fraudulent guest

[Maria1891]

So I had a reservation with this russian guest, she wanted checked in at 2am in the morning even if it's not allowed but since I live close to my appartment I chose to let them in.

Tomorrow morning she sends me a message requesting that the appartment should be cleaned, I refused because the appartment is always clean after the checkout of a guest and before their arrival. She had a reservation for 15 days but on the 9nth she sends me a message that she can't take it anymore and that she would leave because the conditions are horrible,I tried to convince her to stay and tried to understand the problem but she refused and already prepared her departure in advance without security seiing them.

Today I get a request from her that she wants to get refunded, she wrote a 18 lign paragraph full of lies about the condition of the appartment and sent photos as proof, well in the photos the appartment is clearly dirty, and that is because she made it dirty on pupose, she soiled the bathroom and the kitchen on purpose and now she wants a refund.

This is clearly a scam to get airbnb for free, just like what they do with uber and ubereats, they claim that this and that was missing or incorrect or they say it was unsanitary and get refunded.

I am a superhost and I have 35 comments on my appartment,none of which complain about the cleanliness of the appartment,in fact none of them complain about anything because I always make sure my guest have a good stay.

I could refund her because I don't want problems but I am worried that she will write a bad comment and rating, which will destroy all what I have been working for !

And I would like also to note that she left the appartment in a horrible state and she even damaged the veranda windows !

I would like to have your thoughts on the subject and hopefully find a solution to this problem.

[John2569]

Airbnb should support  you and ban the guest.

[Mark116]

@Maria1891  it's possible airbnb will side with the guest, but try and make sure that the dates on which the photos were taken is known, e.g. if it's a few days after her check in then it should be obvious that it was she who made it dirty.

I would suggest that you should, or have your cleaners to take photo or video of the unit before each person checks in, that protects you that the place was clean when guests checked in, you can then delete it after the review period has passed.  This is what we do, and although we have so far never had to use the footage to prove anything, it is good for peace of mind.

[Ton11]

Hi Maria,

If a guest asks for an early check-out (including refund for the nights not stayed), it is up to you to accept or not. In the situation that you describes, I would decline the request.

If the guest contacts Airbnb with the pictures, Airbnb will not fall for this if she sends the pictures later than 24 hours after check-in and, also if the guest did not contact you through the message thread with her claims.

I would not let the decision be influenced by a possible negative review, because, the guest can still send the bad review, if you refund or not. I would also not trust this guest, not with refund, not with review.

Furthermorte, if the guest caused damage, do not hesitate to claim this through the Resolution Center. 

All tyhe best and do not allow one negtive experience disencourage you.

I hope this helps a bit.