Guest brought bed bugs, and now I'm screwed

[Kelly28]

So a guest brought bed bugs into my home. Airbnb refunded him, and canceled all my pending bookings. Now I have to pay out of pocket $1000 to have an exterminator come (airbnb requires an exterminator to relist), not to mention the booking I lost.

Has anyone got any tips or ideas on reducing risk? What cities and parts of the world are known to have serious bedbug problems? I have heard NYC has a serious problem, I am thinking of not accepting any guests from there. Ideas? 

[Cindy163]

Thank you so much for your posting, Neal.  When Airbnb asks for questions for their live forums, I have asked this one until I have given up.  I used to listen to every word of their forums, waiting to hear them address this bedbug issue.  It is the “elephant in the room” that is never mentioned.  Statistically, I would guess the number of hosts who are affected by this catastrophe is small.  It is not large enough for to impact Airbnb’s business, so they choose to ignore us.  The expense is huge and the mental stress is significant for any host who is affected by this.  If another start-up comes along that is more host friendly and supportive than Airbnb, I will be the first to jump ship.  I just blow off their stupid live forums.  

[Bruce278]

we use Roomlala as well, they are ok, some challenges with site issues but they are usually quick to assit. haven't had to deal with bugs for them tho so no idea how that would have been. 1st bed bug challenge with airbnb guest so just finding out stuff now with how they will handle...After the 1st week with us, she went back to her home in London Ontario by bus (grey hound we believe). the following week, she complained of sores or bites blaming on our cats. we said they are flea treated, not allowed in your room, and sleep on our bed so we'd be bit first and we are not. We also assured her that we do a thorough check after every guest checks out and there was no evidence of bugs when our last airbnb tenant left 6 days before she moved in. the following weekend she went back to her home in London again and when she returned she said she saw a doctor and he thought they might be from anxiety/stress. so not thinking anything different we didn't check her /bedroom. June 19, from work, she sent pics of sores and said she was moving out when she got back from Toronto that evening. When she got home her and I, Bruce, checked and saw no evidence of bugs. When Susan came home later that evening, after Sanaz had left, we began our standard cleaning of her room. when we flipped the bed up there was a small nest with one large bug, a couple tiny ones, and eggs. we quickly killed the live bugs, sprayed and squashed the eggs unzipped and took the bedbug cover off inside out and threw it and all of the bedding out. We then cleaned and sprayed the room, as we do after every tenant,  as a precaution. As it was very late by the time we were done, the next day we called an exterminator to make sure nothing was left behind. we hadn't had to do this kind of cleanup before and didn't want ourselves, our other tenants, and future tenants to have a problem. they said that with the evidence of scat, there could be eggs in cracks in the plank flooring, behind baseboards, and in the walls. Heat treating and spraying, and all of the work to prepare for it and deal with it after, plus all of the bedding thrown away and replaced has cost us in excess of $2000. today we got a notice saying the tenant cancelled her reservation. nothing else yet from airbnb, but does that mean she will get her money back even if we can prove she brought them?

[Elena3677]

yeah,  insurance should probably cover it.  it is natural disaster, like a hurricane or a fire or something.  it really isn't anyone's fault that insects exist in the universe.  i think the government should also be invovled in this crisis somehow.  perhaps force the insurance companies to cover it.  but the insurance companies control legislatures in government.  there are probably other things the government could do to help homeowners cope with this distaster.

[Jopestkil1]

Bedbugs are ever unwanted in households and commercial premises. Bedbugs will infest readily and if not controlled in enough time, will continue to wreck havoc reaching high level infestation which may be complex to eliminate completely….

Bedbugs! These insects invade homes and wreak havoc wherever they will intentionally attack. Effective bed bug control may seem impossible when it comes to a high level stubborn infestation, but there must be light at the end of the tunnel to eliminate these small, pesky pests.

Bed bugs are tricky bugs. When they get into a home or business, they can get into hard to reach locations, not just your beds. These insects can dwell in outlets, wall voids, electronics, behind baseboards and anywhere close to resting and sleeping human sites. They can also be deep inside upholstered furniture or under rugs unsparingly. The trick to beating these hitch hiking, tricky bugs is understanding their habits and habitats. Bedbugs are for sure are real nuisance. Bedbug infestations seem to be increasing around the world at an alarming rate not even being threatened by available control measures, possibly due to insecticide resistance. Resistance to pyrethroid insecticides is already widespread in the whole world. The bedbug infestation occurs in aggregations when conditions are favorable, but the arthropods disperse when conditions are unfavorable. Active female dispersal can potentially lead to treatment failures and should be taken into account when using control methods.

New tactics against these bugs are needed for this escalating public health concern in locations with high occupant turnover, such as hotels, hospitals, and nursing homes. Indeed, in the past decade bedbugs have become a worldwide urban pest, with the number of households affected markedly increased.

[Sandi50]

New York City hotels and had a bed bug problem very badly in recent years back. Google New York City bed bug problem Not just the lower in motels and hotels but the ritzy ones too. I started getting bitten two days after I moved into this Airbnb and I'm wondering sitting here wondering now what to do about it. One of the other guests told me that they had done a change out of all the bedding in the whole room before I got here.

[Brittani6]

how did you show air bnb that you had bed bugs and did you need to give proof that they were gone ?

[Katie145]

I took photos of them (dead bed bugs) and I have a receipt from the exterminator.

[Terri170]

I had 5 star reviews and my last guest brought bed bugs in.  The cost has been $3500 and Airbnb told me to keep her payout but when my next guest checked in Airbnb deducted it and I’m hosting my current guests for $19.40

[Cindy163]

That's Airbnb for you.  Their revenue is the priority, and they don't care that you had to foot the bill for bedbugs their guests brought.  I paid $3300 for my two day tent fumigation on Kauai.  Plus, there is all the stress that goes with this happening.  Airbnb has no mercy.  So sorry!  

[Bruce278]

bed bug covers only protect the bed, they live and lay eggs on the covers....as we just found after thelast airbnb guest. After the 1st week with us, she went back to her home in London Ontario by bus (grey hound we believe). the following week, she complained of sores or bites blaming on our cats. we said they are flea treated, not allowed in your room, and sleep on our bed so we'd be bit first and we are not. We also assured her that we do a thorough check after every guest checks out and there was no evidence of bugs when our last airbnb tenant left 6 days before she moved in. the following weekend she went back to her home in London again and when she returned she said she saw a doctor and he thought they might be from anxiety/stress. so not thinking anything different we didn't check her /bedroom. June 19, from work, she sent pics of sores and said she was moving out when she got back from Toronto that evening. When she got home her and I, Bruce, checked and saw no evidence of bugs. When Susan came home later that evening, after Sanaz had left, we began our standard cleaning of her room. when we flipped the bed up there was a small nest with one large bug, a couple tiny ones, and eggs. we quickly killed the live bugs, sprayed and squashed the eggs unzipped and took the bedbug cover off inside out and threw it and all of the bedding out. We then cleaned and sprayed the room, as we do after every tenant,  as a precaution. As it was very late by the time we were done, the next day we called an exterminator to make sure nothing was left behind. we hadn't had to do this kind of cleanup before and didn't want ourselves, our other tenants, and future tenants to have a problem. they said that with the evidence of scat, there could be eggs in cracks in the plank flooring, behind baseboards, and in the walls. Heat treating and spraying, and all of the work to prepare for it and deal with it after, plus all of the bedding thrown away and replaced has cost us in excess of $2000. today we got a notice saying the tenant cancelled her reservation. nothing else yet from airbnb, but does that mean she will get her money back even if we can prove she brought them?

[Ashley647]

Hilliard supply, get the aerosol

[Meaghan22]

Good luck!!!

[Janine292]

Unfortunately I don't see why Airbnb would have any motivation to do anything about this from a business standpoint unless it starts to affect their bottom line.  I'm not sure how that would happen.  Any productive ideas on how hosts could motivate change here? 

[Helen3]

What would you suggest Airbnb could do about bed bugs being in a host's listing @Janine292 ????

What sort of change do you want hosts to 'motivate'?

It's simple you need to proactively minimise the risk (lots of advice on line on how to do this). If you find them in your listing, you need to take immediate action to resolve.

[Ashley647]

Had it happen, well, we h ad no bugs. But, accusation and loss of income stream do to false accusation.

See, i trained, cleaned, treated hotels for decades. I use, Hillyard supply for premptive aerosol treatment, wrap all beds in zipper lock antimicrobials, remove all bedding, all linens, every visit and do not bring new ones in till they are removed and washed in sanitizing mode of high end washer. We do not debate we had no bed bugs. We know we had no bed bugs.

Less is more. Meaning no knick nacks, no extra cloth items on walls, minimal prints that are easily cleaned, no charming up home with stuff. Must be easy to wipe everything down regularly. Do not forget window sills. If these buggers have dust they have a home.

Each corner, floor, every bed lifted and cleaned under, every fan, light switch wall, all cleaned at every cleaning.

There is a problem with over cleaning. If ever inspected they need to find dust to verify you did not have them prior or presently.

Reading, more on this topic, know for fact that guest bring them. Lets face it a lot of guest do not have homes as clean as we do. They bring lice, fleas, bed bugs. It is up to host to protect future guest from present guest. No one is going to protect the host! Period,

This brings to point. Was about to open another air bnb. That is in serious debate;  Reading here when factor in cost of operation. Just not able to make a profit if loose 1500.00 booking and if had to spend 1-3000.00 to treat plus time closed down. There by negating profits to level that is it sustainable? Surely others in midst of such have same question inside. What if 2 guest a year did this? Knew this before opening and am and have been very proactive in my home on this subject. In end, it had no bugs still out thousands of dollars.

As long as reputation proceeds. That a bed bug inspection proving you do not  have bed bugs. That inspection proves you did not have them in past; And the guest is refunded. As long as that occurs. Then, the cycle shall increase of complaints. More and more of such complaints will be false. Now, they even order these bugs online to make it worse.