Help! my guests are clearly running a catering business from my kitchen.

[Simone466]

The guests told me he had friends visiting from London coming to my area, and was booking so he can be close to them. That he will be cooking for 5-7 people on Friday only and needed a nice size pot.  My profile says use of stove and oven with prior arrangement and fee. After being in the home for 2 days the guests put out 5 big black trash bags of garbage, I noticed large boxes of plaintains and talapia fish inside the living room, but thought nothing of it.   I heard them getting up at 6am and moving around in the kitchen a lot. It just didnt occur to me that they would use my home as a restaurant kitchen.  Today I noticed the backdoor open, which is breaking a house rule, I go to close it and I see my dining table covered in white styrofoam trays that the wife was filling with food.  Then she stacked them into black plastic bags I guess to be loaded into his truck and delivered to where ever they are selling these meals.  I called Airbnb, they advised the guests to clarify with me, but of course he is lying through his teeth. They have not turned off the airconditioner in 4 days and their 6am to 8pm cooking schedule is using a lot of gas. Help.

[Lisa723]

@Simone466 this is a whole house, but use of the stove/oven requires pre-arrangement? How much longer is their stay? 

[Simone466]

3days thanks 

[Linda108]

@Simone466  Your listing is lovely!  If I understand your listing correctly you are living in an attached apartment with a separate entrance so you can be aware of what is going on in the house, right?

So you have become aware that the guest is using your home for commercial reasons.  While you do not have a specific rule about that (who would ?!), I think you can contact Air BNB to have the guest cancelled.  Before you do that, message the guest that you do not want their catering business to continue as it is a violation of the zoning rules of your community, which it probably is.  Advise for them to cease immediately.  Then contact Air BNB.  Here is a guide for contacting Air BNB.

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

Let us know how this all works out!

[Linda108]

Also, @Simone466, please report these guests to Air BNB via the report profile option along with your request to have the reservation cancelled.  

[Simone466]

Yes Linda, thank you! Great advise. 

[Simone466]

Yes, @Linda108 I am in an attached apartment and am aware of what is going on in the house. I was able to capture photo and video of them packing items into white styrofoam to go trays. Thanks, I will do as you have advised.  

[Cormac0]

@Simone466

Call the local health inspector and tell him what’s going on, you're not allowed to prepared food for the public consumption in a kitchen that is not issued with the appropriate health and safety certificates.

[Simone466]

@Cormac0 thank  you 

[Chris232]

@Simone466

They are running a business from your home, which will mean your home insurance will be voided.

Tell them to cease immediately and inform Airbnb of your concerns with "Health and Safety" and insurance protocoles

[Simone466]

@Chris232 that's really scary thought ok will do. Thank you 

[John1080]

@Simone466 Very sneaky and underhanded of them. I'm sorry you're having to deal with the stress of this situation and I would certainly keep on AirBnb to try to get them to do something here. Also, flag their profile and give them a thumbs down upon checkout. 

[Simone466]

Thanks @John1080  good point.  I'm afraid that the guests  will leave me a bad review. They can still review me. Thoughts? 

[John1080]

@Simone466 Yes, I know, that is always in our minds isn't it?! Its almost as if we are held hostage to a degree, scared to death of offending guests by asking them to follow the rules clearly laid out! 

I don't know what you can do about it, other than having AirBnb to have them leave. What an awkward sitaution, whatever happens, as you're stressed and they seem to have no morals, thinking it's perfectly fine to lie and take advantage of others. 

I don't see how you can prevent them from leaving a negative review, other than having AirBnb force them to leave and then trying to go through the process of preventing them from reviewing, or getting the review removed afterwards. I am still pretty new, so I have not had this sort of experience and maybe some of the more experienced hosts can weigh in, but from what I understand, it is pretty difficult to get reviews removed. 

[Simone466]

Thanks @John1080 I definitely will counter review if they dare to leave a negative review. I have photos and video of them in the act.