Guests Leaving With Key, Asking for Refund

Sunrise-Sky0
Level 2
Orlando, FL

Guests Leaving With Key, Asking for Refund

Hi! So I had an issue with my second stay. During check-in, I let them know the a/c has had acted out prior to their stay, and if any issues had come up, to contact me so I could resolve it. In fact, my a/c has no issues, but the unit itself has been having a little trouble running the cold air as effectively. Either way, they contacted me, and I responded within the hour. Within that hour, they left the unit, and went to a hotel instead, claiming “it was too warm”, and asking directly for a refund for the remaining days. They left with the key provided to them… I even had a specialist come in prior their stay, and I have pictures that prove that the thermostat is not showing the correct temperature in the apartment itself, as well as I have pictures proving these temperatures after they left… They left my unit a complete mess, they are asking for a full refund and I am in contact with the Support from airbnb. They are asking me if I would be willing to provide any sort of refund in that matter if they returned the key. Truly, I really would not want to and this situation has made me really uncomfortable to keep hosting. That caused me to block out dates and deny other booking requests, as well as I had discounts applied to their stay as they were one of my first bookings so technically I was barely going to get anything out of it anyway. 

Am I obligated to comply with the refund? What would you recommend in that situation? 

I would appreciate any sort of feedback in this matter.

3 Replies 3
Brian2036
Level 10
Arkansas, United States

@Sunrise-Sky0 

 

You don’t say how long they were there or how many days they were planning to stay.

 

It sounds like they were looking for an excuse to leave anyway, for whatever reason, and “too warm” was convenient.

 

 I would guess that Airbnb is going to give them a partial refund whether you agree or not, so I guess I would agree providing that they first return the key and Airbnb unblocks the remaining dates so you can rent to someone else.

 

 I think your rental rate is way too low for Orlando. Do not believe Airbnb’s statistics regarding price, discounts or any of that.

 

If your prices are too  low it will attract all kinds of weirdos and con-artists like the ones who just left.

 

Be glad you got rid of them. They would have done more damage if they had had more time.

 

Don’t be dismayed. Things will get better and you will learn to spot the phonies before they book and send them on down the road to Motel 6.

 
I find it very difficult to "stop the phonies", false, dishonest and abusive guests, before they make reservations with that unsafe and unfair policy they have with hosts, as guests makes check in with hosts, stay, use and abuse the hosts spaces, but they can leave on the same day and cancel the reservation with aibnb, without even talking to the host, who received them, to receive a full refund of the reservation amount. It isn't fair. The host is not even heard before the refund, they illegally cancel the reservation on behalf of the hosts, without hearing their opinion and, without the host's power of attorney or authorization to act on their behalf, and based on forged photos, taken many hours after check-in, the false reservation status is "cancelled by hosts" . With this unfair policy everything can go well for "weirdos and con-artists", weirds and crooks, or rather, professional bum guests who abuse the hosts' spaces. These abusive guests asked me to allow early check-in, I accepted, they agreed to everything at check-in, and after checking the room, bathroom and amenities, they didn't report me any problem or mess to staying in that rented room, and not even at the shared bathrooms that were cleaned at the check-in, they even acted hypocritically giving me compliments as "beautiful room", to quickly enter the rented space. They stayed there for many hours, used the room, bathrooms, fridge, freezer, garage, ventilators, everything they wanted, soiled the bed linen and towels I provided, but left the room with everything dirty on the same day of check-in, as in a motel, leaving all their waste and dirt, including the filthy bathrooms, canceled their reservation on aibnb in my name and wrongfully obtained from aibnb a full refund of their reservation amount, even though they used it and stayed during the day in the room, sending for aibnb forged photos, taken after checking all the spaces in the house and, after agreeing to check in, they put dirt in the bathrooms, on things, motes on top of the flush tank in a bathroom, to take fake photos and sent to Aibnb, claiming "cleaning problems" to receive a full refund of the entire amount of their reservation, tricking me, and also tricking aibnb into paying nothing for their stay. With these fake, abusive and dishonest guests, the hosts are not paid for their hospitality, and neither is the aibnb, who does not receive their service fees, as they are also cheated by these scum. I'm not interested in continuing these losses, I feel I don't have aibnb's support to protect me from dishonest guests and I don't feel safe in continuing to rent and receive aibnb's guests with their anachronistic and unfair policies that don't protect the hosts from these bums liars.
Mike-And-Helen0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Sunrise-Sky0 @Brian2036 say you will discuss a refund after the key is returned.

You could raise a claim for the key before it is too late.

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