Guests using my postal address to receive letters

[Caroline350]

Hi. I'm interested to know what hosts views are on this situation; guests are arriving tomorrow for a 6 night stay with me in my home. Earlier on this week a letter arrived at my home for the guest. They had obviously used my address to receive something. 

I feel very uncomfortable about this and wondered what other hosts thought and how hosts have tackled it in the  past. Thanks

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Caroline350 - Personally, I would not allow any packages, but I guess the letter, well, I'd wonder what it was they needed to be sent - like if they lost their credit card and needed a new one sent right away.  

[Ali40]

I had a guest recently who stayed for 2 weeks and had a package delivered to my address. I wasn't thrilled about it, mostly because he didn't ask first. But then I realized that he had been traveling the country on his motorcycle for over a year, and he was an exceptionally good guest so I didn't make an issue of it. 

[Dee9]

The 2 guests that did that at my house - i have to say things kept arriving after they had long gone. i didnt like that. Now i put it in my house rules - both online and listed on paper in the bedroom. "sorry, no mail or packages delivered here"

[Caroline350]

Thanks. I will now put it on my house rules. I think I would have been happier if they had asked permission first. I have sent a message to the guest to remove my address from anywhere that she has disclosed it. 

[Helen3]

Personally, if the guest had been as rude as to do this, I would have put it back in the post as ‘Unknown at this address’ . 

[Cormac0]

@Caroline350

Another issues is could they use whatever documents they receive as proof of address if they were intent on fraud for example. If I'm not mistaken they usual ask one for two documents with your address on them when opening a bank account for example or a line of credit.

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer’s Club Krakow III

The Explorer’s Club Krakow VIII

[Kate157]

There have been a couple of occasions when confirmed guests asked if they could have an Amazon package delivered to my address. I said "sure" and there were no issues around it. Personally, I don't care if someone does this, as long as they let me know beforehand.

[Farah1]

@Caroline350 I put this in my house rules that guests are not allowed to receive any mail/packages @ my address. I don't think it is worth the risk and also they have no rights to use my address as they are not tenants. However, it seems like this guest did not even ask for your permission?

For the future, you can put this in your house rules.

[Joanne127]

Recently a guest staying for a couple of weeks started receiving mail to my address without asking for my permission. It got more concerning when a letter arrived from the rms for her husband who lived in another country, I have to say I was not happy. I still wonder what the reason was and I was very uncomfortable and she became hostile to me. 

[Abi15]

Hi there

I'm new to ABNB and am currently hosting my first guest. He's booked in for a month 18/9 -18/10 and he has since got a job and the new employer has sent a letter to my address. He has also asked me if there was any way I could put his name on top of my electricity bill and whether he could receive his wages into my bank account!

I have explained to him that in the UK both requests would be considered fraudulent and that he is not a tenant but a guest for one month. 

The employer's letter arrived this morning and I'm not sure whether I should hand it over, especially after reading some of the comments. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I've been a good host and I don't like being put in such a position. 

[Ian353]

The UK can also be an issue dependant on your council tax situation. I claim single person status 25% discount as the Airbnb guest is not considered permanent.

Any mail to that guest can be flagged and this status could be under threat.

Also if you start putting guests names on the utilites to run the risk of them becoming embedded I guess and coming under other tennacy legality

My rules - no mail whatsoever..

[Letti0]

@Ian353  Any mail I get for a guest gets marked: Return to sender no one with that name at this address. I don't care if they ordered concert tickets shipped here or a package they are ALL returned ASAP! The liability issue is too great. 

[Ewan3]

I've also been screwed by guest and now airbnb I've been very very obstructive. I was getting loads of mail addressed to him I opened one to find out what was going on and I can see that a loan has been taken out and a credit card. I'm trying to get them to give me contact details about the guest who took out the loan on my address and the credit card. Now the cards have not been paid and the loan obviously also, now I'm being threatened with bailiffs action within the next few weeks. I don't know what to do I'm at my wits end can anyone help?

[Jane916]

Hey, thats terrible. As earlier thread in the conversation mentions, having mail in England sent with no knowledge is not acceptable. I also think I need to put it on my house rules. The problem being that the kinder you are, the more you can be abused. I have interceprted my present guest considering using my address for NI purposes. Thankfully in advance I explained this was NOT acceptable. I think it is for us as hosts to make water tight in our house rules that no personal post allowed whatsoever. I agree with a previous poster, that any post received gets returned: 'Adressee NOT at this address' Return to sender. I have to say I have 'wised up', pretty sharpish!.