this is an interesting thread. i agree that hosts should be able to block a former guest that wasn't good and respectful. i'm a superhost and i enjoy meeting people across generations and from different countries. i've had some exceptional guests who i stay in touch with. my goal has always been to offer an affordable and nice play to stay and it helps with the rent.
in my years hosting it's inevitable you'll have a bad guest, because not all humans are inherently good. my most recent guest had been such an trip i wrote an essay about it.
she initially booked with me in january after i had a month long cancellation. her first night she started moving things around and cleaning. the next morning, i spoke up that that was inappropriate, she gaslighted me. she never admitted she did anything wrong or apologized.
eventually she moved on and a month later, she reached out directly to book again. housing is a struggle here and i wanted to help. i set a few guidelines. she extended her stay week-to-week. she was still compelled to move things as she preferred, but reluctantly would ask first. she would make intrusive comments related to my phone conversations she heard and anecdotes i shared. the gaslighting continued whenever i set a boundary.
eventually, things came to a head. i was a watching a documentary and i heard her mumble. ' that's such bull**bleep**.' when i said that that was not cool, she gaslit me again and called me " trash, uneducated, unsophisticated, ignorant and insecure'
after that, i put a hard stop on her stay after her last week. i had a full blown passive-aggressive gaslighter as a guest. her sweet, ladylike demeanor was all a con. i don't wish harm on anyone and will wish her well in my review, but that's about it. i wish i could warn others not to book her, but we all have to experience things ourselves.
maybe airbnb should roll out a psych assessment tool for potential guests?
