Just a story for ya’ll. I’ve been holding this one for over week. We left on holiday the day this concluded. I’m still unpacking this.
This story pertains to a guest who has stayed multiple times in a friend’s AIRBNB during the pandemic and then twice previously in one AIRBNB I manage in the last year. This guest is known to drink heavily and recycling day is always interesting. There have been concerns about this person falling down on occasion and many red wine spills on carpets that have caused the host to remove the carpet when this guest stayed. Now, keep in mind, this guest is a professional. A highly regarded professional who does traveling stints at local establishments in the area for weeks or months at a time. Also, a very good person but an alcoholic, none the less.
So she was staying for two weeks recently and at the end of week one, 14 litres of wine empties were in the recycling. It was actually only five days as she checked in on a Sunday and recycling was Friday.
And after her first night stay, I got a call from the guest on the main floor apt reporting that there must be a crazy person upstairs. Up all night talking on the phone super loud, up and down the stairs and to the car and slamming doors etc til 3:30 am. This guest said he would have to move if this was to happen again. He was also a return guest, and I advised him that she was actually a professional (not crazy or harmful) and I would talk with her. I did so and to the best of my knowledge this did not happen again. I spoke with the other guest at the end of his stay and he said he would come back.
During the stay she sent me weird (not harmful) messages and messages about a large print “falling” off the wall and then on week two she messaged to say she would be working from home so her car would be there all the time. Now this was really weird because she was hiring to travel and work at said location. She may as well be at her home if working remotely. But ok, all is weird.
She was due to check out on a Sunday and I was to clean the apartment that day and we were leaving on a four day holiday the following day (Monday). So after the cleaning the apartment would be ready for a last minute booking during our absence.
I had told her I would I arrive about 1030 on checkout day and finish cleaning the other apartment and see her off. My plan was to put pressure on her to get going because she is notoriously late. I end up arriving half hour after checkout 1130 because if guests at my place, to find her still there. I wasn’t super surprised as she always seemed to bring or gather too much stuff and was always running late.
BUT, she came down to talk to me and staggered down the hallway. She made some mention about her bad hip and I couldn’t smell alcohol.
I was thinking she was drunk though but not 100% sure.
So next thing I hear the apt door close at the top of the stairs and some mumbling and thumps. I was just finishing cleaning the main floor apt which the door open to the hallway so I came out and she was slumped against the wall at the top of the stairs.
Ok! Well sh*t!!
I went outside and took photos of her car and licence plate in case she got away from me. Then I called my friend who’s AIRBNB it was and explained the situation. (She just initially wanted her out at all costs which was understandable.).
After my phone call, it’s radio silence up there. So about 15 mins later I go upstairs into the apt and she is passed out on the bed.
Well at this point, I’m not happy on many levels. I wake her up tell her she has to leave but she can’t drive and ask her what we are going to do. She is so drunk she cannot respond.
I made a phone call to the previous host, our mutual friend who doesn’t have any ideas or her husband’s contact info. Fortunately a few minutely later the drunk guest agrees to call her husband and she briefly tells him what’s happening and then I take over the call and arrange with him to drive four hours to come here, keep her sober so they can leave the next morning (contrary to what the host wants but it needed to be done).
Yes, I know I could just call the police and have them remove her but then I have to deal with a car and her stuff and I’m going on holiday!!! In addition, she is a good human.
So, In the following two hours, she is crying and laughing, I’ve laid it out for her that she is a drunk and killing herself and needs help. Also told she hasn’t fooled anyone in the past two years, including her workplace.
She sobered up enough to call her brother and tell him in case her husband arrived or didn’t and told her to take a hike. Husband does arrive and stuff is coming out that things have not been good and clearly there have been work issues. I surmised that she was let go from her traveling gig or sent to work at “home” because of her drinking. The second week’s recycling haul was 17 litres of wine and some other bottles (whiskey) which may or may not have been hers but the other guest wasn’t known to drink one or two beer in a week so it was likely hers.
So next morning, I’m trying to leave town on holiday. Seems she left something on or open in her car and her car battery is dead. Finally I get her out and I’m leaving town but I don’t have time to clean that apt before going so a week of potential revenue was lost. I sent the guest a request for $400. $100 for my extra time dealing with her a$$ and $300 for the host for lost revenue. She did pay it right away. And gave a 5 star review.
I’m tired still. All in a day of an AIRBNB host.
