One of the worst experiences and mistreating ever (excuse the English, not my first language)

[Javier772]

Here the summary:

- Guest asks for a 3 month reservation price. Our answer is, due to seasonality the first month would be 3.100, second 2.700, third 2.300, but if you book for three months we are happy leave it in 6.000

- Guest books 3 months, all seems good but then one day suddenly we notice guest has modified reservation to 32 days only and getting the same daily price as in a 90 days reservation. This was automatically approved by Airbnb, and when we called Airbnb to ask they told us that in reservations longer than 28 days it doesn't need our approval to modify the days after 31st.

- Despite having the conversation about the prices on the chat Airbnb didn't defend us when sending a price modification that the guest obviously didn't accept (why paying 3.100 when Airbnb lets you pay only 2.000?)

- Not only that, the reservation was done for 1 person but we discovered they were two. We got the guest to write in a chat that "THEY have gone to the apartment and will stay for some days", but when the guest was called by Airbnb about this the argument was the other person went only to help with luggage but did not stay. And Airbnb despite of us having the written proof saying THEY WILL STAY after the phone conversation Airbnb says it is the word of us against the word of the guest.... Really???? so guest can retract from a written confirmation?

Summary:

One reservation that should have been 1 guest for 3 months for 2.000 per month, converted into a 1 month reservation for the same monthly price. One month should have been 3.100, but not only that, there was an additional guest so it should have been 3.600. And despite of everything they only paid 2.000 and Airbnb did nothing about it.

- Careful with reservations longer than 28 days, guests will be able to modify the reservation without your consent!

- Written proof from guests are apparently no longer enough, you need to videorecord then on the spot (that was the Airbnb suggestion)

- Airbnb DOES NOT help or protect the hosts

I would like to be positive and hope for Airbnb to get better over time but my experience is the opposite, it is more and more PRO GUEST and more and more I DONT CARE ABOUT HOSTS

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Javier772 

I am sorry for your disappointment, unfortunatelly that's the way Airbnb operates. It is good to hang out here in the Community center, you can hear a lot of useful information and it will help you to avoid common mistakes and disappointments.

Most of us agree Airbnb is not the right place for long term rent because it is tricky. There is no real security deposit, no valid contract etc... to name just a few reasons. That's why a lot of host have max stay 28 nights ( in most countries guests gain tenants rights after that)

If you didn't already, read cancelation policies 

https://www.airbnb.com/home/cancellation_policies#long-term

[Javier772]

Hi Branka

Thanks for your comments, I am aware of the long term policy now. Lesson learned and I have stopped accepting long term requests. That said... it was written in the conversation with the guest that the price for 30 or 90 days was different, yet there was no support from Airbnb on this.

We got the guest to confirm in a written message that they were 2 guests but this was not enough for Airbnb to take action and make the guest change the reservation from 1 to 2 guests. This is simply unacceptable, that we have a written proof and still we get 0 support from Airbnb on this (note that one guest has not been covered by any insurance and therefore there are lots of questions about liability if something was to happen to the second guest during the stay - we have been in an alegal situation and Airbnb has not supported us at all). No excuses here

[Cormac0]

@Javier772 

Its amazes  me how many hosts still think there running their own business under these circumstances.

Airbnb hosts are just indentured servants.

You should ask the Airbnb representative to point out the clause in the Airbnb's T & C that govern the twenty eight rule.

[Javier772]

Agreed

It is actually in their long term policy, what they have not managed to answer is when was the long term policy communicated to hosts (when introduced or when altered)

[Mike1034]

@Javier772 @Branka-and-Silvia0 According to the long-term cancellation policy quoted below

If the guest books a reservation and decides to cancel the reservation during their stay, the guest must use the online alteration tool in order to agree to a new checkout date. Regardless of the checkout date chosen, the guest is required to pay the host for the 30 days following the cancellation date, or up to the end date of the guest’s original reservation if the remaining portion of the original reservation is less than 30 days.

"The guest is required to pay the host for the 30 days following the cancellation date". Then in your case, if the guest wanted to cancel today, he still needs to pay 30 days. Once it is canceled, they are not supposed to stay. And your room will be open for other guests to book.

If Airbnb did not treat it this way, they might have violated their own policy.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Javier772 

can you see when your guest changed his reservation? Was it before check-in, or after?  Theoretically, he could change it before or at the day of check-in.

Hosts who allow long term stays should set a monthly discount, not negotiate a lower price based on a few months reservation.  In that case, if the guest books few months and shortens to one month he still has to pay regular monthly rate which is the same for 1 or more months.