To all Airbnb Hosts – Especially in South Africa. I’m writing this Letter let you to warn you. As this can happen to anybody. It happened to me.
I have been a AirBnB host for 2 years now. I was doing okay for myself and decided to do it fulI-time. Airbnb seemed like a trustworthy platform, as they have a strict policy and they ‘say’ they do background checks on Guests that want to book your place. But I was wrong and wish that I was much more assertive when accepting guests to stay at my property. I trusted Airbnb, They are my partner at the end of the day.
But nothing could have prepared me for what was to come… A guest (A Criminal) using a fake name and ID, booked my entire house for 2 nights on Airbnb - I was sceptic at first, as it was for one man only, and the booking was approved by airbnb without my pre-approval - Which goes against my policy on airbnb platform.
I didn’t want to cancel, as a host, Airbnb takes points off your listing. Rating You lower, and as this is my business, hosting Airbnb guests, it would have counted against me, Airbnb fines a host and closes your calendar for other possible bookings as well.
So, I got my house ready for the guest arriving the next day, locked my main bedroom door and my office. Then prepared my house for the guest.
The Guest seemed polite communicating over WhatsApp only, he said he is driving from Durban and can’t answer his phone. I should have seen the red flag when the guest never arrived at the time, he said he would, he kept on delaying. But again, these things happen – I want to be a considerate Host, So I decided to leave the keys and remote in a lockbox at the entrance for the guest to enter. I informed the guests and took off to book myself and my dogs in at another guesthouse before 11pm (Before the lockdown curfew time in Dec 2020). I have CCTV cameras so I would be able to check when guest arrived.
What a costly mistake I made trusting Airbnb, and a Horrific 2-month long ordeal all because AIRBNB DON’T DO WHAT THEY SAY AND DISREGARD HOSTS POLICIES –
The Guest cut my CCTV cameras, changed the locks, and invited a bunch of his friends onto my property, broke into my office, my bedroom (both room doors where locked and a no entry sign placed on doors), Stole R12000 cash I had in Safe, stole my Rolex watch and everything valuable in the house. They drank all my wine, carried my lounge suite outside and had a party.
As soon as I saw that my CCTV cameras where cut, I called the guest. I couldn’t believe my ears… He answered, music so loud that my neighbours called me. I called the Police…. And waited for hours, eventually I got a security company to go with me to my house… when I got there, I saw the locks where changed. no-body was there. The security told me to call the police as they couldn’t just break in… I did, but the police didn’t come out. I called a locksmith to break open locks, once inside I saw how my place looked…HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN, I KEPT ASKING MYSELF/ I also noticed that the 2 guest bedroom doors where closed and locked. ‘that’s strange’ I told the locksmith. I phoned the guest and to my surprise his phone started ringing in one of the bedrooms… the locksmith grabbed one of his tools and said “ek gaan hom nou blicksom” I told him not to, and that we should rather leave as I didn’t want any more problems and because I was scared for my life, I didn’t know who the guest was or whether he had a gun… So, I left thinking, he will be gone in the morning as check out time is 10am. But he didn’t leave for another 3 weeks.
I opened a case at the police station (They did nothing), He stole everything, my couches where ruined and in the rain…
I Thought the worst was over, but it was just beginning… The guest refused to leave my house and stayed for the entire December and January Holidays with his friends and family.
I went to the police station again, they told me to go to court to get a court order to have him forcefully removed – which was a challenge over the December holidays. I got it eventually and went to the sheriff’s office, He had to serve and remove the man immediately from my house, but the sheriff told me that due to Lockdown, he can’t remove anyone off premises and told me to come back in January 2021.
WHAT MUST I DO NOW…? I CAN’T TAKE THE LAW INTO MY OWN HANDS, THIS GUEST HAS VANDELIZED MY HOUSE AND IS NOW LIVING IN MY HOUSE WITH HIS THUG FRIENDS, I HAVE NOWHERE TO GO AND MY DOGS ARE WITH ME, I HAVE NO OTHER CLOTHES (except the 2 pairs I took with the day the guest checked in.., MY MONEY IS UP NOW, I WANT MY HOUSE BACK AND I WANT THE CRIMINAL AND ALL HIS FRIENDS TO GET ARRESTED. After 2 months of Hell, They Left and I could finally go home, and get my house in order again, it was so bad, most nights I would just cry myself to sleep.
AIRBNB HASNT DONE ANYTHNG EITHER - I opened a Host reimbursement case with Airbnb, as they said I must, I TOOK PHOTOS OF ALL DAMAGES AND SENT IT TO AIRBNB, WHOM ASSURED ME A HOST PROTECTION CLAIM FOR DAMAGES CAUSED, BUT IT’S BEEN OVER 5 MONTHS NOW…JUST EMPTY PROMISES.
I HOPE THAT THIS LETTER WILL ALERT OTHER HOSTS TO BE CAREFUL WHEN RENTING OUT THEIR ENTIRE HOMES TO GUESTS ON AIRBNB ¬ - NO BACKGROUND CHECKS ARE DONE ON GUESTS. IT’S ALL A IIE TO MAKE HOSTS TRUST THEM.
The guest was supposed to have paid a security deposit amount when he booked my entire house, I asked Airbnb where is this amount when they paid out for the 2 nights. But said the guest didn’t pay it (HOW DID THIS GUEST BOOK WITHOUT PAYING THE SECURITY DEPOSIT. NO ANSWER.
AIRBNB MAKES MONEY FROM HOSTS PROPERTIES, BUT CARRY NO RISKS AT ALL.
Debbie Ferreira