House broken rules

[Shimae0]

Hello to anyone who can respond to my issue I am new to airbnb and my second guest violated all my house rules and try to make it seem like I was crazy for sending out a claim for the stuff she did but airbnb says that I need documentation for the extra guest, and the smoking violation but I'm like how the mess do you get something that was in the air and didn't know until the day of check out she had a totally new person in the room. Also she is claiming that she didn't come into my home at 4am when for a fact I know she was not home because I had to scream in her room just to turn Alexa off smh honestly I am getting to the point where I don't even want to do airbnb but my fiance is so help bent on it but I'm over it seriously I have complex ptsd and she just made my anxiety all the way to the top. I would like to know when you have a really horrible person in your home if airbnb don't believe you what is the purpose of hosting if the host are not being taken care of cause of course she is going to lie, and she claims she didn't know she had to wash her dishes I'm like are you serious what part of the world do you live in that you would come to someone's house leave with dishes in the room left over food under the bed lights on and the window all the way to the top, trash all in the room and a really nasty towel left near the bed I didn't even want to touch it with my hands cause it looked really nasty if you know what I mean but she claimed it was her face wash lol that my friend was not your face wash it was pale and in a certain manner I don't even want to keep going. I'm really upset about this I would really like to know is this to be expected from guess are these people really that horrible to airbnb host. Also what do you truly think should I just stop airbnb cause I am not getting answers from them! 

[Helen744 · Accepted solution]

Shimae0, there are a lot of things you can do to make life easier. GET on the dashboard and look a lot of stuff up firstly. Do not take one night guests. Put some signs up like , 'please wash your dishes after use' Have a cleaning fee, add rules, add waste baskets in all rooms and mark trash bins. Have lots of dishwashing products , as someone said to me once," not everyone likes to use the same type of sponge, vary it' . Mostly get to know why the guest is staying with you before they arrive, have a check in time and a checkout time. Use a blackboard and say hello to your guest.Greet your guest , keep the reins in your hands . If you are the primary host then take charge , do not be intimidated or afraid to mention your rules , before gusts arrive. Add a lined laundry basket but be aware all guests leave some mess ,All. There is a lot of cleaning , not all of it palatable . If you do your own cleaning then maybe follow Airbnbs cleaning guide or wear gloves and a mask . who knows , maybe this gig will assist with your PTSD and your interactions with others. stand your ground ... Good Luck , oh and make your profile pic clearer because when we ask guests for ID then we mist let them see who we are as hosts. every little bit helps to protect you and to give your guests a good experience.... H

[Jenny]

Hi @Shimae0 

I hope that you're doing ok after this experience.  Has the guest now left the listing? 

As the Community Center isn't a formal branch of support for Airbnb, we can't give any formal advice, but it sounds like you are in touch with Support about the issue.  Have you asked them for examples of what kind of evidence they'd accept?

I found this article which has some helpful links to tips and advice that might help when dealing with bookings in the future.  

The advice given by @Helen744 in her first reply is really useful, and a good starting point.  Having a more detailed Airbnb listing and profile will help you set better boundaries in the future.

Wishing you a much easier experience with your next booking.

Jenny

[Jennifer1897]

@Shimae0 

I have had similar issues with guest smoking weed in my private room listing. Of course, there is really no way to submit hard evidence of this. What I did in the claim, was determine everything that required additional cleaning (drapes, carpet, down comforter dry cleaning, etc) then I went online and got quotes for all that and submitted the quotes. Airbnb reimbursed me each time. As for the additional guest, again that might be hard to prove as it comes down to a she said he said type of argument. 

Moving forward, I would suggest the following:

-Install some form of doorbell camera. This will allow you to monitor your guest's coming and going and allow you to know if they bring unregistered visitors. It also allows you to address these issues closer to real time vs finding out upon check out. 

-Re word your rules regarding check in windows. I was a bit confused about that when I read your listing and your complaint here. It sounds like your check in time is 3pm-2am. However, it also sounds like you don't allow guest to enter the home after 2am during their stay, meaning essentially, they have a curfew?  If I interpreted that wrong, I apologize. It's reasonable to have quite hours, but it is difficult to enforce a curfew, or time frame in which a guest cannot come and go. Given that you are in a very lively area, known for its nightlife and entertainment, you are probably going to face an uphill battle if you issue a curfew. 

-I know a lot of people skim over listings or flat just don't read things, but there are a few steps you can take to better your chances of guest reading and understanding the rules, thus following them during their stay. When communicating with your guest before their check in, you can politely ask them to read the home rules or ask them to confirm they already did. Some host also  highlight the rules in their welcome messages. Guests are more likely to read these messages as they often contain information for check in. 

-Vet your guest. You can turn off instant book so that every guest has to submit a request. This allows the opportunity to communicate with them before accepting the booking. You also have the opportunity to review their profile and look for any negatives or potential issues. If you choose to allow IB, you can set requirements, such as having to have reviews. this helps weed out problematic guest. 

I've been hosting and co-hosting for years, and honestly, the bad ones have been few and far between. For the most part I really enjoy hosting and have met some amazing people along the way. However, very frustrating when you get a problematic guest so I can sympathize. Hopefully moving forward everything runs smoothly for you. 

[Magda14]

Every now and then you can guest non considerate guests, but in the majority of the cases guests are very respectful.  In 7 years I had two dogs without permission, three smokers, one who p.. in the elevator for about 190 guests by now.  Income is good, sometimes is the price of doing business.  Be strict, but flexible.  Airbnb will almost never take your side on this issues, hardly never will reimburse you for damages only if guest agrees, good luck with that.  So charge highest you can, breath deep and enjoy the hosting.