100% refund to guest because we didn't mention our cat in listing description even though it was discussed in the chat?!

[Jamie1330]

We recently had an extremely frustrating experience as a Host and I'd love to know if anyone thinks we have grounds to challenge the decision made my Airbnb.

Basically we had a guest book a 1 week stay in our flat in London. Their very first message to us said 'Do you have any animals?'. I said 'yes, we have a cat but it will be elsewhere during your stay and the flat will be deep cleaned professionally''. She decided to go ahead with the booking. When she arrived at the property she claimed to have an allergic reaction and asked me to refund her. I refused so she went to Airbnb and said that we hadn't mentioned in the description that we had a cat (which is true). Airbnb sided with her and awarded her a 100% refund. We had absolutely no idea that we were obliged to mention a pet in the description. It certainly never prompted us to do so at any point. The maddening thing here is that she had 100% of the information upfront, regardless of the fact it wasn't mentioned in the description so she and Airbnb have screwed us on a stupid technicality.

The funds generated from this were extremely important to us and we worked tirelessly to prepare an immaculate flat for her stay, so we feel especially hard done by. I've tried challenging the decision with customer service but they are having none of it so far. If anyone has any advice as to other routes then I would be most grateful to hear them. Thanks! 

[Shelley159]

Hi @Jamie1330 

Keep in mind that, if you manage to overturn the refund decision, a significantly angrier guest will get to review you. You presently have a 5-star rating, but very few reviews - a low rating will still have quite an impact at this point.

Did the guest stay the full week? It sounds like she may have left shortly after checking in. If so, it may be better to run a last-minute promotion to get the nights booked by someone else. You'll get some of the money back if you get a booking, and hopefully a review from a happy guest.

[Frances3408]

@Jamie1330 . Hi Jamie, yes we hosts need to be part lawyer. If she left straight away for any valid health reasons from your listing it probably would have been the same result ie 100% refund. 

Best I can suggest is adding info re your cat to the listing asap and adding that you cannot guarantee someone with serious pet allergies might not be affected by any residual pet dander, even after cat is removed. If that is only a small percentage, then the vast majority of your guests arent going to be troubled if its clean. 

[Alicia753]

Hi Jamie,

Your frustration is completely valid, and it seems like Airbnb’s decision hinges on a technicality rather than the full context of the situation. Since you disclosed the presence of a cat in your communication with the guest before the booking, it's clear that the guest had the necessary information to make an informed decision. This was not a matter of misleading or withholding details.

The issue likely stems from Airbnb’s reliance on the written listing description as the definitive source of information. While it's not explicitly required to mention pets in a listing unless they are present during the guest’s stay, the absence of this detail can sometimes leave room for misunderstandings, as in this case.

Airbnb's decision to side with the guest may have been influenced by their policies favoring guest satisfaction in allergy-related claims, even though the flat was professionally cleaned and the cat was not on the premises during their stay. The guest’s awareness of the situation prior to booking should weigh heavily in your favor.

I recommend to gather all your communication with the guest and escalate your case through Airbnb’s resolution center or social media channels. Highlight that the guest knew about the cat, chose to book despite this, and only raised the issue upon arrival, which suggests a lack of genuine intent to stay.

In future, including a brief mention of a pet in the listing, even if it’s not on-site during a guest’s stay, could help prevent similar situations. This unfortunate experience could also serve as a point to advocate for clearer host guidance on disclosing such details in listings.

I hope this helps.

All the best,

Upfish Management

[Joan2709]

@Jamie1330 

I see your point...however, you must disclose your pets on the listing, even though the guest had the information in the chat. As @Shelley159 points out, probably best you didn't have the guest stay. As it is, if she checked in, I believe Airbnb will still allow her to write a review. This guest made a poor decision to book despite knowing she might have an issue. 

There is a place in Guest Safety/Property Info where you should disclose pets even if the guest won't meet or interact with the pet - I would still add it there. Most guests don't read the listing that far down, so I would also add it to the Other Details section of the Description. 

Also, since you allow pets at your listing, even having it professionally cleaned may not be enough for those with extreme allergies (I have a relative that had to leave an Airbnb due to this very issue). He was at fault, as he didn't see the "Pets Allowed" notification on the listing. It would be good to clearly state that you do allow pets and although you are meticulous about cleaning, you can't guarantee someone with extreme allergies would be ok staying. I like the way @Frances3408 suggests to word the disclosure of your pet and that you allow Guests to stay with their pets.