Guests receiving tax paperwork at my address

[Jessica2953]

Curious if anyone else has had this issue, this guest stayed Jan 12 - 14th and then again the 23rd through the 1st of Feb.  Yesterday I received what was very clearly tax paperwork to my address in his name.  This makes me think he may have tried to use my address for some type of scam.  Why on earth would you give my address to an employer when you only stayed with my for a few weeks?  He also had some packages delivered to the back door during his stay.  He did not ask, that is the problem I have.  And because he did not ask, it seems even shadier.  I am concerned more about him using my address for work purposes and what that could mean for me.  My taxes are complicated enough as it is LOL......should I message him and tell him I returned it with the note "not at this address"?  He is no longer here and has not asked me about it.

[Helen3 · Accepted solution]

If he hasn't bothered to advise you that he is using your address I wouldn't bother to notify him. It's good you have returned the paperwork marked as not known at this address.

I would block him so he can't make further bookings with you @Jessica2953 

Do you include your house rules a notification that guests may not give your address out for deliveries or correspondence?

[Huma0]

@Jessica2953 

While I agree with @Helen3 that you are not under any obligation to inform the guest and that by  returning to sender you have done your due diligence, when it's correspondence of the official kind such as this, I would take it a step further.

That is based on my experience of 'return to sender' not actually being that effective here in the UK. I can't tell you how much mail I have done this with and still continued to receive it. I was getting letters from a bank for someone who used to live here more than a decade after they left! Even when I called the bank, they told me they could not remove my address because there was some issue with the account.

Personally, I would contact the guest and ask them to have your address removed and/or contact the sender and explain that this person does not live at your address, but was simply an Airbnb guest.

If you don't already, I would add to your house rules that guests must not receive mail or packages (without permission - or not at all, depending on what you prefer) nor give out your address to third parties. Of course, not all guests will read this, but it helps.

[Lorna170]

@Jessica2953  Mail that is not addressed to me at my address is physically taken to the post office once a month (or when I am going anyway) and handed to the clerk.  I have had the occasional Amazon delivery, and again, I return it via the nearby UPS office or fedex.  If the guest is still here when it arrives at my home/property, I will take it to them and let them know that all future packages and mail will be returned to the post office and they can collect it from there.

As long as I take the mail or package to a mail facility, I have done my due diligence.  

Returning mail marked return to sender will not stop future mail.  My deceased father still gets mail after 10 years.  I just keep sending it back.