How to review a bad guest

[Kate737]

Hello,

I am relatively new to air bnb and have had only very good/excellent guests. Recently I had a guest that, while not a disaster, did not handle the rental agreement well. She has many good reviews, which is why I agreed to her stay.  I am not sure how best to handle the review process as I don't want to get into a public discussion but I would feel remiss if I didn't share my experience with other hosts. Here is the story in a nutshell.

The guest wrote to me to reserve my place for a group of designers traveling from the east coast to my area. The reviews of her rentals suggested that she did this fairly often and that things went well. In the case of my rental, she missed some requests, such as letting me know she had arrived (I request this because of our security and heating system and etc) but, while frustrating was not a big deal. However, when the group left, they left the place a complete mess and didn't do the small things that we ask of renters when they leave (ie: take out the trash). It also became clear that the woman I had rented to was traveling with a large enough group that she had rented several properties and was not even staying at our place. She did not make me aware of this and this seems like a breach in trust of the agreement (renting on behalf of others and not disclosing it). 

My inclination is to write a somewhat vague review and to write to her directly to tell her of our disappointment. My sense from her other reviews is that she is a good guest but that this time she was doing too much and traveling with too many people and not taking enough responsibility. 

What do other hosts recommend in terms of handling this kind of situation? Many thanks for your help!. 

[Sandra856]

Hi @Kate737 🙂

If I were you I would write a short non-emotionel honest review stating the facts.

That is the most responsible thing to do in my opinion. She won't be able to read your review before after she has written your review. It is not possible to create a public discussion. She has the option the reply to your review once but it will be on her profile not yours.

That way you will warn future hosts. I have written some not so great reviews myself. Not the greatest part of the job but important. 

You can search in this community for threads about the subject. There are many of those 🙂

Best, Sandra

[Kate737]

Thank you so much, Sandra. I appreciate you taking the time to help with my question. Your advice is really helpful. Kate

[Sandra856]

@Kate737 Take a look at this :

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/How-to-handle-those-difficult-reviews/m-p/298189?collaps...

[Ange2]

@Kate737    I would mention that the guest did not actually stay at your place, but had booked it for other people and you were not aware of that until after they had left.  She may well be a good guest, but she may not have impressed upon the people she was booking it for that they need to be responsible and abide by your rules. I have had same, a guest arrives and does not tell the person they are traveling with any of the rules or amenities offered and they then rifle through private closets and drawers to find something I do not offer, leave dirty dishes in the sink and the bathroom a mess.  Although, not knowing is not an excuse to leave a mess, not clean up, and search private areas.

[Ange2]

@Kate737    p.s.  Going forward you can also add in your rules that only guests listed on the reservation are allowed on the property.   And/or the person making the reservation is responsible for the property and has to be present, no third parties allowed  (btw: Airbnb does not cover third party reservations).  But, if you are a business listing I think the rules may be different.

[Heather133]

@Kate737 In these cases I say something like "I was surprised to find my home untidy when X checked out. Her previous reviews led me to believe she would be an examplary guest. It seems she booked this reservation on behalf of someone else and they may not have had access to the information and requirements I provided through Airbnb."