Guest abandoned property and asked Airbnb to cancel, but my calendar is still booked 3 days later

[Lee353]

I’ve hosted for 6+ years, and this is a new one for me.

A guest booked a 17 day stay. They showed up and asked for some amenities we don’t advertise or offer, and I told him we didn’t have those things. 

Overnight, I get a message from Airbnb that the guest wants to cancel and get a full refund because the home is unclean. I had a feeling this guest was going to be high maintenance, so I actually cleaned the listing myself and took time stamped photos, so I can prove it was impeccably clean. 

I tried to contact the guest to see if we could remedy the situation and told him I’d provide the things he asked for as a courtesy, and he has never responded. 

I also heard the guest on the Ring camera (disclosed in listing) telling his wife that they “have a habit of rebooking once they get to the place and change their minds.” And he specifically discussed cancelling a 31 day stay on day 2. So clearly they have a pattern of behavior here. I let Airbnb know that before they adjudicate the claim. I assume this is their way of getting around nonrefundable policies. 

The guest moved out and abandoned the property 2 days ago, so I went down to check on the home because I was worried they had damaged it, and sure enough they broke a bed and left huge stains on the mattress. They also left the sliding glass door open. 

Airbnb has  said they won’t remove the reservation from my calendar until the claim is resolved even though the guest requested it. And they said they requested documentation from the guest, but he isn’t responding. 

Airbnb support hasn’t replied to me in 36 hours, so I’m kind of at a loss on how to proceed. 

Anyone have anything similar happen? How did Airbnb manage the outcome?

Also, not sure it should matter in this case, but I’m a Superhost with over 800 reviews, so I take a lot of pride in being a great host, so it’s disheartening to be stuck in limbo like this with a guest who is trying to game the system. 

[Lee353]

It has now been 2 full days since Airbnb has contacted me.  My calendar is still booked during Thanksgiving week, which is brutal, if they decide to refund this guest.  Does anyone here know how to get Airbnb to at least unblock my calendar so I can rebook Thanksgiving in case they decide to refund this guest despite overwhelming evidence?  

I know I can go to meditation, and I suspect I would win, given the timestamped photos and guest history of canceling nonrefundable stays and getting refunds despite it.

It also seems unfair that Airbnb is leaving my calendar blocked when the guest requested a cancellation and abandoned the property.

I had to buy a new mattress today and pay someone to fix the bed they broke, so if they refund this guest, I'm out the reservation and the damages unless Airbnb covers, since clearly the guest is going to try to scam their way out of it.

I'm super disappointed that Support can't be bothered to even provide an update. 😞

[Lee353]

5 days and counting... no response from Airbnb other than to say the guest isn't responding, so there's nothing they can do.

[Scott216]

I have a very  similar situation 11 months later.  AirBnB does not have guests' backs at all.

I have a guest in my apartment who is mad at me for no fault of my own.  He expected to wait 4 weeks for a visa and the embassy came back and delivered it within 1 week.  I must be one of the rare folks who is being abused because of a bureaucracy working too efficiently.

He, too, has full access to all my possessions, including a fortune in vintage and custom furnishings.  I do not have anything from him except a few weeks of rent payment.  No security deposit, zero warranty from AirBnB for my home, nothing.

Just a few years ago, a young, jet-setting couple rented for 3 months and snuck in a giant poodle two days after arrival, which is against my listing, my health, my lease, and the Building rules.  AirBnB did nothing but let them hide behind suddenly claiming the poodle was an emotional-support poodle with zero documentation.  They then proceeded to utterly trash my place, had their poodle sleep on my red silk vintage couch, which I begged them not to, just to spite me.  They had dog food and treats everywhere, and by the time they left the apartment was infested with mice and cockroaches.  It costs me thousands of dollars to remedy and a terrible review from the guest who came in the next day after they left but before we discovered the level of hidden damage.

They also left a drug-laced (psilocybin) chocolate bar that one of the cleaners ate (stupidly, but it was beautifully packaged, and he plucked it out before we threw everything away); he ended up in the ER of Lenox Hill hospital with low thousands in medical bills.  The floors were covered with clothing they'd thrown away; the garbage was overflowing on the kitchen floor; and my team had never seen anything like it.

AirBnB did nothing; they didn't even publish my review.  I complained multiple times, offered documentation for everything.  Totally ignored.

Then months later, I started getting bank statements that the couple had overdrawn accounts by tens of thousand of dollars and used my address.

When I reported this to AirBnB, AirBnB said that I should not be opening their mail!!

I couldn't write a story like this if I tried.