Manipulative Guest

Leiloni0
Level 4
San Diego, CA

Manipulative Guest

Recently, my listing was booked for 38 days starting on November 3rd. I already gave a discount for booking over 30 days but the guest requested an additional discount which I gave. My listing has a very explicit no pets policy and the guest made no indication she might have or want to bring an animal.

This afternoon, I received a message from Support stating the guest reported having an Emotional Support Animal and wanted to know if she could bring it along. I stated I would reach out to the guest to discuss the ESA.

 

I reached out to the guest this evening and requested documentation for the support animal, a picture, asked some questions as to the size and temperament of said animal, care arrangements while the guest is working/in school and also asked if she would be willing to pay an additional deposit.  The guest promptly told me that it was illegal to ask for an additional deposit which I looked up and it was true—I apologized and dropped it. The guest then stated she couldn’t upload a pickof her dog so I  agreed to meet the dog and the guest tomorrow evening.

 

No more than a five minutes after I agreed to meet with the guest, I received a call from Support stating that the guest called and expressed concern that I requested documentation of her ESA and a deposit. I was told i was not allowed to discriminate by asking for documentation of disability. I stated that I am not exactly comfortable with an animal in my home as I am not a pet owner myself and I am concerned with pet damage, noise and possible disagreements with my neighbors over the animal.

 

I found the whole experience off-putting as all the guest had to do in the first place was be upfront about her ESA, but she chose to involve Support and then complained because I asked questions. 

The guest only has two reviews which are 4-Star and sparing in their verbiage so it’s hard to get a feel for the type of guest she is. 

Now, I am wondering whether or not to move forward with the reservation as I feel this guest has acted in a manipulative manner. I don’t want to risk 38 days of having to tip-toe around my own house for fear that she’ll report me to Support for something I may not be aware I am doing to offend. 

Any advice?

30 Replies 30
Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

@Leiloni0  I'd guess this person will turn out to be a problem, but I don't know that you can cancel now since it's already on record w/airbnb about the 'emotional support animal'.  The best  you can do is try to manage the situation, depending on how close you are to the condo.  If you don't have it included, I would add a weekly light clean so you can get in there and see how the place is looking, and make sure the dog isn't destroying anything...IF the dog has been destructive, isn't house trained, etc. you can contact airbnb to  have them cancel.  Never cancel yourself.

 

You might also check into CA tenant laws because 38 days could put you at risk of needing to evict this person, but hosts who do more long term rentals may be more versed in the legalities of how this works in CA.

@Mark116  The rental appears to be a private room in a house with host onsite. 

@Mark116 

"IF the dog has been destructive, isn't house trained, etc. you can contact airbnb to  have them cancel"

 

Not that simple anymore! This is the policy now (unbelievably!)... 

 

When can a host ask a guest to remove an assistance animal? 

 

A host may ask a guest to remove a service animal if:

  1. The animal is out of control and the animal’s handler does not take effective action to control it
  2. The animal is not housebroken

In either scenario, the host must still give the guest the opportunity to use the premises without the animal if the guest so chooses. Note that given their role in providing service or emotional support, assistance animals should not be left alone at a listing.

 

But if it's a true assistance animal, by definition, it should be with its handler at all times, therefore why would the guest still be given the opportunity to stay at the premises without the animal? And if it's not a true assistance animal - which it clearly isn't if it's just torn up the host's home or shat all over their sofa - why on earth should an obviously scamming guest be permitted to stay if he/she "so chooses"? More complete lunacy. 

@Susan17   Well, yeah, it goes without saying their policy is bonkers, like everything else.  

 

I think what I would do if we ever get guest or a request, beyond asking the two permitted questions and stating an expectation as the animal is required for the guest that they will not be left alone while the guest is out sightseeing, is to also post these rules, bad as they are, they still provide that you can kick out the guest or their animal in X circumstances and that you have a loophole for getting compensation if the so called service animal does damage...these details might deter scammers who are simply wanting to bring their pets to a no pet place.

 

But good job in identifying the catch 22 of staying without your support animal that you need with you in order to function, LMAO.  I hadn't put that together.  Sad.

@Susan17  And that "housebroken" statement- I have read guests saying their service or emotional support animal is "housebroken to pee pads". This pee pad business is absurd. Housebroken means the dog does not relieve itself inside the house, not that they pee inside the house on something called a pee pad. That's like saying your child is toilet trained when they are still in diapers, simply because they don't poop directly on the floor. 

@Sarah977 @Mark116 

I swear, when I first saw that policy, I had to read it several times, to make sure I hadn't misread or misinterpreted it. Of all the ridiculous Airbnb diktats I've seen, that has to be one of the most nonsensical and contradictory, and initially, it gave me a good old chuckle! 

 

But then, I stopped to consider the real-life implications of it for hosts, and for their homes, and suddenly, I wasn't finding it quite so amusing anymore. This is yet another example of Airbnb literally forcing hosts to accept disrespectful, rule-breaking guests in their homes, even after they've clearly scammed us, or have caused damage to our properties. It's nothing more than unconscionable, insidious bullying on Airbnb's part, (masquerading as "inclusiveness", of course).

 

The most infuriating part is, they have so little respect or regard for us, for our homes or for our rights, that they have absolutely no qualms about crafting asinine, illogical, blatantly guest-centic policies like the one above  - along with severe consequences for ourselves if we fail to comply with their ludicrous demands - to impose their will on us, in order to maximise their own income and keep their VC backers satisfied. 

 

That's really, really  not ok. 

@Susan17  I'm not convinced on some of the claims hosts make about getting paid for damages. I think it all depends on how you handle the situation and also, some hosts think they should be paid a premium for a used couch and so they complain in the forum about how messed up the system is. Or they have poor documentation, or whatever. That's not to say the ALL those complaints aren't valid, I know it depends on the CS rep you get sometimes, but after hearing many positive stories about damage claims (I've had one too) I think sometimes these hosts think they should be compensated for a brand new Mercedes, when the car that was damaged was a 5-year-old Honda.

 

Sorry for the neverending paragraph and for going off on a tangent! LOL!

@Susan17I agree the Airbnb rules on ESA's are ridiculous and the best defense we have against bogus claims is to use what we can. A true Service Animal is not an issue and no host should ever worry about hosting one.

 

ESA's on the other hand.....For guests claiming an ESA, just hit them with a long list of rules to scare them away. First and foremost the rule that the ESA MUST be accompanied by the guest AT ALL TIMES. Then list a loooong list of other rules including where the dog can use the bathroom and note that anyone trying to pass off a fake ESA or service animal will be reported to the authorities as it is a misdemeanor. (in really is in some states, but even if it's not in your state, the guest might not know that)

 

Just the same way sending a long list of rules can deter a guest you don't really want to host, a long list of dog rules can deter someone who is just trying to sneak their pet in.

I hear what you're saying, @Suzanne302, but scamming guests aren't going to give two hoots about anyone's dog rules. The problem is, by the time a host can establish that the guest's furry friend is definitely not a bona fide assistance animal, the damage will almost always already have been done. And by then, it's too late. Shutting the living room door after the emotional support miniature horse has bolted, so to speak. But if a proper, balanced framework had been put in place by Airbnb to equally protect the rights of all parties involved, then the vast majority of negative or destructive incidents involving bogus "assistance animals", would never even arise. 

 

It's a fact that Airbnb's policies on any sort of discrimination go above and beyond that which is required by law in most jurisdictions, under the mantle of noble intention. However, by forcing hosts to accept conditions that are surplus to legal requirements, and failing to put in place clear and strong parameters, they've ultimately created a serious imbalance between the rights of the pet or assistance animal owner, and the rights of the homeowner - as evidenced by the farcical policy that I posted earlier in the thread. (which states that, in the event that the animal is out of control or craps all over the house, the host must still allow the guest to continue their stay... without  the "assistance" animal! You can't get much more jaw-droppingly biased against the host than that, can you?)

 

Every right-minded person is fully behind the right to fair, respectful treatment and adequate accessibility for genuine service animal handlers. That goes without saying. However, Airbnb's current fuzzy-warm, virtue-signalling, booking-boosting interpretation of a coherent "assistance animal" policy, is unworkable, untenable, and needs to be completely revised, in order to afford hosts at least some measure of protection in their own homes, against damage, losses and scammers. 

 

 

 

@Suzanne302   Yeah, I don't imagine that anyone unless they really have a fear of dogs or serious allergies would object to a service dog, they will probably be the best behaved dog any host will ever come in contact with.  

@Mark116  As a dog owner, of course I have no fear of dogs, nor allergies. But even a service dog could be an issue at my place, as my dog is very territorial, and is prone to attack (not bite, just terrorize and drive off) other dogs on the property. And does "best behaved" mean the dog doesn't sleep in bed with their human? That's a factor as well. I also have a metal slat staircase to the guest room which terrifies most dogs- they won't go up it. So if a service dog was larger than a size the guest could tuck under their arm and carry up the stairs, it just wouldn't work. That doesn't mean I wouldn't dialogue with a guest to see if it could be accommodated- a small male (my female dog generally doesn't hassle them) dog that doesn't sleep in the bed would not pose a problem.

Clara116
Level 10
Pensacola, FL

@ as a therapist like @Anonymous  I have given you the diagnosis of GAD general anxiety disorder and it was greatly provoked by the upcoming situation and her manner of dealing with you.  Along with ur allergies you unfortunately can NOT host this guest....keep repeating and don't let them push u....it is your home. Good luck...stay calm and protect your own mental health. It is most important! Ur other therapist Clara.

Leiloni0
Level 4
San Diego, CA

Thanks everyone for your input. I feel much better that I’m not alone with this. I appreciate everyone’s support in this matter.

 

I will contact Air BNB to cancel as I am deathly afraid of dogs as is my child since she was bitten when she was two years old. We are both also allergic.

 

The CM at Air BNB verbally told me I could cancel without penalty; however, I don’t think that statement was documented and the CM conveniently if off for the weekend until Monday. I don’t believe the case was closed. 

 

Thanks,

Leiloni

Leiloni0
Level 4
San Diego, CA

Thank you, everyone for your input. I had the meet and greet with the guest and her dog. The dog was lovely and very well behaved. I petted and played with the dog and she was appropriate. Throughout the visit, my allergies were triggered and progressively got worse until I was in a full coughing fit which prompted the guest to leave. 

Support called me Within a half hour of guest leaving and stated the guest had called in and reported my allergic reaction. Support asked if I would mutually agree to cancel the reservation. I agreed and the reservation will be cancelled without penalty to me. Support went on to state that I was a good host for trying with a meet and greet. 

Problem solved. Thanks Everyone!

@Leiloni0  Think how much easier on everyone, including airbnb, if the guest had simply chosen a listing that is pet friendly in the first place.  Instead of steamrolling into a place that isn't suited for animals, whether they are pets or whatever else.