Guests are not following any house rules and have caused severe water damage to the bathroom

[Mandy9]

My hosting experiences so far have been more than positive but my current guests are causing major problems. The first night they arrived, they spent over 2 hours in the bathroom (shared with the rest of the house) making obvious noises relating to sex but also in the process have caused water to flood the bathroom and come through the kitchen ceiling. This has now made the only shower in the house unusable and I am currently waiting for a plumber to attend to assess the damage.

They also decided to cook using the hob which I expressly have stated is not for guests use, which I was alerted to by the fire alarm being activated as they had no idea of how to use it. The washing up was left and basically the whole kitchen was a complete mess. They have continued to cook breakfast each morning even after I've explained I do not allow cooking per se. Is there a telephone number for air bnb as I cannot tolerate this any longer.

It is imacting on my other guests which is unfair to them.

I have since seen that the one reveiw they have reflects that this is not just me this has happened to, albeit on a larger scale.

Thank you.

[David126]

Have you asked them to leave?

[Mandy9]

I haven't yet, as I'm trying to find out who is liable for repair costs and also what my rights are in terminating the booking, thanks

[Karyo0]

A lesson to always check guests previous reviews!

[Pamela-And-Jack0]

Not always an option when it's a guest who's never used AIRBNB before and have no reviews.

[Sarah-and-Alex0]

There are a couple of things that might help here and in the future:

- get a plumber ASAP: Airbnb requires that damage be reported within, I think, 2 days of check out.  If you can make them aware before check out, that's better.  If you can have an estimate of the cost from the plumber before they check out, even better.  

- have a security deposit requirement on your listing: guests don't pay the security deposit unless there's an issue; you need to provide backup, and they have a chance to dispute, but it's a good system.  We do a $200-$300 deposit. 

- make sure your house rules (in the House Rules Airbnb section) list things like No using the hob, No baths, No showering with the shower curtain open, etc.  This is important because Airbnb will support you in terminating the booking if the rules from that section are broken.  You can also list a time limit for the bathroom (good guests will understand that a shared bathroom has to be shared).  

-  consider screening guests more carefully (if you use InstantBook, you can require that guests have a govt ID on file with Airbnb and that they have good reviews; this weeds out a lot of problem guests)

- look honestly at your listing description.  if you're getting a lot of amorous guests, maybe include something about how "the communal vibe of the house may not be the right fit for honeymooners or lovers who've been apart for some time" (I often find humor helps keep you as a host from coming off as unfriendly)

Sorry to hear about the trouble - best of luck!

[Mandy9]

I have never encountered any problems prior to this. My listing does state all the things you mention. A telephone number is all I require to contact air BnB!

[David126]

Here are 3 easy ways to contact Airbnb:

1. Airbnb Community Experts
2. Via Twitter Direct Message @Airbnbhelp
3. Calling Airbnb

1. Contacting Airbnb's Community Experts

 The easiest and quickest way to get answers to any issues is through contacting Airbnb's Community Experts.  If they cannot answer your question, they have the ability to re-route you to Airbnb

Step 1: Visit https://www.airbnb.ca/help/contact_us

Step 2: From the bottom of the screen, choose either "My question is about something else" or "I have a different issue"

Step 3: Follow the prompts to figure out what best describes your issues.  Some things you choose will take you to specific information whereas others you can fill in the text box and submit your question.  

When you submit a question, you can expect an answer back from a Community Expert within five minutes but usually less.  If the Community Expert cannot help you, they can re-route your issue to Airbnb who will then contact you.  Airbnb Community Experts do not have access to your account information so if it is a question that can only be answered with account information, they will re-route you automatically.  Airbnb Community Experts are available 24/7 and again, usually you will have an answer from them within minutes.

2. Contacting Airbnb Via Twitter

I find the second best and easiest way to contact Airbnb regarding any issues I may be having is by using Twitter.  Airbnb seems to have dedicated staff who monitor their Twitter feeds and I usually hear back from them within 5-10 minutes of posting my isssue.

Step 1: Log into Twitter

Step 2: Search for @Airbnbhelp and choose "Follow" them

Step 3: Send a Direct Message (DM) explaining your issue and wait for their response.  They may ask for information such as your listing but always provide it over DM so it is not public.

3. Calling Airbnb's Customer Experience Line

 ***Please note that these phone numbers and any numbers below are meant for URGENT MATTERS so it is best to use the above two methods first***

Here are the phone numbers for Airbnb.  If the area where you are hosting is not listed, check out the two ways below this list in order to find their number for your area.

United States and Canada	+1-415-800-5959 +1-855-424-7262 (toll-free)
Argentina	+54 11 53 52 78 88
Australia	+61 2 8520 3333
Austria	+43 72 08 83 800
Brazil	+55 21 3958-5800
Chile	+56229380777
China	+86 10 5904 5310 400 890 0309 (shared-cost)
Denmark	+45 89 88 20 00
France	+33 1 84 88 40 00
Germany	+49 30 30 80 83 80
Greece	+30 211 1989888
Hong Kong	+852 5808 8888
India	000 800 4405 103 (toll-free)
Ireland	+353 1 697 1831
Israel	+972 3 939 9977
Italy	+39-06-99366533
Japan	+81 3 4580 0999 +81 800 100 1008 (toll-free)
Mexico	+52 55 41 70 43 33
Netherlands	+31 20 52 22 333
New Zealand	+64 4 4880 888
Norway	+47 21 61 16 88
Peru	+51 1 7089777
Poland	+48 22 30 72 000
Portugal	+351 30 880 3888
Puerto Rico	+1 787 919-0880
Russia	+74954658090 88003017104 (toll-free)
South Korea	+82 2 6022 2499 +82 808 220 230 (toll-free)
Spain	+34 91 123 45 67
Sweden	+46 844 68 12 34
Switzerland	+41 43 50 84 900

United Kingdom

+44 203 318 1111

[Mandy9]

Thank you very much appreciated.

[Angela793]

 I’m sorry to hear about all this too. Some people are just so inconsiderate and then some!

One thing I did think of that you might consider if it is possible is to disconnect the stove from its power source?  We had to do this for our Mum who kept forgetting to turn it off so for her safety we had a plumber render it unusable.  And pity you can’t put a time/meter for the shower and water?  Probably a no no but some food for thought?

Good luck.

cheers

angie from Melbourne