Guest no show - Self checks in 2 days later...

[Luke279]

Hello everyone,

We had a Covid Exempt reservation (Construction) that repeat booked with us on a non refundable booking who informed us a couple days prior to the next Checkin date they no longer needed the reservation. I’ll quote you the words “Re next week we have a change of schedule so we will not require accommodation as we will be elsewhere.”

I confirmed this with the guest expressing thanks for informing me. The guest a day before that Checkin date asked if he could have a refund, I explained this was a non refundable booking etc etc and never got a response. 

Now our co-host cleaning company also sees these messages and took onboard automatically also this was a cancelled booking without having to ask myself as it was written pretty clear this wasn’t going ahead. 

Come Monday just gone I was at the property putting some new furniture in giving the time I had free, and also Tuesday just gone I dropped off new cleaning supply’s. Seeing as on Monday nobody had checked in regardless if they had informed me, I see this as a fail to attend booking that is backed up by airbnbs terms of service on no show bookings? Please correct me if I’m wrong as the wording is a little vague, though i think if legally pressed on it states if you don’t turn up your booking is void. 

Fast forward to Wednesday evening, I had a local appointment in the area and one of our guests in a property behind this current one required a clothes rail that we had spare inside this property. I arrived by Uber, got out and saw the lights in the apartment where on... At first glance i thought I had left them on the day before, though taking a further look i noticed flashing lights from the TV. (This is a huge room with dim Vintage lights so the TV shows up easily against white walls)

This property has a coded self Checkin which I hadn’t changed as we didn’t have a booking the next day, since the guest told me they can’t attend it didn’t make it priority to change the codes. At first i was going to call the police straight away thinking a break in, but who’s watching tv on a break in right?  So i went up to the floor and confronted who was inside. I was told the lead booker had provided details to Checkin (he was a employee of his) as he had nowhere to stay that night, he was under the understanding this was a legit booking he could stay at. 

Now i took this person at his word as he knew the persons name that was under the booking, I wasn’t going to kick him out especially when i knew he wouldn’t find anywhere to stay with Covid restrictions.

I messaged the guest, the guest refused to take responsibility and stated as he hadn’t pressed the cancel button on the reservation he could use the property at his will without issue. Now unless someone can prove me wrong, not only is this stated he cancelled as a action from himself, the law clearly states he would be trespassing on premises without a valid booking as this became void on the Monday after a no show. Not only this he provided Checkin details to an individual who wasn’t on the booking which I would class as fraud by misrepresentation? 

Airbnb are backing up the guest saying as the booking was in place and not cancelled manually by himself then the booking is valid. Yet Airbnbs terms of service clearly state that if they don’t Checkin on the day of arrival its a invalid booking, while ignoring local laws regardless of lockdown strict restrictions we have to bide by.

UK Covid restrictions state accommodation services must shut unless in certain strict situations, these account for key workers, I.e NHS staff, construction workers, moving home or those in damage/distress. Even in these strict circumstances, as a business its our requirement to vet and make sure who’s booking is legit and will keep to the rules set out.

Breaking them can lead to huge fines or suspension of running that property. The fact the guest has stated he wont be using the property, yet provides Checkin information to another person in my view clearly breaches these restrictions in place which is a criminal offence.

The issue I have here is not only the abuse of power from the guest taking advantage of the situation given to him with access codes, is that if it wasn’t for myself attending that evening to the property we could have had a issue with any future guest Checkin in in the next day or at the weekend, as we would have expected the property clean. Guests would have turned up to a property that would have been not Covid safe, risking our listing, review process, any local government report etc etc.

Input welcome/needed

[Sarah977]

@Luke279  Your post is a bit confusing, but if there is an active reservation that hasn't been cancelled, then yes, those dates are still open to the booking guest.

It's a weird situation, though, as the guest told you they weren't coming, but if they refused to cancel, then you are obligated to leave the place available to the guest, assuming they could show up at any time, even if they don't arrive on check-in day, as far as I'm aware. 

But this is further complicated by the booker sending an employee to stay, without clearing that with you or even informing you. If it was a normal reservation, then this was a 3rd party booking, which is against the TOS. If it was made under a business account, then an employee can stay.

And of course, the pandemic restrictions also complicate this.

What  advice or resolution are you seeking here, exactly?

[Luke279]

@Sarah977 Sorry, please let me know what’s confusing and ill edit the post? 

What makes you believe the reservation isn’t cancelled can i ask? Airbnb terms of service state if the guest doesn’t turn up on the first day then the booking is cancelled and the cancellation policy stands. This was the situation regardless of myself being informed they no longer required the reservation. 

The booker didn’t book through a work account, it was through a person account. 

[Sarah977]

@Luke279 "Airbnb terms of service state if the guest doesn’t turn up on the first day then the booking is cancelled and the cancellation policy stands."

I can find the wording about the cancellation policy being upheld if the guest doesn't show up, but where are you finding something stating that the booking is considered cancelled if the guest doesn't show up on check-in day? 

I'm not saying that isn't true, but I can't find anywhere that is stated. In fact, when I searched the topic of no-shows here on the forum, hosts said they were told by Airbnb when reporting a no-show, not to assume the guest wasn't coming, as they could have been delayed with no way to contact the host. 

[Luke279]

@Sarah977 Yes ok, but were already not going on that basis, the guest has given notice in writing he doesn’t require the property and is cancelling. This under UK law would become a technically verbal contractual agreement between two parties. 

It’s as if saying any guest can just randomly tell a host they are not attending as a joke, yet turn up and hey surprise! It doesn’t work right? Just because its self check in doesn’t allow the excuse to turn up two days later, the property isn’t just used on Airbnb so the dates got released on our own website and other platforms. If a booking had happened, then we have an issue where the property wouldn’t have been cleaned, COVID issues etc etc. 

It’s the guests job to inform us if he decided to change his mind, as a host we go on the information provided, not on second guessing. 

[Colleen253]

@Luke279 "guest has given notice in writing he doesn’t require the property and is cancelling." But the guest didn't actually cancel. So the reservation was still active. You needed to ensure the guest formally cancelled, and also removed the ability for the guest to access the property at the time of actual cancellation.

All Airbnb says is that if your guest doesn't show up, you'll be paid out according to your set cancellation policy.

[Sarah977]

@Luke279 Of course the guest didn't communicate properly, but Airbnb doesn't operate on the basis of verbal agreements, they look at whether the booking was actually cancelled by the host or guest.

I'm not taking Airbnb's side, just saying how they deal with things.

[Lisa723]

@Luke279 yes the guest(s) communicated poorly, but if the reservation was not actually cancelled on Airbnb I don't think you have much ground to stand on here. If you have a non-cancelled reservation the calendar remains closed and I would assume the guest has access to the property regardless of other communication-- and in this case I would have made an effort to clarify the guest's intentions when they did not cancel as expected. I think you both bear some responsibility for the confusion.

[Luke279]

Ok thanks guys, think I should have been more active on my side and pressured the guest to cancel the reservation then go on the information provided. 

Thank you for your input, its appreciated. @Sarah977 @Colleen253 @Lisa723 

[Inna22]

@Luke279 why do you think you should’ve pressure the guess to cancel? You’re getting paid for this reservation, the guest is getting use of your space. Win win on both sides. 

[Luke279]

@Inna22 Why? Because running a business means communication is key, if i hadnt turned up yesterday i wouldnt have known the property was used. The guest informed cancellation, didnt inform he changed his mind. 

[Inna22]

@Luke279 you guest paid for use the property it should be able to use it in any (legal) way here she pleases (and pet house rules). They can come only during the day, leave early or arrive late. As long as you’re the paid, I do not see how it is an issue and why you can justify entering the space. The only time I had a similar situation I did not go in until the check date

[Sarah977]

@Inna22  Luke didn't realize that the guest simply saying he wasn't coming didn't count as a real cancellation and was under the mistaken impression that if a guest doesn't show on check-in day, that the booking is automatically considered cancelled.

[Luke279]

@Sarah977 thanks Sarah 

[Sarah977]

@Inna22  And aside from the host's error re what constitutes a cancellation, I don't think it's unreasonable, if a guest says they aren't coming, and then doesn't bother to communicate later that his employee is going to stay instead, for the host to assume the place is unoccupied.