smoking penalty

[Gabe2]

Throughout my posting and my rules I have No Smoking listed several times. In the rules I mention heavy fines for smoking.  

My guests smoked and I have screenshots from my video security showing it.  I would like to administer the fine.  I reminded them of the policy during their stay and they apologized.  When should I tell them about the fine?  Will airbnb support and help me to collect the fine?

Text from my posting and rules below

POSTING

No smoking

• Absolutely no smoking or any other smoking-like-activities on or near our house, even a few houses away. Typically people don't smoke on the street around here so my neighbors would find it disconcerting. There are some fine places to enjoy a smoke nearby - Harvard Avenue, Eastlake Avenue, even a few waterfront spots. There are heavy penalties for smoking. Please just don't do it.

 RULES

NO SMOKING INSIDE OR OUT, NOT EVEN HALFWAY DOWN THE BLOCK!!!!  I can't stress enough that smoking will not be tolerated, even if you are a couple of houses away.  If you wish to smoke please go two blocks west to Harvard and Shelby or somewhere else on a busy street.  Our neighbors don't like it either and have come to expect no smoking, no butts, etc...  I am sorry if this seems draconian but it just something we don't want to deal with. 

$500 fine for smoking on the property outdoors and $2,000 fine plus actual remediation costs for smoking inside.  In either case your stay will be cancelled and you will have to leave the property immediately.  Does that sound unfair?  I am very sorry.  Smoking is just not tolerated.

[Marina910]

Just had guests that smoked in my chalet accommodation, instead of the 50 min turn around, it took me 2.5 hours... I am raging... I have put up more signs as a reminder, updated my listing and have messaged booked guests about this. Feedback for these offenders well 1* for cleanliness, 1* for house rules,  needless to say I will not be welcoming them back.  I’m not sure if I could enforce a fine, reputation for me is more valuable as either a host or a guest. 

[Pilar512]

Hi everyone! I am in the middle of dealing with this smoking situation. 
I had a couple staying for a month and they have been smoking inside. Of course, breaking  the house rules. 
Anyway, I confronted them and they accepted it (on writing). I contacted Airbnb and after talking to an ambassador, etc etc we agreed that a warning of violation would be issued and they will be in charge of damages. (Everything I have proof on writing)
It was my bad not to throw them out immediately, but they were literally begging me to give them another chance as they had nowhere to go in the middle of freezing January in Stockholm with 2 dogs and a cat. I had a heart at the time (not sure I have it anymore) and gave them a second chance. (The Airbnb ambassador advised me to help them). Well, now they have left and sure enough the property stinks. I have been cleaning, disinfecting etc etc but as we all know, it is not that easy to get smoke odor after heavy smoking for a month in a 24sqm studio....

So, back to deal with the issue with Airbnb.

We have clear proof as they admitted it, plus they were always with the windows opened (average temperature-15), I have had an electricity bill more than double compared to January the year before, as they had the radiators on full blast... and after taking their recycling I found 3 big tins of air freshener.

So, yes I can’t not ‘send’ the smell to Airbnb to smell it by themselves by all the clues are right there! 
I was asking for the price of the new sofa bed (got receipt it is only 1yr old) as it can not be cleaned. 
As I am pretty new in all this, only one year hosting. I am asking you, wise community. What do you think I can do, request etc. Because right now the property is blocked off, I don’t know how long for. I am putting hours and money towards getting the place back to its original standard and I feel totally frustrated and deflated and how some guests can do whatever they want, trash a place and get away with it!!!! 
Tks for reading my long complaining post 🙂 

[Alexandra316]

@Pilar512 Airbnb reimbursement is usually only paid for actual damages. If you can provide a receipt for a cleaning company you paid to do the cleaning for you, they MIGHT pay that. You could also just send the guest a request for extra money for cleaning: that's likely your best bet.

If this ever happens again, I would ask the guest to pay an extra cleaning fee in order to stay if you want to continue to host them. I think you were way too nice in allowing them to stay after you found out they were breaking your rules. If they didn't want to get kicked out in the middle of winter, they should have gone outside to smoke. It's such a basic requirement now. 

If you're still having issues removing the smell, take a look at renting or purchasing an ozone machine. It's what hotels use to remove smells, and they are very effective.

[Pilar512]

Tku so much Alexandra, I tried asking the guests to take responsibility but of course they are refusing now that they are out.... 

But Tks again, sad but lesson learnt.... no more acts of good will after breaking the rules! 

[Zak207]

 i sent Airbnb actual receipts for the damages, replacements that were purchased, and an expert in smoke removal that remidied the room and they flat out refused to cover all costs I directly incured.

[Sunny226]

I'm really sorry you had to deal with this, especially when you were trying to be compassionate by not kicking them out in the dead of winter.  What they say is true, no good deed goes unpunished.  

We don't allow smoking inside our rentals, and fortunately no one has ever broken that rule.  We did have a couple who brought a very aggressive, very large dog that they didn't mention once (we did say they could bring their dog, but they failed to mention they had two).  Our rentals are situated on our working farm, and we take in rescues (horses, sheep, geese, chickens, cows, etc).  We decided to let them slide when we first found out about the other dog, and told them to just be careful with them outside. We were more worried about one of our animals hurting theirs, but the next morning the larger dog was running loose outside with no supervision, and attacked one of our geese.  We were livid.  I told them they had two options: send the dog to a boarding kennel or leave.  They tried to argue that the dog was just being a dog (probably true, but this dog was clearly not socialized or under the control of its owners).  They called Airbnb customer service, but fortunately Airbnb backed us up.  They ended up leaving.  

After that, we made a point of telling our guests the ground rules in person, and if we allow them to bring their pets, they must be leashed at all times, unless we give them our express permission to let them off leash.  We usually try a "soft" test with their dog and one of our most lovable horses, bc he gets along with everyone.  If their dog behaves, we don't mind if it goes off leash.  And we warn them ahead of time that if their dog is remotely aggressive, we reserve the right to ask them to board the dog at a local kennel, or they will be expected to leave.  

Most guests are great.  But there's always that one jerk who ruins it for everyone.  Can you provide a heating bill for Airbnb, showing that the usage was increased exponentially during these guests stay, vs previous guests? I don't know how you can prove the odor but at least you may be able to recoup some of the heating expenses.  

[Val4219]

I have a similar issue and the smoking indoors was very extreme.  I don't mind people smoking on the patio while the door is closed. But you can't smoke inside of someone's house when the rules state NO SMOKING.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/New-to-Hosting/Smoking-guest/m-p/1586006#M5679

in this link is the situation I encountered.

It's not "my house my rules" situation here.   "Mi casa es tu casa" but be respectful at least a the most basic level.

I don't like smokers but I don't mind smoking where it belongs, outside. It requires a lot of cleaning to prep for the next guest. And I have allergies and so could the next guest(s).

How can I financially penalize someone smoking inside my home?  I don't want their money or the trouble.

[Zak207]

Even though Airbnb says they will cover smoke damage in their aircover, they do not.

[Sunny226]

I have a really hard time believing that a guest who smoked outside and away from the OP's home, somehow necessitated a $500 cleaning bill for the interior.  That sounds like they're trying to scam a free deep clean out of a guest,  just because they have a hang up about cigarettes. Unless they smoked inside, or left butts on the property, they did nothing wrong- and even if they left butts, that's hardly a $500 clean up job 🙄

[David8879]

"NO SMOKING INSIDE OR OUT, NOT EVEN HALFWAY DOWN THE BLOCK!!!! "

Crossed Seattle off my list to visit (even though I do NOT smoke for 12 years now)

[Sam32]

Too Fanatical (nut jobish). provide a smoking area outdoors and away from the house, charge a cleaning fee for iliminating the smell of some in the house.

[Cormac0]

@Gabe2

Its ironically back to the "location" thing, the guest choose the location when in fact they were smokers and thus automatically broke your rules.

Would it not have been simpler just to ask them to leave? rather than getting involved in all the other palaver.

Airbnb need to come up with concrete solution to these sort of touch points and make it clear that bad behaviour no matter where its origin will not be tolerated

[Karla128]

I wish that happens soon from Airbnb. 

[Mar125]

The max cleaning fee for smoking i was successful to collect is $200 from airbnb.

So you need to collect deposit before guest’s check in

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

ok.... I am from the other planet obviously... but still.. I don't understand this american SMOKING PARANOIA which btw didn't exist 20 years ago ... I mean, you are inhaling fumes from all kind of motor vehicles passing in front of your window 24/7 and on your driveway and nobody thinks about it. But if someone smoke a cigarette while passing your house you would punish him with 2000$ ??? What's next? Hang him? 😄

This is ridiculous alltogether