What are your experiences with bad guests?

[M-and-I0]

In the time that we've been hosting, I've noted bad guests tend to belong to these categories:

1. last minute/low rate bookings
2. Locals
3. Experienced guests (5 or more reviews)

The first two are easy to spot and we can filter depending on the quality of their communication at the time of booking.

The last group is the most frustrating and tricky. They look like decent people, sound like decent people and have more than a few great reviews.

While there are great guests with numerous reviews, I'm talking about the group that seems to think they are entitled to everything and you need to appease them at all costs. They expect you to provide more than what you outlined in your listing or to bend the rules for them. Some will even outright break the house rules (for example come before the check in time without any notice and expect to be able to use the unit) without any concern. Even if you call them out for it, they act like they did nothing wrong and you're the one who's not providing quality service.

Perhaps in their experience with Airbnb, they've found that they generally cannot be penalized unless they damage property. They've come to see hosts as business owners that need to provide customer service plus put on that "customer is always right" attitude.

Through all the experience with hosting, I've now come to be skeptical when I see a guest with more than 4/5 reviews, which is something I used to be excited about because I thought for sure those were the no-fuss guests.

I'm not sure if these people know how to play their cards just right to not get in trouble, and only manage to get positive reviews (when hosts cancel on them, they don't get reviewed) or if at some point a switch turned on and they realized they are pretty much untouchable as long as they stay legal.

When I cancel on these guests, despite the clear disregard for policies, the guests always get their full refund and their accounts are not flagged or removed so they can just continue on with their behaviour. They may have figured, well if I try to get things my way the host will probably accommodate since I'm the paying customer but if the host gets refuses, they can't touch me anyway. Worse comes to worst they could just create a new account.

So I'm wondering if other hosts have had similar experiences with Airbnb-familiar guests and what you think could be done by Airbnb and/or the community to ensure that guests, not only hosts, are held accountable for their behaviours?

[David126]

I have not seen a specific pattern, all my recent guests were newbies who had booked at short notice and were great.

I would disagree about damage, if they know what they are doing the can get away with doing damage and not paying. How do you knw you newbie is not somebody who has set up a new account doe to negative comments on prior bookings?

[M-and-I0]

I totally agree with the newbies who may have experience on other accounts. We've had bad things happen with those people as well who say they stayed in many Airbnb's but have no reviews. In our experience, Airbnb usually penalizes the guest in cases were there is sufficient evidence that there's damage and they do flag or ban users if it's clear that they have deliberately damaged the unit.

[M-and-I0]

And also these guests are not con artists. Even if in cases where they don't have to pay for damages, it's a lot of trouble for them to regularly cause havoc and it doesn't benefit them in any way if they intend to use Airbnb for its actual purposes. Unless they are criminals that want monetary gain, free stays, or take pleasure in causing problems, there's absolutely no benefit for them to do as you suggested. Plus at least Airbnb acknowledges those things are unacceptable and would take measures regardless of whether the measures are effective. The people I'm speaking of like using the platform for legitimate travel purposes and intend to keep doing so but just aren't afraid of pushing hosts' boundaries because they think that they're paying customers. And Airbnb doesn't acknowledge they're a problem nor will they do anything to prevent the guest from acting as such again.

[Frances40]

Had guests like that over Christmas. They got an amzingly low rate. My own fault. I'm new to this and hadn't updated the rates. I felt it was only right to honour the rate they were given.

Where the house is the winter in general, apart from the festive time, is dead so it was a few weeks before we went to the house. The cleaners had already been in, but when I unwrapped what I thought was a new bed set I found a very obvious stain on it. So, what they'd done was request new bedding after two days then folded up stained set and put in packaging of new set.

i had already given a good review but I'd like to warn other hosts and I believe there's a time scale for this.

honestly, these were professional people and a bed set is not expensive, but it's the principle. 

id

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@M-and-I0 All i can say here is all human beings are unpredictable, give the best of yourself when you are hosting and fingers cross that you will meet good guests in the future. Good luck!!!

[Alicia85]

This is a great statement, is real people are inpredictable.

Alicia

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Alicia85 Thank you for liking my comment. This is why when you are on Airbnb you need to be ready to face any type of situation.

[Lilian20]

it's all there, in one simple sentence :

" Perhaps in their experience with Airbnb, they've found that they generally cannot be penalized unless they damage property. "

thank you for outlining this @M-and-I0

[Alicia85]

I think that bad attittude should be noted in their profile, I had a guest who had a smart mouth when I texed her to asked her if she needed anything from the grocery store, and was only checking on her I am a very attentive person, well she said to me that she was an adult and didn't care for my customer service. I felt unappreciated and her rudeness pushed me away from her, so I only spoke to her as necesary for the rest of her stay. 

Alicia

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Alicia85 Unfortunately some people dont know how to be polite,everything depends on their level of education. Remember some people dont like to talk and some talk too much. Good luck!!!

[Alicia85]

Thank you Yes I agree, unfortunately this was an educated healthcare provider who wanted to do business outside Airbnb and look so nice and sweet ..but I am learning from all the exieperianced hosts I'm new at this I like it but I noticed the same you said earlier people are unpredictable for sure.. thank you 

[Denise77]

Sounds like she was mentally ill. I would keep up the great job of checking on people!

[Frances40]

I think I think the hosts should be given an open time scale to post privately about difficult guests.

I gave this couple a good review because I hadn't figured out what they done until a while later. So they may well have been accepted by other hosts on my recommendation and I would have liked to be able to warn other hosts. 

[M-and-I0]

It would be excellent if we could have a blacklist of guests, an inventory we could search for and vet guests with. However, I bet that's an invasion of privacy and risk of defamation charges 😞