How to handle this situation

Jamie69
Level 7
Wheat Ridge, CO

How to handle this situation

I'm currently hosting a group of six. They arrived Monday and are scheduled to leave Thursday.

 

After the initial booking, the guest emailed me to ask if they could arrive early in the morning on Monday. I told them my check-in time was 3pm, and I couldn't accomodate an early check-in.

 

Then a few days later, the guest emailed me to ask again if they could arrive early on Monday. I replied that my check-in time is 3pm, but if they wanted to book Sunday night, they could arrive anytime they wanted on Sunday or early Monday morning. The guest asked what the additional cost would be, and when I replied with the amount, she said she didn't want to do that, that they were trying to save money. She ended the message with "We'll be there at 3."

 

On Monday, the day of their arrival, I got the rooms ready in the morning and headed out to do some errands, planning to be back home by 3 to greet them. I have self check-in with a keyless entry.

 

At noon on Monday, I got a message from the guest that they had arrived and let themselves in.

I found this to be extremely disrespectful, especially considering we had already discussed this twice and I told her she would have to book the night before in order to arrive early.

There isn't a way to add an early check-in charge, but could I change their reservation, or request money through the resolution center? Would you do that?

 

They've been here less than 24 hours at this point. So far, they haven't been great guests. In addition to arriving three hours early, they've left quite a few personal belongings in the kitchen and living room of my home and dirty dishes on the stove and in the sink. That's not a house rule, but I find it to be inconsiderate.

 

Jamie

19 Replies 19

@Jamie69 right, the problem with an early checkin is that it does have a cost to it for the host, if the guest is unwilling to pay the cost then that is that, they checkin at the agreed upon time.

These guests were out of bounds all the way around.

Glad ABB helped as they should have and that the guest was not a problem on the way out the door.

The two days lost revenue is not to my mind worth having such a guest in my home!

Hoping better guests for you in the future!

I wasn't sure how the payment would work. I have my cancellation policy set to Moderate.

 

Turns out, I got paid for the first night, as expected. And for the other two nights, I got full pay for the second night, and they issued a 50% refund for the third night. So it seems the situation was handled like a cancellation.

 

I'm ok with that.

 

 

@Jamie69 - I was worried that they had altered the reservation. I'm glad Airbnb processed it as a cancellation - which is what I would have wanted and expected.  That being the case, you won't be able to review them.  It's definitely one of those things that sort of sucks about guests who get put out for rules violations.  They, or any of the other 9, can strike again.  

 

For the future, put in your listing that "When available, early check can be arranged for $25/hour" or whatever price you want.  That way, if guests self-check in early again, you most definitely can request the money and get it via the resolution center. 

Actually, I have no idea what they did.

 

Here's what I know:

 

When I discovered the ten people in my home, I called Airbnb immediately. After discussion with the Airbnb rep, we agreed that the best solution was for them to leave my house. The rep told me he would reach out to my guest, request that they leave, and call me back. He did all those things. When he called me back he told me that they understood the issue and were leaving as soon as possible.

 

Very shortly thereafter I got a notification that the reservation had been changed. It was worded as though I initiated the change in the reservation and the guest accepted the change. It looked exactly like a different reservation change I made a few weeks back at a guest's request who wanted to stay a few extra days. In reality, I didn't do anything, and I have no idea whether my guest did anything to "accept" the change.

 

Then a little while later I got the standard message from Airbnb asking me how my guest's stay was, and encouraging me to leave a review. So far, I have not done so. I do plan to leave a review, but at the last minute.

 

That morning, I also got a notification that the full amount of the booking was deposited into my checking account.

 

Then, a couple of days later, Airbnb debited my checking account in the amount of exactly 1/2 of my nightly rate.

 

So.... They booked for three nights. They arrived, and stayed one night. I was paid the full amount the next day. They were asked to leave. Airbnb recovered 1/2 night payment from me. It matches my Moderate cancellation policy.

My guest has not left me a review as far as I know. She did leave a very polite (but disappointed) note in my guestbook that was written after they were asked to leave. That goes a long way in my book. She took it (more or less) graciously and I don't expect a strongly negative review from her, or any review at all, actually.

As for the early booking, I was fully committed to request a 1/2 night's payment for early check-in through the resolution center, before it all fell apart. But given the circumstances and the (mostly) positive note from my guest in my guestbook, I won't be pursuing that.

 

The problem is that early check-in can't be arranged in advance. My check-out is noon. My check-in is at 3pm. With three rooms and two bathrooms, I barely have time to fit the window if I have guests leaving and arriving on the same day. I can't offer a service that I can't provide.

 

Jamie

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

I would make your check out earlier and your check in later, give yourself a bit more time.

David