Risky guests

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Carol431
Level 3
Calgary, CA

Risky guests

I have to make a suggestion that airbnb not allow locals to book homes especially young adults without ratings because from my own experience these people are only looking for a place to party. I recently experienced this and they trashed my place plus brought danger to my home where I have kids. This reservation was suspicious to me even before it happened as the people even had a new account. However, to maintain my “super host” I didn’t cancel it and that is an extremely dangerous rule to follow by putting everything at risk just to keep perfect scores. I recently found out you can cancel a certain number of these bookings only. 

1 Best Answer

Yes, this is now the case. Went from trusting  and hosting hundreds to having the worst incidents  involving only locals who were living within the city limits. They had no previous reviews and were new to airbnb, so it’s not always easy to judge a situation beforehand. 

But good on you for having it all figured out.

For others I guess we need to live and learn 🙂

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19 Replies 19

Wow, look at that!!

Takes a few to die for changes to happen.

No surprise there I guess. 

 

This incident I went through happened within the last couple weeks and didn’t take me long to see a pattern. Yet I think many have probably been going through this for years now. 

 

Thanks for that. 

By the way, the only issues I’ve ever had are with the locals. Twice it was parties and the rest of the incidents (like leaving the place dirty and disrespectful to my home) are with locals. Specifically in my city Calgary and the neighbouring city of Edmonton! 

 

No problems ever with people from abroad! What does that say ....

 

Hi, there! Need a place to vent about my current run- in with a local, no picture profile, no review, week long reservation. I tried to get out locals by limiting my stays for 4 days. It was a good trick. Current guest booked for a week, for 4 people. While had no pictures, the profile place him out of state. About 4 hour drive. Of course, 7 people show up at 8 pm. Running up and down stairs till 3 am. Smoking in  the unit. I showed weakness yestarday, and did not insist on them leaving after meeting pregnant girlfriend of one of the guests. It was around 8 pm. 
I am now feeling all the anguish and anxiety of having to endure this to the end of the week. There is a non- smoking reservation next day after their departure. Any advice? 

Cormac0
Level 10
Kraków, Poland

@Carol431 

 

Unfortunately, Airbnb have never seem to grasp, that a slap on the hand is no subtitle for a kick in the goolies (scrotum) and this is what these "bad actors" thrive on.

 

For example try and infringe on a multi nationals brand or product and they'll grind your bank account to dust with litigation.

 

Yes I'm suggesting that Airbnb go after these pups and make them pay for criminal damage.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Carol431  I'm confused- how did they "bring danger to your home where you have kids"- if you live there, how were they able to have a party without you knowing and booting everyone out?

We weren’t home at the time. This is what we came home to. 

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

I may be wrong but I think if you have Instant Book on you can cancel a reservation without penalty if you are uncomfortable with it.

Rowena29
Level 10
Australia

@Carol431 

I can't see any practical way for airbnb ti impose a no locals rule. How would they create an algorithim that even KNEW a person was a local? And supposing they could, there is no requirement that a guest maintains up to the minute accurate address information once they have been verified.  I"ve had a number of guests who live nowhere near what is stated on their profile as they've moved and just not updated.

As hosts, it's up to US to decided who we are adn who we are not comfortable having in our homes. I"ve had several locals stays with me, for what I considered to be perfectly reasonable reasons and they were terrific. Conversely I've had a couple of locals book, been highly suspicious of their intentions, and have made things so crystal clear re rules and security deposit that they've cancelled and moved elsewhere.

Airbnb are not there to oversee adn impose any rules in place anyway - like a no party rule for instance - the buck always stops with the host.  I'd be far more worried about damage to my home than worrying about my ratings on airbnb. Also not sure I would have left these guests alone in my home if alarm bells were ringing even before they stayed...

Yes, this is now the case. Went from trusting  and hosting hundreds to having the worst incidents  involving only locals who were living within the city limits. They had no previous reviews and were new to airbnb, so it’s not always easy to judge a situation beforehand. 

But good on you for having it all figured out.

For others I guess we need to live and learn 🙂

Maia29
Level 10
Anchorage, AK

As hosts, we must monitor this and not expect Airbnb to ban local guests. Banning local guests seems to be discriminatory anyways.

 

If a local has a good reason for staying and explains it in the message, I don't have an issue with hosting them.

 

I've also noticed that a lot of Alaskans fib about what city they truly live in, to get around this no locals stigma (ornery, disrespectful guests are always looking for loopholes and ways to trick unsuspecting hosts).

 

I'm disappointed that I had to raise my limit up to 25, because I have had many guests under 25 that were very respectful guests. However, my last guest was under 25 and reported me to the health and safety department in order to receive a complete refund for five days' stay. I suspect this guest has done this in the past and is aware of how to use the system unfortunately.

@Maia29 

Doubt that's got anything to do with age -All sorts pull these stunts  - bed bugs, surveillance cameras, weapons, wild animals,  a mouse, water not working - there are a plethora of things guests can adn do claim in order to get large or total  refunds and it doesn't' appear specific to age, gender, individual vs family group  just a lack of morals,ethics and honesty

Colleen253
Level 10
Alberta, Canada

@Carol431 "I have to make a suggestion that airbnb not allow locals to book homes ." 

 

It's not Airbnb that allows it, it's hosts. You have the right and the responsibility to vet your guests any way you choose, and to decline any booking you want. But best practice is to set your listing up to attract better quality guests, and discourage low quality guests, then you're not having to decline or get Airbnb to cancel. Personally, my guest base through the winter season is largely 'locals' but that's because of my location and amenities. They don't come to party, and they are wonderful guests. But I make darn sure I'm paying attention to who is booking my listing, and even though I'm quite confident in them by the time they are in, I continue to pay attention until check out time. If I wasn't going to be around (rare), I would have someone I trust completely to watch for me. We can't just 'set it and forget it'.

Susan17
Level 10
Dublin, Ireland

"...they trashed my place plus brought danger to my home where I have kids. This reservation was suspicious to me even before it happened as the people even had a new account. However, to maintain my “super host” I didn’t cancel it and that is an extremely dangerous rule to follow by putting everything at risk just to keep perfect scores"

 

How utterly disturbing - and surreal - that we've got to a point where we'll submissively allow risk and danger into our own homes - even when the warning signs are all there and it goes against our own gut instincts - solely because we've become so subjugated to the control  and influence of an imaginary virtual badge (that in reality, has absolutely zero benefits to us), that we're evidently willing to risk our familys' safety and security, for a handful of imaginary gold stars on the internet.

 

If proof were ever needed of the insidious and injurious nature of Airbnb's superhost system, and the desperate lengths to which hosts are willing to go in order to maintain their illusory and completely worthless superhost status (while further enriching a multi-billion dollar corporation, at our own expense, in the process) - then this is surely it.