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? 

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

How do you know the guest brought bedbugs to your appartment?

Bedbugs exist all over the world

You have been unfortunate - it happens occasionally

[Penny156]

Bed Bugs - If you didnt have bed bug problem before in your home , you know guests brought them in via their luggage, often from other accomodation with bed bugs.

Travelers drag their bags/backpacks all over airports, city streets, railway station platforms and concourses. They are packed into plane cargo holds. left sitting on the ground. Then when they book into a hotel room they throw the bag onto the bed. If there are bugs then they end up on the bed and then the mattress and then transfer onto the next luggage bag etc. Ask guests not to put their luggage onto the beds. Then they won't transfer the bugs into your home and all over the world.

[Francesca60]

Ciao Kelly,
I'm sorry for your bad experience!
I'm from Venice and I never had this problem, but a friend of mine had it and she had to do your same things (exterminator and so on).
Bed bugs feed on human blood, so surely they came on a guest (on him, but also inside his luggages or dresses) who probably didn't know to be a vector.
The suggestion that I can give you is to control the mattresses everytime you clean the bedroom and control the bed linen before wash them. In this way you can see them (have a look on wikipedia to know more about them) and, if you find them, you can cancel the  reservation or, if there is time, call the exterminator before they bite the next guest.

Although I hope that this experience does not happen again, you should call the exterminator if it happens again.

Good luck!!!
Ciao
Francesca

[Vanessa77]

@Kelly28 

You can buy bedbug protectors for your mattresses and be sure to seal up any small cracks or crevices that they could hide in.

[Renee28]

The bed bug problem is now everywhere but it isn't being talked about enough. I am thinking of putting some warnings out to people coming to my place. I want them to know if they are staying in motels first they should e putting their luggage in the tub, where they can't pick up bed bugs, and doing some good checking of motels before they inadvertently spread this plague themselves. I think because of the costs involved people would rather not discuss this problem. I have noticed recently when I had to stay at a motel that mattress protectors were being used, a sure sign that there had been previous problems. There has to be more to protecting your space than just using mattress protectors. Bugs can hide in several ways and places. We need to have a comprehensive discussion about this because anyone could get them in their houses or spaces from travelers. Are people putting those cups under the bed posts and do they help? Keeping bed and bedding away from the walls? Using 90% alcohol spray? I would like to hear from the community. If you haven't looked into it, you should. I know what I know because my daughter got an ifestation in NY from the next door people treating their space with heat and the bugs went through the walls. This is a much bigger problem than people so far have been willing to admit. Air bnb should be helping us all be more proactive instead of being punitive if you are unlucky enough to have someone carry them into your listing.

[Katie145]

Hi, I have the same problem, the inspector found dead bedbug (at least one) in one of their suitcases, which points to them as the source of the problem, and it's written in his report.  But of course the tenants denied all responsibilities.  I paid for the professional extermination but wonder if that could be claimed as part of the damage deposit?  How does one claim damages after they checked out?  photos, 3rd party report? Anyone tried that yet?

Thanks.

[Helen3]

Hi @ Katie

I know some specialist home insurance for short term lets cover loss of earnings. Why not check yours and see if you are covered.

[Anonymous]

We've got the same problem over here! We discoverd bedbugs in the bed, not in the mattress but in the wood. 

On friday the terminator will come to clean the place but the costs are 700 euro!!! 

I would like to know if AIRBNB give us an amount for cleaning the place. 

You can't get in contact with them easaly. 

I'm thinking about a special request for my future guests to leave the suitcases on the ground, or in a special plastic box or something.

Not on the bed anymore!! 

I'll take out the woodenbed this evening, so the bedbugs will leave, most of them, the terminator will come anyway.

Sorry for my bad English,

kind regards,

Brenda,

The Hague, Holland.

[Katie145]

If you can prove that the guests brought the bed bugs, that they were not there before their visit, I wonder if we can claim the damage deposit to cover some of the costs of extermination?  If it's bad, we might have to replace the bed and/or mattresses, and that is another big cost.  We need to protect the mattress with cover, but if they got into the wood in the bed frame, sometimes you have to get rid of the whole bed!

How can we contact Airbnb about this?

Thanks,

Katie

[Karen1745]

Or just tent the property it kills everything inside no matter the problem

[Susie5]

@Renee28, I have mattress protectors on my mattresses as a defensive measure - I haven't had bedbugs but am taking proactive measures. You can't assume that because someone has mattress covers that they already have bedbugs....they're maybe just taking steps to keep from ever getting them!

[Cindy163]

I have been renting my Kauai home for 27 years and this is the first time I had bed bugs.  Fortunately, I found them myself before anyone complained.  I went to stay at the house for three weeks to check on everything and do the usual maintenance and cleaning only an owner can do.  After the second night, I noticed bites on myself and thought it was from sand fleas at the beach. After the third night, I had bites from head to toe.  My pest control company confirmed bed bugs.  The best, safest solution was tent fumigation of the house:  $3300.00.  So, that is what I did.  

[Sara455]

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[Catherine232]

That's horrendous! So sorry Cindy. One more thing to worry about now >.<