Do you allow guests to break house rules so they do not give you a bad review?

[Letti0]

I'm seeing a startling large pattern lately, especially since they changed the SuperHost qualifications on AirBnB. But it's not just here but on other hosting forums for other sites too. Hosts are over looking extra guests they can prove and not confronting their guests and letting them stay free when they clearly have a fee that should be paid. Guest check in way too early or check out way to late and they say nothing. Leave the place a total pigsty and they do nothing or say nothing. Guests bring vistors on to the property without permission; yet you look the other way. Allow the guest to control the environment, rather than the host this one is more related to shared homes than entire houses and appears to be happening to more and more hosts in the last 6 months or so. Guests asking for things you do not supply, but you go the extra mile and give it to them anyway to make them happy and it continues to happen again and again once you give in once. There's a lot more but those are the bigger ones. I been seeing a lot of. 

More than half of the hosts do not leave any reviews of the guests at all with the bad behavior out of fear of a retailory review. I have also noted that a lot of hosts do not actually understand the review process at all and think if they don't write one then the guests won't appear. Also that many host never leave a review for the guests good or bad. This is troublesome for a few reasons. One a guest rent out places from hosts that do not review at all and have issues renting with hosts that require reviews. Bad guest get to repeat bad behavior at another hosts place without any warning to future hosts. Some guests won't review a host that has not reviewed them first, the logic is if they can't bother I can't. 

For the first 10 reviews I let things slide a little, but not anything major. I also use the stategy of reviewing the guests immediately and usually get a review back within 1 to 24 hours, then I ask about the issues that came up on check out along with any costs involved if there were any there usually isn't, since it has to be a claim worth putting in the effort to get before I bother. This has been a very useful method, so far anyway. I am now at the point I will confront them during the booking stage or when they show up with extra guests issues, infants being paid for, vistors showing up, etc. Reviews be danged. I will not be abused or taken advantage of by my guests. I prove a great place with many extra amenties they will not find elsewhere for the most part. I let the place speak for it's self now. I understand all hosting styles are different, but why do so many hosts allow this abuse to go on and continue renting to the guest or guests and not get AirBnB or whatever site to cancel them and get rid of them? It just boggles my mind. 

The other thing I have noticed is very few hosts actually have rental agreements with their guests. I not only have the rental agreement I get a copy of the government ID. My guests do not really have an issue with this, out of all my guests on all the sites I list on only one has refused to sign it and return it. They cancelled. No big loss in my mind. Also surprisingly many hosts are not aware of the host and guests email's provided by AirBnB to send the rental agreement and ID back and forth via PDF and JPEG. 

So my question is are you one of the hosts allowing major House Rules to be broken for fear of a bad reviews and if so has it really stopped the bad reviews from bad guests? I personally don't see how it would, but I'd like to know what your actual experience has been.  

[Jj42]

I am a brand new hoster on air bnb and am trying to get a few 5-star ratings so that I can eventually increase my asking price to a more livable rate. My place is a small 1 bedroom apartment(entire suite) that I offer an air mattress if needed for extra guests (total 4 people). I had a family instant book with 4 guests +infant...even though I learned later that their 'infant' is 2 years old. I had not even thought of this before, and immediately changed my settings to adult only. My suite isn't equipped to manage 5 people! I will need to cancel and am totally bummed out because that means I can't reach super host rating for the next year.

But what else am I supposed to do? Accept the false booking and accept damages from a toddler that I can't accommodate?

[Letti0]

@Jj42  Do Not Cancel! Call AirBnB and have them cancel as it's over your limit plus your place is not suited for 2-12 and she placed the 2 year old into the infant category when it's not actually an infant at all. Demand they cancel the booking penalty free as you are completely uncomfortable with this booking. 

FYI:

DO NOT CANCEL a reservation, DO NOT ACCEPT any message about cancelling, changing or refunding DECLINE it a loophole that comes back to bite you and gives guests back their service fees and/or voids your cancellation policy (changing dates) or the cancellation is now on you, not the guests (accepting cancellation). DO NOT REFUND anything until actual cash has been given to you by AirBNB. If you refund they will take the money from you and a lot of times guests get refunded from both AirBnB and you if you do this, then you have a fight to get your money back. Tell the guest you do not deal with the booking funds that is all on AirBnB's end.

AirBnB number:

United States and Canada

+1-415-800-5959 +1-855-424-7262 (toll-free)

[Victoria567]

Hello @Jj0

You really must tighten up the category of guest you will or will not host.

I have 2 bedrooms each for a MAXIMUM of 2 adult guests.....that is quite clear and still Ive had the odd parent, asking me if they can bring their infant and they find it difficult to get accommodation.

My response is still NO and I give them details of a couple of local hotels more suitable for their personal needs.

I do not cater for children or infants under the age of 12 years old.

What is surprising is there are a significant number of hosts desperate on the forum, attracting the wrong type of guest.

Ive learnt lately even increasing price will not prevent, the odd bad apple into my family home, but I feel much better having a really strict set of rules on my listing.

Yes my bookings are down, but there is some business I can do without, and perhaps some hosts should bear this in mind regarding who they allow to share their family home with.

[Joe93]

Same here.Vaived cleaning fee,bought fruts and wine,whatever can issure I can get 5 stars feedback.

Guests always treathen leave bed feedback.I didn't leave feedback for guest who trashed my apartment and airbnb payed me for that because of fear of getting bed review.I am sure ,those guests will do the same to others.there is no "super guest" and airbnb dosn't requiere good acore to be guest.

Sad story.

[Victoria567]

Hi @Joe0 

That’s a rotten situation you had to deal with, but not surprising seeing some of the entitled guests, I’ve had to deal with this season.

You have to as a host take ALL the measures you can to weed out thus type of entitled guest.

I had an older couple of Americans thus season who seemed very nice, being hospitable Scots we offered them a couple of drams of fine malt whisky in our own private sitting room,

At least they were clean and tidy and I left them a fair review......still awaiting for a review from them!

[John1080]

@Letti0, great topic and thanks for starting it. I have broken my rules once, when a group of 5 lawyers showed up with 6 adults and a baby, which I saw on the security camera. In that case, I would have said something and put in place the charge for the extra adult, but being a group of lawyers, I was concerned about mentioning it in that situation.

I have found that my bigger concern is instant booking and the lack of communication. So far, every single guest who has IB with me has not responded to my initial message that I send afterwards, and with a few of them, I never hear anything at all before, during or after their trip. While, with the exception of the lawyers, all of the groups have been great at leaving the place tidy, I still feel very uncomfortable not hearing even a single word from them. 

In both cases, with the extra guest and with the lack of communication, I do not press it, particularly in the latter case, as I don't want to bother or irritate the guests and risk a negative review. 

[Sarah977]

@John1080  I'm not surprised that the Instant Book guests fail to answer messages. It seems to me that those who just want to IB without first contacting the host to ascertain if the listing will indeed meet their needs, get some sense of the host, and have an understanding that most of us are welcoming strangers into our homes (as opposed to the listings run by property managers with tons of listings), therefore would like to have a sense of who the guest is, are the kind of people who just want everything to be quick, easy and not require bothersome things like taking the time to personally communicate.

I don't use IB, and I usually get really nice introductory messages from guests when they first send an Inquiry or a Booking Request. Some are more detailed and some are brief, but they are all polite, usually say a bit about themselves, and the purpose of their trip without any prodding from me.

[John1080]

@Sarah977, I have struggled with whether or not to turn off IB and still considering it. 

Those who do not IB usually send nice messages and respond well to my 'pre-approval' message and we may have a back and forth once or twice, which I like so I can get a feel beforehand, as you say.

I have also updated my IB requirements, asking the guests to introduce themselves and most have, but then when I send my 'pre-approval' message, which is in this case not a pre-approval at all since they have already booked, none of them has responded! 

I'll have to make the decision of either chilling with regards to this (as, they have all worked out okay cleanliness wise), or turning off IB. If I end up having a really terrible experience, I will certainly turn it off. 

[Sarah977]

@John1080   

To Do List:

Pick up dry cleaning

Buy birthday present for Mom

Sign field trip permission slip for Susie

Book Airbnb

They want to cross it off the list and then forget about it until a day or two before they arrive.

Good to hear none of your IB guests have left a mess and I can totally understand that many hosts may find it beneficial as far as getting more bookings and not being pressured to answer those Inquiries and Requests within 24 hours.

[Ute42]

.

Hi @Letti0,

may I suggest that we start a

„ You get what You pay for „

movement. No more pampering of guest, we provide what it says in the listing.

Also I suggest that we set our standard guest rating to 3*. A better rating will only be considered if the guests behaviour ist „better than expected“ or „much better than expected“.

[Stay-Asheville0]

as Well as when you have to make a claim to them...

its an increibly unfair situation to be in as a host and airbnb needs to do something about it 

[Ute42]

.

Hi @Stay-Asheville0 ,

wake up, airbnb will not do „something about it“.

In Germany airbnb has 28 times the monthly pageviews compared to their direct competitor wimdu. And internationally they have 200 times the pageviews.

Here's the reality:

 

Airbnb dominates the STR market internationally in major locations. They can do what they want.

Eat it or delist.

[Stay-Asheville0]

wimdu isn't airbnb's direct competitor... vrbo is. 

If you're talking about rooms in homes, sure.   But for whole house rentals like I have, I'm probably better off taking the reservations on my own site and doing my own marketing, considering all of the money I lose because of airbnb's lack of effort at dealing with very real and serious host concerns.

[Ute42]

.

@Stay-Asheville0,

that's right, for entire houses You can use VRBO.

Or try google adwords, that's what I often use. They send one invoice per month and one stat per month, thats it. They don't bother You with any kind of requirements. Advertising with google adwords is total freedom.

[Rebecca181]

So last week I gave a free upgrade to a guest and his wife who booked a week long stay over a year ago. Instead of the 480 square foot studio, they got a 1580 square foot Cottage with ocean view deck and loft. And what happens? I get a long email telling me how amazing and fantastic the place is, what great hosts we are (this was NOT through Airbnb, but VRBO, by the way); BUT, they can hear us talking at times when they are in the hall near the door to the breezeway that connects the Cottage to our residence. Nobody has mentioned this is an issue, ever, after over 150 stays. The email was written in such a way where I could tell he was hoping for a discount. It was rather disheartening, truth be told. 

I wrote back and let him know how sad I was to hear that his free upgrade was resulting in his feeling that he was having a less than stellar stay and that I regretted that he and his wife were inconvenienced. by being given the entire Cottage. My solution? I told him that I would put a sound masker at the door that goes into the breezeway and I hoped the sound masker would not bother them overly much.

He wrote back real quick telling me that it was nothing to worry about at all, no problem, and I never heard from him again. They also left the Cottage in great shape when they checked out today, which I appreciated (e.g., no retaliatory behavior). 

I admit, I did not turn on the magical, twinkling lights that wrap around the Cottage at night during their stay after getting this email. Just didn't feel like doing 'the extras' beyond the 'extras' I already give.

Yet another lesson in why not to over-give to guests. Most often it is not appreciated or even acknowledged, and can even set a host up to be further taken advantage of. 

Good post, @Letti0, thanks!