calls, that got me nowhere.

I requested to speak with the supervisor and was informed by Mike,  there was no one else I could talk to to answer my concerns.

The issue is dead and they are doing nothing else about it,  and there would be no further communication about the issue. 

  It is unfortunate the only way to voice my concerns is on the open forum page.

I have nowhere else to go. 

 My concern now is, the guest did not follow my rules, due to negligence, they froze my air system.

 This could have cost thousands and loss of rental income.

I am not even worried about the $175 at this point.

I am concerned that my House rules do not have to be followed.

 My confidence as a host is very low at this point. I am highly disappointed and very concerned about future bookings. 

Tracy~

[Maxine33]

Tracy, I have only had a problem once and AirBnB was terrific in handling it.  Have you tried calling or emailing again?  Since the guest violated your written house rules, I would think they would go the extra mile to help you recover your losses.   It may help to speak with a different person. 

[Beth80]

@Tracy393 

I am so sorry that you are faced with this situation. Sadly, if you read over very many of the stories here on the CC you will notice that the quality of help provided by "help" line has become a joke. More and more the person you get doesn't listen well and certainly doesn't seem willing to help. Other hosts have had some luck calling and or contacting them through Twitter. 

[Emilia42]

@Tracy393, read this article:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Make-the-most-of-House-Rules-host-tips-amp-how-to...

And then take special note of the third * italicized at the very bottom. 

“If a guest violates a house rule, the host and guest are encouraged to communicate and resolve the issue. Creating House Rules helps Airbnb CX mediate a disagreement; however, Airbnb CX cannot enforce House Rules.”

When you have to involve Airbnb, house rules essentially mean nothing. 

[Stacey115]

Tweet them and Facebook. Probably your best play at this point. I wish you the best of luck.