Awful guest is hosting friends

James2566
Level 9
Holetown, Barbados

Awful guest is hosting friends

I have a nightmare guest which AirBnb won’t let me evict so I just need to vent this as I count down days.

 

He’s been receiving friends daily, his girlfriend moved in a couple days in without notifying us (20 day booking); housekeeper informed me there were two guests. I speak to him about it in person and reiterate on AirBnb our no visitors policy. For his girlfriend he tells me “do what you want with your guest count”. I send my husband to speak to him in person about girlfriend and friends. We then reiterate the points over AirBnb inbox to be sure. 

 

That very same night, he knocks on my villa next door and asks my guests to borrow wine glasses because he’s having friends over later. My guests say that’s not allowed and he says it’s ok because he told us about it (not true). Guest gave him the glasses too! 

AirBnb won’t let me cancel, the guest is in full control. 

We send our housekeeper in once a week and she’s reported everything from towels in the gardens, broken glass everywhere and black foot prints all over sofas. So it’s not just this, he’s an all-around jerk. 

He’s also asked her for extra linen for when his friends sleep over (declined!)

 

My question is what kind of review would you leave for this guest? And also... can you believe this guy?!

 

 

 

 

The Johnsons
18 Replies 18
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@James2566 

 

Do not waste more time which such a guest and shorten the reservation (use "change option"). If not accepted, ask Airbnb to cancel the reservaiton. If no succes, cancel it en fight against the penalties receieved from Airbnb (let them know allready before you cancel)

 

 

 

James2566
Level 9
Holetown, Barbados

They won’t let me cancel or shorten, they will only let me ask the guest to leave early which I did, the guest says he will “play it by ear” and made the situation even more contentious. They are advising me to file a damage claim for items but nothing I can do about his unauthorized visitors or his girlfriend who moved in. They really didn’t take it seriously. 

The Johnsons
Lorna170
Level 10
Swannanoa, NC

@James2566   If you are able to do so, join the housekeeper on her next cleaning of the villa.  (I assume your contract allows you to enter  along with your staff member; mine does). Take pictures of the condition of the villa, any damages, and be sure to time stamp them.  Do NOT worry about the review from this guy.  That is the least of your worries as you have excellent reviews and multiple properties to carry you.  As you have already complained to AirBnB and the guest has not been cancelled, get the estimates for the extra cleaning and damage/replacement costs, and send them to AirBnB while the guest is still in residence.   Push hard to get AirBnB to acknowledge the existing damage and ask AirBnB to remove the guest.  I wish you luck in getting rid of this jerk and having AirBnB beck you up and get you reimbursed.  It also sounds like this guy is a local -- he needs to go elsewhere.

Great advice, I will do! 


My housekeeper has been photographing everything. She has a video showing broken glass everywhere on the floor (bedroom, kitchen, patio), and broken glasses in the garbage (which he hasn’t reported). That’s why I freaked when found out he asked my other guests for wine glasses! 

At first I would send friendly notes about broken and damaged things but now it’s clearly a standoff, he owns my property until May 1st.


He’s from the UK, likely on a one year expat visa and my guess is he’s made friends with other expats on the island who he’s entertaining and lodging. There’s an island curfew so sounds like he’s lending my second bedroom to people who break curfew and spend the night. 

We have one and a half weeks to go and my cleaner next goes in this Thursday. I haven’t spoken to him in a few days as there’s no point. 

 

 

 

The Johnsons
Lisa723
Level 10
Quilcene, WA

@James2566 you are in control of your property. Why do you think you need Airbnb's permission or cooperation to terminate this reservation?

James2566
Level 9
Holetown, Barbados

They said they can’t and won’t cancel an active reservation and offered to send him a note asking him to follow our rules. 

Something tells me I’ll be booted from the platform for canceling his reservation against their advice to just file a damage claim after the fact. 

He asked my housekeeper to refresh the guest room linen for his next guests. I’ve told her to tell him to send us messages cause she can’t grant requests. I’ve advised guests next door they don’t have permission to loan him the content of our villa despite the fact we own both. It’s all making my blood boil! 

It all makes me want to move towards Instagram and direct booking. 

 

 

The Johnsons

@James2566  Of course you can cancel a reservation. A guest or host can cancel a reservation at any time. You don't need Airbnb to give you permission. 

 

It's absurd to allow this guest to continue to stay and trash your place.

@James2566 you can cancel any reservation at any time, without involving Airbnb. I know Airbnb is unpredictable, but in your shoes I would not be worried about being removed from the platform for one cancellation. I would be worried about allowing this guest to remain at the property.

@James2566   Right now I'm feeling nothing but shame for Airbnb that they've created a situation where you as an established and well-regarded hospitality provider feel that you don't have the power to maintain control of your own property. It's not your fault that you feel this way, but it's a disastrous failure  on the part of Airbnb that you've gotten into your head that you have to tolerate people abusing your own property. For chrissakes, this is just a stupid listing company that wants a cut of your booking fee - they're not going to kick you out just because you have to kick a guest out. Please, don't get this terrible idea in your head that Airbnb is your boss. They didn't recruit you - you chose to use their web service to list your home, and you can switch to another if you don't feel supported when you need to get horrible people out of your house. 

 

Sorry if this sounds hyperbolic, but I just can't imagine why you feel like this is out of your hands just because of the website you're using to rent a house out to randoms. 

Louise0
Level 10
New South Wales, Australia

You're plight sounds awful and Airbnb's response entirely unreasonable and inadequate.  There's nothing I can add to the sound advice already given by others for dealing with your dilemma, however, in the future, you might like to consider these tips to prevent a reoccurrence.

 

1. Establish exactly how many bedrooms the guest has 'purchased' and lock the doors to all others.

 

2. Have an additional guest fee that applies to any guest not included in the original booking headcount.  Make this fee high enough to be meaningful and make its application a House Rule.  In my case I call it a 'surprise guest' fee and it is $100 per head, per night.  This defines the amount to which you are entitled and for which the guest is liable.

 

3. Define the circumstances under which a 'visitor' becomes a 'surprise guest' and therefore attracts this fee.  In my case, I define a 'surprise guest' as anyone not included in the original guest count who is on the premises for any period between 11pm and 8am.  

 

4. Include a code phrase within your House Rules which the guest must quote to demonstrate they have actually read the House Rules.  If you use Instant Book, include the requirement to quote the code phrase in your pre-booking message.   Make this code phrase 'Surprise guests are expensive' or something similar.  Yes, I know that guests tick the box to attest to acceptance of the House Rules but, as we all know, they never, ever read them unless forced.  Even though the House Rules are still applicable and (ostensibly) enforceable regardless of whether the guest actually reads them, it makes the conversation a lot easier and less prone to argument if you have evidence that the guest was made aware of the rules and that a particular rule designed to curb problematic behaviour was emphasised.  In my case my code phrase is 'I know it's not a party house'.

 

5. Install exterior surveillance cameras that upload to the cloud in real time so that (a) activity is recorded and (b) evidence of tampering is captured and stored.  I use ArloPro.

Kelly149
Level 10
Austin, TX

Dude. Get a handle on this. Towels in gardens. Glass on floors. Mud on sofa. Out. Out. Out. 
here, let me hold the door for you, yes, can I help you carry your bag, where will you go, well I’m sure I have no idea, good luck, Godspeed, good bye, your refund, yes, I’m sure ABB will help you with that, thank you, farewell, take care, good bye. 

Airbnb's Terms of Service:

 

"Hosts offer accommodations (“Accommodations”), activities, excursions and events (“Experiences”), and a variety of travel and other services (collectively, “Host Services,” and each Host Service offering, a “Listing”)"

 

 

"Except where expressly authorized, you may not allow any person to join a Host Service unless they are included as an additional guest during the booking process."

 

The Guest is in breach, Airbnb have no grounds to refuse to cancel or to penalise you for cancelling this reservation forthwith.

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

I know I will be a lone voice here but you are a host with multiple properties, not someone doing a home share with carefully curated china and linens you personally use as well. You have multiple villas. Buy glasses  and towels in bulk. I think a few ruined towels and a few broken glasses are a cost of doing business if you are a professional host. You have a 20 night reservation and it seems your places are $100 a night. You do not even know if the towels are ruined. Same with couch. You have no idea what others do on that couch and trust me, they do not treat it as their own. The couch might be easily cleaned. It is not, of course it is a whole other story.

 

As far as his girlfriend: she is not going to leave. Why does bother you that much? Is it a legal limitation or you only want singles or you charge extra for the second person? 

 

Guest- yes, I do not allow guests either. I would have kicked out for that one. I have a really good reason though- I can get (and have gotten) very expensive tickets from the city plus I am trying to prevent parties. I do not think I would have minded if my guest brought a couple of people over if they just sat around having drinks and the count was not over legally allowed.

 

Sometimes after reading posts from various hosts here I do not even want to rent an Airbnb as a guest. It is like walking on eggshells with some. On vacation I just want to relax.