Guest damages and cleaning fees

Jill963
Level 2
Spokane, WA

Guest damages and cleaning fees

Let me start by saying I'm a superhost and have been for years.  I've hosted plenty of guests and try to make it explicitly clear what/how to leave everything so that we can each leave each other good reviews.  Anyway, I had some guests stay a month.  For the most part good communication and no issues until I arrived home to see significant splatter on my walls from food. It was all over the cupboards, the wall, and somehow even in the living room.  A drawer in the kitchen needed to be repaired and wouldn't close, and there was a large stain on the carpet. I tried to use the resolution center and the guest lost their mind.  Very defensive, says they didn't do any of it and why are they even paying a cleaning fee if I'm not going to clean all that.  The thing is that I'm not 'deep' cleaning the house every time someone checks out.  I'm not planning on scrubbing walls, or shampooing the carpet after every guest.  Because the guest was so rude I wasn't going to engage with them anymore through messaging and I just wrote a truthful review after their rude message. The guest is angry now that they can't respond to me (I blocked them) but I honestly don't have time to argue with people that are instantly offended and take no responsibility for their actions.  The pictures clearly show damage and mess.  If it were me I would be embarrassed I left such a mess and wouldn't have been so ridiculous in my response when the owner reached out. Needless to say I wrote a review after their ridiculous response.   Hoping Air B n B actually does something about my request.  

6 Replies 6
Pat271
Level 10
Greenville, SC

How do you block guests on Airbnb?

You can flag or report a user when they message you. I blocked the person after they were quite rude in their response to me. I have no interest in fighting it out with them. I'll just let air b n b handle it. 

We just had a terrible experience with a recent guest. A lady booked and told us that she would not be the one staying that it would be her husband, his work partner and her 3 boys. They arrived very late in the evening and parked their truck, with work trailer attached, in the shared drive and blocked the neighbor in. Our check in message clearly states to NOT park there and where to park. The following day, we tried contacting the Wife who booked because the truck was gone. We asked her to tell her husband he cannot park there again and also asked for his name and a way to contact him. She never responeded. They had booked for 3 nights and the Husband was gone the entire time except for a few hours in the very late evening I imagine to sleep. Meanwhile the 3 boys (ages 13,14 and 15 we were told) were left in our home on their own. We tried several times to contact her and even tried her listed phone number without ever hearing a word back. There was one point that the doors and windows were left open for quite sometime during 30 degree weather. Upon their check out I walked into our home to find it trashed! Food, trash and dirty clothes were tossed all throughout the house. They managed to rip the back cushion on our leather couch, pulled a window frame half off from a bedroom window, crammed silverware in the garbage disposal, broke blinds and damaged holiday decorations that were throughout the house. We also found that both house keys were missing. I was about in tears and so angry. I spend so much time in that home to make guests feel comfortable and welcomed. After calling ABB, My Husband and I went through the resolution center and jumped through all of their hoops to try and get reimbursed for all of the extra cleaning and repairs. This happened a month ago and, to this day, we still have yet to have things resolved. We have called ABB everyday since and they tell us that they have tried to contact the guest with no reply. They also say that it has been sent to a "manager" and that they cannot give us details and we will have to wait for that "manager" to contact us. I feel we are being made to be the ones in the wrong. They tell you that they are here to look out for and protect the Host, but in reality ....... I am not feeling the "love". Meanwhile, this guest is left without owning up to her responsibility. She had good reviews when she booked, but she did tell us that she usually uses the account to book for their "workers" ...... apparently her "workers" have more respect for others than her own family does.

@Gina1477 

 

Third party booking are forbiden on Airbnb for insurance issue and because reviews are false.

Maybe he used his wife account because he got bad reviews on his Airbnb account.

 

Never accept third party booking or contact Airbnb to cancel it on guest behalf if it is an instant booking.

@Nathalie-Et-Gilles0 Thank you for this. At the time of the booking We had thought that she would be a long. She had then told us that it would be her husband and kids. In the future, we will be sure to keep this in mind. I am still sick at the damage they caused and for our naiveness in the situation. 

 

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

Please don't beat yourself up about this @Gina1477  just learn from the experience.

 

1. Hopefully you have left a very honest review to warn future hosts 

 

2. If I knew three children were being left alone in my listing, I would have reported the situation to my child protection services for advice so the children could be made safe.

 

3. You are fortunate that Airbnb is considering your claim, as they don't have to as you took a third party booking. Try them on their social media if they are not responding.