Terrible Guest made worse by AirBnB Support

[Marc715]

10 days ago I had someone rent my unit and then throw a huge party (completely against all my rules) and causing a lot of damage to my unit.  I notice the problem at 4 AM when I woke to more than 60 notifications that my basement door was being opened and closed.  I immediately reviewed the outside building security system and could see that people were being lead in from that door.  I logged on to AirBnB to get the guests info to call him and find out what was going on - but AirBnb had blocked his profile and I couldn't see his information or the reservation any more.  I called.  After 3 hours of being bounced from person to person I was told that they had contacted the guest and he agreed to leave in 30 minutes (which ended up being 2 hours and required to police).  The amount of cigarette smoke and marijuana smoke was so bad when the police first enetered the unit you couldn't breath.  They had even ripped the smoke detectors off the wall because they were going off.  There was lots of damage.

Ok - I get it.  If you do this long enough something like this could happen.  But the way AirBnbB handled this and is continuing to handle this is shameful.  They knew before I did there was a problem with this guest and they didn't alert me (which could have prevented a lot of the damage).  They were also completely unhelpful when I first called telling me they couldn't discuss the issue of why the guests profile was blocked and if there was a problem with him.  This lead to hours of trying to get the guest removed - I had no experience with this sort of thing and was looking to AirBnB for guideance before I had the SWAT team decend on my building.  I know this may sound petty but 10 days later I still haven't gotten AirBnB to pay me for the 1 night rental (only $245) - they keep claiming it is an "IT Glitch" - sending me to one department after another, promising callbacks that never happen.  So this is like getting spit in the face by AirBnB after all the problems I have been through with this.

[Dawn379]

OMG!  So sorry to hear but I can empathize with you!  We had an unruly guest that had to be removed as well and like you worked with Airbnb long story short, like you, we were the victims the ones wronged yet Airbnb SIDED with the renter after 2 case managers told us we wouldn’t have to refund the guest due to them breaking house rules.  Like you, we spent HOURS over 3 days, being passed around to 8 - 10 different people and we are still no better off in fact not only are they taking over $1700 from us they have blocked our condo so we can’t even rent it to someone else for the next 8 days.  It’s unconscionable how they treat their hosts we are removing our listings immediately and telling everyone we know to do the same.  Good luck getting resolution!  I hope you can recoup something.  

[Lydia94]

Hi Marc, I am dealing with a guest from hell for the last 4 weeks and there is no support from Airbnb,

like you let us all know. As hosts we have to take actions and make Airbnb take actions and make changes.

I have to agree with another host, a one night guests belong in a hotel and not a private home.

In Cleveland I have a minimum stay of 7 nights and in Italy 4 nights. The other problem Aibnb has to take care of to make sure the guest a host accept is the guest staying in the home. As a host I am very careful what guest I accept - not because I discriminate - but I have to protect my home and my other guests.

The guest I accepted had 4 great reviews and was a female. But with Chinese names I don,t know the different but my staff was confused when a male guest was in the house. This guest was to stupid to follow the instructions for our self-check-in so we send for help to let him in the house. Because he is not the Airbnb member with the house rules and the instructions. We provide house keeping every Tuesday and ask to remove the personal belongings from the bed and the floor. Never happen. The other guests have to walk in to a dirty kitchen every day and I am paying my staff every day to clean up the kitchen after this guest from hell. Last night 2.00 a.m. in the morning I receive a phone call from Airbnb - I am in Italy - that the guest left his keys in the room and can not get in to the house. I give the instructions for the emergency entry to Airbnb and this morning my house keeper come to the house to find the key box all broken outside on the table on the back porch and no key. So the instructions where not followed again.

Airbnb so so busy making changes - but are not interested to fix what is broken with the system.

1. I like to see the photo of the guest, the same way the guest see my photo

2. With some names a host don,t know if a male a female guest arrive

3. it is important for a host to know the gender because some female guests don,t wish to share the bathroom with a male guest. As a host I try to designate the bathrooms and let the new guest know before the booking is confirmed.

4. If the Airbnb member with the reviews is not the guest staying in my home I need to know before I accept.

5. The punishment on part of Airbnb when a host don,t accept every guest has to stop

6. we are dealing with our private homes and the responsebilety towards all our guests.

I hope there are sufficient hosts to take the time to fight for this simple changes.

Lydia