Reviews Question

[Renee758]

Hello fellow Airbnb hosts.

My first guest was a screaming nightmare. She was demanding and very difficult. We had some dust on the floor ( we are in the country on a 5 acre property with no sidewalks) and she was taking pictures of the dust pile. She said the bedding looked stained and it was brand new, never used. I was at the store buying her new bedding and extra towels and her list of requests kept getting longer and longer. Her group was booked for 2 but she showed up with 4 and a dog, which we only do support animals and count them as a guest. She failed to communicate before checking in, as I have different bedding arrangements and beds I can move in for them. so I had just 1 King and 1 Queen for the 2 people.

She had me running around like a chicken with my head cut off. When I got there to adjust and make her 2 twin beds, to accomodate her guests, they were all drunk and she said that the 4th man there was a homeless man that has a thing for her and he doesn't get the hint, that she only wants to be friends. It was very weird and worried me.

The next day they had blown out my breakers from not following directions on how to turn on the hot tub and she had kicked the homeless man out because she told me he started touching her when she was sleeping. I asked her if I could call the authorities for her and she did not want to make a report. It is asking me to review this group. Is it better to not say anything? or should I go ahead and let the cat out of the bag. The lady has 5 star reviews. They were very clean.

They did damage my countertop with putting a hot Wok onto my brand new epoxy countertop too. She used up all my laundry soap and an entire container of bleach. She scrubbed my showers till they were scratched. It was a hosts nightmare. What would you all recommend I do in regards to the review? She was so rude to me. I had spent 14 hours cleaning that home the day prior and she was still rude. She also left the doors open and let tons of mosquitos in the house. I have never had to clean piles of dead mosquitos up  in that house.

Sorry for the rant. My second guest was a dream. So sweet, Came with the correct amount of guests and followed my house rules, etc. 

[Alicia753]

Hi Renee,

It sounds like a very challenging situation, and it's understandable that you're unsure about how to handle the review. When writing the review, it might be helpful to focus on the main issues that directly impacted you as a host, like the lack of communication, extra guests, and property damage.

Keeping it factual and concise will help convey your experience without it coming across as overly emotional. Highlighting any positives, like cleanliness, could balance the review while still being honest about the difficulties you faced. Ultimately, sharing your experience might help other hosts avoid similar problems in the future.

Remember that whatever is written as review to the guest will reflect to you as a Host and could be a sad part even though guest is at fault.

Here's an example of a review you could leave for the guest:

"While [guest's name] and her group left the house clean, there were several challenges during their stay. The booking was made for 2 guests, but 4 people and a dog arrived without prior communication, which caused logistical issues. There was also damage to the property, including a new countertop. Unfortunately, clear instructions were not followed, leading to some issues with the hot tub. While I appreciate their efforts to clean, the overall experience was stressful due to these unexpected complications."

This review stays professional, acknowledges the cleanliness, and provides an honest account of the issues you faced. It allows other hosts to be informed while keeping the tone factual and neutral.

I hope this helps.

All the best,

Upfish Management

[Renee758]

I love that. Well, I chose not to leave a review and they left me a 5 Star Review and said they will be coming back. I will set clear expectations with all guests from now on and make things very clear so I can write an honest review and not be unkind but also warn other hosts of the guests bad habits. 

[Greg2406]

@Renee758 

Yeah, I'm going to go a different route than Alicia.   First, sorry for what you had going on with the less than reasonable guests.   During our first 2 months operations, we had a 33% unruly guest rate creating over 3K in damages, repairs, and extra cleaning expenses, we learned quickly how to install great House Rules and conduct Olympic Gold level vetting.  Next, photos of before are critical.   Next, a well drafted set of House Rules is mandatory.   As an example, in our House Rules that the Guest must sign before being allowed to enter the property, we state that 'Host will provide Guests 30 minutes to inspect the property at check-in and must report any issues to the Host immediately via text and on the platform message board'.  ' Failure to immediately report deficiencies or other issues will result in rejection of claims'.   

Next, and again in the House Rules, it states clearly that the number of guests allowed overnight in the property is to be no more than the original booking was for.  Additional unapproved Guests are charged a rate of $100 dollars per night, per unauthorized Guest.   One of our drunk 'guests' tried at 4:20 am to bring in double number of authorized guests and well over capacity for the home, along with numerous unauthorized pets.   At 4:35am, all were evicted.  No valid claim as security cameras video recorded the entire event with date and time stamp.

As for the damages, you must have before pics and after pics.   No rentals without Damage Protection.  As far as the damages go, file for the cost of damages, your time, and all other expenses.    BTW, on my claims, I only filed for the actual cost of repairs, and then the booking platform took a commission out of the fines paid,...go figure.  

You will get better at vetting, asking questions during the request for booking (no instant book,...ever).   You have one red flag, hit the decline button and breathe easier.  

[Renee758]

How do you set it to make sure they have Damage Protection? My current guest broke my front door frame and had melted plastic stuck to my brand new countertops. I am not sure how to make sure they add this. 

[Marie8425 · Accepted solution]

@Renee758 

It doesn't come down to what rules and presentations of the rules.  You set the bar low by breaking the rules first.  If someone was approved for 2 and showed up with four,  Sorry but only 2 are approved I do not allow access  to 4.  If they want to sit in their car and submit a change request to 4 guests I will consider for me I usually decline.  Yes, they will call Airbnb cancel and get a refund.  

I, personally, consider what she did an obvious disrespect of me.  My respect for me is not something for sale, because yes you usually end up paying more for allowing them to not be polite

[Renee758]

She was already in the home and in the evening when I brought all the stuff she asked me to buy for them, I was made aware that there were 4 and 1 was homeless. It really caught me off guard since it was my first booking. I had 2 twins in 1 room and a Queen in the other room. I do not mind and allow up to 4 guests but that is not what they booked. Do I have the right to do that if I allow up to 4 guests? 

[Elisa]

Hi @Renee758 😊

I am sorry about this situation, it is very sensitive!

However, I am glad that Hosts like @Marie8425 and @Greg2406 shared great advice. 

Did you have a chance to check it out? 

Warm regards🌻,

[Renee758]

I did today.

[Helen3]

If guests turn up with extra visitors not on the booking with a pet then you don't need to allow them to check in @Renee758 . If you do decide to let them stay you should get the guest to amend the booking and charge them for the additional guests (if you charge per guest).

charge the guest for the damaged worktop and the damaged breakers 

and absolutely do leave an honest review to warn future hosts about this awful guests 

how do you currently vet your guests ? Do build in vetting questions into your booking process to help minimise your risk of accepting of accepting guests who are not a good fit for your listing 

[Renee758]

I allowed Instant Booking. Do you recommend some questions?

[Helen3]

Use vetting questions c that relate to your house rules and information you want to know as a host to ensure the guests are a good fit for your listing and add them into your IB process @Renee758 

[Elisa]

Hi @Renee758  😊

Did any of the answers below help you resolve the issue?

If so, it's always a lovely gesture to mark it as the "Top Answer".

It's like a big virtual hug to the member who supported you but also to support other Hosts who may have similar questions in the future. 😊

Warm regards🌻,