Guest requested to checkout earlier and letting his uncle/cousin to stay in short notice

[Jenna103]

Hi all,

I need some advice and suggestion as I faced some difficulties with my guest recently.

Here's the case, I had a guest rented my apartment for a 3 months stay.

His stay was until 18th of September but then he requested to leave earlier (22nd Auguest) due to some emergency matter.

He was trying his luck to ask for a refund for the remaining days and I've rejected for a few reasons

1. Considering my dates were blocked for his stay and I have difficulties in finding new bookings to replace him in such a short notice
2. I gave him almost half of the normal price for his stay and I did not make much profit out of his stay
3. Considering the cleaning cost and some of the losses that I have to bear - missing TV remote, stains on the towel, dirty marks on the wall... p/s No deposit was collected from the guest

Anyway, since he knows that he is not getting any refund, he told me one/two days before he left that his uncle will be coming to secure the unit from  24th August for a week. And need me to wait at the lobby and pass the keys to his uncle when he arrives at my country.

Of course then I expected his uncle leaving after that one week, and I shall open my unit for other booking from that day onwards. Who knows, then on the day his uncle left, this guest message me again, telling me that his cousin is arriving tomorrow and need me to clean the unit and pass the key to his cousin!

Is that reasonable without any prior informed/consent? I mean I have my rights to reject his request to handover the keys to his so-called 'cousins' right?

Anyway, my thought is that throughout the stay, it's an agreement between just me and him. And I have tolerated to let his uncle stay and do the check-ins and check-outs for such a short notice. But not another one, like 'tomorrow my cousin is going so you clean the apartment and hand him the keys'

Am I doing the right thing or is it just mean to not giving refund and not letting his cousin to stay for his remaining days?

[Jonathan6]

Explain to me why any guest you take in is not a random guest?  If the experiance was OK with the uncle, then it may go to show that the nephew is OK, but...

I suggest customer service and not blindly.  I would have met with the perspective guest (nephew), I would evaluate if I wanted him, I would make sure all the parties were happy and work out a method for dealing with it.  If not then yes, walk away, it will just be a poor review. 

Why are you all so against trying to work something out by having a conversation with your guest?  If you have a concern about ABnB covering it, then allow the Uncle to cancel and have the nephew book on ABnB.

Wow, this is one tough hosting crowd!

BTW, good luck having ABnB cover it if something really goes wrong, they will work on your behalf to get the guest to pay for damages, but I have yet to hear a story of ABnB ever covering damage.

[Sarah977]

@Jonathan6  The uncle can't cancel, the booking isn't under his name! He isn't a registered guest. 

Most hosts are quite willing and do try to work things out amiably with their guests. But in the case of the original post here, the original guest was given an almost 50% discount for a long term stay, then decided to check out early. He agreed to the cancellation policy of the host when he booked. 

If he had tried to work with the host by agreeing to cancel without a refund, then gotten his uncle and nephew to set up their own accounts and book the remaining time that the host's calendar was blocked for, asking the host to agree to give the same discount to his relatives, rather than being left with unbookable last minute openings, it could have been a win/win. 

But instead he decided to unilaterally give his remailning time to his relatives, without approval from the host, and what he did is against Airbnb policy.

[Letti0]

@Jonathan6  Well I guess you have now because I actually had them pay full value for damaged and stolen items to the tune of $339 in June which is exactly what I billed for. They didn't pay for the extra cleaning which I knew they wouldn't, but they gave me an additional $50 for late check out. I do not have faith this will always happen of course that's why I have my own commerical insurance policy.

I have worked out issues before lowered the guest count, refunded for guests that don't show up with a large group. This person there was nothing to work out. He knew he had no refund due to him and he basically cost her money to host when all is said and done. You can not work out something with a guest like this. He is abusing her and the situation she's been placed in. There are times to ignore issues, work on the issues and times to stand up for yourself. This is one she needs to stand up for herself or he will continue to walk all over her.  Just like I am doing with this group booking that's now booked twice and now into my 100% cancellation period they can still cancel. I am standing up for myself. They pay in full at the price currently on my calendar or it's cancelled by AirBnB penalty free since it should never have been allowed to be booked twice for a group booking this late in the game. 

[Andreas-and-Anna0]

I do not take third part booking and have turned ppl away at the door. It’s a liability and safety issue. Stick with that and say NO. And even if this was a regular rental type agreement. A sublet can only happen if landlord is willing to accept new tenant to mitigate loss.  

I would not do it and tell him to back off!