Help! Long-term guest renting room-Worse than your worst nightmare - AirBnB doing nothing!

[Kaylee41]

I could legitimately write for four hours about this guest and would probably still have more to tell.  I’m just going to ask my question though and leave all that out bc I need an answer like now.  Mentally unstable and very confrontational guest (2 month stay and we’re 9 days away from checkout). She’s been like this since day two, but it’s getting worse and is legimately affecting my health.  I have several types of heart disease  (both structural/valvular disease and an arrhythmia) and the constant stress of her episodes nearly every time I step into the rest of my house from my bedroom, is now affecting me to the point that my heart starts racing so fast and I start getting light headed and blurry vision.  Yes, it’s that bad.  No, I’m not exaggerating a bit.

I’ve contacted AirBnB countless times and they always pretend to be empathetic and then say they will escalate issue and I’ll be receiving a call shortly from a higher up and I NEVER do.  I call back, am usually told that person is helping another guest and will call me as soon as done.  Still nothing until usually like 6-8 hours later when I get a message in AirBnB app saying,

“Hi Kaylee,

My shift is about to end.

I am forwarding your query to a member of our team who can assist you further. They will get in touch with you soon.

In the meantime, please feel free to respond to this message with any further questions or concerns.”

I respond, and get nothing back.  I call and the cycle starts all over again.  I reply to message, all but begging, and nothing.

The most recent person I spoke with when I called essentially told me that I would have to refund her if I want her to leave.  I COMPLETELY understand that and I would, but I already paid my rent with it and I legitimately just don’t have it.

This time I asked to speak with a supervisor and again stressed the urgency of the situation.

Btw: if they would just look into it, they have a record of her on their recorded line, shouting and saying she owns this house and a bunch of other stuff while I am on the phone with Airbnb.  I also have her on my surveillance camera saying a bunch of stuff and flipping off the camera and laughing (and yes, camera was disclosed in listing).

I’m desperate for any suggestions how to get AirBnB’s attention.  The police won’t do anything bc she hasn’t been physically violent.

Any suggestions would be more appreciated than you could imagine!    Thank you!!

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Kaylee41 

You don't need Airbnb's permission to get a booking cancelled. You tell them regardless of the investigation, you want the booking cancelled NOW. When someone does call you back you don't just hang up on them because they aren't a supervisor. You focus on getting the booking cancelled so that you have grounds to get the guest out. 

[Kaylee41]

The police will not make her leave because she has an active reservation that gives her a right to be here!  How do you guys not understand this?!

[Sarah977]

@Kaylee41  I'm not saying the police will come- I'm suggesting you threaten her with that. Or invite a bunch of friends or family members over,  the more intimidating-looking the better, and then tell her to pack up and get out.

[Emiel1]

@Kaylee41 

As superhosts we obviously are too stupid and too inexperienced to be able to understand that.

[Kaylee41]

@Emiel1 well look who’s conducting themselves like a true grown up!

[Brian2036]

@Kaylee41 

You are not required to have Airbnb’s permission to evict a misbehaving tenant.

Give her notice that her booking is being terminated for cause through the Airbnb message system.

Look up “Eviction Notice” on the internet.

Read.

Download a free form, fill in the blanks, and slide it under her door.

Send a copy electronically.

Let her deal with Airbnb. 

[Kaylee41]

Okay, thank you.  I think the process will take longer than the remainder of her stay though.  And until that process is complete and with her reservation I still doubt the police will help to enforce it.  

[Brian2036]

@Kaylee41 

You are correct: the police do not want to get involved in an eviction.

Hopefully your guest doesn’t know that.

What you should be thinking about is what happens if she refuses to leave even after her booking is expired.

Have you even asked her to leave?

 You need to start the legal process now if you ever hope to get rid of her.

If she really thinks she owns the property I can’t see her leaving voluntarily.

 You stated that when a CS representative called you, you hung up on him. Do you really think that was wise?

 I would guess that they immediately put you at the bottom of one list and at the top of another.

[Jill1056]

I can totally sympathize. As someone who can only rent out my expensive, unique property 31+ days at a time, when I get situations like these, I can't really afford to kick the insane guest out because it's not like someone else is going to re-book those nights. It becomes a choice of: do I want to lose many thousands of dollars on my mortgage and other payments and have this person out of my life, or make 1.5-2X my mortgage and deal with this crazy person? For this reason, I'm looking to hire a co-host. Just let someone else handle it. I agree that Airbnb should kick guests out who break house rules. My house rules even say if you break a house rule, you may be asked to leave and you will not be refunded. Airbnb won't enforce that, sadly. They simply won't do it without refunding them. It's egregious. And the messages you got are so typical of Airbnb. They never actually do anything. Sometimes when there is only a few days left on the reservation, they'll cancel the reservation for you and not refund the guest's money (or they're the one eating the cost). I'm so sorry you're going through this. Know that you're not alone. It happens to Super Hosts too. It's just a cost of doing business. Hopefully this person doesn't leave damage. Airbnb is horrible about that too. If they do, take an unreasonable number of photographs because they'll try to deny your claim because you don't have enogh photographs.

[Brian2036]

@Kaylee41 @Kaylee41 

This whole situation is really sad, discouraging and somewhat frightening.

Hosts would be well-advised to refuse to rent to guests who appear to be in any way mentally unstable.

Unfortunately many of them are good at concealing their condition until it’s too late to do anything about it.

I’m afraid that, in much of California, if you refuse to rent to nuts you will have few customers. 

[Brian2036]

@Kaylee41 

So is your unwelcome guest gone yet?