How do I prevent this mistake from happening?

[Mariam160]

Hello,

shortly after a group of guests arrived at my house I realized it may have not been the best idea to accept their bookings. They have been smoking in my house non stop although I have a no smoking policy and I also sent a reminder txt to the guest with no avail. They have been drinking booze since they got to my house 4 days ago. Yesterday they started putting up strong lights and DJ stuff and I emailed the guest and literally begged him not to have parties. They park their cars on my driveway with half the car literally on the street making it really dangerous for in coming cars. The guests they brought looked very sketchy almost looked like a pimp (excuse my language).
I feel very embarrassed for putting my neighbors in Jeopardy and I have been in a constant anxiety state since they arrived and counting the minutes until they leave on Wednesday. How could I have seen this coming? With the no picture policy from Air BnB, I feel there is no way for me to have known what I was putting myself and others into.  Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Mariam 

[Maia29]

Do you require that guests upload a government ID and profile photo? I've found that as soon as I started requiring these things, I've had fewer less than honest guests. 

I would be embarrassed too to have my neighbors have to deal with such shenanigans (I just recently had some embarrassing guests). I waited my rogue reservation out, and they left a complete mess. It was disgusting. I opened up a resolution case against them, and it was closed less than 48 hours later with no resolution and no response.

I know that you can tell Airbnb that you are not comfortable hosting this guest and request a cancellation. It would be beneficial to you if you had photos and videos evidence (as long as you mention the surveillance in your listing).

I suggest making sure to have a Ring doorbell and spotlight camera so you can monitor what is going on. On my Ring doorbell and spotlight camera, I can actually talk to guests through the speaker (just make absolutely sure to post in your listing description, amenities, and house rules where the cameras are located and note that they are always on and recording all activities).

I find that less than desirable guests do not like outside cameras recording their activities.

Post many signs saying NO PARTIES & NO SMOKING! in numerous places throughout your unit.

[Sarah977]

@Mariam160  Why are you allowing this to go on? It's your home. You don't beg a guest not to have a party, you tell them they can't and they need to leave. Call Airbnb immediately to get the guest's booking cancelled with no penalties to you. Stress the fact that they are putting up lights and DJ equipment and you need this stopped before someone gets hurt and the neighbors are disturbed. Get some friends or family members to go with you to make sure they all clear out.

You really need to rethink whether you have the skills and determination to take control of your property and stop letting guests walk all over you, or whether this hosting business is one that you can handle. It's no reflection on you, it's just not for everyone. 

[Katrina79]

@Mariam160 You do have the option to call Airbnb and cancel the reservation because you don’t feel comfortable hosting this guest, give the CS rep all your reasons. You will forfeit the remainder nights payment, but it sounds like a good option considering what you are facing! 

[Mariam160 · Accepted solution]

I haven’t called AirBnB for several reasons; one is that the guest has not been combative with me. In fact, he is very polite and reassures me that the music will go down or the parked car will be moved. I can’t hear the music but the car didn’t move for another three hours and they haven’t stopped smoking. Secondly, as I said, they seem a bit sketchy and I don’t want them to cause problems for me damaging my property or come back after they leave. I do have a camera in the living room and it’s noted in my page but based on my limited hosting experience no one seems to read all the details on the air BnB page.My camera is concealed but it overlooks most of the living and open kitchen area. Since I’m new and I had the camera installed as my own house project, I’m not sure how the guests feel about it and whether it’s a normal practice with air BnB houses to have one. Is there somewhere on the page I should emphasis it?  I do require photo ID and profile photo but I see their photos after the booking is confirmed. 

[Maia29]

@Mariam160  You must disclose all cameras in your listing, in the description, house rules, and amenities. You must also disclose that cameras are always on and always recording AND the locations of cameras. 

This is what Airbnb posts publicly about the use of cameras and recording devices:  Any mechanism that can be used to capture or transmit audio, video, or still images is considered a surveillance device. This includes, but is not limited to, things like Wi-Fi cameras (for example, Nest Cam or Dropcam), nanny cameras, web cameras in computer monitors, baby monitors, mounted or installed surveillance systems, decibel and device monitors, and smart phones with video and/or audio recording capabilities.

Airbnb will deactivate your listing if you do not disclose all cameras in your listing, and the locations of all monitoring and recording devices. Several hosts have had their listings deactivated recently without notice and without recourse. This has to be stated numerous times in your listing and post signs absolutely everywhere. Airbnb tried to deactivate my listing based on non-disclosure. They kept trying to insinuate in emails through the safety department that I did not disclose every camera, but I didn't fall for it (I have mentioned it several times in my listing).

Please review your listing as soon as possible to make sure that you have covered all of your bases as far as cameras are concerned.

[Mariam160]

I have disclosed all my cameras and exactly where they are located in several locations on the page. I will add that they are on all the time. I thought it was self explanatory that if I have the cameras they are on. But thanks for the feedback I will reiterate that they are on. 

Thanks,

Mariam

[Mariam160]

Just an added note about my initial posting; I didn’t “literally” beg him not to have parties. I just said please not to have it because it’s not allowed in my house nor the neighborhood. He complied but just in general they don’t seem to be a good bunch. 

[Sarah977]

@Mariam160  That the guest isn't being combative is immaterial. He is being passive-aggressive- politely answering your messages, while continuing to ignore your rules and requests. If you don't mind being disrespected in this way, by all means do nothing.

If you are just going to stand by and let him throw a party, with lights and cars and DJs, because you have no action plan or back-up to deal with such a situation, I don't know what kind of advice you are looking for here.

I can tell you that most hosts would have had these guests gone quite awhile ago.

[Mariam160]

Sarah977,

you have responded to a couple of my postings and they are never short of put downs, sarcasm and demeaning to say the least . I can not capture the entire dynamic of these guests in a few paragraph for you to stop judging so harshly.    I can only say that if anything including my neighbors, my house and my home was in imminent danger I would report them, but I am not going to report a guest because “they don’t fit within my idea of what guests should look like or act like. They can be from music industry for all I know. As for the music, I can not hear it and I will drive by. As long as its not loud to be heard, I don’t care if they play it. I don’t appreciate them smoking but like I said I’m not going to evict them because of it. You can’t treat people in a demeaning way just because they smoked in your house. If you can’t provide an advice politely, please don’t. My question was how to prevent this the next time. 

[Sarah977]

@Mariam160  I'm sorry if you felt my posts were demeaning or harsh. I didn't intend them that way. But if you believe that requiring guests to respect your house rules, like no smoking, is optional and ignoring them is no reason to ask them to leave, or that asking them to leave when they ignore your requests and rules is demeaning, then I don't see how you can prevent such things in the future. Every host has their own rules and expectations that they try to make clear to guests. If we have made them clear and the guests ignore them, we have to be prepared to take appropriate action.

[Colleen253]

@Mariam160  Re "My question was how to prevent this the next time".  That was your title but,

......."Any feedback would be appreciated"  is indeed  what you asked for.

 @Sarah977  ,and everyone else, is doing just that...providing the feedback you ASKED for. Better to spend your energy considering that feedback, even if you don't like it. Just because someone speaks something you perhaps don't want to hear, doesn't make it rude, demeaning or impolite.

[Leslie564]

I am just beginning to host. How old were they? Do you have a minimum age to rent policy?

[Mariam160]

They seem to be in their mid twenties, but I may be wrong as I haven’t met them in person. They could not be any older than late 20’s. 

[Leslie564]

I am sorry this happened and I also do not come to this chat site to feel brow beaten or belittled. When we know better, we do better. Hopefully these naysayers will remember their first attempts at this and understand if we come together and help build each other up by supporting each other, not only will be aware of these issues but also will not put ourselves in dangerous ones.