Help! Guest threw something in the toilet and clogged it!

[Jorge314]

Me and my wife are new hosts, and just on my second guest....  "someone" threw something in the toilet. The toilet was fine before they came.  I had to call the plumber and thank god it was only $50 for his trip. The toiled passed the "thing"...I had asked for $150 deposit. My problem is that the guest left a really good review and she is only my second guest. My question is...

 A) Should I charge her for throwing "the thing" in the toilet? (assuming it was her and that the thing was something that shouldn't be inside a toilet) 

 B) Should I exchange the $50 for the review and take it like a man? 

[Kimberly54]

Hi @Jorge314,  First, I want to give you a big thumbs-up for granting the possibility that might not have been her actions. 

Then to your question:  I would go for B).  OK, it was a hassle for you, but you're still $ ahead, right? 

If it really was a 'thing' put down the toilet... can't believe people still don't get it... perhaps a tiny sign in the bathroom?  Taped to the inside of the lid of the toilet?  Hard to believe we'd have to go to lengths like this, and even thinking about it, not sure I would, even after reading your story. 

Hummmm...

Still think I'd go for be and look good.

Best,

[BNB-Detroit0]

Has happened to me plenty of times, won't be the last time!  Even with a sign, there's always that person that disrespects your property.

Even if you claim it, it's highly likely that Airbnb will not process the payment.  I have not been sucessful in claiming plumbing damages as Airbnb says you need to prove the guest put the object in the toilet.  Unless you had a camera in the bathroom (which obviously we don't!) then there is no way to prove it.  I'm sure Airbnb would come up with some other excuse even if you had the proof.

Airbnb does absolutely nothing to help you when you have security deposit claims albeit throw a checklist so long to claim the $50 that it's worth to just let it go due to the time involvement.

[BNB-Detroit0]

I would suggest you claim the $50 so you can understand how unreasonable Airbnb really is.  Because one day when you get the big claim--and they aren't there for you.  Then what...

[Alejandro-Hector0]

Hi @Jorge314 - That's horrible to hear, and it's really unfortunate that you were put in this dillemma. Unfortunately I would have to agree with the other Airbnb hosts on this thread. It's almost impossible to prove that the guest put the "thing" in your toilet. But there are other ways to get your money back.

I would first like to clarify that if you make a deposit claim - I don't think that the review will be removed. Either way, $50 is a sizeable amount.

The odds are pretty slim, but I think it's worth a shot.

I would recommend starting by chatting with the guest, and getting them to admit that they dropped the "thing" in the toilet. Since the guest left you a nice review, I think it would be easier to get them to admit it. For instance, you can say something along the lines of

"Hi (Guest) I was doing a routine check of the listing, but I noticed that the flush is a little off. Did you notice any problems during your stay? It's no big deal, I'm sure that I can fix it myself. But I need to know if it's just a simple clogging or maybe some pipe damage"

If the guest admits that she threw something inside, then you can use it as evidence for Airbnb.

Alternatively, you can also just be frank with the guest. You can simply ask them if they dropped anything in the toilet that may have caused a clog. If they don't respond - bring in Airbnb. Usually if the guest does not respond withing 24 hours, Airbnb will make a decision on their behalf.

Hope this helps!