The stress of hosting

[CasaFlorestos0]

HI,

I have some guests who have contravened several of the house rules including no under 18s as the house is not safe. They have also done some damaged that will be expensive to repair and that will impact my ablity to fulfill forthcoming bookings from Airbnb and other portals.

The person who booked never arrived and he has made threats of violence towards me. This is because I asked the people who arrived to leave my home. He also accused me of hitting his girlfriend  - luckily I have a winess that no such thing happened. The people who arrived refused to leave, and the local police would not remove them as they had a young child with them - Spanish laws!

The unwanted guests are due to depart tomorrow morning, but I have been feeling sick and stressed having these people in my home. I had a stoike recently and my blood pressure is sky high. I feel violated, as if I have been burgled and the robbers have squatted. 

Although I am due to speak with the safety team next week, I have had little support from Airbnb and only been told the person who booked has not responded to Airbnb messages.

Has anyone had a similar experience? If so, can you offer any advice?

Thanks,

CF

[Helen744]

@CasaFlorestos0 So sorry to hear that this has happened to you. I hate to remind you that it is so important to ask the 'booking guest' about the number of guests 'including themseves ' via messaging before they arrive.Maybe you could have found out that this was a third party booking before they arrived and cancelled . Its super important that you check arrival times , ids of all guests , before they arrive . i also wonder if you have a co host because if not then please organize one so that if things are too stressful you can have a back up person .If your guest booked without checks and id then its really difficult to ask a guest to leave especially using the police. check all of your messaging and if you get a bad review be prepared to present the evidence of both the third party booking and the threat of violence from the bookee. You are not covered for much if you have no id on your guest... all the best , at least they will be gone soon , thats one of the good things about STRs... H 

[CasaFlorestos0]

Hi Helen,

Thank you for your suggestions.

I was told by the booker in writing that is was him and his girlfriend before I accepted the booking. No mention of a child. I also set up the Airbnb system far a maximum of 2 adults and 0 children.

The description and Ts&Cs both said no under 18s. Also people on Airbnb are not supposed to book for 3rd parties unless they have a different type of account.

I always ask for automatic ID submission before arrival, or take it when they arrive. In this case the booker said they were coming and never turned up. 

This has been such a bad experience I have withdrawn from Aitbnb completely. The paltry sum these people paid, will not even cover the cost of fitting new kitchen units, let along buying them, or retiling some of the terrace and replacing other items. My insurance does not cover me for children, so I will be forced to pay for the repairs myself. 

Above all the threats were the worst thing, especially as I am not in the best of health following my stroke. 

Best,

CF

[Bhumika]

Hi @CasaFlorestos0, I am so sorry to hear about the situation you were in and how it has impacted you. 

I read that you were going to hear back from the support this week. Are there any updates in this regard? 

Also, I wanted to share that I have merged your post about Aircover claims with this one to keep everything in one place. I have forwarded your feedback to the Support team as well for them to have a good look into both of your concerns.

[CasaFlorestos0]

This was a horrible situation, that thankfully has not repeated itself. It must have been a couple of bad eggs on the trot that made me feel so negative. I stuck with Airbnb as my property is quirky and allows me to describe it my own words. Water having flowed under the bridge, my concerns as a host are now very different.

[CasaFlorestos0]

Hi,

Has anyone here actually received an Aircover settlement? Or, is it all 'hot' air? I am not asking for details, just a yes or no would do, and a yes or no in terms of the amount fixing the problem? I ask because I don't want to waste my time making a claim if all I am going to get is the runaround.

I have already taken all of my properties off Airbnb as 2/5 guests have been a total nightmare, doing damage, stealing stuff, leaving the place filthy, removing the smoke alarm and loads of rule abuse.

The majority of Airbnb guests I hosted in Brighton UK a few years ago were scum and I withdrew from Airbnb then. As I now I live in a very 'non party' resort, I thought the guests would be of better quality. How wrong could I be! Airbnb seems to be a trash magnet here too. Such a shame for the good guests, that this portal is on the highway to hell. I have never had any issues with people from the other major portal. 

[Hans778]

No Aircover,  it seems to be fake, not worth the hassle.