I told a guest I can't host him

[Kristina764]

I agreed to meet a guest for check-in, but when he arrived, I became very concerned. He appeared disheveled, smelled strongly of weed, his eyes were red, and he looked as though he hadn’t slept in a week. Additionally, he only had a backpack, and his clothing looked dirty. My property is in an upscale building, and I cannot allow someone who smells like marijuana—and is very likely to smoke it—into the unit.

I had to inform him that, due to my concerns, I would not be able to host him. In the past, I’ve had similar experiences where guests exhibited these behaviors, and my gut feeling was correct: they were using drugs. Within days, police and ambulance services were called multiple times, creating a terribly stressful, exhausting, and time-consuming situation for me as a host.

While this guest does have good reviews, I noticed one review mentioned that he had 17 cars parked in front of a house where only one was allowed—clearly indicative of a party or disregard for house rules. This further raised alarm bells.

Now, Airbnb is telling me I will be penalized for refusing to host him. I’m very concerned about the consequences for my property and my experience as a host. What should I do in this situation?

Thank you for your guidance.

[Joan2709]

@Kristina764 

Oh dear....

I'm afraid you are not permitted to decline to Host someone based on appearance (or smell). This is against Airbnb's policies and they would consider that discrimination:

Discrimination Policy

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3058

What we don’t allow

• Refusal of Service or Differential Treatment: Airbnb users may not treat members of the Airbnb community differently or deny service to someone because of their protected characteristics or the perception that they have a protected characteristic.

 For example, Airbnb hosts may not do the following based on a user’s actual or perceived protected characteristics:

1. Decline or cancel a booking
2. Impose different terms, conditions, or house rules (e.g., different limitations on access, fees, or other requirements related to the listing or booking process)
3. Indicate a preference for or against a specific type of guest

They can actually suspend ALL your listings for violating their policies, not just the particular one involved.

[Marisa182]

I agree with @Joan2709 . The rules are very clear. Maybe he had been traveling and not looking his best. Better to have dealt with the consequences later, if there had been any to deal with. I hope you can work it out!

[Shelley159]

Hi @Kristina764 

In this situation I would be concerned about how to avoid future issues, as you've had similar experiences in the past that ended badly. Take a look at what the bookings have in common that may be increasing your party risk - is it one-night stays, last-minute bookings, instant book, single-guest bookings, low prices? If it may be a problem in your area, perhaps it's good to get in touch with local hosts to share strategies.

[Kristina764]

Hi Shelley,

It’s just bad luck, that’s all. Honestly, in my 8 years as a host, I’ve only had two instances where things went terribly wrong. Both situations were incredibly unpleasant and time-consuming.

In both of those cases, my alarms went off when I was checking in the guests. One of them even overdosed to the point where he almost died on my property. That experience left me shaken, and ever since, I’ve been extremely cautious to avoid anything similar happening again.

[Elaine701]

@Kristina764 

If you are repeatedly having these problems, it may be wise to begin investigating what is attracting this element to your listing. 

It could be any one or multiples of things. I'm not in your patch, so whatever I might advise might not be relevant to your situation. But surely it isn't simply a Miami thing?

But in general, I find that lowest price tends to attract the most problematic guests. But you need to be sure the product you deliver is consistent with the asking price. In other words, keep the quality high and charge for it. This tends to attract a better quality of guest (generally speaking). There are a few bad guests that are willing to pay well, but the ratio is much smaller than those only seeking lowest price.

And if course, vetting your guests before they book helps a lot. Experiment with basic conversation things .. "Are you coming to attend the IT conference?". Nobody said anything about an IT conference, but it solicits a response. And the responses (or lack of them) can tell you a lot. Once you play around with this benign vetting tactic, you'll start to see patterns.

Anyway, good luck with everything. And watch your back!

[Jennifer1897]

@Kristina764 As others have said Airbnb has a discrimination policy to protect those that have booked on the platform.  Refusing him access to the property primary based on his appearance is unacceptable. I travel a lot, and I have come off some long-haul flights or drives looking quite disheveled and sleep deprived. I'd be offended and upset if a host told me they can no longer honor my booking when I stepped foot on the doorstep. 

As for the weed, you absolutely have a right to have a smoking rule on your property; however, since it is legal in so many places it's hard to dictate what a guest does on their own time outside of your property, He may have smoked before arriving which is where the smell emanated from. I would have welcomed him but reminded him that the property was strictly nonsmoking. I also have a little blurb with my smoking rule about extra cleaning charges should smoke smell be found in the room. I had a guest once who was the nicest guy and was visiting his two young daughters who lived in the area with their mom. He was a smoker. I let him know the rules and he was very respectful. He actually took a drive when he wished to smoke and was attentive to the smell carrying. I never had any issues and happily welcomed him back for an additional two stays. 

I know as hosts we all want to preserve our properties and host respectful guests, but we also have to be fair in our approach. If he had good reviews outside of the one, I would have allowed his stay and monitored a little more closely for issues. At this time, I don't believe there is much you can do. Chalk it up as a learning experience and move forward. It looks like all your properties are well liked and you are a great host to many guests. 

[Kristina764]

Thank you for your detailed reply. I understand now that I probably overreacted, and I’ve already apologized to the guest. I also offered to let him stay and refund a portion of his stay as compensation for the inconvenience.

However, to make things more complicated, our building is currently experiencing issues with the AC, and my unit has no working air conditioning. As a result, it seems I wouldn’t be able to host him regardless, which might look suspicious to an Airbnb representative.

I’m not sure how this situation will ultimately unfold, but I appreciate your support and guidance.

[Frances3408]

@Kristina764 . Hi Kristina, the only thing I can think might be ok to just ask in this case is if he is a smoker, or intending to smoke during his stay. I'm not sure if you permit smoking on the balcony but I have a house rule about smoking not being permitted inside or outside. I state its for owners health reasons.  

Some unit owners corporations here are clamping down on smoking and cooking on balconies for health and safety reasons so what does your building rules say? Airbnb cant penalise you if the building rules dont permit it, but you need to know this and put in your listing, if it applies.

But you cant just decline him on appearances. Good luck.

[Kristina764]

Hi Frances,

In the end, the guest mentioned said that he wouldn’t be happy with the rules, as smoking isn’t allowed inside, on the balcony, or anywhere in the condominium. Guests must walk away from the property entirely to smoke. Because of this, he decided he’d prefer to book something else...

[Frances3408]

@Kristina764 , I'm not sure how Airbnb got involved then if guest cancelled? Airbnb shouldnt penalise you for enforcing yours and buildings rules (and you disclose this in listing).

Best not to involve Airbnb if ever you are able to sort directly with guest imo.