Hi, recently had a guest in my vacation rental who was sent all the usual documentation and house rules regarding an 11am checkout and non-smoking unit and was still present in the unit at 3pm smoking cigarettes and weed. My cleaners had to leave the house, and then come back later to do a special cleaning to remove the smell of smoke from carpet and furniture, I was charged a fee for both of these activities amounting to $100. I then filed the photos of ashes on tables, mess in the house, invoice from cleaning staff, and door activity logs indicating late checkout to the claims center in AirBNB. The guest refused the charges, and AirBNB told me that their policy around late checkout, smoking, or claims to deposit for non-damage related issues is now the following:
- You have to catch them DURING their stay and notify AirBNB
- AirBNB will reach out to guest to tell them to stop
- You then document them continuing to do so after youâve reached out
- Then AirBNB will allow charges
Is this crazy? I got it in writing by email conversation, and a phone call to their âSuperhost Supportâ which escalated to a supervisor with no recourse. My house is a âTo yourselfâ lakehouse in Tahoe, â Iâm not âChecking inâ on my guests during their stay, and charge a $500 deposit. If I canât actually get access to this deposit for expenses that the guests incur on my behalf, then Iâm not sure I should keep it up.
Am I being overzealous about smoking? Itâs very clear in my house rules, and Iâve had guests give lower reviews in the past for âSmoke smellâ that my cleaners didnât catch. Should I keep the rules, and the deposit, just not actually bother with fining guests (Taking it out on their reviews?)
What do you do?