House still REEKS a month after Guests stay for 3 nights...

[Jennifer1790]

Hello,

I just listed my newly-remodeled cottage May 1st, and I had guest experience last month that I truly regret accepting.  I place part of the blame on myself for accepting a 0-review guest last minute because we had a cancellation (that was fully paid for due to the late cancellation, so we didn't need the money); but it has also caused me concern regarding the screening process for people. These guests deliberately dishonored my house rules, in which I have explicitly stated that there would be no smoking of any kind on the property anywhere, indoors or out. The guests used my coffee grinder to blend their marijuana (evidence was not vaccumed up well enough behind the coffee pot - they tried to hide all the evidence and even tried to wash the bedding which is not part of my check out instructions), smoked it in my house, and particularly in the bedroom, and have ruined the smell of the mattress and brand new carpet. I have taken steps to try to eliminate it, and the smell has taken a month to dissipate and but has still not gone away.

I would like to know if there has been any talk regarding  Airbnb taking any steps to require on their side a security deposit for guests with not enough positive reviews. The cost of the smell to my brand new carpet and bed is over $1400! To add insult to injury, I saw that the guests that I did not recommend in my review seemed pretty easy to get further reservations without any sort of dings to their ratings...I gave them a very low grade and yet... well, I can imagine that they are only continuing to be a nuisance for the next hosts. Hosts have to go through great lengths to obtain and keep their status as super hosts, and I would like to argue that potential guests should be required to do the same...how about a program such as 'Superguest'??

The experience, quite frankly, has me very open to looking to place my listing elsewhere. While I understand that these things don't happen often, when they do happen it can be quite detrimental experiencially and financially.

[Alexandra316]

@Jennifer1790 When you said you gave the guest a low grade, did you say anything about the guest's bad behavour in your written review, or only in your star ratings? Hosts who don't have instant book enabled only see the written review, so if you don't include any details there, it doesn't help them. If you did include the details in your written review, you've done everything you can to warn the potential host: nothing else you can do. It's up to them if they want to take the risk and host them.

Airbnb has said that they're instituting a real security deposit, but no word on when it will be rolled out or how it will be administered.

Have you tried an ozone machine? It can help to get rid of persistent smells, and they can be rented from most tool rental shops.

[Jennifer1790]

I did all that I can do as far as my reviews, but wow, what an expensive experience that has me pretty discouraged about this platform...and one that's not recoverable.   I will look into the ozone machine.  Thank you!

[Alexandra316]

@Jennifer1790 Yes, it's really unfortunate. Claiming for smells seems to be impossible with Airbnb, because it's impossible to prove to a case manager.

I use HomeAway and their affiliate sites as well: you have full control over the security deposit on there. Maybe time to branch out to other platforms.