Guest from Hell

[Crystal-and-Dan0]

Uhhh...

This is my FIRST long term guest (and my last).  She is staying for 28 days.  This is her FIRST stay with Airbnb... The first day she was here she was very polite.  She stayed in her room most of the time, as is the usual I would guess when your listing is not for the whole house, but just a private room.

BUT... beginning day #2...

1.  She told me that she is terrified of dogs.  --  My listings clearly state that property is pet friendly and that pets live on the property.  I even have descriptions of the pets noted in the listing.  Why did you book at a pet friendly home with pets living on the property?

2.  She told me that she is allergic to "dog dander".  -- Why did you choose to book at a pet friendly home with pets living on the property if you are allergic to dog dander?

3.  She told me that she didn't read the whole listing, just looked at the pictures.  She did not notice that pets were living on the property.  --  I explained that I would contact Airbnb to see if we could find here a new booking.  She stated "no, I will just stay here until I find a place to rent".  ((Bad review waiting to happen))

4.  She is not happy that there are not local stations on the TV in her room. --  It is not good enough that there is a 32" Brand New Smart TV in each bedroom that is Roku enabled with Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO and Showtime plus all free Roku stations (that have my subscription with a guest user ID already entered so that you do not have to have your own subscription)... She wants the regular stations, you know, the ones with the commercials because she "doesn't use all of that other mess".  Nor is it good enough that the Common Living Area for Guests (I have three guest bedrooms with one living room and bathroom that is for guest use only) contains a 60" TV that is also a Smart TV with above listed internet Apps and DOES have local programming.  She "doesn't like it in there"???

5.  She is not happy that she must climb stairs.  --  My house description, rules, other info, etc clearly states that you must acknowledge that you are aware that you must *climb stairs *pets on property  and *surveillance equipment on property.  Again, she did not read the whole listing.

5+.  She acutally asked if she could use my PERSONAL BATHROOM!!!  Because Airbnb has still not answered my requests to find her a new place to stay, I AGREED and spent the night after I worked a 14 hour shift cleaning all of my person items out of MY PERSONAL BATHROOM so that she could use it becuase it is "easier".  And, heaven help me if I didn't agree - she suffers from fatigue - as do I.

6.  I provide towels and washcloths for my guests in the Guest Bathroom (ONE EACH). -- She uses TWO TOWELS AND TWO WASHCLOTHS each time she takes a shower TWO TIMES A DAY.  And does not re-use her towels at all.  (I get it, some people do not like to conserve by re-using a towel that they just dried their very clean body on...?)  Ok.  But seriously... two towels, two washclothes, two times a day???  I have to wash twice a day to keep up with her use and still have towels and washcloths for other guests!

7.  I provide breakfast sandwiches, hot cereal, snack bars and water at a COURTESY...NOT noted on my listing.  I have them there just in case my guests are in need of a quick snack or run late to work or meeting and can have a quick bite to eat, or simply don't feel well or get hungry.  (I understand that in new surroundings or in a new area, one might accidentally plan poorly for time allotment.)  She took EVERYTHING IN THE SNACK DRAWER AND ALL BUT ONE BREAKFAST SANDWICH!!! -- i simply cannot afford this guest!  This is not the Hilton!  I cannot feed you all day long nor do I have the time or money to keep up with your exorbitant usage of linens for each of your two daily showers!

8.  Because she is so terrified of pets, I must keep my pups locked in their sleeping room (its large and comfy with their beds and food and water with a doggy door for outside access to our fenced backyard).  I know they are pets and that I am am the one who decided to run an Airbnb, but I chose to make mine pet friendly and clearly stated that pets live on the property.  I also must lock them outside when she is entering or leaving the property or is washing her clothes.

9.  AND... to top it all off... She gets irritated when I have another guest.  ((Insert flabergasted look on my face))  It is an Airbnb and I have multiple listings, which are also CLEARLY noted in my profile and in my reviews -- if one cares to actually read the listing.  It is uncomfortable for me and for my other guests.

I am positive she is going to give me a terrible rating/review when she finallly leaves.  I just don't know what else to do about it.  I went in and changed my listing to MORE CLEARLY state that pets live on the property earlier in my description - even though they must agree to this in advance.  I have placed a small sign in the Snack Area that asks that you please only take what you need.  I have placed a small sign in the Common Bath Room which states that one towel and one washcloth are provided for each guest per day.  And, I guess I am going to have to forego the snacks and breakfast treats until after she is gone.  I can't afford to keep up with the amount of food she is eating right now.  This sucks for the rest of my guests this month.  I am just unsure what else to do.  If I am forced to finish this booking, what shall I write for a review?  I certianly do not want to come across as petty or complaining to future perspective guests.  But, I would like to warn future hosts of the type of guest she will be.  This guest DEFINITELY needs to stick to hotels... and NICE ones with all of the amenities that one has to offer, and one not quite so worried or affected by one terrible review or one guest from h*ll.  This particular room, at this particular time, with Smart Pricing, was booked for only $25 per night with a 20% discount for a 28 day booking.  I wound up getting only $19 per night for the whole thing after the 'powers that be' took their share.  Out of that, I must pay utilities for another human in the house, (if she continues at this rate of eating) three boxes of snacks and two boxes of breakfast sandwiches and two cases of water.  PLUS, I have to wash linens twice a day.  I also furnish basics like shampoo and conditioner, detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets for the washer and dryer that are available for guest use (and which she uses daily).  And don't forget the taxes!  I think I might end up actually LOSING money!

((Tears... and Lessons Learned))   :'(

Suggestions might be helpful, including what I might write in the review at the end of this mess.

[Kath9]

@Crystal-and-Dan0, she sounds like a complete nightmare - she clearly has not read the listing properly and all of this is her own fault. It is unbelievable that someone would book a place for a whole month without making sure the listing is suitable for them! If she won't cancel the booking, I suggest that you ask Airbnb to do it and ask her to leave on the basis that she booked without reading the listing. Your review of her should just state the facts - then give her a thumbs down. As for her review of you, all you can do is leave a public response. It's such a shame when a few ruin it for everyone else.

[Crystal-and-Dan0]

Thanks for responding!  I agree, but won't that keep me from being a Super host for a whole year? I'm still rather new at this...

[Sarah977]

@Crystal-and-Dan0 I'm so sorry you have this awful guest. As you say, you anticipate a bad review. These types of guest invariably leave bad reviews, so there is absolutely no reason to pander to them, because no amount of niceness and special treatment will satisfy them.

So- the first mistake you are making was to ever change the way you host, rearrange your life (locking the dogs up, allowing her to use your personal bathroom) aquiesing to her demand for an absurd amount of towels, etc.etc. It's your home and this woman is running roughshod over you, other guests and the whole scene. 

Quite honestly, I would get this person out of your house ASAP. Putting up with this nonsense for 28 days is absurd. Tell her that you can't honor the rest of her reservation, that she's obviously not a good fit for you and your home, and contact Airbnb to get the rest of her stay cancelled, telling them all you've mentioned here.

Alternatively, sit her down and put a stop to her thinking she can rule the roost. Tell her she can play by your rules, or you will be forced to terminate her booking. That she didn't bother to read the listing description is her problem, not yours. Do not accomodate her ridiculous needs, complaints and demands at all anymore.

As for a review, be factual, honest, and brief, and professional. It won't stop other guests from booking-but it will save other hosts from being subjected to her.

[Crystal-and-Dan0]

Thanks for responding!  I certainly agree.

But I am worried it will keep me from being a Superhost.  Also, I am worried that I will get a terrible rating for cancelling a reservation.  Wouldn't I be better off accepting one bad review (when all of my others are sterling with 5 stars) than suffer the consequences of cancelling a booking?

[Kath9]

@Crystal-and-Dan0, DO NOT cancel the reservation yourself! If you do, the whole rest of the 28 days will be blocked on your calendar so that no one else will be able to book. Plus, cancelling a reservation WILL compromise your Superhost status. As @Sarah977 has said, this guest has to abide by your rules or leave, full stop. You will never get a good review from her anyway. I also have a dog and have had a number of guests who are terrified of dogs, which is extremely annoying as it is clearly shown in my listing (including photos). When I first started out, I used to try and keep the dog away from them (extremely difficult with my dog who is the friendliest and most affectionate girl ever) but I absolutely refuse to do so anymore - if they book accommodation with a dog, it is their problem and I won't take responsibility for it. I agree with Sarah that you cannot rearrange your life around your guests, otherwise you will end up resentful and frustrated.

Ask the guest to cancel the reservation and offer her a full refund if you have to. If she won't cancel, ask Airbnb to do so on your behalf. You are much better off getting one bad review than cancelling a booking - you can leave a public response to the review and people will see it in context of your other excellent reviews. Don't worry about your Superhost status at the moment - you are in the early days and will have plenty of time to recoup your good reviews. But you DO need to get rid of her as her behaviour is costing you money and may also cause other guests to feel uncomfortable.

[Sarah977]

@Crystal-and-Dan0  Not necessarily. It's not like you're cancelling a reservation from a guest who hasn't even arrived yet. When you talk to Airbnb, have a list at hand of all the things this guest has done and demanded, be firm in your resolve to get her out and secure in the fact that she is a horrible guest who no one should be subjected to. Ask them to ensure that this won't be counted against you as a host cancellation. 

If you are going to put up with horrible guests who have no business booking a room in a shared home just because you want Superhost status, or letting guests behave outrageously in the hopes that if you kowtow to them you won't get a bad review, hosting isn't going to go that well for you. 

Self-respect and standing your ground are very important as a host. Not only will it make you feel in control, but demanding people will actually respect you more and be less inclined to try to push boundaries. It doesn't have to be confrontational or mean-"No, I'm sorry, but guests are provided with 2 bath towels, a hand towel and a washcloth and they are changed out every 5 days (or however you do it)" "Yes, since you didn't realize this and failed to hang your towel up to dry, I'll give you another this time, but there won't be anymore forthcoming until Saturday, so I suggest you don't leave it in a wet wad on the floor." 

And for goodness sakes, if a guest is eating you out of house and home, make it crystal clear how much is provided for each guest and what is their fair share.

[Kath9]

@Crystal-and-Dan0, listen to Sarah - she always has excellent advice. Oh, and please keep us posted as to how this pans out.

[Elena87]

@Crystal-and-Dan0

I would  consider renaming this topic from 'guest from hell' to ''author of my own misfortune''.

Guest reviews are out of your hands completely anyhow - why worry about it.

You can't use your own bathroom, dogs are stuck in the kennel, your other guests are probably getting bad vibes, your are absolutely miserable for 12 percent of 2018. Reviews should be the very least of your concerns.

When a guest tells you to bend over, don't say 'how far?' say 'look, it's like this...'

[Crystal-and-Dan0]

Thanks for reading. I cannot change the name... It is not editable.  I looked. Apologies, I thought this was confidential community help just between hosts. Ill consider that next time I have a guest from hell.

Respectfully,

[Sarah977]

@Crystal-and-Dan0   Good guests are easy to host. It's the ones that push the boundaries that are a challenge. I've been lucky to have almost totally great guests, only one instance where I had to be "no nonsense". And I'm not saying it was easy, it wasn't, it made me queasy to have to deal with this.

A guest checked in late afternoon, then she went into town. I went to bed at my usual time, and was awakened at 3 AM by loud talking and laughing by my guest and some guy. They proceeded to shower together, all the while being loud, then the headboard starts banging against the wall. I wasn't about to get up at 3 AM and make a scene, and when I got up in the morning, they were already out. But she had 3 more days of her booking. I immediately messaged her- "XXX, that wasn't cool at all. You booked for 1 guest and my listing clearly states it is for solo travelers only. And you woke me up and kept me up  from 3-4 AM"

Her response: "Sorry, you know how these things just happen, love and all. I'd like him to be able to stay with me, I'm willing to pay extra."

"No, I'm sorry, that won't be possible. If you want to invite him over during the day to hang out a bit after introducing him to me, that's okay, but he can't spend the night, shower, or otherwise avail himself of my hospitality."

Response: "Okay."

And she behaved respectfully and respectably for the rest of her booking. She even said at one point on her last day, when we were both in the kitchen, "You know, I think you and I are a lot alike." Go figure.

[Crystal-and-Dan0]

Thank you.

[Crystal-and-Dan0]

Airbnb is supposed to contact me today and find her another place to stay...

I have to leave my home for school until later but am going to tell her that Airbnb has contacted me back about finding her a place without pets or stairs that might better suit her needs.  I hope they do not take too long. This is extremely uncomfortable. And, I have another guest coming that booked before this got wierd.  I'm sure all will work out. Thanks so much for your advice.

[Huma0]

@Crystal-and-Dan0I hope Airbnb sorts this out and relocates her. This guest sounds impossible and she needs to go!

For the future, it might be worth double checking with guests before they arrive that they've actually read the full listing and house rules. I make a point of doing this with every single guest, either before I accept a booking, or straight after if they instant book. If they don't confirm this to me, I will ask again until they do. If they confirm they have read it, but I sense from their correspondence that they haven't, I will bring it up again. Make sure they have read the full listing, not just the summaries.

I also ask them to pay particular attention to certan points, including that I have cats, or the stairs if they are in one of the rooms on the upper floors. 

This doesn't avoid all problems as some guests will simply lie and say they have read it all when they haven't, but it seems to work with most and for a long term guest, it's an absolute must. I have had lengthy correspondence will all my long-term guests before their arrival. In the beginning, I even had Skype calls with them. I find that most long-term guests want that interaction as much as I do because they are nervous about it too. I've never had a guest instant book a long stay, for example. If a potential long-term guest didn't want correspond with me/didn't ask questions, I would take that as a warning sign!

[Crystal-and-Dan0]

Thank you so much for reading. I I will definitely take your advice in the future. This was my first booking that was that long of a stay. Also, this is her first booking with Airbnb. All of these are Lessons Learned for the future. In the meantime though, I must get this person out of my house. I cannot continue to keep my dogs locked in the laundry room where they are unable to go outside and play because it is 19 degrees Foutside with 6 in of snow, and more expected in the coming week. I appreciate your advice! Thank you so much!