host asking for $500 post stay

[Maddie67]

Just having some trouble with a host and not sure where to go about it anymore.. Stayed in the airbnb for 2 nights. Very clean accurate presentation in the pictures so that was very nice. However only 8 certain people were allowed in the house and they had to be on the list ( wasn’t aware of this until after booking and i had a question).Cameras everywhere and the host would message me constantly about “quiet hours” etc. definitely felt like we were being watched to some extent so just didn’t feel private. Left an honest review stating that it was accurate and clean but wasn’t ideal for the situation we used it for ( maybe a family of 6) but i didn’t feel like it was rude or inaccurate in any way.. Host left me a five star review , stating how clean and respectful and would be happy to have us again.. Now 7 days post staying at the airbnb i get a call from airbnb stating that he is requesting $500 because he claimed there was a dog in the airbnb when there wasn’t one allowed.. when i asked for proof of documentation he sent a picture of a blurry cat in his backyard and that was A. not mine and B. we saw many cats in the neighborhood as well as some walking in the backyard . therefore i responded kindly saying i believe that is a cat (lol). He then states that he has more proof on his ring camera and when asking i have no reply . Just wondering on how i should go about this because i believe he was unhappy with his review and went back and watched the cameras to find something to charge me for ) maybe not but just seems odd i got such a good review and welcomed back.. any feedback is appreciated! 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Maddie67 if you did nothing wrong and the host has no proof then just reject any claims and ignore him

[Kate867]

@Maddie67    If you did not take a pet, then as @Mike-And-Jane0  suggest, just deny and/or ignore.  Unless the host can see you walking in with the pet on his camera or there is really obvious pet hair in the property then there is little he can do and imbedded data will show when any photographs were taken.

 
However, your review for your host will have been quite damaging as it would seem he is fairly new to the platform and probably had a five star rating before you reviewed him.  His overall rating is now quite badly impacted and I suspect his ‘claim’ is  a knee jerk reaction to this.  The things you complain about in your review are actually things that are mentioned on his listing such as price (you knew what you were paying for) quiet times etc.  His cameras are also clearly disclosed and he does say they are not constantly monitored.  

Many hosts have maximum occupancy numbers in order to comply with local legislation and insurance etc. They particularly need to know numbers and possibly ID in the event that there is an emergency.  There are also many hosts out there that are happy to allow additional ‘day guests’ under certain conditions and you could have reached out to this Host either prior to booking or during your stay to ask for permission.

[Amanda660]

His listing clearly states no one should be at the property who are not listed on the booking and specifically no more than 6 ?  The listing also outlines a $500 fine for bringing pets - this is unenforceable.  His rules are extensive and do take time to read - but very clear.  How many people were in/on the property?  More than we’re booked?

I agree with @Kate867 here on her appraisal, you really trashed his feedback scores with everything he’d already outlined and disclosed on his listing and in the process thoroughly tanked his score which will be very hard to pull back from. 

[Jennifer1897]

@Maddie67 As other host have advised, you have the right to reject the claim/request for additional funds or you can respond stating something along the lines of what you have said here such as "No pets were brought in the home. " Typically the host will be asked to provide some form of proof that this rule was violated. If in fact you did not have a pet, this will prove impossible for him.

Moving on to your complaints. 

"Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to have any more than 8 people ( and they had to be on the list to get in)" 

This is clearly stated in the listing and identified as a rule/regulation that the city imposes, not something the owner necessary elected to enforce. However regardless of where the origin of the rule came from, it mentioned more than once in the listing, and upon booking the residence you are agreeing to this. 

"There’s lots of cameras in the backyard so we just felt like we didn’t have any privacy during our stay. felt like we were trying to stay at our parents house as adults." 

Again, this is something listed in the ad. The host clearly states there are outdoor cameras on the property. If you were concerned about privacy you should have considered a booking that did not identify cameras. 

"We felt like the price was a little extensive for only being able to stay 2 nights and one full day ( check in was at 4pm and checkout was at 11am) and they don’t allow early check in and late checkout so it felt like more of a rush than a vacation."

As a host this is the complaint the bothers me the most. Prices are clearly stated and broken down upfront. You have a chance to review these, and decide whether to move forward with booking. If the price was to "extensive" you should have considered other options vs knocking your host for what you had to pay. Additionally your length of stay has nothing to do with your host. If you wanted more "full" days that would have been your decision. Every accommodation has check in and check out times, even hotels. 4pm and 11 am are quite reasonable. Airbnb's function a little different then hotels in that there is often less flexibility. Hotels have multiple rooms/spaces to offer meaning they can often accommodate early or late checkouts. 

"Maybe it was my fault that i didn’t look into the rules and regulations more."

Again, it is your responsibility to read all the rules and regulations of the accommodation you are booking, as once you press that book button you are agreeing to all those things. It is not fair to dock your host because you failed to fully read everything in the listing. Reviews are very important to a host and a negative one (especially at the start of their hosting journey) can be damaging.

[Mark116]

@Maddie67 It looks like you must have given very low scores for things outlined in the listing, which is unfair. The host has no way of collecting the charge unless he sues you.

[Anonymous]

@Maddie67  Your host appears to be quite new to hosting, and he's probably not aware that Airbnb doesn't collect deposits or enforce fines. He was understandably upset by your review, as all of your grievances basically come down to neglecting to read the listing. It sounds like he's retaliating against your review by trying to defraud you out of money, which is indefensible. Unfortunately, when there's only a handful of reviews it's hard to tell whether the host will act with grace and professionalism in the face of criticism.

What you need to know if you book an Airbnb in the future is that most hosts are not OK with unregistered visitors, even if there's not an explicit House Rule about them. If you'd like to share the home's amenities with extra relatives, it's best to include them in your guest count when booking, even if they're not staying overnight. 

[Gordon0]

You've punished the guest with a bad review thanks to your laziness, @Maddie67. And you admitted you were looking for a cheap deal yet thought you'd get more than a hotel (early check in etc). Asking for $500 extra is a bit rubbish, but you started this game. Shame.  

[Huma0]

@Maddie67 

If you genuinely did not have a dog at the property, and the host is requesting the money in retaliation, then you probably have nothing to worry about as there will be no proof.

However, I agree with the other comments above. All of your complaints are about things A.) stated in the listing and B.) reasonable. Not having unregistered visitors and a 4pm check in and 11am check out are TOTALLY normal. I don't know why you thought you could book a listing and then pretty much expect to then ignore several of the host's clearly stated rules. You are entering into a contract and agreeing to those rules when you book. If you don't like them and don't like the price, find somewhere else.

It wouldn't matter what the host wrote in his review for you. If I had read your review for the host, I would never accept you as a guest because of this entitled attitude. The only valid statement in your review is "maybe it was my fault that i didn’t look into the rules and regulations more." Yep, I'm afraid it was your fault.