I had 3 guests check in late last night and normally when I prepare the room for the guests my final check includes putting the keys on top of the house manual before exiting the room. The keys are not only a regular door key but an expensive remote for the gate.
About 30 minutes after check in I get a message asking where the keys where. Pretty sure that I had pointed them out on the table when checking them in I wrote back saying as such and even put a smiley face thinking they were being a bit silly not able to see the keys. Anyhow the guest continues to say there are no keys so I offer to give them the spare set in the morning before they want to go out for a walk.
I've literally turned the house upside down and the keys are nowhere to be found. They checked out this morning ( after agreed check out time and not without a fair bit of encouragement!!!) and when I was doing the room changeover I searched everywhere for the keys, even in the bin! No sign of the keys. Checked with the last guest and he definitely didn't have them.
So now I am a set of keys down and the cost of replacing the remote control for the gate is about the same as what I earned from hosting these (first time) guests. Not sure if I have a leg to stand on with Airbnb or the guest. The guest continues to deny the keys were there so my only guess is that they grew wings and flew away to a magical place with all the other lost keys....
I'm yet to leave a review for the guest. Given they stayed beyond agreed time and the keys went missing on their watch, any thoughts on what to do next?
Thanks!