Guest demanding full refund for the presence of a mouse.

Eric83
Level 2
Philadelphia, PA

Guest demanding full refund for the presence of a mouse.

Now, I'm completely understanding of how a mouse could be an unexpected intruder.

In fact, I've never had one in a dwelling in 34 years of living!

 

However, this past weekend (Friday) it was discovered that there's a little guy running around.

I had a house full of guests, and with much going on - it was nearly impossible to rid the place of a mouse, in a day.

 

The aforementioned guest in question claims the mouse ran through the room several times, and jumped off the night stand..

I don't doubt that it could happen, so my question isn't there.

 

I took three calls at 4,430,5am on Saturday and tried as hard as a host can to amend the situation, including blocking doors, searching the beds and offering to put them in another room. (Which they declined.)

(As it turned out, the mouse was after the candy bars the guest left on the night stand and the floor. Open.)

 

I honestly didn't think much of it, because nature happens .. even in the city. And they didn't wish to change rooms..
But came back on Monday to an email demanding that they be paid back in full for their two day stay.

 

Are they in the right? Am I at fault as a host for a random occurrence?

Do I have the right to decline the payment in full?

What will the repercussions be if I decline?

 

Thanks, community, for your time.

 

E

 

10 Replies 10
Deborah1
Level 10
Beaufort, SC

I don't think it fair to request a full refund for the nights that they stayed, but you could offer a part refund in the resolution center. Did they make a request in the resolution center? Good luck. It does happen.

Sandra126
Level 10
Daylesford, Australia

Airbnb will side with the guests on this one, as seen in a different issue just recently here on the forum. Those guests sent a photo to Airbnb of a dead mouse 30 days after stay, mouse was on a different floor surface to the accommodation (so impossible, right?) but they refunded guest. I think the host is pursuing it as well she should.

Decline refund. Wait for them to challenge it. Borrow cat or terrier.

Interestingly, an open or closed packet will mean nothing to a determined mouse as they will use their tiny wee paws to open it and have a chocolate high, then go back and get their little mousy friends.

 

I advice clean, superclean everything, set traps right left and centre overnight so that is the only food available, including on said nightstand. Check where they could get in, seal with steel wool any gaps (they can't get through as it hurts their tiny wee teeth). Get That Mouse!

 

Cities are full of rodents, if you haven't seen any it's because they are sneaky.

All the best with this one.

Eric321
Level 3
Los Angeles, CA

I had a just had a terrible experience with rodents, but from the renters perspective. I caught them caught on my nest cam wandering the kitchen and bedroom and leaving droppings everywhere: https://youtu.be/Y4MoBsRU0iQ

 

I cannot express how disturbing and disrupt full this is for the guest of the Airbnb.

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hello @Eric321,

 

Nice to meet you. I am sorry to hear you had this experience with you listing. Have you spoke with Airbnb Support Team about this? 

 

To add also, first did you speak with you host. They may have been quite surprised to hear this and I am sure would want to help sort this out?

 

Thanks,

 

Lizzie


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Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

I have had two "mice" incidents in my stone farmhouse in the country. Every fall I have field mice (light brown with white bellies) trying to find a way into the house. Sometimes a couple suceed. One tried to get in via the air condtioner and got stuck and died. I set a trap under the kitchen sink and caught one there. And yes, droppings can be left overnight. It happens in the country. I guess that I have been lucky that the two sets of guests didn't take issue with this. I don't know what I would do if a guest was so vindictive and mean as to demand their money back from such an incident. Move out...I would say. But not stay for the full stay and then demand their money back.

 

If this ever happens to me and Airbnb refunds guests I would take my listing off.

Hi Lizzie,

Nice to meet you as well! We're currently discussing the matter with our Airbnb case manager and will hopefully come to a resolution soon.

 

We indeed got in touch with our host after I first noticed the problem.  An exterminator eventually came to the house and laid traps and metal wool barriers but the issue only got worse after he did so.  We eventually left the residence.

 

Thanks for checking in.

 

Cheers,

Eric

Paul137
Level 2
Nenagh, Ireland

 I would offer them a discount when they come to stay again as a good will guesture.   It only a mouse , some people will use any reason to claim refunds. 

I am both a host and very frequent guest, so appreciate this from bith persepctives. I am currently traveling with my family, and we checked in to a home we booked some time ago. After arriving the host mentioned they have had recent problems with mice, fair enough it happens. I personally feel they should've disclosed this before we arrived. Last night my daughter was awakened by a mouse crawling on her face .  I imformed the host,  they were very nice and understanding and felt badly. I also informed AirBNB support to close the loop. Host offered a 30% refund,  and airbnb offered me a $75 credit, which frankly feels both woefully inadequate and insulting. I am more upset with airbnb than the host, who could not be nicer and more understanding. No question if this happened in a hotel there would be a 100% refund, no questions asked. 

Victoria567
Level 10
Scotland, United Kingdom

Reply to guest that Micky Mouse had booked in as a guest too😉

I know I am a few years late but I would definitely give a full refund if I was the host. Guest shouldn’t have to close or hide their food from mice . Lol … it’s disgusting. Hope it all worked out