Guest lying to get a refund

[Nika1707]

Hello Airbnb community,

I'm reaching out for advice on a difficult situation I'm facing with a recent long-term guest. Here’s a summary of the events:

• I offered a substantial discount for a long-term stay in my 1-bedroom unit including free internet and electricity up to £100 per month. Family of 4 booked it.
• After a week, I noticed unusually high utility usage and reminded the guest of the utility cap. The guest then expressed that the property wasn’t meeting their needs and decided not to continue into the next month. Despite my request, they did not notify Airbnb of their plans.
• The following week, the guest mentioned that their company was supposed to arrange accommodation but hadn't, so they would stay with us until they heard back. Airbnb then charged their card for the second month, as they had been in the property for three weeks.
• After the charge, the guest said their company found 2 bedroom apartment and wanted to leave. Note that mine is 1 bedroom, and they emphasized this was 2, so I assume 'suitable' in their case meant with more rooms. They claimed Airbnb was refusing to refund them and asked me to issue a direct refund. I informed them that I had not yet received the payment and advised them to discuss the issue with Airbnb directly.
• The guest then threatened to file a complaint with Airbnb, suggesting that this could lead to me being removed from the platform if I didn’t refund them. Despite considering a partial refund, I decided to wait as I had concerns about the guest’s intentions.

This morning, I learned that the guest filed a complaint, falsely alleging that the property was in poor condition and that I was unresponsive. The property was renovated this year, with all new furniture and appliances, and I have evidence to support this, including renovation records, purchase receipts, and photos taken just before the guest checked in.

An Airbnb ambassador contacted me late last night, giving me only 30 minutes to respond (I was asleep at the time). I’ve been trying to reach Airbnb support all day without success. This situation is becoming a real nightmare.

Any advice or support from the community would be greatly appreciated as I navigate this challenging situation. Thank you.

[Nika1707]

An update:

Unfortunately, Airbnb has not done anything to help me, yet. Despite submitting tens of pieces of evidence, it seems no one is reviewing them.

The guest has now shifted his claim. Unable to support his earlier accusation of "disrepair," he is now told Airbnb there are roaches in the apartment. He submitted a video showing a fridge (purchased this year) that was moved, revealing some stains and 1 bug that is alive.  Based on what I think now after seeing that they are ready to do anything to get a refund,  he may have deliberately scattered sugar or other food to attract bugs, as he could not prove the apartment was in "disrepair".

I asked why he didn’t mention this issue to me or Airbnb earlier, or why he didn’t escalate it if there were indeed bugs present. Unfortunately, Airbnb has not responded to these questions; they only acknowledge receipt of the video. The apartment was professionally cleaned before their stay, and we had lived in it without encountering any such issues. This is so disturbing to experience and I don't know who to contact anymore. Any advice?