Leaving ABB-- what is next?

[Laura2592]

After 3 years and about 200 total disparate stays with a variety of colorful guests, we recently had one who killed wildlife in the yard with a pellet gun and left them in a pile as well as spent casings both indoors and out, smoked indoors and left the windows open in January and then claimed the "AC" didn't work in the review and the space wouldn't get warm. There was a mess that looked like he was trying to redecorate my space (pulled down curtains and then said I didn't have any, moved the sofa and dining table, chairs) and the lingering smoke smell mixed with body odor was a pain to remove. This is the last straw which is making me seriously consider removing my listing from this platform. I have pulled back my calendar availability from 6 months to 3 and am mulling over if I should wipe my listing completely.

For those of you who have left or are considering leaving, what direction are you going in? We would not rent long term on this platform but might become landlords. Our area is hard to find short term lessors so I am contacting some realtors. We really don't want a 12 month lease as we prefer to use the space ourselves when we can. But we may go that way. We are also considering selling but have bookings into April so we couldn't do it immediately. 

What are your plans after ABB?

[Laura2592]

@Lenore22 maybe I could have? But this is a few guests ago now. We buried the poor squirrels. 

[Clare167]

That's horrible, @Laura2592 . No wonder you are thinking of stopping. I am in a similar position to you - want to keep the place available for us, family and friends, but would like to cover at least some of the cost. Short term rental is the only way to achieve that, as far as I can see. Like you, I was disillusioned with the guests; I was also unhappy with the cleaning protocol (signed up in the end, but only so that direct renters could see the listing). After leaving, I had as many lets as I wanted in 2021, mostly through VRBO and a few through direct advertising/repeat business.  No bookings yet for 2022 and I am under no illusions, there may be nothing as people return to sunshine destinations overseas. So be it, if so. Like you, I have found the labour of repeatedly preparing a miniature boutique hotel really tiring. It's worth it when I get gratitude, great guest behaviour, and decent money. If any of the three is missing, I struggle. All the best, whatever course you choose.

[Laura2592]

@Clare167 thanks for the support! I do hope that those of us looking for alternatives find them. 

[Sarah977]

@Laura2592  I know you always try to be tactful and professional in your reviews and responses, but "We wish XX the best on his Airbnb journey" ? Really? His Airbnb journey should have ended the moment he decided that shooting local wildlife was an okay thing to do.

Perhaps if you were a little less nice in your reviews and responses to terrible guests, you might not feel so overwhelmed and burnt out by these types of people. It must be exhausting to try to come up with ways of saying things so tactfully, and in some cases, I hate to say it, dishonestly. I.e. do you really wish him the best?  Just a thought.

[Laura2592]

@Sarah977 I don't feel like my profile is a great place to excoriate a bad guest. Its only going to reflect poorly on me. This person had another host say he was great, 5 stars.  So in terms of total honesty vs tact, I will always go with tact and facts. My last comment was meant rather dryly--- like "bless his heart." 

We all have different styles of interaction. My guest population requires that I maintain my cool as much as possible. And yes, that can be trying at times as any service industry worker will tell you. If I couldn't hold the line on professional communication I would have given up long before now. 

[Helen3]

Sadly, as long as you leave less than honest reviews of bad guests you are enabling them to stay on the platform and are putting other hosts at risk of having a similar experience. @Laura2592 

Just think if the previous host hadn't been dishonest in their review and had told the truth about their experience, you could have avoided hosting this awful guest. 

Sorry I can't agree that leaving glowing reviews for awful guests is professional communication.  

In terms of your question, I'm wondering how you vet your guests and what security you have at your property to monitor your guests behaviour. Is there anything you could do to improve your procedures? . 

I am a host and co-host for whole listings and have only had two bad guests in six years and never had any damage to the places I host.  I am very careful about vetting guests to ensure there is a good fit. 

With the guest you are complaining about you didn't even bother to leave him a review - just responded when he left you a negative review.

[Mark116]

@Helen3  She did leave him a review, it was mildly negative.

[Laura2592]

@Helen3 im not sure why you think I left a glowing review or no review for that guest? I did also respond to his odd review.  I just looked to make sure my review is still up on his profile and it's there...I would in no way say it's glowing!  Frankly I would not stay with a host who had a habit of writing nasty reviews even if the guest  deserved it. I keep mine factual and brief and look for that when im a guest even if a host obviously had a rough time. I even had asked for advice on writing this one and took it to heart resulting in what's posted. 

I'm not asking about my writing style or advice on reviews. I  am asking about what others who are leaving are doing next. I'd love to stick to that topic. 

[Karla533]

My heavens what a nightmare! I hope you contacted ABB to see if any compensation is possible.

As to your question, we have had good responses from SabbaticalHomes.com . It might be just what you're looking for.

[Robin4]

@Laura2592 

Laura, so sorry you have had to go through this....it's every hosts worst nightmare that a guest like this will come along. If this guest had been in Australia and started shooting up the neighborhood with a pellet gun the local police would have taken him into custody pronto....within minutes!

But hey mate, you are better than this.....look at your other 160+ reviews, This guy Ramin reads as a full on nutter and your chance of striking another like him is incredibly remote.

Laura, you run a great outfit, you just have to accept that on extremely odd occasions something like this will happen, it has happened to me twice in over 500 stays....but I am not about to raise the white flag because of my two 'nutters'! For every one of them, there are hundreds of just lovely guests and, I accept that risk, it's a part of short term renting.

I understand your frustration but, mate, you are too good to lose, you are what makes Airbnb great. There is an STR guest pool out there and not all of them are going to be ideal guests, but we accept that when we decide to host. 

From my point of view, the good far outweighs the bad, I am prepared to put up with that odd turkey because I know once he is gone I will have another hundred beautiful guests.....Laura, it's a number game!

Keep your chin up mate, don't leave us!

Cheers..........Rob

[Lorna170]

@Laura2592   Regardless of what you choose to do with respect to AirBnB, if this person was shooting on your property which appears to be not so rural as to allow shooting, I would have reported the person to your police department and sent him a letter (copy to AirBnB) from your lawyer demanding damages.   

[Laura2592]

@Lorna170 we did not catch him in the act. The neighbors were out of town and did not report any shooting. We found the evidence after he left. I honestly didn't know what the little metal pellet things were and had to research them. I did a thread about it if you want to read more. 

I have less than zero desire to get an attorney involved in this. This was a poor guest all around. There were some barriers to communication including language. He was reported to ABB and his profile is not active at the moment which I can hope means that they took it seriously. 

[Quincy]

I am so sorry to hear about this @Laura2592! I have passed this on to the team a few days ago for investigation. Judging by his profile not being active any more, could mean that the team has already taken action. 

[Laura2592]

@Quincy thank you. I think they have. I am hopeful that no one else will have to deal with this person. 

[Lisa723]

@Laura2592 gah, so sorry, what I nightmare. I would be steaming if that happened to me. To answer your original question: we have moved into our lake house and for now our little cabin is open for friends and family only. Next year we may open it up again for STR, but if we do we will have a short advance booking window (e.g. six weeks) and a high price-- and we will be living next door. Not decided whether we will put it back on Airbnb or just our direct booking site, aimed primarily at return guests. The latter might generate all the business we want. I will say I am enjoying the break from the Airbnb game.