Airbnb investigation and bad guests

Neil408
Level 10
Sheffield, United Kingdom

Airbnb investigation and bad guests

Hello all, just need some help & advice as I'm stuck with an issue that seems to be going round in circles.

 

I had two young girls check in to my apartment on the 13th of January and they stayed for 2 nights (they'd booked for 4). These were some of the noisiest and lease respectful guests I'd ever hosted.

 

First issue - the booking was for 1 guest but 2 turned up and they said they were new to AirBnB (no reviews), didn't know how to change it so could they pay me in cash for the second person. I accepted - I shouldn't have - AirBnB are aware I accepted part of the booking in cash since the guest complained and told them and my listing is currently no longer available since AirBnB are investigating this matter. When I ring AirBnB to ask what's going on, I just keep being told that it's being looked into and nothing more.

 

Ongoing issues during the stay -

 

On the first night they washed their underwear in the bathroom sink & left water all over the floor, I had to clean up. Later that night they said they were cold - the heating was on but the windows were open in the room - I said that they can't have both the windows open and heating on. The next day I was working from home in the lounge, they came in & started playing music. I explained I was working and they needed to be a bit quieter so they went back to their room. Later that day then went out & came back at 2am. When they got back they were slamming doors, talking loud & banging about in the bathroom. I texted the girl who had booked explaining that I had been woken up, could they be quieter & possibly go to bed. She replied saying that she had to get showered right now - I suggested she do it the next morning. I then went to speak to her face to face and all I got was abuse. I then said she can be quiet or leave. I then called AirBnB who seemed to resolve this and cancelled her stay, which she left the next morning. She then put a complaint in to AirBnB and told them she had paid half in cash.

 

Now AirBnB are investigating the matter with their safety team and have suspended / temporarily deactivated my listing. 

 

What I want to know is - what are the likely outcomes of this? Will AirBnB permanently ban me for accepting part of the booking in cash? Or will it just be a temporary suspension? How long will it take them to investigate the matter?

 

I appreciate it's totally my fault for accepting cash and I figure this is partly why AirBnB have suspended my listing but on the other hand I had a lot of issues with these guests who now seem to be playing the victim card.

 

AirBnB makes up around 20% of my income so without the income I get it's going to make things a little tough.

 

Some help and advice would be greatly appreciated here.

 

Yours sincerely,

Very upset.

 

Neil

17 Replies 17
Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Neil408 

Yeah Airbnb certainly have suspended your two listings, but Neil,  I suspect, with 345+ reviews they will resolve this quickly in your favour!

 

There is a cardinal rule, you do not take money privately from Airbnb guests. Airbnb are a money orientated machine, and any attempt to circumvent them from making that money out of you will result in swift and unwanted action!

But every action they take is designed to protect their income stream so, if the guest was not worth as much to them as you are, they will lift this restriction on you. They will decide that a 7-14 day penalty for your inexcusable indiscretion will suffice in this instance and you will soon be back making that money for them again!

Keep us posted Neil, and all the best.

 

Cheers......Rob

Neil408
Level 10
Sheffield, United Kingdom

Thanks Rob! Yep I basically got a 4 day suspension and they eventually sided with me after speaking with their security team. All back up and running now thankfully 🙂 Phew! Never going to accept cash again no matter what.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Neil408 

That's great Neil, they have you back and running again.

As you rely heavily on STR for your living, when you have a moment, sit down and analyse some of those reviews and  see if you can 'polish' your style just a bit. I am not having a go at you Neil, but what I am trying to say is, don't give Airbnb the chance to do something like this again!

 

I know what it's like hosting in an old property, I am all the time chasing cracks in the walls and floors, making sure I keep the mould under control, keeping cockroaches and spiders and other vermin out of the cottage! When you host in an old building surrounded by nature the challenges are infinitely greater than in a new building, just retain that perception of 'clean'!

In 370+ reviews over a couple of platforms (300 of them here on Airbnb) I have only copped a 4 star 3 times for cleanliness....and one of those was from a woman who said my genuine Persian silk rug looked old and shabby....not that it wasn't clean, just looked old and shabby! 

 

Look at what your guests are telling you mate and try to head off those issues that are dragging you down just a bit! You are sitting on an overall 4.17 on your apartment listing and most of that comes from that guest perception about da*n cleanliness!

You are obviously an asset to Airbnb, your guests love you, just try and work on their comments a bit.......and for Christ sake, don't take cash payments!!

 

Cheers.......Rob

Neil408
Level 10
Sheffield, United Kingdom

Thanks for the feedback Rob, I really appreciate it 🙂 I like your advice and your style.

 

With regards to cleanliness I think the biggest thing for me is I have a little bit of black mould in the bathroom shower unit. I have tried everything I can think of to get rid of it - heat the room more, new (larger) extractor fan, bleach the sealant, wipe it down and dry it off, even replace the bathroom sealant with new but it comes back within 6 to 8 weeks. When I check my feedback the number one issue has been 'black mould in shower'.  However, this building being an older building, I do have a general problem with penetrating damp in my cellar and lounge which I am trying to resolve and have recently bought a dehumidifier to see if that changes anything.

 

Other than that, sheets are always clean, room is hoovered and aired out, curtains opened etc etc, kitchen is clean and tidy and surfaces wiped down. 

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Neil408  ( @Robin4 ) I read that review from the disgruntled lady that tanked your ratings on your whole place listing.... I think you were incredibly unlucky to host someone who took such exception to your belongings being around; she obviously had NO idea about how Airbnb differs from hotels & 'normal' rental apartments, & had unrealistic expectations of perfection. I think your flat looks gorgeous & stylish - love the different shades of blue - it all looks classier than my place, which shows the meaninglessness & capriciousness of the star ratings. People are obsessed with black mould - I put THICK bleach on the black mould on my shower sealant & leave it sitting there  for hours/all day.It got rid of 95% of a big patch. - Need to do it again & again tho' - & a nit picker will always find a trace....

Neil408
Level 10
Sheffield, United Kingdom

Yeah, I rarely let out the whole place and just had an American lady who didn't like my belongings being around. There was, if I remember a towel or a pair of jeans on a wooden drying rack by the ceiling and this apparently 'distressed' her so much she felt she couldn't relax. Now if I let it out I make sure the drying rack is empty.

 

I'm a pretty laidback person, when I travel on airbnb I generally will leave a 5* review unless something terrible happens so for me I really felt it was a first world problem that she had an issue with clothes drying.

 

However if I do get a booking for the entire place I can stay with my girlfriend nearby. I put on my whole place listing that it's my home and therefore there will be SOME belongings around though I do make an effort to tidy up and tidy anything obvious away.

 

To my face she was lovely, polite, kind and I really did not expect the nasty review she left. I in turn left her a good review and never at all during the stay did she mention she had a problem, only afterwards. I find it hard to predict when someone will leave a bad review or not.

@Neil408  Waterproof caulking comes in various colors. Next time you're up for replacing it, maybe use black sealant.

Neil408
Level 10
Sheffield, United Kingdom

Could do. Black or coloured sealant might look a bit odd though. Usually in the UK it's just white.

Ute42
Level 10
Germany

.

@Neil408   

 

There are 2 important rules on airbnb:

 

  1. Never accept cash payment from guests

  2. If You do accept cash payment, then don't get into an argument with them

 

 

These 2 rules are really important and You've broken them both.

 

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Neil408 I feel for you, & hope it's resolved in your favour.

 

-It's difficult isn't it, when two turn up having only paid for one....  Trouble is, Airbnb don't make it easy to recuperate the money through the system. The first time it happened to me, I TRIED to go to the 'change reservation' page, and asked the offending guest to do the same, but we both got a flash that you can't amend the booking once the reservation has started, i.e., after earliest check in time. I was in a panic, so I asked for cash, (only £10) not knowing what else to do, and because the guest was arguing the piddling £21 he'd paid for the room FOR ONE should suffice! - Thankfully he paid - I later spotted  he paid with one legal plastic fiver & one illegal paper fiver, no longer legal tender! I left him a rotten review for this, & for leaving s**t all over the loo shared with me & other guests, for taking a mirror off the wall in another room, & putting it in his, & for checking out 1 hour late at 1pm. THANKFULLY, he did not retaliate by informing Airbnb, nor did he write a review. I NOW KNOW I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR THE SECOND PERSON FEE THRU THE RESOLUTION CENTRE, (different from 'change booking'),  & got him to click the necessary acceptance BEFORE I let his wife up my stairs! I will do this next time!

 

These sort of guests put us in a vulnerable position, cos they make US look like villains when we are stalling them in the hallway, denying access to the bedrooms till they've paid for person Number 2! A host near me lost her 100% 5* reviews when a guest said she was upset by an unwelcoming arrival - all because the poor host wished to phone Airbnb about the 2nd person not paid for before allowing up the stairs!

 

I must say when I now get a booking for one which is not a work visit, I check via messaging that there's only one.... so if two, they can hit the 'change res' button BEFORE check in....

 

My only advice is to grovel to Airbnb, say you are sorry & panicked, & didn't understand what to do, as the reservation had started, so the 'change reservation' button  would not activate. Maybe say your first concern was not to upset the guests, so you accepted their cash offer, so as not to seem a confrontational jobsworth; you were just trying to be a nice host!

 

(Your description of the girls reminds me of several threads in the archives here, lamenting young Chinese females who travel in pairs! (Late night showering, flooded bathrooms, & washing their smalls - an amusing read, even if your ladies were not Chinese!)

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Neil408 Delighted to see you appear to be up & running again! ( @Robin4 was right!)

Neil408
Level 10
Sheffield, United Kingdom

Thanks it's all sorted. The ladies were young Chinese girls, they did flood the bathroom, showered very late and washed their undies in the sink. My best friend who does airbnb has had similar issues with similar guests too.

Neil408
Level 10
Sheffield, United Kingdom

Thanks all - sorry for the slow replies - these turned up in my junk mail so only just seen your replies.

 

Basically it was resolved in my favour. Airbnb suspended my account for 4 days in total during which time I could not accept new reservations but still had to honour existing reservations.

 

Airbnb contacted both parties in the end and sided with me - I was worried because I'd heard horror stories of hosts with 1000+ good reviews being suspended indefinitely / permanently after one bad experience with a guest who put a complaint in.

 

Airbnb didn't even mention that I'd accepted part of the booking in cash and I figured they knew about it but let it go. I'll know now not to accept ANY cash no matter what.

 

Thanks for your help 🙂 Panic over! 

 

Neil.

Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

If this platform was 20% of my income I would be very informed about all the rules and processes, @Neil408 .  Maybe this is an opportunity for you to take a step back and see how your hosting and/or your listing can be tweaked be able to react to unexpected guest behavior.  Granted, these guests were not the greatest, but even good "innocent" guests can cause problems.