This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
Being new to the forum (which I must say is the most-responsive forum on any topic I’ve been a part of in a long time), I’ve been learning a lot with regards to dealing with bad Airbnb guests.
Does anyone know of any definitive guide on dealing with bad guests which brings all of the guidance together in one place? Or am I going to have to learn as I go along?
I’m not aware of a definitive guide, and I think it would be hard to draw one objectively together. A judgement of a “bad” guest will vary from host to host at a subjective level. Some hosts don’t mind people smoking dope, many do.
What I believe is standard though, would be abusive behaviours; violence, be it threatened, verbal or physical, sexual harassment, theft. Others, please add to this for me! With any of these, I would choose wether to call the police, contact Air to evict them, evict them myself (I have done so), or call my burly farming neighbours; I have arrangements with a few, and keep numbers on my phone, but have never needed to call so far. A judgement call at the time that no one can predict.
I have a rule of thumb that if the hairs on the back of my neck start tingling, pay attention and think a given situation through carefully.
The lesser bad guests just need to be asked/told/ordered, in ascending order to desist or leave; this is my home, you are a guest and your behaviour is inappropriate. Assertiveness is better than being drawn into confrontation.
Hope that makes sense. I’m sure our fellow hosts have lots to offer too.
The list differs depending upon whether a host is present, or renting a full house.
Bad guests:
Fair enough! 
Can you give an example?
I’ve started telling guests right when they walk in the door that one really important house rule is no unregistered guests allowed that way I don’t have to confront them later when they bring extra people over without asking. I guess I would say that is an example. I also have signs on the washer and dryer that say ‘not for guest use’ to avoid having to confront people for using them without asking. It’s just easier to do.
A woman who came down to breakfast shouting and screaming at me because I’d been hostile and disrespected her brother, (i.e. I’d chucked his female unregistered guest out, politely, after finding them in our private sitting room the night before, after midnight, stroking her naked foot…). But I digress. She even told me, threateningly, that she did confrontation really well! I told her that while I wasn’t a fan of confrontation, I would remind her that she was a guest in my home and her behaviour was completely unacceptable. I think I even said that I had never experienced such rudeness from a guest, and left the dining room to get something. When I returned, she apologised but in such a way, it was designed to draw me in to her desire for further confrontation. I simply thanked her for the apology, how much I appreciated it, and left the room again. Thankfully they checked out very quickly that morning.
Somebody saying they have been “disrespected” is a sure sign that they are looking for a fight, up to and including actual fisticuffs. It is a meaningless term used by people who feel entitled to get their way on everything either by aggression or playing the victim.
Very early on I learnt from another host not to let them know if you upset over something until after they have written their review - and then wait a further 48 hours so they can’t go back and edit it.
But before the 14 days is up. Right?
I think once both reviews are posted nobody can go back to edit to prevent retaliatory reviews.
That is correct…
She wrote her review and then I asked her to pay the $80 pet fee because she had snuck her dog in and $90 to get the brand new rug dry cleaned because it had soiled it. I hadn’t written my review as I was waiting to see how she would respond to my request for extra money as this would make a difference to how I rated her.
Because I hadn’t written mine she had 48 hours to change what she had written, and wow did she let me have it! Even though she had broken the house rules and caused the damage.
So I learnt not only to not let them know you are unhappy with them until after they had written their review but then to wait a further 48 hours.
https://www.airbnb.com.au/help/article/367/can-i-edit-a-review-i-wrote
Right, you hadn’t written yours so that’s why she was able to go back and edit. I’ve done that before too when I found out that these people had made a bigger mess than what I was aware of. I went back and changed their cleanliness rating from a 2 to a 1. Sorry you had to go through that with that woman. Did you get your money?
Yes, I got paid. She tried to say that it could have been the next guest’s dog that did it. I asked Air to contact her and tell her that my photos were time and date stamped. The cleaner arrived and they were still there, and the dog came to the door, if you are going sneak a dog in make sure you check out on time!
This a real thing, never ignore the hairs on the back of your neck. Saved me from a rattlesnake once.
RR