Horrible month with Airbnb and its getting MUCH worse!

The month has been SOOO slow and I am now dealing with the worst guests we have had to date (have had over 75 people here since May and most have been amazing!).

The couple here now have been here for almost a week, came from the UK and leave tomorrow. They were one of our first bookings from when we went live, but the reservation wasn’t until now.

I have to say that they are very nice older couple and I have had a few great conversations with them but I started to get a bad feeling several weeks ago when we received a direct email from someone who wasn’t on their original reservation who was asking for directions because she was coming to stay with them for a few nights. I told her that no, we don’t allow guests who are not on the reservation and that they would have to submit a modification, and pay the $25 per night over 2 guests fee if she were going to stay. They paid the fee and everything was fine, until they arrived.

We have a copy of our house rules posted right on the wall of the guest house, along with all the other information they need. They have been blatantly ignoring all the rules and have been inviting all these different people to come visit them at our property even though our rules say that no guests are allowed to visit the property who are not on the reservation. They have had many visitors and we even told them the day they checked in that because of liability and our privacy we are strict with the rule. I run a business here and do not want all these strangers coming to my property if they are not accounted for on a reservation.

They have also come knocking on the door of my house, my workshop and come across the property to interrupt me when I am working with things such as chainsaws, and then it leads to 30 minutes to an hour of conversation, taking away from my day. The rules clearly state to contact us by text message and not to knock on our doors but they are ignoring everything.

I don’t know what condition the house will be left in tomorrow when they leave, but I have never had to leave a bad review before and I feel really bad having to do it, but I feel very disrespected.

And to top it off, we have more guests who booked for this upcoming weekend who emailed to ask to cancel because they don’t like the weather forecast… ridiculous. My policy is strict and they expect me to pay for them to cancel because of weather?

Any advice?

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No advice but a bucketload of compassion :heart:

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Wow, talk about having your knickers in a twist. LegandsCreek was looking for commiseration, not condemnation. His listing is on a working goat farm. If I were him I would also not permit guests to have guests as many people are oblivious to the hazards of not behaving properly around animals and farm equipment. What if one of his guests’ guests was a child who got bitten by a goat, mangled by a farm machine or drowned in his pond? I do host in my house and I do let guests bring guests. It is up to each host. If a guest wants to stay someplace where they are allowed to bring guests; they need to find a listing where the host allows it.

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Thank you EllenN. There are many, many reasons why I don’t allow guests to bring other guests and that is my right. I run a business and live here and by breaking my rules you are telling me that you don’t care about them which is a complete lack of respect for me and for my property.

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If I ever come to your listing I promise I won’t bring anyone else. This isn’t because I’m a rule abiding Goody Two Shoes. It’s because I would not want to share the attention of your animals with anyone else. I’m greedy about four legged love.

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I agree. I’m new on this forum and just setting up my ABB account, but I will not allow outside guests. I have good reasons. I’m a coach, work from home and the guest wing is attached to our house. The entrance to the guest wing is through the main house. I don’t want random people coming in/out of the house we live in, who I don’t know, and potentially interfering with clients who paid for an hour of my private, counseling time. I think it’s also a liability concern. If they are not on the reservation, and you don’t know who they are, can they be held accountable for damage? Will BB even consider it a potential claim? I have my doubts, but I don’t know; I’m asking.

I’d love to hear others comments on this post; it is a concern for me too.

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As I said, I do permit and even encourage guests to bring guests. My insurance company told me that my Airbnb guests would be covered for liability, but their guests wouldn’t. I don’t worry as much as many here do about lawsuits. It is true that in the U.S. anyone has the legal right to sue anyone else. The reality is a different story. You have to find a lawyer who will take the case presumably on contingency. I doubt that I have enough in assets to make this worth an attorney’s time.

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My insurer said the same. That only guests who are on the reservation will be covered for liability. I don’t understand it at all but that’s a large part of why I don’t allow it. My husband is also an attorney and constantly thinks like an attorney and says it’s a bad idea. I’m all for it if a group of 6 wants to come but be honest, put them on the reservation, and at least have the common curtousy to ask permission rather than just blatantly break all my rules.

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As a matter of interest…

I find that many of our guests are visiting friends or relatives in the area. They want to show them the place in which they are staying. (And this can increase referrals!)

So our rules say that guests can be accommodated at the property but that there must be no more than two and that it’s only allowed during daylight hours.

I’ve waived that sometimes for lovely guests. Such as the couple who wanted their son, daughter-in-law and her parents to visit for a couple of hours. That was fine and the in-laws referred people who booked :slight_smile:

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I know this is really tough, and I feel for you. I was just remembering a period of crazy we had - like the Vietnamese guests who kept getting lost and then calling me for help - but never listening just talking talking talking. And other such situations.

I can only say to breath, relax, and know that this will pass. Sometimes our turn comes up for such guests.

But to be sure, the first time they interrupted you you explained why they shouldn’t, right? And the first time you saw that they had additional guests on the property you confronted them? To often we hosts just let such things go, hoping it will all be ok, and it just gets worse. That’s what I learned from my week-long Spaniards with the screaming kids -

More good guests are around the corner for sure. Just leave a truthful, calm review. Allow us to vet it for you first -that can help a lot!!

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Good points! Since I work from home and the entrance to the guest wing is through the main house, I’m not sure it would work for me right now.

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Well Billy Bob, :smile: what’s wrong with it? It’s against her house rules. It’s also not allowed on her insurance. So the guests are not respecting what she has asked. Very simple.

No one should have to go through the ridiculous theatrics you describe in order to avoid chatty guests.

Now on the subject of friends of guests coming over, anyone who knows me knows the stressful story of that Jennifer party woman who met a guy at the beach or a bar and told him to come over for a Party. That led to my worst guest experience ever…

No posssssssible way do I want random strangers coming on my property. This was a local guy, per his local car… Now this stranger knows my whole set up, what I have here, where I live, etc. I don’t have a place like yours which is more of a freestanding and traditional B&B.

So yeah, Legends has a right to be pissed. She said over and over no additional guests and these people just ignored her and did what they wanted.

Not cool.

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Well said Kona, but I am a man :wink:

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Ooops!! Sorry about that! :slight_smile:

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Ha ha. No worries at all!

Wait, legends…Did you ever post as your wife? I thnk one time you had mentioned a husband? But maybe it is because you DO have a husband? :smiley: Not that there is anything wrong with that… :smiley: OK I’m digging myself deeper! No need to answer!!

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Apparently, LegendsCreek is gay.

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Haha. Yes I am gay and have a husband. Don’t worry about it, happens all the time.

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I hear that this happens in all the best families. ::very tongue in cheek::

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Tee hee!! :smiley: