First time having a guest booted!

83

It’s a tough call. I am an ex smoker and asthmatic. And my partner had lung cancer and he still smokes like a chimney. It is bar none the worst addiction I ever braved.

Smokers gonna smoke. My job is to protect myself, other guests and neighbors. And the area.

What I did was to look at it from the addict’s point of view. Lord knows I know what that’s like. How difficult is it to provide a wind free niche and old coffee cans with sand?

They never clean their butts out. I use them as weed killer. So what. I clean toilets, too.

4 Likes
84

There are nations in Europe where public wearing of burkas and niqabs are outlawed. (France, Switzerland, Belguim others? ) Should Chris follow the law? I’m assuming that’s why he has the policy he does. If I don’t allow smoking of weed on my property because it’s illegal in my state it’s not because I am biased against people who smoke weed.

3 Likes
85

Lets Share:
Very well thought out response. My thoughts exactly. Thank you.
I am just terrified around here during fire season. My friends smoke on my porch. But Never if its windy.

86

Yeah, don’t know how this thread got so far off subject. Smoking in forest fire danger zones takes precedence over any and all rules. That guest’s one butt thrown onto the road could have set the whole mountain on fire.

1 Like
87

All true statements. It’s a terrible addiction and I’ve been the victim of it myself. My parents were smokers and I had one respiratory illness after another from birth to 17 when I moved out on my own. It was a form of child abuse really but hey, it was the 60s, what are you gonna do about it now?

While I agree that what’s best is to accomodate them in a space on the property, I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t. I’ve said before and will say again: we are not social service agencies. I’m not a halfway house or a refugee center. If I want to choose to help someone who is homeless, having a hard time, a refugee, or volunteering for a cause I support I will find the way to do so. The guest should not expect to be accomodated.

Didn’t you say you don’t allow alcohol on your property? That somehow seems odd to me that you think smokers should be deferred to but not drinkers?

1 Like
88

Let me explain a bit more in detail.

The 2 the right are banned in many countries in the world (even Muslim countries like Morocco), as it is a sign of female oppression and fundamentalism.

In my counrty they are banned too.
On top of that I inform my guests from the Arabian Peninsula that I do not want them to be worn in the public areas of property (I have no problem with the 5 on the left). I never had any negative feedback from them, all of them tell me it is no problem, they book and give me 5 star reviews (and many re-book direct with me for the next summer).

3 Likes
89

Its not true that burkas are banned in Morocco. I went there 6 months ago and many many burkas I saw One area women has only one eye open. I spent with Muslims last 6 months in village and most times its women who choose to wear burkas . At least this is what I ve been told. That’s how they were raised. Muslims are very patient and most are very peaceful not violent people and their women are outspoken and have rights and respected in their families
I have a hard time agreeing with all these countries .

90

Seemed like not too long ago you raised hell over the guests’ ESA, and now it “pales in comparison.” Maybe if you had been less overly dramatic and anti-ABB-policy regarding the dog the guests would not have felt the need to smoke that much…

And smoking is an addiction, do you even try to understand what that means? Like some people are addicted to dogmatism and control - maybe you can relate better to that example. So a water bucket and an adequate corner on your property would have taken care of any fire danger and solved the problem. But with your attitude, maybe hosting really isn’t for you :wink:

2 Likes
91

Hello @Bunny, IMHO, I think you just did the right thing, you can read under Trust &Safety policies on Airbnb, which, among other things, requires the host to ( in creating hazardous situations)
“You should not keep unsecured weapons, disease risks, or dangerous animals in your listing, nor should you create conditions that increase the likelihood of a fire or impede escape in the event of emergency.”

3 Likes
92

This thread has gotten a little crazy, but here’s my opinion. I think it’s unreasonable to ask a guest to drive out of the neighborhood to smoke. No one’s going to do it, and they’re just going to be sneaky, like these guests were. But I also think that the guest was being irresponsible by smoking at the edge of the property after having just been told by the host that they couldn’t smoke anywhere in the vicinity. For people in fire-prone areas (I’m in one as well), I think the best solution is to let people know right upfront (preferably when they book so that they can cancel if they want) that you are in a fire-prone area and smoking on (or at the edge of) the property won’t be tolerated.

4 Likes
93

I don’t allow alcohol in the rooms. And it’s single accommodation only. I am such a killjoy!

Simply put, experience has taught me that I can’t manage a drunk guest. And I try to limit police calls.

Obviously there are exceptions. We have had some nice dinner parties and celebrations. Everybody likes a beer at the local grotty pub.

But being under the same roof as someone who is drinking solo - and habitually - has proven disastrous.

I get zero pushback on this. If they want to smoke dope I ask them to go fora walk. That’s not skunk you are smelling in my fair city! :wink:

94

Oh, okay. So guests can drink in the common areas on your property.

95

Again, thank you all for your insight on this issue. You always provide such a wide array of viewpoints!

For me the bottom line is from the start, though I might not have been 100% happy about the requests made of me by this guest I always acted within Airbnb’s hosting guidelines and Airbnb backed me up when I requested the guest be removed and refunded for the night.

Though I may have brought my venting here to the community at no time, up until the point they were caught smoking after be asked not to, did I offer the guest anything but helpful insight and suggestion and seek to accommodate their needs so that they could enjoy their stay.

This is a summary of what transpired in the 6 weeks leading up to the stay:

I communicated with him 14 times prior to his arrival arranging tours, dinning and events for he and his guests.

Prior to accepting his reservation 6 weeks before his arrival I stated this was a no smoking property (it is also stated as such in my listing).

When told of the ESA four days before their scheduled arrival I went out and purchased supplies for the ESA so that they would have what they needed to care for it and my property (poop bags, blankets to protect furniture, a tray for food dishes to protect the floor).

Three days prior to his arrival I made him aware of the extreme fire danger and red flag warning issued by United States National Weather Service. He acknowledge that and thanked me for the heads-up.

During check-in I mentioned no smoking and reiterated the fire danger.

When guests were observed smoking I asked them to stop, told them it was a no smoking property (to which they acted surprised) and again mentioned the extreme fire danger. They pressed me about smoking on the road and I said no because of the extreme fire danger, the fact that there is no shoulder and it is a 50mph with semi traffic.

They then went to the road, walked to the west and stood on my neighbor’s drive and smoked discarding their butts on the ground in an area with dry fuel in front of a hillside of dry vegetation that leads up to my neighbors home, barns and livestock.

My neighbor saw them, asked them to stop then texted me complaining about them and stating she was fearful of a fire starting.

Regarding neighbors, Air’s rules state:

> Disturbing the surrounding community
_> _
> You should not disturb common spaces, treat neighbours as “front desk staff,” create a pervasive nuisance for those around you, or persistently fail to respond to neighbour or community concerns.

Again, I had/have the support of Airbnb for the decision I made. I was communicative with the guest. I documented it through the platform, I took pictures so everything is clear with no he said/she said to cloud the issue which is/was: The guest broke a house rule that, according to Air’s rules, hosts are allowed to institute.

Thanks again for all your thoughts, ideas and opinons.

B.

10 Likes
96

There is no alcohol at allowed in the home with the exception of the odd party in the garden. Drinking on their own in a room is just one example of what can go wrong.

A couple of them have disregarded this and drank themselves into major shouting, swearing, and trashing the place. I find this very upsetting.

There is always another host out there. With there two exceptions, there has been no issues with being an alcohol free home.

97

It seems to me that prohibiting alcohol on the property because of all the problems it can cause is exactly the same as Bunny choosing to prohibit smoking due to all the problems it can cause. And that’s fine because, as you say, the addict can just find another Airbnb.

The lesson we all can take from this is that no matter what other hosts think the policy should be Airbnb will back you up (as long as it doesn’t violate their policy). Just make it clear on your listing what you want. Maybe someday people will learn to read the description because every Airbnb is different.

5 Likes
98

Oh no you didn’t just say that! Other threads have joked about that line Being the “go to” insult, I thought we had stopped going there.

In the immortal words of Sheriff Andy Taylor, “for shame, for shame, for shame”

8 Likes
99

I am myself a recovered alcoholic with 28 years of continuous sobriety. I know other SH’s who are also sober.

The reason I prohibit alcohol is not because I am an ex drunk. It’s because I cannot manage drunk people in my home.

I have already had problems with guests and ex tenants getting weird ideas about a primarily single female host, even without booze. It’s notably worse if they have been drinking, and/or there is only one guest.

The police and my friends have repeatedly asked me to shut down hosting because they are worried. I don’t allow alcohol, and try to book multiple guests.

Like I said- there’s always somebody else.

1 Like
100

I also put in my rules: no heavy alcohol consumption. I am.hosting now almost always longer term guests and only couple times I had guests who drank a lot. And yes like yourself I had several incidents of male advances despite the fact that they knew I was married.
I allowed smoking outside until I got a smoker who stank up my whole house with not closing door tightly and smoking under other guest window. Now I send them out on a sidewalk.
I never had any addictions myself, I tried once a cigarette when I was 16 and that was the end of my smoking. Wine I like but it’s couple times a week or less. I know well about smoking addiction. My father who is 77 now can’t quit even in risk of completely loosing his eyesight.
I had 2 family members who passed away early in life because of alcohol

There is no end to my admiration of people like yourself who overcame the addiction and live normal lives.

1 Like
101

@Annet3176
Don’t Andy Taylor me! I did read the other threads and meant to add the statement as a joke! That’s why I included the “:wink:”. Sorry if that was not clear…

1 Like
102

[quote=“Yana, post:100, topic:25204”]
My father who is 77 now can’t quit even in risk of completely loosing his eyesight.
[/quote]. I hope your father continues to be there for you. Take note of his brand. My grandfather died 30 years ago but I can identify the smell of a filterless Camel cigarette and I immediately think of him. Smell is our biggest memory-sense. I don’t smoke but because of the memories I oddly love the smell of a filterless Camel.

1 Like