Thank you for posting a good description of your recent ordeal, @Lucy747 . So sorry to read all that you've gone through. Good to hear the police are involved. Hopefully you'll get some form for compensation... maybe.
I agree with all of your advice:
- Don't use instant booking
- Dont' book to someone with no reviews
- Have an outdoor security camera
As I typically rent for 30 to 60 days, I always engage in several message exchanges. Depending on how much information the potential guest has offered, I ask all sorts of questions – about their stay, where they are from, why they will be in the area, if they have friends or family nearby, what they work with, etc.
But things can still go wrong.
I had a related incident in April 2019 (i.e. drugs), when a guest apparently started the chemical process of creating methamphetamine (aka "meth") in my home. When my caretaker showed up after the guest had vacated, she found all sorts of red stains on the bedding, around the sinks, and on some furniture and floors. My caretaker didn't know what to make of it, but her and my cleaner disposed of all the bedding and wiped up the red substance, with a little scrubbing, from the most of the furniture and floors.
Additionally, my guest scratched up the hardwood oak flooring (35 planks had to be replaced), destroyed some furniture, window blinds, vacuum cleaner, and left the place a mess. It cost me $5500 to restore everything.
It wasn't until 6 months later, when I showed the photos of all the red stains to a narcotics policeman, that I found out that the red substance was most likely red phosphorus, a key ingredient in meth. Unfortunately there is no US-based lab that will test for this in residential properties, but to be diligent and on the safe side, I had my home tested for meth. Seven surfaces were tested, and the test results were all negative. This test cost me $1700.
I suspected something was wrong when the guest started using the AC on the third day (of a 6-week rental period). The outdoor daytime temperatures were barely reaching 20C (it was early April), and he had set the AC to 18C. I have a NEST thermostat and could see how it was being set, from hour to hour, day to day. On the fourth day the AC ran for 7 hours.
I suspected something was wrong, and ask the guest if my caretaker could come by to trim a couple of shrubs, and to say hello. He said this was okay, but that he wouldn't be home when she would be there. She noticed that all the blinds were closed, and that one was bent in several places.
I contacted the online service through which the booking had been made, VRBO (will this name get redacted, ve are bee oh?), and they agreed that it was reasonable that I have my caretaker make a weekly visit to inspect all the rooms – not a surprise visit, but at an agreed upon time and day.
When I informed the guest of this weekly visit, he didn't reply, but during the evening and night on the 7th day, he vacated, without giving warning or notice. My outdoor NEST camera showed all sorts of activity as he moved out. The next day my caretaker found all the lights were left on and one of the doors unlocked.
It took me 5 weeks to get everything restored, working with 15 suppliers. Luckily, my guest had paid for a 6-week stay (no, he didn't get any refund), and I had a $5000 property damage insurance policy. With VRBO, I have the option of requiring guests to pay a $99 fee for $5000 in property damage coverage.
It's a straightforward insurance policy. I provide normal, reasonable evidence of the damage, missing items, or unreasonable filth, and I get paid. I've only used it this once, but it worked flawlessly.
I had a guest in May this year, who left damages for approx. $1800. This time it was through Airbnb. I presented all sorts of very thorough evidence, but Airbnb wouldn't pay me a cent. The guest denied everything (she was a lawyer), even the scratched up TV screen, that was clearly the doings of a toddler (my lawyer guest, her husband, and their 1-year old, stay for 6 months).
So the question is, do I continue to list with a company that CLAIMS they offer genuine property damage insurance (called "Host Guarantee"), or, do I put all my eggs in one basket, and exclusively list with a company that's proven to offer the real McCoy? Currently my home is listed on both...
(I address the May 2021 incident, with my lawyer guest, in the discussion "Guarantee VS Resolution?")