I need to vent

[Rachael171]

If I could create a meme on what it's like to be an Airbnb host, it would be something like this:

Host:

Spends hours creating an immaculately clean space and comfortable/hospitable stay. Creates highly detailed listing and guidebook, immediately responds to every guest text. Leaves complimentary snacks. Gives deep discounts for long term stays, etc. etc.

Guest:

*messages host* I found a crumb of dirt and an ant!! This place is a dump!!!!

Host:

*comes to clean after the guest checks out* ...Entire place is trashed.

Guest:

That's bull**bleep**!! I left the place in great condition! I refuse to pay for [fill in the blank]. *threatens host with bad review.*

*****Please share with me your nightmare guest experiences and help me feel better about the **bleep** I've hosted recently. 🙂

[Michele1411]

OMG. THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!! I manage all three of my rentals on my own and take it VERY personally. I had guests call me out of dinner with 15 people at 8:30 on Christmas Eve, same thing, finding a SPECK of dirt in the tub and called airbnb saying it was FILTHY. They know that's their way of getting out of a reservation and getting their refund. Probably found a place to crash with friends and decided to save the $$. Who knows. But as we know, we are inconsequential to Airbnb, despite the fact that without us, we how assume ALL the risk, they'd have no platform. I had another guest say they found feces in the bathroom on the floor. Feces. Of course they got out of the reservation and when I went in the next day, THEY had tracked the feces into the apartment because they stepped in duck poop on their way in. They checked in at night, obviously didn't see it, and then blamed me. I took a bunch of photos and sent to airbnb. It was so clear what happened. We live by a river and ducks often pass through our property. No help from Airbnb. Nada. So ridiculous. Nice to see there are others who understand!! 

[Dawn241]

Worst guest ever smeared feces on white towels when confronted about his undisclosed overnight guest and visitor. My 70 year old mother was doing my cleaning that day and discovered the unwanted surprise. 

[Pat271]

Currently, visitors who come to my state must quarantine for 2 weeks, which has driven check-ins to 0 for the past 4 months.  Tragic as it is, I’m almost relieved when see the frequency of these kinds of recent experiences from other hosts.  

I hope we can all get “back to normal” soon, in terms of both bookings and quality of guests.

[Rachael171]

Thanks for helping me remember to be grateful, Pat. I am lucky to still be making money through Airbnb even during COVID. Wishing you much love and peace. ♥️

[Richard1830]

I'm still amazed at how many bookings aren't aware of the need to quarantine and get upset when I point it out!

[Helen3]

Oh I am sorry you are having such a bad time @Rachael171 

Sorry I don't have a negative stories about my guests. I haven't had my place trashed or any guest damage in five years of hosting. The worst I have had happen is a guest forget their keys and woke me at 1.30 a..m.

Nor do I offer an immaculate property just my family home in a Victorian house that shows it's age a little in places. I don't offer large discounts for longer term stays. . I have a fairly relaxed style of hosting and let it fit in with my lifestyle and existing commitments. I don't feel the need to respond to guest communications immediately if the matter isn't urgent but do reply fairly quickly but am certainly not available 24/7.

I just wanted to post to sympathise with your experience. I do think hosts with whole listings are more vulnerable to having guests who are more likely to damage their property.

Have you submitted a claim under the guarantee and left them an honest review.

Try and focus on your upcoming guests and all your previous positive experiences and amazing reviews.

[Rachael171]

Ah, that's great, Helen. You're right. Sometimes I've stayed in quirky Airbnbs that weren't immaculate or any of that and I still had a wonderful stay. 

My rental is a self-contained 2-bedroom/2 bath condo. A great deal really.

Yes, I've submitted a damage claim and that's underway. I'm just still shocked sometimes by the guest response when I simply ask them to pay for what they broke. I would NEVER treat someone else's house that disrespectfully. This last guy went as far as to say some stranger must have gotten into my condo after he checked out and then the stranger trashed the place. 😂🤣😂  Oh man, sometimes I just have to laugh.

Anyway,  much love to you. ❤️

[Huma0]

@Rachael171 

I had a guest chop a watermelon on an expensive dressing table (yes, I saw her carrying the watermelon and knife to her room and asked her not to cut in there) and try to hide the scratches with towels. When I asked her about it, she tried to blame it on my cats. I told her if my cats could neatly fold towels, then I would ask them to turnover the guest rooms. Needless to say, she wasn't too thrilled at my response and accused me of causing her 'mental anguish' or something similar.

[Rachael171]

@Huma0 

Oh my God. 😂 The cats were like, "Really, lady??? WTF??"

Mental anguish. That is classic. Sounds like a winner. 

[Huma0]

@Rachael171 

Yes, I know. I'm always super polite to guests, even if I am messaging them about something that's been damaged, but I couldn't help the sarcasm in this situation. My cats have never scratched any furniture but, even if they did, how does a cat make a perfectly straight groove on a surface and THEN place towels in that exact spot? Ridiculous.

It's interesting though how soon a guest can resort to accusing you of harassing them in some way if you call them out on anything. I had a lady stay who marked me down and mentioned in her review that she had not been informed of something before her stay. When I pointed out to her that, not only was it mentioned three times on the listing, but that I also messaged her three times about it, she said she would change the review. I explained it was not possible to change a review so could she please request that Airbnb remove it.

Although she had basically admitted that she had not read the info, at this point she became hostile. It's not like I was questioning her opinion on something, e.g. if the place was 'clean' or 'large' as those are open to interpretation, but it's really logical that stating something that is not factual makes the review inaccurate. 

Anyway, as soon as I asked her to remove the review, she became very rude and told me hat her review was none of my business, who was I to question whether it was accurate or not and to leave her alone because I was 'ruining her holiday'. I felt like telling her she was ruining my 5.0 star rating, but I let it go. There was no point reasoning with someone that arrogant.

[Sammy35]

@Huma0 omg no that cant even be true.  please tell me my sleep disorder halls activated and my eyes went haywire lol

people are flipping @$$hat looney

now you must watch that bragalina movie for lying lol

[Huma0]

@Sammy35 

Would I lie to you? 🙂

My friends really enjoy my Airbnb stories. Often one of the first things they ask when we meet up is, "Had any weirdos lately?"

Condom Girl is definitely the most popular one. I've had people under the table roaring with laughter at that one (although it wasn't that funny when it was happening), but Watermelon Girl is my friend Amy's favourite. Every now and then, she just says "You're not going to eat that in the room, are you?" and then chuckles to herself.

[Bradford11]

@Helen3, what do you mean by “whole listings”? 

[Helen3]

Oh @Bradford11 bless  🙂

Whole listing = self-contained accommodation as opposed to share listing = sharing home with host or other guests.