Help! Long-term guest renting room-Worse than your worst nightmare - AirBnB doing nothing!

[Kaylee41]

I could legitimately write for four hours about this guest and would probably still have more to tell.  I’m just going to ask my question though and leave all that out bc I need an answer like now.  Mentally unstable and very confrontational guest (2 month stay and we’re 9 days away from checkout). She’s been like this since day two, but it’s getting worse and is legimately affecting my health.  I have several types of heart disease  (both structural/valvular disease and an arrhythmia) and the constant stress of her episodes nearly every time I step into the rest of my house from my bedroom, is now affecting me to the point that my heart starts racing so fast and I start getting light headed and blurry vision.  Yes, it’s that bad.  No, I’m not exaggerating a bit.

I’ve contacted AirBnB countless times and they always pretend to be empathetic and then say they will escalate issue and I’ll be receiving a call shortly from a higher up and I NEVER do.  I call back, am usually told that person is helping another guest and will call me as soon as done.  Still nothing until usually like 6-8 hours later when I get a message in AirBnB app saying,

“Hi Kaylee,

My shift is about to end.

I am forwarding your query to a member of our team who can assist you further. They will get in touch with you soon.

In the meantime, please feel free to respond to this message with any further questions or concerns.”

I respond, and get nothing back.  I call and the cycle starts all over again.  I reply to message, all but begging, and nothing.

The most recent person I spoke with when I called essentially told me that I would have to refund her if I want her to leave.  I COMPLETELY understand that and I would, but I already paid my rent with it and I legitimately just don’t have it.

This time I asked to speak with a supervisor and again stressed the urgency of the situation.

Btw: if they would just look into it, they have a record of her on their recorded line, shouting and saying she owns this house and a bunch of other stuff while I am on the phone with Airbnb.  I also have her on my surveillance camera saying a bunch of stuff and flipping off the camera and laughing (and yes, camera was disclosed in listing).

I’m desperate for any suggestions how to get AirBnB’s attention.  The police won’t do anything bc she hasn’t been physically violent.

Any suggestions would be more appreciated than you could imagine!    Thank you!!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Kaylee41  you can cancel and Airbnb would refund her from your future payouts. You don't refund her directly in cash

[Sarah977]

@Kaylee41  As soon as it becomes evident that a guest is a serious pain, you should tell them that your place doesn't seem to be a good fit for them, shorten the reservation, refund them the unstayed nights and get them out of your life. 

It's a little late in the game, with 9 days left on a 2 month booking. I'm sorry she's stressing you so much, but try to be firm about what you aren't willing to put up with, stick out the last 9 days, and leave an appropriate review, warning other hosts. 

I'm not sure what you expect Airbnb to do. Even if they tell her to shape up, that doesn't mean she will. It's your home- you're the boss, not Airbnb.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Kaylee41 

Agree with @Branka-and-Silvia0 .

You need to contact Airbnb and CLEARLY state the guest is not respecting house rules and is causing a disturbance, making you uncomfortable in your own home. Therefore you want the guest to leave immediately meaning the booking needs to be cancelled and want Airbnb to contact the guest informing her of the cancellation and that she needs to pack and leave.

Other than cancelling the booking and contacting the guest on your behalf, there is nothing else Airbnb can do. Once the system shows the booking is cancelled, Airbnb will issue the appropriate amount as a refund to the guest automatically. You should never refund guests in cash. 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2022/can-a-host-cancel-a-reservation-without-adverse-consequence...

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/259/if-a-guest-makes-you-uncomfortable

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/987/will-my-refund-be-issued-automatically

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/544/canceling-during-your-stay

And here are some links to posts from the CC

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/How-to-kick-out-a-current-guest-you-are-no-longer-comfor...

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/How-do-you-kick-out-a-guest-before-his-long-term-booking...

IMO, trying to kick a guest out now might be more of a trouble since there is only 9 days left (out of a 2 month booking) As a host, it's your responsibility to make sure guests respect house rules and behave appropriately. While I sympathize with your situation, you can't expect Airbnb to *make* decisions on your behalf to *do something* about a problematic guest. You need to decide what you want Airbnb to do (in terms of the booking) and they will just execute what you ask and handle the rest according to the policies. 

Good luck~

[Pete69]

Stories like this are why I don't accept bookings of greater than 6 days -- and I don't even share any interior space with guests! In California, you definitely don't want to rent to anyone over 30 days because they legally become a "tenant". Then, if they overstay and refuse to leave, you must go through a lengthy and expensive court process to get them out. These cases are very uncommon, but you wouldn't want to be the unlucky host to get stuck with a squatter. That would send any host's blood pressure soaring.

[Kaylee-D-0]

’ve even sent them multiple videos of her breaking house rules, moving my security camera, flipping off the security camera , rambling and talking to the security camera, etc.  They still won’t call me back or do anything.  They are claiming I must refund her.  Why should I have to refund her if she is the one crossing boundaries and harassing?  What I want is for them to cancel the reservation and either not refund her or refund her on their own dime.  One of you mentioned, it’s from future payouts, is that true?  I just figured they would charge my bank account?

[Sarah977]

@Kaylee-D-0  Airbnb has no access to your bank account. They can't withdraw money from it- refunds are deducted from your future payouts.

What you want isn't possible. If a guest's booking is cancelled during a stay, they are refunded for unstayed nights. It doesn't matter if they throw a rager party their first night of a 3 night booking, totally trash your house and get booted out, they will still be refunded.

Sending videos of guests breaking rules is a waste of your time. As I and others have been trying to tell you, you as a host are responsible for enforcing your rules or getting the guest to leave.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Kaylee-D-0 

Even if the cancellation is because the guest is breaking house rules and acting inappropriately, if the host is the one requesting the cancellation then nights not stayed are refunded to the guest - I agree it's unfair, but those are the rules. And yes Airbnb will deduct from your future payout. 

IMO, you should not have expected Airbnb reps to watch multiple videos and reach their own conclusion on how to handle your situation. It's not their problem. It's yours. 

At the first hint of issues/problems, you should have contacted the guest thru the Airbnb messenger pointing out problematic behavior, asking for improvement, and a polite warning that if the guest doesn't behave and respect rules you (host) will have no choice but to ask the guest to leave. Despite giving the guest ample opportunity to behave, if they don't, then you can contact Airbnb CS and they will check the message history between you and the guest which is the only evidence Airbnb CS actually takes into consideration. Based on the message history, Airbnb CS will determine if the host asking for the remainder of the booking be cancelled is acceptable, then per YOUR request, will cancel and (also if YOU request) someone from Airbnb will contact the guest notifying her that the booking has now been cancelled and she needs to leave. That is it. Airbnb simply handles the platform/system admin stuff related to bookings and initiates payments/refunds according to the booking status. It's also the host's responsibility to ensure the guest actually and physically moves out - Airbnb can't help you on this, and my understanding is that the police will not help either. Your home, your responsibility. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Jessica-and-Henry0  Police will help evacuate the guest if the reservation is cancelled or over. Not if it is still active.

I am not sure how it goes if the guest stays over 30 days, it is different in each country.

@Kaylee41I just want to say we all sympathize with you and understand your stressful situation. It can happen to any onsite host and especially to new, inexperienced hosts. Everyone here wants to help you with advice and instruction even though it may sound we are judging you but we are not. 

Airbnb is not a good platform to find a long term tenant, instant booking is a big no-no as well. I use Facebook for long term tenants, look at their profiles, chat with them a little and then meet them in person. If there are no red flags then we sign a contract, they pay a security deposit and get a key.  It is much safer than Airbnb. I suggest you do the same for long term roommates. Airbnb is good for short term stay guests only.

Take care of your health, avoid your tenant if you can't kick her out within a few remain days, invite a good, male friend to stay with you if possible and I hope she will leave when her reservation is over. Let us know how it ended.

[Colleen253]

@Kaylee41 "What I want is for them to cancel the reservation and either not refund her or refund her on their own dime".  

You can't have it both ways. If you want her out badly enough, you'll quit standing in your own way and get on with it. Is your health and sanity not worth more than the payout? 

[Kaylee41]

Thanks for clearing that up. 

[Laura2592]

@Kaylee41 cancel. You have the power to do it. Call the police if she doesn't leave. 

Don't take any more stays over 28 nights. You don't want a squatter. California is notorious for being tenant friendly. Given your health,  I would limit guests to the amount of time you think you can deal with a difficult one. Short stays may require more effort to turn over but if someone is an issue,  they are soon gone. Worth the tradeoff if you ask me. 

You have to wonder about people who will pay a premium for a long term stay to avoid a credit and background check or references from past land lords. Probably not your a plus ultra tenants.

Airbnb won't help. Don't wait for them to. Come back to the forum when you need help with the review.  Post in the Host Only section so it's not searchable by potential guests in the future.  

Good luck.  

[Brian2036]

@Kaylee41 

If you have any friends or relatives that could stay with you until this whacko leaves I think you should call them. NOW!

[Brian2036]

@Kaylee41 

I would also suggest canceling the remainder of her stay immediately and if she doesn’t leave, wait for her to go out and barricade the doors.

If she tries to break in you can then get the police involved. 

[Kaylee41]

They won’t cancel it…I’ve tried.  It’s “under investigation.”  They all tell me they have to investigate it and will call me back and they never call me back.  This has happened countless times.  The only incoming phone call was from a representative who I hung up on because I called and asked for a supervisor and she told me no.  In fact, the last person I spoke with told me he doesn’t have a supervisor, which explains a lot.