Scary guest

Ruth584
Level 1
Colchester, United Kingdom

Scary guest

Hi everybody,

I am very new to airbnb (last week actually) and am booked solidly. Probably because I'm cheap! I rent a private room in my cottage and I live there, alone. I am a 71 year old female,who is fiesty and not backward in coming forward. But, last night, this guy freaked me out and I hadn't a clue what to do about it. He was aggressive and I was uneasy to say the least until he left this morning. What do other people do in this situation? I contacted airbnb but didn't get a response until this morning. I don't want to be a wimp about this but surely you have the right to feel safe in your own house. After this month I am taking a break from airbnb to regroup and rethink.

9 Replies 9
Ana1136
Level 10
Ohrid, Macedonia (FYROM)

@Ruth584 You can choose to host only female guests, personally that is what I would do. It is good that the guest left and nothing happened but if anything like this happens again it is good to remain calm and don't let things escalate. You can call Airbnb and cancel the reservation so that the guest has to leave at that moment but it is good to have someone as a support if you are dealing with an aggressive person. Make sure to leave an honest review to warn other hosts. 

Ruth584
Level 1
Colchester, United Kingdom

Thank you Ana. I'm not sure that reviews actually mean very much,because this guy had good reviews!

Ana1136
Level 10
Ohrid, Macedonia (FYROM)

@Ruth584 you can be sure that it means a lot, it doesn't matter how good his other reviews are. And I saw your question below, to answer it, no it is not discriminatory to only host female guests if you are renting a shared space, just specify it in the listing description. 

Alexandra316
Level 10
Lincoln, Canada

@Ruth584 Your listing looks lovely. My first piece of advice would be to raise your prices: $16 is way too low, and as a result, you are likely going to attract some bad guests. I'd be surprised if people could get a hostel for $16 a night these days. Look at your local competition, check what they're charging, and charge accordingly. Airbnb price tips are ridiculous: do your own research.

 

Second, figure out what type of guest you would like to host, and tailor your listing and vet guests accordingly. As a woman who hosts alone, you can specify that you're only going to host other women. That may make you feel safer: something to think about, at any rate.

 

In future, if you feel unsafe, I would call Airbnb right away rather than messaging them. The number in your area is 44 203 318 1111: make sure you save it so you have it handy. They can intervene on your behalf and cancel the reservation. If you're really feeling unsafe, don't be afraid to call the police.

 

I hope that things improve with future guests. Your place looks lovely and you already have some great reviews.

 

Ruth584
Level 1
Colchester, United Kingdom

Thank you Alexandra that is very helpful. Isn't it discriminatory to only specify women? If not then I shall. Yes,I agree about the price, but being a newbee I felt I had to go along with airbnb's suggestion. Thank you for the telephone number. You've been a great help.

@Ruth584 Airbnb does not consider it to be discrimination, and they specifically allow it: see https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/1807/can-i-choose-to-only-host-people-of-my-own-gender for the details.

 

Glad it was helpful! Happy hosting!

Ruth584
Level 1
Colchester, United Kingdom

Thank you again Alexandra and Ana. Big sighs!

 

Ruth

Hi Ruth,

welcome to the community 🙂 I took a look at your space it look’s lovely. I agree that you should raise your price. I looked at places similar to yours and I would set a price at $30.00 also I noticed it says single bed (for size of bed) it look’s bigger to me. If it is you should change it. You have nothing under house rules so you may want to add some i.e no smoking, no parties, quite time between ... 

all the best

Ananda

Kathie21
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

Ignore Airbnb's price hints.  They suggest I rent out my entire 1-bed bungalow with its own conservatory and garden for less  than the price of 2 dorm beds in the local YHA!   Look at what other hosts are charging for a similar room locally.  I agree with the suggestion that you host only women - and you can push it as a safe listing for single women who would themselves prefer a female host.