Guest leaves early wants a refund : cosmetic issues he claims are cleanliness

[Simon364]

Hi I Am a superhost with many 5 star reviews. I run a small old house with 2 bedrooms on Airbnb. It is my home.

My current issue is that I accepted a guest booked on behalf of his wife, who has the account. Usually I don’t accept third party, but I looked at the reviews and they are all good and mostly booked by his wife because he travels for work . In this case I did (against my better judgement)

However, he left early (only stayed 2 days of a 5 day booking), citing issues to do with the bathroom and kitchen . They were cleaned before the guest arrive , but to be fair to the guest, he comments were about cosmetic issues like the radiator is rusting and the paint is peeling which is correct.

He wants a refund of the 3 nights he is not here. I am inclined to give a partial refund but am concerned that his wife will leave a bad review.

[Joan2709]

@Simon364 

I would provide the refund as requested. Yes, since you accepted a third party booking, his wife can leave a negative review.

[Elegant-Homes-Retreat0]

@Simon364 thank you for sharing your experience — this kind of real-world scenario helps so many of us in the Airbnb community learn and support each other better.

It’s clear you’ve handled the situation thoughtfully. Cosmetic wear like a bit of rust or peeling paint is normal, especially in older, character-filled homes. The fact that you’re open to offering a partial goodwill refund shows your professionalism and guest care — even when the issue isn’t about actual cleanliness.

Your note about third-party bookings is also an important reminder for us all. Even when reviews look solid, the person staying might have very different expectations, and unfortunately, the account holder still holds the power to review.

If you do decide to refund, it may help to send a kind message to the guest clarifying that it’s a gesture of goodwill and not an admission of fault. And if a negative review comes, a calm and factual public response can help future guests see the full picture.

Thanks again for being part of this community and helping others navigate these tricky moments.

Warm regards,
Team AryaStay | Elegant Homes Retreat

[Simon364]

Thanks for your replies. I have been doing this for ten years and there is always someone who catches you out!

One of the biggest annoyances is that I asked him every day if everything was OK . I speak to my guests whenever I can as they are in the same house, and when they arrive I always tell them to tell me if they have any problems and I will sort them out straight away. When I got home from work , this guest had quit the house and a few hours later messaged me to say he didn't like that the radiator was rusty and wanted a refund.

In the end it's a gamble for us hosts isn't it? Even if I refund , they still might not give me a good review (well his wife anyway). And I don't understand , if it's against Airbnb policy to allow third party bookings, why do so many people do it? His wife does all the bookings.

[Joan2709]

@Simon364 

Hosting does carry risks for sure. Many Hosts don't do Home share and would never know the person who booked is not the one staying (unless they look at cameras and see a male show up when a female booked). At that point a Host would have to then contact the guest and explain this isn't allowed and get Airbnb to cancel the booking. The guest can still leave a review though. Some Hosts don't even know 3rd party bookings are not allowed by Airbnb. Some Hosts require a photo ID upon arrival, but technically if the Host determines it is a 3rd party booking at that point, they will still have the issue of canceling the stay and the guest can still leave a review. You can't win sometimes.

The only way to cancel a third party booking prior to arrival is if the guest admits it is a third party booking. Airbnb would need to be contacted to cancel the stay. Since the guest never arrived in this case, they shouldn't be able to leave a review.

We have a paragraph in our after booking message and check-in message that 3rd party bookings are not allowed (you have to explain what that is to guests). We say it is booking a stay for someone, but not staying at the property yourself for the entire stay. 

Sadly, Airbnb will even try to get the Host to let the 3rd party guest stay, even though it is against their own policies.

[Simon364]

Yes - I have phoned Airbnbn superhost hotline,  in the past when I discovered that the guest was not the person who booked - when they arrived at the front door.  It was  a woman who arrived late at night , and her sister had booked . Airbnb had no problem with me letting her in, and did not state anything about there being "no third party bookings". It was clear that that they wanted me to take the booking.

[Joan2709]

@Simon364 

Of course they didn't have a problem...this way they don't have to refund a guest and you take all the risk of a 3rd party booking. This is why you need to add "No 3rd Party Bookings (booking a stay for others, but not staying on property yourself for the entire stay)" to your Addl House Rules and Guest messages.

Some guests will do 3rd party bookings because a friend or family member has bad reviews or has been banned. When you accept the 3rd party booking, you have no idea of this person's past reviews or behavior.

Many Hosts don't want to hassle with having the stay cancelled so go along with it, but you are taking a risk.

Here is the policy:

Booking for Friends & Family

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/427

[Simon364]

thanks for that information I appreciate it

[Mary1523]

I haven't checked your listing, but regardless of the 3rd party booking, is it clear the type of property it is so guests know exactly what they are walking into?

Appreciate in this instance someone else booked but at least you can give them a partial refund and then in the commentary (if they do review before the 14th day), you can say, 'someone else booked this property on their behalf (noting 3rd party bookings are meant to be prohibited) so they were unaware that in my listing i do state xyz but in the interests of ensuring the guest is happy airbnb guest, I did partially refund even though technically I didn't need to'.

I also wouldn't review until the 13th day just in case...no point triggering their review as it sounds like it's best you don't get one...

all the best, regs MK