Why give rule breaker refund?/how to prove someone is smoking in their room DURING their stay

Luke166
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

Why give rule breaker refund?/how to prove someone is smoking in their room DURING their stay

I have a guest (1 month) smoking in one of my rooms despite it being a non-smoking listing. I have other guests at the property and his antisocial behaviour has already led to me getting a bad review from another guest.

 

I contacted Airbnb about it and they said I can effectively kick them out by cancelling his stay but:

 

1) I would have to prove that they have been smoking otherwise I will get penalised

2) I would have to refund the guest for the rest of their stay.

3) He is not responding to my messages

 

Regarding 1: 

I am not allowed to enter the room without the guest's permission and the guest could remove all evidence of smoking by the time he vacates (bar the smell). 

Airbnb said I should (somehow) get him to let me in where I would then need to specifically film (not just photograph) for evidence (I certainly don't feel comfortable doing that, it seems very confrontational)

 

Regarding 2:

Why should I have to give the guest a refund? I can't afford to have guests cancelling last minute, hence my strict policy yet this is what would happen. 

I'm quite sure in many other situations, if you do something that's your fault and you get kicked off/out then you forfeit your right to tthe rest of your payment.

 

It seems like an easy way to get out of a contract... just be as obnoxious as possible until the host cancels (And no, I don't buy any talk about negative reviews for guests, that doesn't help me now, and it doesn't help me financially).  

 

Regarding 3:

I can't get a response from him to get confirmation from him that he has been smoking (Airbnb told me this is specifically something they also need so that I don't get penalised), nor to get access to the room.

1 Reply 1
Alon1
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Luke166 

 

Firstly, in support of 'House Rules', I would rather emphasize 'fire hazard' and so inform Airbnb that you're not willing to take the risk of your property burning to the ground, and endangering the lives of the other people in the property! 

 

Secondly, if the other guests are also Airbnb, I would ask them to message Airbnb to register a complaint against the 'antisocial' guest. If a number of people support you, Airbnb could hardly deny it.