About 16 months ago I had a couple from Great Britain who booked for a week and simply never arrived. I was new to hosting back then, so I simply kept the room is good order, making it ready for arrival each day, thinking that perhaps they would show up a bit later, but as the days turned into a week there was no sign of the couple. The reservation ended, the couple had never come to the house, yet I had been paid. Two more weeks past, there was no communication and no review.
Fast forward to today in October 2020. Another couple, this time from Texas, booked for five days. On day three, no sign of them and no communication. I have seen people suggest we contact guests in these situations to ask their intentions and if they are okay. But, and I might sound harsh here, is that really my responsibility? I have done everything I have needed to do to get the room ready and make the house ready for their arrival. Is it my job to be their caretaker, find out where they are, and check on their status? There was actually a similar case, which I read about a few months back, where somebody did this on the second or third day, and the guest sent a sob story asking for a refund even though two days had already gone by and it was against the host's refund policy.
I'd be curious to hear if anyone else has ever had a guest pay for a week (or longer) and then simply never show up.