Guests smoking weed

[Melissa2741]

I need some help on how to navigate and what repercussions the guests would have for hot boxing the daylights out of our brand new remodeled home. There is a no smoking policy. What can I do? 

[Alicia753]

Hi Melissa,

To address guests smoking in your home, start by gathering clear evidence of the incident, such as photos, videos, and any specific signs of smoke odor or damage. This documentation will be essential for presenting your case.

Next, contact Airbnb support to report the breach of your no-smoking policy, sharing any evidence you've collected. This helps Airbnb understand the scope of the issue and support you in enforcing your house rules. For any additional cleaning or deodorizing needed to restore the home, submit a claim through Airbnb’s Resolution Center, specifying the exact costs incurred.

If the guests’ behavior is causing significant damage, you might consider asking Airbnb to terminate the reservation early based on the violation. For future guests, consider emphasizing the no-smoking rule in your listing and highlighting the consequences of any violations, such as additional fines or removal, to help prevent similar issues. With a proactive approach and clear documentation, Airbnb is more likely to support your case and assist with compensation if needed.

I hope this helps.

All the best,

Upfish Management

[Elaine701]

@Melissa2741 

Smoking is very difficult to "prove", unless there are burns or ashes or other leftovers - and even then, it's up to Airbnb outsourced support to make that judgement, which usually doesn't go in favour of the host. "Smell" is all but impossible to prove. If you have photos of the guest smoking in the house, then this is a clear "invasion of privacy", and subject to severe penalties, including delisting.

It's unfortunate that some guests choose to disobey these important "house rules", but occasionally they do. We've had the very same problem in the past. It's expensive to fix, but in any practical sense, there's precious little you can do about it.

Confronting the guest or reporting it to Airbnb - and particularly a demand for compensation - will likely result in a retaliatory review, complete with imaginary atrocities you never committed against the guest - in some cases, they may demand a refund for these fabricated atrocities. The same character of guest who would choose to ignore this important rule are precisely the same character that would write a retaliatory review or even demand a refund, which historically on Airbnb, they're likely to receive.

So, your practical choices are A) confront them and suffer any consequences, or B) chalk it up to experience, and become better at attracting better guests, and screening guests prior to booking. 

Good luck and happy hosting.

[Elisa]

Hi @Melissa2741 😊, 

I am truly sorry about this inconvenience!

Our host shared great advice with you, and she is correct, it is hard to prove. Regarding this, how do you know they smoked weed?

I will mention some hosts who had a similar experience to see if they can give you additional advice: @Nicklas1, @Jeff2303, @Sandra6576 and @Liesl6.

Thank you in advance everyone!

Don't hesitate to let us know what you decide to do about this situation.

Warm regards 🌻,

[Greg2406]

@Melissa2741 

Good advice below.   There are devices you can put in the home to detect any smoking inside a residence.  Wynd Sentry is one of the best at detecting cigarette, electronic vape pens, cigar, or marijuana smokes and it sends a signal to your phone with a date and time stamp of the occurrence.  It also indicates any tampering with the device(s).   There are multiple others on the market, Minut is another.   Your property should have two separate encrypted wi-fi networks and in an upcoming post, I will show why this is critical to have in any property.   Especially for these smoke sensing devices as well as your wi-fi thermostats and lots more.    

Note to Hosts, it is illegal for any Host to deny a Guest the use of medically approved marijuana if the Guest provides the Host with a valid medical use permit.  The Host must specify where the use can take place and also the storing of the substance, which obviously is not inside the Hosts property.  All Host's HR's should include this statement to ensure enforceability.  

@Elisa    I liked your question,...I needed a good chuckle today.