Guest abuse London

[Ritz392]

Hello

Hi I am from London. I am in West London. I hosted someone last minute Friday night. The room was ready for a guest arriving Saturday. So no problem there. I told this guest they had to vacate at check out time Saturday. They didn't ( I had another guest there who notified me and was going to make the room up for me when they left as I was away Saturday ) sods law. Well they left eventually. And I thought that was the end of it. However the guest was not able to make the room so I had to leave my wedding and come back to check the room. They had left a huge mess . Been smoking in the room . Left plate of food on the bed. All in just one night. Luckily my next guest was not arriving till late so I made the room good and cleaned everything up. Changed the key code. And let the new guest know. 

I went there this morning and the guy who was there friday night in the room was asleep in one of the empty rooms. He had contacted the other guest to let him in as he was also staying there . The guest let him in. I was flabbergasted and couldn't believe what he had done. I confronted him and told him to leave. He was very aggressive and intimidating. Made out as if I was to blame. I gave him a few minutes to get his stuff and get out.(or I'd call the police) This seemed to be falling on death ears. He threw a cup of water at me that he was using to put his cigs out in. At this point I called the police. He managed to get away before they arrived. And although they took a description they didn't do much else. Most people are really good and I have no such issues. People like this really make you question doing this. Having my life threatened for removing someone from my property where they should not have been in the first place makes it not seem worthwhile. Especially when they know you are going to be coming and going from the property. Im Left feeling very vulnerable. Also fell out with my neighbour who I asked to check why this person wasn't leaving on Saturday (I wouldn't have asked and didn't know who was in the room , when I spoke on the phone was a girl , so obviously used someone else's account. ) they said they wouldn't. I left it that. However they felt they needed to take it further with me for asking in the first place. I obviously wouldn't have asked if I didn't think I could. Learnt my lesson there. 

[Helen744]

@ritz392congratulations on your wedding. I dont think your partner will forget any of this either . All I can say is co host cost co host. relying on other guests or your neighbour without providing a bit of the folding stuff is not on . Rooky mistake . Take your business a little more seriously and your wedding for petes sake.Do not let people book after a cut off time and do not take one nighters or you risk attracting very much the wrong people.How not to run an Airbnb must be the handbook that you read , at the risk of sounding very harsh I do think your desire for money overtook your common sense.If you and your new partner wish to continue to run the Airbnb then maybe take a few pointers and brush up on your 'how to run an Airbnb facts' there is lots of info on these pages but seriously good intentions is not enough and thats all you get points for.The rest of it was a comedy of errors. Good luck and apologise to your neighbours and the other guests . H ha ha ha 

[Ritz392]

Hi. I dont have a filter on the guest booking they can book straight away without me accepting.  It wasn't my wedding.  

And they still didn't have any right whatsoever coming to the property and telling another guest they had the right to stay there. Maybe that is the main point. And then being threatened by said person. 

[Helen744 · Accepted solution]

@Ritz392 If you are using instant book , which I guess you mean by 'filter then you need to set a checkin time earlier than you have . Maybe between 2 and  6  or a convenient time for you to be around . no later . also make sure that you have asked for proper id and no obcsured faces ,avatars or sunglasses. Greet guests until you are back on even keel. Organise extra bedding so you are not caught on the hop .Make sure people book for at least two days,not one, unless you live in a train station or airport.Offer a discount for weekly and monthly bookings and try to attract weekly bookings . This will give you a more relaxed way to work with your guests . Good luck H

[Helen744]

also Ritz maybe your crazy guest expected to stay 24 hours or was booked for by an agency for the homeless or somesuch  or maybe had hoped to book another night by talking to you . H

[Helen3]

You don't have to accept last minute bookings on Airbnb you could have set your listing up so guests need to get 24 or 48 hours notice for IB. @Ritz392 

you can't expect other guests or neighbours to make up guest rooms. If you're not going to be around then pay a cohost or cleaner to manage things for you.

I'm sorry you had such a horrible guest and that another guest let him return to your property . How wa. He able to access one of the other unused bedrooms. Do you not have locks on your bedroom doors ? 

Please familiarise yourself more with how Airbnb works - airbnb help website is a good resource. 

[Ritz392]

Thanks for the tips and advise. I'll read the book and connect with other hosts in my area. 

[Ritz392]

Thanks for the recommendations Helen.  I will surely take them on board and use them. 

I've probably been to lax and casual.  Thinking the best. It's always a minority who ruin it for the majority. 

No I told them they have to leave. They wrote a letter on a napkin to persuade the other guest to let them in on Saturday night. It was a chancer. And a very unsavoury one at that having confronted him. 

[Helen744]

@Ritz392 All the best , not everyone is like that but we have all had our bad guests . Keep going I am sure it will all turn out for you H