Guests find Hand Gun in Vacation rental

[Malcolm33]

My current guests found a Loaded Hand Gun left in my rental, which was left behind by prior guests. My Cleaning company did not see the gun, when they serviced the unit.

Current Guests are demanding a full refund of their stay, due to the stress  (they claim) that this issue has caused them.

I have been a host for over 25 years, and this one is a first for me, so would appreciate any advice on how to handle this.

[Huma0]

@Malcolm33 

Where on earth did they find the gun? Was it hidden somewhere?

[Malcolm33]

Gun was found in Master Bathroom by current guest, prior guests left behind Clothes, Jewelry, and a Hand Gun. My cleaners reported to me on check out, all the personal items left, but they did not see the Gun.

Now I have an extremely angry guest, demanding a full refund.

[Quincy]

Hello @Malcolm33, I am so sorry to hear about this. I've notified the team about, and was informed that this is currently being investigated. 

[Colleen253]

@Quincy Not sure that’s helpful. If @Malcolm33‘s listing wasn’t suspended before, it surely will be now. 

@Malcolm33 No doubt by now you’ve fired your cleaners….

[Malcolm33]

Can you explain to me, why you feel my listing should be suspended?

[Colleen253]

@Malcolm33 I did not say I feel it should be suspended. Airbnb Trust and Safety may feel differently however. And a quick reading of this forum will show you that Airbnb levels listing suspensions, on the daily, with no explanation given. It’s an epidemic. So I’m quite certain that a guest finding a loaded handgun in your listing may be problematic for you on that front. 

[Malcolm33]

Is this not what you wrote?  "Not sure that’s helpful. If @Malcolm33‘s listing wasn’t suspended before, it surely will be now.", are you now speaking on behalf of AirBnB?

As soon as I found out, I contacted AirBnB, and there is an on going investigation into this issue, and  really you don't think that finding a Loaded Handgun is a problem?

[Colleen253]

@Malcolm33 I’m not sure why you keep misinterpreting what I say. Yes, I think a guest finding a loaded hand gun in your listing is a problem. A big one. Perhaps you think it’s only a problem for the guest who left it there? It’s just as much your problem, I’m afraid. Good luck! I hope all ends well for you.

[Kate867]

@Malcolm33    Trust & Safety issue.   As a host you have an obligation to ensure that your property is safe for guests.  On this occasion, either yourself or ‘your’ staff did not.  This is not the guests fault, nor Airbnb’s.

[Kate867]

@Malcolm33   That is terrible!  We are in the U.K. and any report like that would have the county’s ‘armed response’ unit out straight away to investigate, arrest etc.   However, it is very different here.  In any case, if a guest found the gun, then your cleaners certainly should have if they were doing their job properly.  I would certainly discuss this with them.  Just imagine if the guests had young children with them, and one of them found it first?  Moving forward, if a guest of ours found something totally inappropriate that our cleaner had missed then I would certainly refund promptly, without a second thought and without a need for advice.

[Helen3]

What a terrible situation for the guests to find themselves in @Malcolm33  As @Kate867  says can you imagine what would have happened if the gun had gone off and a guest or one or their children injured.

In your situation I would absolutely refund the guest with a massive apology and I would sack your cleaners. Completely unacceptable.

Obviously leave an honest review for the guests who left the gun and other items.