This morning I had a booking request (she couldn’t do IB because of previous bad reviews and thumbs down). I accepted her on the condition she accepted my house rules in the thread and promised not to repeat using candles and joss sticks which other hosts had been rightly upset about, to which she agreed.
To my horror she messaged me at 11.40 am when I was out at work, saying they were on the doorstep (my check in window is from 6pm to 10pm!) ‘Didn’t I arrange an early check in?’, ‘No!’. I said I would message them when I got home, and at 2pm I offered them early check in if they would message me and let me know what time. No reply to app! No reply to text/call. Got Airbnb to ring her, they said she would confirm - no confirmation! She rocked up at 6pm completely unapologetic. It was apparent when I was showing her the self serve breakfast etc. she just did not want to listen at all (probably thought she was just going to have a jolly good rummage, so not my style!). She showed herself as not having read the rules or caring one jot. Then she said she was just going to get her luggage WHICH SHE HAD LEFT AT MY NEIGHBOURS EARLIER IN THE DAY! My jaw nearly hit the floor, my neighbours are not a free luggage locker! I told her that is not the done thing, that they are not part of Airbnb, and she ARGUED with me, telling me it was no problem and they really didn’t mind at all. I started to explain to her how English people sometimes pretend just to be polite and she still argued. Thankfully she decided she couldn’t manage 6 nights under my roof and asked for a refund. I said it would be according to Airbnb’s policy. I called Airbnb after she left and it remains to be seen how the refund situation will play out, they say they will support me and note her bad reviews. Just goes to show how stupid it is to try to redeem a bad guest!
What a mess! She sounds terrible.
That was very kind of you to give her a second chance. Did you regret it as soon as she messaged at 11:40? I think I would’ve asked her to cancel at that point.
I can’t believe she had the cheek to ask your neighbors to hold her luggage. 
Yes I did regret it when she messaged at 11.40. I just thought she’s making no effort to read the listing, communicate or wonder what the host is doing! I was shocked she wasn’t trying harder, I would but other people are not the same. We learn so much about our boundaries in this job. Yes I guess I should have cancelled but I always live in hope. I need to realise when it’s vain hope and quit!
Yes, my neighbours, the shame of it! The English chattering classes are all smiley on top and judgemental at heart I’m afraid.
Hopefully my not cancelling will mean I keep some money at least, not that it’s everything.
How do they say - no good deed goes unpunished?
I am really sorry you had a bad experience with that guest. At the same time, I am happy she cancelled - looks like she would be a pain to host.
Good riddance I’d say 
Hope is fine but in this case it was denial! She had bad reviews for a good reason. The fact that she continues to try to book on Airbnb is indicative of her inability to take responsibility for her behavior. Sorry you had to find out that no good deed goes unpunished!
Yes punished indeed. Yes it’s a relief really, she burnt one host’s duvet cover and put a scorch mark on a nightstand with a candle. I expressly forbade anything burnable, and was prepared to check, but still I think I was a bit crazy to consider her.
I recently gave a bad guest a second chance and have been regretting it for two weeks now (long story) but never again. Glad your jerk is gone, hang in there! Good riddance to bad rubbish!
Yes vain hope, and my mad desire to believe noone’s really that bad. Newsflash - some people are that bad!
Don’t blame yourself @Jess1. You were nice to give a guest a second chance. In the end, it ended well with her leaving. Hopefully you will be able to keep some of the booking money
Thanks for sharing Jess. You have just graduated with a degree from the school of hard knocks.
Glad you got rid of this maniac.
Don’t give up a dime that is contrary to your cancellation policy.
Good luck
RR
Some sanity reigns at Airbnb it seems, under the moderate policy she got about a third of her week’s stay refunded. Hopefully I will get another booking.