Obese guest ruined the dining chairs - what to do?

[Bob40]

Hi, my apartment is really nicely furnished and the dining chairs are probably 70 years old with quite fine legs. I've been renting pretty well for 3 years and never had a problem however a "180 kg" guest just left and the chairs have become rickety, so the legs move backwards and forwards when you sit on them, which was definitely not the case before.

Now you could argue that I shouldn't put furniture that will fail the 'obesity test' within a rental apartment. However modern chairs would clash with the style of the sitting room and it hasn't been a problem for 50+ guests up to now.

There was an alternative, he could have brought in one of the indestructible metal chairs on the balcony nearby but chose not to.

I'm trying to find a carpenter to glue the joints back but it won't be easy without dismantling the upholstery tacked into the frame of the seat. I certainly think other hosts should be warned of the risk, so what's the suggested course of action? Apart from this damage, he left the place in good condition.

All contributions welcome!!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Bob40 

yes, it's a problem. In a simple world, you could leave a review: Warning! Obese 180 kg guest, remove any fragile furniture and put the mattress on the floor.

But unfortunatelly we live in a complicated and polite society so this guest and many others like him will continue to break our furniture.

I've seen a post here on CC a few years ago when one host meets his guests and found out they are a very obese couple. So the host was very worried about his beds. I remember I searched IKEA websites to find any information about how much weight each bed can bear so I would have ground to refuse to host them, but I couldn't find this information.

I suppose we would be penalized by Airbnb if we reject the guest based on weight. We should host him and then when/if the damage is done we can file a damage claim. But who will pay for our work and time to take away the broken furniture, go to the shop, find a replacement, wait for delivery, assemble it and not being able to host until it is fixed...? Nobody. So yes, I am afraid of obese guests.

You could file a damage claim but I am not sure if you have a chance to get anything. Airbnb can always say the chair was old, wear and tear, etc...  and it is hard to prove this guest is obese and made your chairs rickety. I am afraid  you will have to find more sturdy chairs for your Airbnb rental

[Helen427]

hello @Bob40 

Sorry to read of the unfortunate situation that has arisen.

Get a quote and send a Request towards payment to fix the chairs to the Guest in  a polite and friendly manner.

I'd also be inclined to write them via the msg system to inform them of the unfortunate predicament they have placed you in and that you will be asking them for a contribution towards repair costs.

One never knows what lead to the said Guests weight issues, although us slimmer ones tend to think most people who are likely to be overweight as a direct result of what they eat or drink & lack of exercise sometimes injuries can [lay havoc on one's ability to exercise & keep trim.

All the best

[Romana19]

Bohužel mám podobnou zkušenost,host mi rozsedl servírovací stolek,tak důkladně,že ho zničil.Zbývá jediné,zaškrtit hosta nebo poškozený nábytek opravit.

[Kaylee18]

@Bob40  .. I'm sure there was no ill intent and they most likely did not mean to break your 70 yr old chairs with fine legs. 

Looks like you should purchase some stronger chairs 😉 

Best of luck!

[Kenneth12]

Tak.. 4 months ago or so,  I'm on the 4th leg back on a 28 hour return,   and get stuck in an aisle next to a guy who is 380 and spilling over 3" into my seat and can't possibly pull the middle armrest down.  

Did I mention he was last to board?   Because,  you know,  if you know you are a problem,  let's not give the FAs or other passengers time enough to notice and react-- even though that might wind up giving you a seat by yourself.

And the freaking FA tells me to pull the aisle armrest down (which I can barely do-- uh, I know, none of you know how to pull the aisle armrest up).    Freakin' regional partner carriers.

Why does this sort of thing only happen on a final leg?   Because,  you know,  you can't politely say "hey,  this guy has to lose weight or purchase 2 seats,  you know?"   You have to be diplomatic,  which isn't easy after 28 hours in-air from wherever it was that evening.

I'm sure the idiot here had no ill-intent,   and neither does @Kaylee18 .  The road to Hades is paved with such good intentions.

[Kaylee18]

@Kenneth12  mhmmm 

[Kenneth12]

Ja,  op een dag, hoop ik dat je het zult begrijpen.

[Bob40]

Thanks all for your contributions. The bizarre thing is he's come back this week! Very complimentary about the apartment. I had the house manager borrow 4 metal chairs from the restaurant next door and explained that he had actually damaged the old wooden chairs. He didn't take offence and his reply didn't even mention them. So I'm thinking of filing a claim for 100  euro because it'll be a fiddly job to repair them, the sort of thing no carpenter wants to be bothered with.