No support for hosts

[Mike2343]

I have been a host for 4 years now and in the early days AirBnB was responsive and would follow up on an issue.  I recently had a guest that had a major party in my house. Police were called-people jumping the fence and running away.-15 cars parked on the street.   The renter agreed to 3 paople and no more than 2 cars as the house is in a quiet neighborhood.

I called AirBnB at 2am to complain, the first thing that they asked is "do you fear for your safety".  I dont live near my rental so I said no but I said that my neighbors fear for their safety.  She said this will have to be escalated to the Safety Dept and they will contact you shortly.  Well, 2hrs later no call. 9 hrs later I called again to try to get the guest out.  After being on hold for 13 minutes new representative said that the Safety Dept has the complaint and will call me shortly.  I tried to explaining the story again but she wouldnt listen. 

Now 12 hrs later still no call so I called again and  16 minutes on hold, a new rep said the same story as the last one but said that she would tell them this was "urgent". As you can imagine I just want the guests out now.  NO call back.  I called AirBnB once again and they said that a rep from the Safety Dept tried emailing me which is bull**bleep**.  I told her I need a call back now!  She said "oh, well they dont have phones in the Safety Dept."  Well that made me mad and I told her I need a call right away as this IS a safety issue. 

A few hrs later, which is now 5pm the Safety Dept called and asked what I wanted to do.  Its a bit late to discuss last nights party but I said if the guest can act like an adult and not have a party or trash my house they can stay as they were checking out the next day at 11am.  She said that she would contact the guest to discuss this and get back to me.....no call back to me!

Now its the next day, my cleaning crew goes to the house at 11:05 (checkout is 11am)  and 5 people are still sleeping and the house is trashed! I told her to stay out of the house until I contact AirBnB.  So as expected no answered after 18 minutes on hold so I hung up and tried again in a few minutes.  After 12 minutes on hold someone answered and I told them the situation. She said "well you have an open claim and the Safety Dept is handling it"  I tried telling her it was a different issue and I wanted the guests out right away but she said there was nothing her dept could do and to expect a call back from the Safety Dept.  NO CALL BACK !

My cleaning lady went in anyway around 11:30 because new guests were coming in at 3 and she had to get this cleaned. She was not greeted well by some guests. One man was nice but one man was verbally abusive towards her. 

Most of the furniture was rearranged, all linen and towels were strewn about the house. Vomit in the bedroom on the floor.  Urine on the bathroom walls. Showers running with no one in them. Trash everywhere and 1 trash can cut in pieces.  Glitter all over the place and pot roaches and cigarette butts in just about every room in the house!  WTF!  (this is a non smoking house)  I called AirBnb and after 17 minutes on hold I was again told  that I would be contacted by the same F-ing "Safety Dept" AND no one called.  Why do they call it a "Safety Dept" because they dont care about my safety!  I am very Irate right now. 

I feel like there is no support from AirBnB for hosts!

I have 2 months of reservations booked and then I think I will switch to another vacation rental company.  

AirBnB follow-ups are ridicules or non existent.  Hosts get no respect 

[Nimco0]

They are happy to make money of off us but give no support. 

[Daina20]

This sounds very familiar. I am so sorry to hear you have dealt with this situation too 😞

[Anonymous]

@Mike2343  I started using Airbnb 10 years ago, so I've experienced pretty much every phase of their customer service. It's definitely not what it used to be.

But there was never a time when Airbnb had an operation in place to stop a house party. That "Trust and Safety" stuff was never anything more than marketing - it's always been the hosts' responsibility to not lose control over their own homes. As awful as it is to be the host with nightmare guests, I also know what it's like to be the neighbor of a remotely hosted listing that turned into a party house. No idea whether the host called Airbnb at 2 AM to complain, but I had no sympathy for their customer service woes. Nobody forced them to rent their apartment to random strangers from the internet - they screwed that pooch themselves.

[Fred13]

The OP said: "I called AirBnB at 2am to complain,..."

Took them that long to realize they needed to do something to stop the further trashing of their place?  Passing personal responsibility to someone else a thousand miles away was their first move.

Someday a CS at AIRBNB will say the obvious - 'You allowed it, Your problem'.

[Brian2036]

@Whitney140 

You CAN reopen your listing if that’s what it takes to satisfy CS.

Just honestly state the condition of the property (unsuitable for human habitation,) and set the price for $1000 per night, maximum occupancy one person.

Refuse anyone who is stupid enough to try to book because that level of stupidity “makes you feel unsafe.”

Everyone needs to have a contingency plan for dealing with parties.

I have one. Zero tolerance. I will go there with fire in my eye and a shotgun in my hands and a strong desire to use it on the first person who threatens me.

If you are unable or too timid to do that you should have a friend, off-duty cop, or someone else who is willing to assist you.

Airbnb cannot help you. They wouldn’t if they could. It’s not their house.

[Whitney140]

@Brian2036 I’m confused as to what you are referring when you say party. There was no party in my home. My home is right next to

my own residence. This guest was seemingly quiet. Trust me I have no issue walking in and physically removing people…. That’s not this. Perhaps there is confusion.

[Brian2036]

@Whitney140 

This thread was started by someone who was complaining about a massive party that “Airbnb refused to do anything about.”

Your post was not entirely relevant, but I offered a partial solution to your dilemma with CS.

[Laura2592]

@Mike2343 as someone who had guests throw a party in my space with no help from ABB, I feel your pain. But mine was not as dramatic as your situation. I would have had the police boot these guests and not wait for ABB to call me back. 

There are a few observations I have after looking at your listing. Your place will DEFINITELY appeal to the party crowd because of the pool, so I would take that pic out of the most prominent first image spot. You need to lower your guest counts or raise your prices. At $144 for 6 guests its only $24 a night. You are not going to get the best quality guests for that price.   Update your house rules to say that no parties are allowed under any circumstances, that guests agree to leave immediately if they are caught inviting unregistered guests on the premises, etc.  Put in outdoor cameras and a ring doorbell if you don't have one. 

As far as the review it should read something like: "So and so is not a guest we can recommend to any other hosts. They threw an unauthorized party in our space and clean up took a great deal of additional time. Did not follow house rules nor communicate honestly their intentions for our home. They are not guests we would have back under any circumstances."

Then below 3 under each category and would not host again. 

[Whitney140]

Seems like this is all too common and I find myself in a situation similar situation. How does one actually get a response and appropriate compensation from Airbnb?

I had a long term guest in my home for 8 months. He terminated early without approval. To begin with Airbnb long term policy states if a guest vacates without approval from host to alter their stay they are to pay 30 days following date of vacating… or Airbnb does as a guarantee. This is according to written policy on the page and two separate conversations I had with support. Airbnb will not uphold their policy and are forcing me to open my calendar on September 6th instead of covering me for the entire month of September as I was told would happen. In addition I have been given ultimatums by my “resolution ambassador” that if I don’t damages done to my home won’t be covered. So as a super host for 7 years with almost 100% positive reviews I’m basically screwed. Opening up my calendar means it can be requested to rent- it can not! The damages are extensive… and now I’m threatened with them deleting my listing all together!

So let’s then move to damages. These guests have caused extensive damages to my home. The estimates, which are very conservative are nearly $7,000. I’m told by my ambassador Airbnb won’t even take care of my damage claims unless I open my calendar to be rented again. I’m talking broken brand new kitchen range- like the oven door kicked off and hinges broken, tons of holes in walls, scores of broken furniture in every single room, cabinet doors broken off hinges in kitchen, three dining room chairs completely broken, kitchen charred with burn  marks in the basin ruining it, brand new for installed carpeting and wood flooring before they moved in damaged and stained,the house is disgustingly dirty… the list goes on- $7,000!!!!!  My guest and I communicated almost exclusively through Airbnb platform and email… I say this bc until he was confronted with damages everything was lovely and perfect and beautiful and comfortable… once confronted he has come up with false claims and absurdities that were never, ever mentioned before. He has three reviews… I have hundreds and almost every single one talks about how beautiful, clean, comfortable and amazing my home is. Airbnb now tells me it’s my word against his..,. IT IS NOT!!! There is proof but they won’t acknowledge it!  I have police reports documenting the damage, my ambassador hardly responds and I’m told there is no one else for me to deal with and I can not actually talk to someone in the phone!! This is insane… completely and totally insane!! All the claims they make to protect you as a host are lies…. They do not! Instead I’ve gotten ultimatums bordering on threats, my once beautiful- by the way less than 8 year old home- is left in shambles and I’m seemingly out any compensation! To boot…. I’m unable to leave a review for this wretched guest to warn others! How is this even possible?

[Sarah977]

@Whitney140  Why are you unable to leave a review? 

Sorry to hear about what you are having to deal with, but the bottom line is that Airbnb isn't suitable for long term rentals. Someone who stays a month or more isn't a guest, they are a tenant. 

[Whitney140]

 @Sarah977 I’m not really sure the point of your comment. Perhaps you aren’t aware Airbnb has different policies for long term rentals. I checked with them before accepting it to make sure there were policies in place that (supposedly and on print) protected the hosts! I know several people personally who have been tenants and hosts in these long term agreements and it has been stellar… so whatever point you may be trying to insinuate now is really irrelevant. 
I am unable to leave a review bc Airbnb has that blocked during this process. 

[Sarah977]

@Whitney140 I am well aware that there is a different cancellation policy for long term rentals.

My point is that Airbnb provides none of the safeguards that landlords usually have in place for long term tenants. 

Landlords take a real security deposit (Airbnb  does not), landlords ask for refences, work history, current employment, and sign a legally binding lease with tenants.

Airbnb only guarantees the first payment of a long term booking. If they are unable to collect future payments, they just let you know that and wash their hands of it, and it's up to you to try to evict the person, who maybe intent on squatting. If the guest/tenant causes damage, you have to battle Airbnb for compensation.

So if you have a great long term renter through Airbnb, and everything goes smooth and they are honest, decent people, then wonderful. If that turns out not to be the case, though, Airbnb cannot be relied upon to come to your rescue or make things right.

[Mark116]

@Whitney140  As you're. finding out, airbnb is very poor at administering long term rentals, they're also bad at short term....but there is less risk. Also, once someone stays for more than a month in most states they become a tenant and Airbnb won't help you with that either.

[Whitney140]

@Mark116  Clearly. However when one makes as much effort as humanly possible to ensure there are insurance policies in place for hosts what I am told as a host should be upheld. I am and was well aware of what my local laws and tenant rights are- this does not apply. I have had success hosting people for many months previously with never an issue. When I endeavor to make sure as a host I am covered and then the company doesn’t make good on it’s written policies and terms designed to protect hosts I fail

to see how this is a “I should have known better situation” especially when experience from the past has been so positive. I have several friends who are both guests and hosts who do long term all the time with great success. Airbnb sure is efficient at collecting their money though aren’t they!

[Mark116]

@Whitney140 That's the thing. Airbnb works great when both parties are responsible. It serves hosts very poorly when something goes wrong  and as you see, the 'host guarantee' is more PR than policy ...which is why so many people have said long term stays are high risk and should be avoided.

[Gaylin2]

I had a somewhat similar situation, and never received any help, nor security deposit funds. I pulled all of my listings off AirBnB. I then had another, smaller- though similar- situation on the other platform. They canceled the reservation, gave me ALL of the security deposit without a SINGLE question, form or messaging! 

I pulled the homes when I was getting double bookings, wrong rates, mixed up properties and all kinds of problems last year. I had to cancel a TON of reservations, and AirBnB was the cause of it. Yet they told me I owed them $100 on each cancelled booking. Ya, RIGHT. I just put my homes back on, hearing they had revamped this platform. Right out the gate, I'm having problems AGAIN!  It appears all they fixed was a glitchy website. That is NOT enough for me. 

[Christine615]

By the way - if you don't live near your rental then you need exterior cameras that chime you at check-in. I just gave my extra set to a colleague who laughed and said he didn't need one for his rental in the Caribbean. Now he swears by it.

Just sayin - guest lie, but exterior cameras do not.

[Christine615]

The problem with all of this is you can't get anyone to respond in CS. It took 5 minutes for me to get someone to respond on a problem. Then the CS got flustered and escalated to a specialist. Told me the wait time was 5 minutes. 30 minutes later I gave up. Two days later someone pulled the ticket and by then the issue was moot.

I know Airbnb promised better responsiveness but I looked back at my old messages from a few years ago and it used to be you were contacted by a person with a name and had a way to get back to them via email or phone. Now - everything is an AI bot.

I know we have millions of users but there needs to be an emergency line. I would think Airbnb would make it a priority to protect themselves from future liability under the Host guarantee. That is only common sense.

They have a "no party" moratorium that needs to be permanent. But the one in place doesn't seem to be working.

[John5097]

@Mike2343 

That sounds like every host nightmare guest. 

The best approach may have been to have the first CS agent cancel the reservation, then you would contact authorities and meet them there to try and evict the guest. I think that could be difficult depending on the guest willingness to leave or even respond. Then the police may say to call Airbnb. 

I think it would help if a host has a business license and permit to host a STR. That way the host could inform the police its their responsibility to enforce local zoning ordinances, such as noise, and would be more likely to help you evict the guest. 

It may be better to first go there after the reservation has been canceled and warn them you will call the police and they are now trespassing. 

But if they are passed out and police don't want to arrest them it could take a while to evict them depending on local laws. 

Although in the moment I also could have agreed to get transfered to the security department and then them not getting back in touch. 

That's why I try to be proactive in making reservations. Mine is differnt because I live at the same address. Our city actually requires host to live a the property to avoid the kind of disruption you have experienced. 

Sorry this happened. I don't think I could keep hosting if something like this happened to me. The good news is that at least they are gone and not long term renters with no contract. 

[Helen3]

@Mike2343  I'm sorry you faced this awful situation but somewhat confused as to exactly what you expected Airbnb to do apart from cancel the booking.

I think it was unfair to leave your cleaner to face this situation alone when you knew you had problem partying guests .

can I ask why you or your co-host didn't go to your listing straight away to close down the party , minimise risk of damage and upset to your neighbours. @Mike2343