UNAUTHORIZED PARTY - SECOND WEEK IN A ROW

[Erin4510]

I have hosted guests in my home exactly two times using Airbnb. Once last Friday, once last night. Both times, HUGE unauthorized parties were thrown in my home. The first party I came to find out was attended by minors and both alcohol and illegal drugs were present.  The second, last night, the guests completely trashed my home and caused thousands of dollars worth of damage, and in addition to stealing many of my personal belongings (like my Brita water filter?) stole the key to my home and the key to the security gate surrounding my home.  I was on the phone with "support" from Airbnb from 4am-7am this morning trying to sort things out. As a result, I no longer feel comfortable being a host, and deciding to have Airbnb cancel the remainder of my bookings. I got a notification for $100-worth of cancelation fees this afternoon. I am so beyond livid. Does anyone have experience with what to do in these situations? Does Airbnb do anything to rectify situations like this? It seems to be impossible to get in touch with anyone who can do anything except "escalate" my case to "the department that can handle that." I have filed a police report, but at this point don't even know if the guest was using her real name or ID. I am incredibly uncomfortable knowing the key to my gate is in the hands of a criminal. Even though I am having the locks changed, the gate is tricker to replace. This is not at all what I signed up for when I listed my home. 

[Linda-And-Richard0]

@Erin4510So sorry to hear about the problem with guests taking advantage and throwing parties at your property.  I read that Airbnb is cracking down on guests that party without host permission.  Hopefully you will receive a positive response from support and reimbursement for damages.  In the future, avoid  locals,  same day and/or single night bookings.  Also, do an unannounced visit or drive past the property to make sure all is quiet.  I live next door to my listing and guests know this up front. 

[Erin4510]

I did do a drive by and Airbnb said that because the guest provided a picture "proving" there was no party, I basically had to back off. Airbnb doesn't vet the guests appropriately. Since writing this I have found weapons left behind in my home. I shudder to think what could have happened. Thank you for the support!

[Sarah977]

@Erin4510 I'm very sorry this happened to you. It sounds like you are just letting guests IB and have no vetting procedure in place? You have no cameras to monitor who is coming and going? You don't communicate with guests when they book to acsertain their reasons for booking and make your max guest count and house rules apparent? 

You are responsible for making yourself aware of what is going on in your home and stopping unacceptable behavior- no Airbnb agent can do that for you. And contrary to what many people think, Airbnb isn't just some easy way to make money by renting your place out when you are out of town. You wouldn't be the first host who burst into tears when seeing how the so-called "guests" treated their home.

I strongly suggest you turn off Instant Book, require guests to submit a booking request and ask them questions that hopefully make it evident or raise red flags as to what their intentions are.

Partiers target new listings because they know the hosts are green and may not be aware of how to vet prospective guests. @Linda-And-Richard0 had some good suggestions to lessen the possiblty of these scenarios happening.

Your review page now shows nothing but 3 cancellations, which will prevent you from ever getting any more bookings- no guest wants to chance getting cancelled on. What you need to do at this point is delete your listing, and put a new one up if and when you are ready to try hosting again.

[Erin4510]

I do communicate and do everything I can to gather information about people before they stay in my home. Yes I am green to hosting but I am incredibly smart and savvy especially when it comes to research. I have law enforcement in my family. When people lie and take criminal measures to hide their true intentions and identity. 

I do have motion apps, I was told by Airbnb that security cameras are not allowed so as to respect the guests' privacy. When I notified Airbnb that my motion sensors were notifying me of what seemed like several more people than what the guest told me were in my home, they reach out to the guest, she said no, they took her word over mine, and I was left to deal with it all on my own. 

I don't have instant book on. That is something that made me uncomfortable in the first place-the limitation on being able to vet a guest. I do require guests to tell me their plans. This one said she's coming from San Diego to visit family. I found her instagram, her Venmo and Twitter account. 

I don't care what my page looks like at this point. I will no longer let anyone in my home via the Airbnb platform. Not only have they offered zero support, but are now trying to charge me for the cancelations. 

I am taking this matter further and trying to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone ever again. 

[Juan63]

Cameras are absolutely allowed, so I'm not sure where you got that info. We have cameras at all our Airbnb's. I think your lack of experience absolutely showed here as you made several mistakes. Lack of research on the guest is the least of the problems. It's your property and not Airbnb's. If your motion sensors showed more than a few people, you should have gone over to your property immediately. But don't misunderstand me, your guests were scum and they should be dealt with.

[Nikki4]

HI @Sarah977 ,

Party throwing guests are huge problem whether your are a new host, or have hosted for 8 years.  It doesn't matter whether you have cameras or not (though you should always have cameras!).  

If you cameras at the front, they will sneak the partiers through the back (this happened to me last night) .  If you have cameras all over the house, and you have footage of extra guests smoking, Airbnb will do nothing (this happened to me in June). 

There is no "Party Fee", and Airbnb will not charge a guest for partying unless there is specific damage. 

If they threw a raging keg party in your house for 50 people, complete with neighbhor complaints, cops being called etc, Airbnb will turn a blind eye unless there is actual damage.  This has happened to me.  Didn't matter that I had camera footage or not.  

[Melissa108]

Yup me too.  I actually got penalized by Airbnb for not disclosing that my cameras record.  I of course disclosed I had them ugh.  Nothing happened to the guests.  

[Ute42]

.

@Erin4510 

Pls note that Your calendar is wide open for new bookings in april and may.

Also, Your minimum booking requirement is one night only - thats a mistake anyway.

[Erin4510]

I'm aware what my calendar looks like. I've been advised not to make changes until I speak with a case manager. Thanks for pointing out my mistake. It's my mistake that Airbnb allows the option to rent for one night, huh? Thanks for the support. You've really helped to make me feel better about the situation. 

[Juan63]

Yes, some people's comments may seem like victim shaming but also some of your complaints could have been easily avoided and blaming Airbnb, to some, may seem a little too easy. They are just a platform, not the cops, not a property manager and not a security guard. There is also nothing room with renting your space for one day either. If you have security measures in place, this shouldn't be a problem.

[Nikki4]

Airbnb puts all the responsibility for party throwing on the Host.  Its deeply unfair and a terrible miscarriage of justice.  

I just had a guest lie about their booking, and throw a party that resulted in neighbors calling Airbnb to complain.  

Airbnb's response???  Block my listing and hold me accountable until I could prove that I didn't encourage partying.  

No extra payout, no consequences to the guest at all.

[Sharon1014]

"Good times in Glassell Park!"  Not the best of names for your listing.  Makes it sound like a party house from the get go.  Allowing strangers into the home you actually live in when are travelling away is always an extremely high risk proposition.  Every last possession and bit of your property is at risk.  Suggest you delete your listing and start again.  Change the listing name, remove the pics of the outdoor party lights and make it clear you are on-site 24/7 (even if you aren't) - this deters unwanted elements from booking a place to party in the first place.

[Erin4510]

No thanks, done with Airbnb but thanks for pointing out all my mistakes. 

[Lisa723]

@Erin4510 Airbnb parties have become a big problem, especially in some cities, and Airbnb does not do enough to control it. Sorry it happened to you. If you spend some time reviewing this forum you will see it's a common story. Hosts responding to you are only trying to help you prevent a repeat, if you were interested in continuing to list. There are many things hosts can do to control their property; not counting on Airbnb is unfortunately lesson one.

Security cameras are allowed, just not in private spaces, and they must be disclosed in the listing.