Looking for advice on first and current unhappy guest

[Allison93]

I currently have 3 families each with 3 small kids who booked our house for 3 nights. They asked to check in earlier than check in time and I said sure but there may be cleaning women there. So as long as you don't mind. Then they emailed me that the central AC on the first level was not working but the AC upstairs was. I contacted our HVAC guy immediately. The system is literally brand new. Not to minimize the situation but it was in the lower 60's at night. Then this morning i got an email that the shower was leaking water into the dining room. I had our contractor run over there and he has a plumber set to come asap. I spoke to the renters on the phone and since they had emailed me the house was unihabitable I offered to refund them for the night since I got the sense they wanted to leave since the house was "uninhabitual". I called Airbnb and then told the guests to call airbnb there is a case number and see if they wanted to be rebooked somewhere. But they don't want to leave. Yet they want me to refund them 2 of the 3 nights. They also are claiming that the cleaning women threw away or took their food when they arrived that they had placed in the fridge. And they said it was 30 dollars worth and they said it was unopened. so i offered to reimburse this mistake. I explained if the cleaning women discarded their food it was because i told them not to leave other renters food in the fridge because it doesn't seem clean. Except for unopened items (which is why i kinda don't belive it but whatever). So how would you handle this? i want to be fair but it seems like they are asking for too much . Also review wise obviously i will be dinged. And frankly i will leave an honest review in return. But i've never left a negative review so advice there is greatly appreciated too. thanks in advance for your help. Best, Allison 

[Allison2]

I wouldn't let them have it both ways. They can stay and pay their reservation fee, minus a deduction for the trouble they ran into or they can say it's uninhabitable and leave. You get some say in this too! Do you want them to stay? Keep in mind a cancelled stay won't be able to leave a review.

Also, I see your house is listed for 8 people, but 3 families with 3 kids each sounds like over a dozen people. Is your house up to the task of handling this many people?

[Allison93]

yea. you're right about that. i didn't think about the small children as being whole people lol!

[Susie5]

@Allison93, "no good deed goes unpunished...." You tried to help them out by letting them check in early, before the cleaners had finished.  So if they cleaned too thoroughly, i.e. threw out their food, that shouldn't be your problem!  I personally only allow early checkin if the cleaners are finished... First impressions often last.

I think you've been more than generous with these people and I would just let them stay, not refund them (charge them for the extra time they had when you let them in early!!)  You may get a negative review but you'll have a chance to comment on it.  I would also definitely leave a frank review on their behavior so that other hosts will know what's coming down the pike if they host them.  I don't think reimbursing them will prevent a negative review. Also as others have said, how many people are actually there?  sounds like more than your maximum, so you may have some grounds for standing firm as far as ABB is concerned, e.g. they booked for x people but then you found x+y were actually staying there.

Be sure to have  ALL communications and payment go through the ABB official systems so it's all documented in case of dispute later e.g. they cause damage to get back at you etc. 

Good luck- rest assured the guests are not all like this!

[Allison93]

great advice. I think i gotta sharpen my game a bit and stick to my own stated rules. 

[Lyndsey2]

Have the professionals you've sent over confirmed all these problems were real? That is either some extraordinarily bad luck or these people are trying to scam you. 

[Allison93]

i actually asked the cleaning women about the food and she was like "I knew it was theirs. I saw them put it in the fridge and didn't touch it." The plumber did report a problem with water getting behind tiles so that was real. But i think they added and exaggerated other things to make situation dire. I offered refund. But you're all right. Can't have it both ways. So I feel I will be in for a negative review but that's probably just the way it is sometimes. Cleaning woman also said today she found they broke a black out window shade. I have half a mind to charge em for it:) Thanks for the replies. Been reading the forums a bit and learning a lot! 

[Wendy-and-Frank0]

@Allison93,

Offer zero dollars.

You're being played.