How to handle guest smoking in non smoking home

[Alma36]

My current guest have smoked in the room and it's very obvious as we are all non smokers. I live in the home I host along with my young son. Marijuana is legal now in state of CA however my listing states no smoking of any kind permitted in home. What is my best course of action? I don't want confrontation with the guest. 

[Matthew285]

@Alma36, I'm not sure how you can address it without confronting the guest in *some* form.

One thing to decide, though, before you talk/message the guest is what your end goal is.

Of course you want them to not smoke; but if they do not agree with you (meaning they either deny they are smoking or refuse to stop), what do you want to have happen?

Would you be willing to cancel the rest of the stay and have them leave?

[Alma36]

I didn't ask them to leave but now wish I had. I feel sick from the smell because every room in the house has a return vent and the smell has gone through entire home since we are running the heat (it's chilly at night). The guest leave today. I just hope I can clean fast enough to get everything ready for my next guest who arrive tonight.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Alma36 ask them politely not to smoke in your home because you have a young son and because the smell will remain in your carpet, curtains, mattrasses... and your next guest will sent it and complain. Give them some alternative like backyard or some coffee shop in your neighbourhood. Do it with a smile.

I belive they will understand.

[Alma36]

Thank you for the advice. I will update once I have an end result.

[Gordon0]

There's no need to be apologetic or make excuses; they broke your rules by smoking in your house.  

[Alma36]

@Gordon0 So true ! I should have removed them last night but l have never dealt with anything like this before. All my guest have been great so far. 

[Gordon0]

The one set of guests who smoked in my house were ejected. House rules well and truly broken. I claimed extra cleaning fees too (dry cleaning of cushions etc.).

[Maged8]

I am wondering how were you able to claim the extra cleaning fee. I have 2 guests who are currently smoking weed every day inside my house even though I reminded them of the rule when I first discovered it and they said they understand the rule, yet they are still breaking it.

i want to charge them them the $200 deposit and use the money to hire a professional cleaning company. I need the smell to go away before the next guests arrive in 24 hours after these two leave.

i hear that it’s hard to charge guests for something you can’t easily prove like the smell of weed.

anyway they haven’t left yet, I am dreading what else I will find in the room once they leave in 6 hours.

[Gordon0]

I reported these guests via C/S (who begged me to let them stay). The first thing was to request the money, and this was eventually paid. Vile situation. 

[Linda108]

@Alma36 Many people do not want confrontation but confrontation is a part of being a business owner.i.e., a host.  As has been suggested, you can remind the guest of the rule and offer an alternative outside location.  You should use the Air BNB system to message the guest as well.  I read your description and you could add a little more force to the no smoking rule such as, "This is a shared environment with my husband and young child so absolultely NO SMOKING is allowed". Most of your description reads very soft and might encourage the guest to take advantage. 

I would imagine you can be confrontive if you thought your child or your home or your business was being threatened, right?  Your allowing smoking is doing just that.  Not only are you and your family having to live with the smoke, future guests will smell it as well and for some that is reason to cancel and Air BNB will allow it.

[Alma36]

@Linda108 Yes, you are right. I just have been very forufortu to not have dealt with any issues with guest til now. I will also be making a small sign with house rules and wifi info included to hang in room.