Guest trashed my house with a big party

[Jessica247]

We are new hosts and have had 10 rentals with 100% positve reviews. Overall it has been a great experience. This weekend a guest had a big superbowl party and trashed our home - they smoked cigarettes inside, broke our bed frame, left everything a huge mess. Unfortunately we did not know to take photos before doing some clean up. We have found the customer service from airbnb very frustrating. When we called their "emergency" line, we were on hold for an hour and the person we spoke with was not reassuring. Tonight after work we will go over to take pictures, but I am concerned that we will not be compensated. We are fully booked through the summer and this bad experience has made us feel very skiddish about future renters. I am so disappointed in airbnb for not reaching out to make us feel supported when this is so violating. From reading posts in the community center, it sounds like it takes a bad rental to make hosts prepared for future situations - I wish airbnb would tell hosts about how to handle this IN ADVANCE before it happens, so we were prepared. Just looking to vent here and see if anyone has suggestions - thanks! 

[Linda108]

I guess the good news is your luck with 10 guests, @Jessica247, but the bad news is your luck ran out.  So sad!  You have no security deposit for some reason so what do you want from Air BNB?  The mess and the smoking smell is not covered, but the broken bed frame might be.  What communication did you have with the guests?  Did you seek for the guest to take responsibility?  If your first step was to contact Air BNB, I suggest you be sure you have also communicated with the guest via the Air BNB messaging system.

Renting an entire house during a huge party time is risky so you might want to have some way to monitor the use of the apartment and be especially careful with vetting the guest.  

Of course, the review should be negative so as to warn other hosts of the disrespectful guest.

[Cynthia-and-Chris1]

Airbnb DOES tell hosts how to handle damange claims in advance, but it's the HOST'S responsibility to actually READ and LEARN the information.  You can easily read all about the claims process through the Help Center or by visiting this Community Center.  Most people don't because they assume they'll never need it - but, as you've now learned, it only takes one "oops" to make you realize how underinformed you might be.

It would be nice for Airbnb to hold our hands and walk us through everything, but that's not the way to world works.  As a business owner and landlord, it's your responsibility to be aware of the necessary processes.

[David126]

There are some things you can do from a risk management perspective, a Security Deposit for example, difficult to claim against but the Guest may not know.

Obviously you are in a high risk business and sooner or later you will come across issues. The way AirBnb operates Security Deposits would concern me where you are renting out a property and you are not present..

I was just wondering what you were expecting AirBnB to do?

[Kimberly-Kay0]

March 28 2018.

We own and operate a licensed B&B in Washington state, and we're also on airbnb.  We rent out our entire guest quarters as a vacation rental because our guests have their own kitchen.  We've been in operation as B&B (renting private room, bath & breakfast) for couples and individuals, and as a group rental for 14 years.  We've never had guests who completely trashed the guest quarters - until now.  Unfortunately, even with house rules clearly spelled out on our airbnb listing, with copies of the rules in each room, with reminding the guests in person of the rules, of having a damage deposit - once copious amouts of alcohol are consumed, - all bets are off.  An explosive revel and Baccaanal ensued. The place turned in to a scene from the film "Animal House".  We asked them to call it off after 2pm.  (quiet time is 10pm) After the group went out for the day, we went upstairs and photographed each room from a wide angle, and then close ups of the mounds of beer cans and bottles, the carton of cigarettes, (its a non-smoking property) the walls splashed with cooking oil.

We live on site.  I can't imagine the damage caused by stand-alone absentee landlord vacation rentals.  My thoughts and empathy goes with you.

I must say, that since you posted your original experience in 2-'17 - airbnb customer service has improved greatly.  We demanded the group leave immediatly and airbnb backed us up.  

[Amanda-and-Kate0]

@Kimberly-Kay0 - sorry that this happened to you!!  I had it happen to me too and after that, I found some technology that could help.  In case you're interested, PM me... it's called Party Squasher and it counts mobile phones inside a home in order to more proactively prevent a situation like this. For me - it was a loss of trust for guests when they broke my house rules - but as you say, it's rare. Still - I like being proactive so I can go out of town w/out being worried about keeping an eye on things.

Amanda

[David126]

@Kimberly-Kay0

Sort of wondering why you did not chuck them out. You said you are on site?

[Rod26]

Sadly, I have felt the same way with Airbnb support. They are worthless! I had a situation with minimal damage. I reported in on time, I took pictures, I contacted the host, who became hostile even though he acknowledged the damage

[Monica4]

I don't rent out my place for parties....and I have "not suitable for events" checked off. I block off the dates that parties tend to take place like New Years and our Provincial holiday which is known for lots of partying.

[Maria-Lurdes0]

@Jessica247  I'm sorry that you've had to go through this! 

Take pictures of what you can, and document as much as you can.  Go online and grab links for similar items if you need to replace furniture.  Have it all ready to go so that you can include all of this info in a resolution request.    If you haven't already, message the guest in the Airbnb thread just to have it all there for the customer support.   Just something like "hey X, you trashed my place, broke my bed, left the place in a terrible mess and it will cost me approx X to restore the apartment to its original condition, I will be going through airbnb resolution for damages" - anything to have your side of the story in the message thread.   

If nothing works and you end up out of pocket, then just get back up, and start all over again, this time with some changes to your listing to hopefully help prevent this in the future.

I've been listing for almost seven years, have had thousands of guests, and luckily have had only a few nightmare situations.  Don't let the bad ones be the guests you remember, make room for some new and great guests.

Good luck to you!

[Kate206]

Dear Jessica How awful for you.  I do hope you get some compensation and have some good guests to make up for this horrible experience.

But I'm surprised at some of the unsympathetic responses below. What do you expect from Airbnb? Well some active help and advice- they should build this in as one of their costs to come out of the booking fee and the internet on the rental money paid in advance. Ipersonally find it very frustrating that it is so difficult

to contact a help line. I've been having problems with my calendar which won't block dates 

[David126]

AirBnB is an online booking service, they throw in a few frills, but it is your business you are operating not theirs.

[Cormac0]

@David126

Which takes circa 15% fees between guest & host and Airbnb get their fee no matter what happens, as hosts and business owners we should have higher expectation of Airbnb for that sort of money or we’re failing in our fiscal responsibility, being Business owner.

I think “money for old rope” about covers it.  

[David126]

I look at them as a booking service, I think they cause confusion with the Host Guarantee which obviously isnt. better to reduce their fees and not have it. Obviously gives many people a false impression and comfort.

[Mike1034]

Definitely there are something AirBnb can do. But I don't think that they stand on hosts' side. Party takers are a group of people, which they book entire house and AirBnb benefits from the bookings.

I would urge hosts to provide feedback to AirBnb so that AirBnb can implement a penalty of violation of house rules e.g. Having party in a house which has no party rule; smoking in a non-smoking house.

I used to rent an entire house. I have done several things I could to avoid people from booking my house for party purpose. Here are a few things to help

(1) Limit the booking to minimum 3 nights or more

(2) Put a word of penalty of $xxx for use the property for party in the house rule even though AirBnb would not get the money for you after the rule is violated

(3) No instant booking. All booking requests will be screened according to the reviews received from other guests.

If you want to protect your house from party goers damage, please ask AirBnb to enforce a penalty of house rule violation. 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/feedback