I'm new at hosting (since July) and so far have had all 5* reviews and helpful private feedback.
Unfortunately our last guests were extremely difficult to deal with, going out of there way to find every small thing to complain about from the beginning and I believe determined to build a case for money off. He had no reviews on his profile and this was his first Airbnb stay > maybe this is something to avoid in future?
Complaints were mostly subjective; from the size of the freezer to the type of plates and glasses available, request for outside lighting and certain types of duvets , the BBQ not being in the correct place (it had been put away for winter and quickly resolved) plus complaints about our property manager spending to long to explain things etc. Also complaints about being woken up at 8.30am on check out day by gardening noise . We are a rural farmhouse so there is often outside noise in the mornings.
Also some valid complaints - the cooker extractor fan being too noisy (we have identified it needs replacing), and an issue with hot water one morning due to our butane cylinder running out of gas. This was changed asap and they still had access to 1 shower whilst it was being replaced. He did ask my property manager for more wine glasses (for 10 guests) which we purchased and supplied the next day.
He stated the day after checkin on the app about there many issues / difficulties but didn't expand when I asked him to be specific so we could try and resolve.... I asked again on my checkout note and he was very rude and then flooded me with complaints and lodged a complaint with Airbnb. This was primarily a complaint about cleanliness with photo's of dust behind the tv and under skirting boards etc. It's hard to say if these were staged (my instinct is they were taken at the end of their stay and self created with the intention of compensation) but I cannot prove it, as I wasn't present to check the cleaning prior to check in.
Airbnb advised we give him the 10% discount based on buyer protection and I also decided to refund fully the cleaning fee to avoid a lengthy conflict.
Some of his issues have actually been helpful and I've made adjustments to the listings.
There are also some small issues my end with their respect for property. They broke our tv remote and a wooden skirting board, plus they dumped a lot of open food trash directly into our outside bins (rather than in a sealed bag)
So my big question for the community:
He hasn't submitted a review yet and I'm conscious of losing my 5* rating at this early stage.
Would you recommend I don't write a review unless he submits one or should I write one anyway?
