prostitutes

Kelie0
Level 2
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

prostitutes

2 guys booked house, 3 showed up.  i had him change reservation to 3.  he has broken house rules twice (no additional day guests without prior approval and no overnight guest).  have pictures of the prostitutes coming and going 3 am to 4:30 and 6:30.   How do I reach airbnb to tell them.  prostitutes in my area bring trouble and now they have my gate codes.  I'm a woman and live alone.  what can I do.

25 Replies 25
Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Kelie0 You can contact Airbnb on the phone numbers in a contact Airbnb post pinned to the top of the Help section of THIS forum (not Airbnb help).

You need to decide what you want to achieve. You have every right to ask Airbnb to cancel the reservation but you will then need to get them out of your place. It may be more practical to do/say nothing, have them leave as normal and, assuming no damage, just leave an honest review.

Others will chip in with other views.

@Kelie0   If your listing's House Rules have an explicit policy on outside guests/visitors, you have the right to enforce that. If bringing visitors is against your rules, than the core of the issue is the broken rules, not what profession you believe the visitors to be in.  

 

What action would you normally take when a guest violates your rules?  Do you confront them and ask them to change the behavior? Do you terminate the booking and kick them out? Or do you wait until the review to mention it? 

 

 

Kelie0
Level 2
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

I've never had this problem as I make it very clear it's a family neighborhood, no parties, no guests, quiet - monkeys and birds etc...  My biggest issue now is the prostitutes (which in this area usually have boyfriends who then rob the houses) have my gate code and my neighborhood's gate code and now know I have a vacation rental that may or may not be occupied in the future.  And I live alone 100 meters away - so for me, it's way more than violating rules.  I have already sent them a message asking how many people now have our gate codes and I mentioned the house rules - how I don't have many but that's a  big one because of my security and the security of my neighbors.  

 

I just got through to Airbnb - the guy was super nice - and said they take these matters very seriously as now it's a security issue - not a 'party' issue.

@Kelie0   To echo @Mike-And-Jane0 's comment, what do you hope Airbnb is able to do for you here?

Kelie0
Level 2
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

At a minimum - I've reported it, they know about it.  The guys are to be here for 3 more days - I don't want more 'ladies' here and also my caretakers who have a 5 year old and 10 year old are in plain site.  So forget the dangers of the prostitutes' and their boyfriends, the fact that they broke the one main basic house rule, maybe they can send a note that the house rules have been broken and if this happens again I can have them out immediately - and block any bad review because they can't have their late night prostitutes.

And if they decide to damage my house because I don't want the prostitutes in it, hopefully I'll have some assistance from airbnb since I've reported it.

 

When it comes to my safety and the safety of my neighbors - it's worth whatever they can help with.

 

I could care less if they use prostitutes - oldest profession and all that.  I'm certainly not judging them - but it's not Las Vegas - it's dangerous here.  Maybe if they knew how dangerous it is, they would just rent a room in town for a couple hours - that's perfectly safe (for me)

@Kelie0 sadly I am afraid Airbnb will not block a bad review from these guys. In terms of safety there is a very limited amount that Airbnb can do from the end of a phone.

Kelie0
Level 2
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

Wow, so I'm not really sure at this point why we have house rules if there's no way to inforce them or airbnb to help when they're broken.  Sounds like it's just best to shut up - let anyone come in - maybe I get robbed and my vacation rental - but since house rules don't matter and I MIGHT get a bad review - is it best to just do nothing?  This is kind of crazy.  And if they leave a bad review because I didn't like them having the soiree with the prostitutes at my home and giving out my security codes - not like I can respond with 'and you brought prostitutes into my homes because what family with little kids would rent after that.

UGH, sounds like I just better get a guard at this point and pay for that.  Not sure what I was expecting other than not nothing.

 

 

 

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

 

I'm sorry you're having a horrible experience with these guests. 


There is a way to enforce your house rules. As soon as you realised your guests had given visitors not on the booking access to your home, you tell your guests that their visitors need to leave and have Airbnb cancel the booking.

 

As Airbnb hasn't contacted you, get back on the phone to them and insist they take urgent action.

 

as @Mike-And-Jane0 suggested  either get private security or have your management ensure they leave.

 

Change the codes.

 

Leave an honest review.

It's not about guests' profession, it's about them practicing their profession in your property.

Cornelia116
Level 2
Stephansposching, Germany

since Corona: there is a flood of accommodation inquiries from rumanian women - or from their pimps- , and we, as the owners, have a lot of bad work to find out, who is professional or a normal guest.
fortunately here in Germany we can call the police for help and they will received a fine.

a good lucky hand for all hosts!

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Kelie0 My advice is to look on Airbnb as a booking engine ONLY. I would certainly advise that in your circumstances a private security guard or at least a retainer/arrangement with a private security company makes a lot of sense. If and when you get a bad review do come back to the forum as people can advise the best way to respond and/or if the review is against policy and hence could be removed.

Kelie0
Level 2
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

Thank you.  I do have guns and a carry permit - just never expected to have to use it because of this kind of nonsense.  I can't imagine paying an armed guard to sit on my property - here it's like, well, the guard might shoot himself (only the bad guys really know how to use weapons).  I just won't be sleeping until they're gone and then some.  And I've alerted my neighbors - one at the entrance to my street will not have a problem stopping any cars and asking what they're doing up here.  I also have lived here so long I know most of the police force - so have already put in a call to a couple of the guys.

Still no reply from Airbnb - or the 'guest'.  This has just really caught me off guard.  I had a reservation in a hotel about 2 hours from here - tonight through Monday - that has been cancelled and I'll just deal with this.  Unfortunate this is the first time I've reached out to airbnb on 'what to do if someone breaks house rules' - and am gathering they are useless now.  Going forward not sure if I need to just meet everyone at the door and spell it out - prostitutes and selling / buying drugs are not allowed here.  Crazy 😞

Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

Is there any way you can change those gate codes between guests, @Kelie0 ? I have a lot less to lose than you, and I change my door code for each guest. If it is at all possible, it will help you sleep at night.

Kelie0
Level 2
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

Thank you Lawrence - Yes, I do change them.  The problem is this guest is not responding to me and I don't want to lock them out - especially if it was a case of 'young & dumb' and had no clue how dangerous that activity is here - when you bring it home.

 

But yes, I can't wait to change everything - especially when I have one other vacation rental about 100 meters before the one that had the prostitutes.  I feel responsible for their security as well but they're further away from me and anyone who comes through my private gate sees that house first.  Monday - checkout day, can't some soon enough!