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I had a look on few related posts from few of you and I just wanted to share my experience and probably get an advice from you.
5 weeks ago I rented a spare room in my place, my boyfriend and I live in the place and we decided to start with this platform 2 months ago.
We got a couple staying for 4 days there, for the check out we asked them to leave the keys in the mailbox as we will be out all day, at 6pm when we came back we found out that they robbed us about 8k euros in valuables, we actually had everything locked in our room, but they broke the room’s lock and steal all our stuff.
We contacted airbnb to explain the case, we also report it to the police, they took all the evidence and fingerprints from our place.
Now, 5 weeks ago, Airbnb is closing and closing our case due to we do not have final report from the police yet, the police said they still analysing the evidence and they do not know how long it will actually take, we just have 2 letters from the police saying that we were robbed.
Airbnb wants to have a final police report which.
I do not know what else we could do, could you please give us some recommendations??
I sent airbnb all our place pics (how we founded it), pictures and receipts of our valuables, the explanation of what happened in details and a list of all my lost stuff.
I haven’t actually made a claim so not sure of Airbnb’s requirements. Do you get a crime reference report where you live and an initial report? Would they accept this pending the final report. @Carol12
It seems ridiculous they are closing the case when you have provided letters from the police. It might be worth you sharing your story on Airbnb’s social media expressing your puzzlement as to why Airbnb would close a case because the police say the final report is not yet ready because evidence is being collected.
You could also claim on your own home insurance for STRs @Carol12
@Carol12 - to be honest, it puzzles me how you let this happen. You allowed strangers into your home but you left valuables in places where they could steal them.
When they are checking out, you both go out for the day and don’t handle the check out in any way at all, just expecting everything to run smoothly.
I’m truly not sure what the legal situation is in your state or country but you invited these people into your home and although the goods were locked in your bedroom, the lock obviously wasn’t enough to prevent people getting in.
As @Helsi says, what does your STR insurance company have to say? I would have thought that they would have been your first port of call for claimimg. Have they refused to pay out? If so, why is that?
Do you have proof that it was the people who were staying with you who stole your stuff? How could they have known that you wouldn’t be back home any minute to disturb their thievery?
Airbnb requested a list with the lost items and proof that they were mine, such of receipts or pictures, also pictures of the property, I did provide them with all it and 2 letters that I got from the police saying that we were victim of a crime in our own house.
But now, they said they cannot payout until they get a very specific report from the police, a final one, I went to the police office and explained them my case several times but I have got same answer which is that the deeply investigation takes time and they don’t know how long it will be, that is why thay have closed our case 3 times already.
I wonder, if the police takes 6 months, 1 year or whatever, do I have to wait all that time to actually get my money back? Especially because they took our laptops and other necessary stuff that I need for my daily use. It is a very bad experience and I don’t really know what else we can do.
You are actually right, but we were so stupid to trust the people and the platform, we did have our valuables stuff there because we actually live there, obviously it wasn’t enough to prevent it but it is also obvious that I did not expect it otherwise I would be more careful.
Also, as I said they knew we weren’t at home all day because we told them.
The problem is Carolina, that the police and your insurance company might think that you brought this on yourselves and not take it seriously. I honestly wouldn’t want to get your hopes up.
It’s horrible that you’ve lost your computers and items that you really need but I can imagine that from the point of view of the police and the insurance company, you weren’t very careful.
I’m replying to the question you asked Helsi, sorry, but I’d try contacting Airbnb on Twitter.
It doesn’t matter where you are @Carol12 - they have an international twitter account AirbnbHelp I think and their FB. If you search both platforms they will come up.
Your home insurance for STRs I am not sure, but I think you would have needed to claim within a certain amount of time of the crime.
Unusually, I am not sure I agree with @jaquo about leaving stuff locked in your bedroom. I do this and haven’t add an issue in three and a half years.
Can I ask what sort of vetting you did for these guests? (just thinking of what you can do to protect yourself going forward?)
Sorry to hear this happened to you. I don’t have any advice apart from continuing to hound airbnb to make good on their host guarantee promise.
Have to say that some of the comments on here are very harsh and judgemental.
Like barns says, are we supposed to be at home 24/7 if we host in-home??
@Carol12 Honestly sorry what happened to you, my 1st advice is to set that only guest with ID can book your space, avoid at all cost guests from Local neighbourhood without valid reasons.
And last, as many previous hosts has mention try to post on social media, not the Irish one only but an international one. Also, try to get Local media or any media attention they love this type of story especially with summer ahead.
Few months ago in Belfast a group of parties guys trash a brand new rental from Booking.com they refuse to do anything till media put the story out and guess what suddenly they are there to help the host, ABB has the same issue they barely help till media get hold of the story and suddenly they became ur best friend.
You have done nothing wrong letting ur guests check out by themselves, millions of hosts around the world let their guests check out without being there, but it takes few scums bag to spoil it, and those are scum, not guests.
Garda or Police are slow when he comes to Short Let issue so be little pushy with them and maybe if u have 1 serious contact there try to ask him to reach out ur case manager.
And wish you best of luck as ABB drag the whole claims in purpose so many hosts drop the case and move on. So u need a lot of patience and determination
I’m so sorry this happened to you. You must feel so violated and upset. You don’t say where you are, but does your local TV station have an “on your side” consumer advocate? They usually have an intake form on their website, attach some of your pics, and tell them Airbnb isn’t honoring the host guarantee, they keep wanting more and more information.
At my place, guests stay in an attached but separate suite, they’d have to break deadbolts to get inside my house, but I am not always there at check out, sometimes I am even out of town, because, well, I have a life. They could easily nip off with the TV, or even break into the garage for some valuable tools and equipment.
Here’s a tip for the future. Say you’ll be in and out, not gone for the day, and in case you’re not there to take the keys when they leave, they can leave them in the mailbox. That way guests are uncertain when you may randomly show up.
Really? Jaquo, that is pretty much the situation with any homeshare. I just had guests staying with me over the weekend and they could have easily taken my laptop and cell phone when they left …while I was at the beach, the pool or napping. Or out for dinner or before I got up. Those are all valuables …
Possibly in Carolina’s situation these thieves could have made a copy of the housekey and a personal check out would have not made much of a difference.
Hi. @Debthecat I do not have my own insurance, that is one of my main problems.
I probably have made many mistakes, but one thing is sure, I did not mean it and I have few close friends doing airbnb for years and trusted the guests and never happened something similar.
@Helsi thanks for you support! All I know about them: their original country, they were on the platform for the last 4 years with 7 good reviews in different periods of time, they had been verified by airbnb, on the platfom they had ID, photo and email.
I also have their photos as we talked on WhatsApp when they were in my house, I tried to find them on FB and I couldn’t. Airbnb is not providing me with their IDs.
If the police spend months analysing my case should I suppose to wait? Is it not enough all the evidence that I have and the 2 letters from the local police?
@Magwitch I do not understand it because as you said, it is impossible to stay at home 24/7. Thanks for your comment. @Marie1 thanks for your support and advice, I will try to call again Airbnb, send them few more emails, just to give them another try, then I will absolutely try with all the media I can get help from. That is what I though too, as I know many people who actually let them do check out even if the hosts are nor in the property I did the same, I never expected to get robbed from guests, I wish I could have a contact in the Garda, but I am not that lucky.
@dpfromva hello… I am really upset and sad at the same time, now we do not feel secured in our own house, I did not cancel all our reservations as we are new on the platform as hosts I am afraid that if I get out they just forget about us and never pay us back, but obviously we change all the locks ans even place double in some of the doors. You are competely right, we cannot stay 24/7 at home checking if everything is ok, we have a life to live and we actually go out all the time.
But please for everyone whos is hosts, try to get more security, do not tell the guests your daily schedule, if you will be in or out. @AlexSJ Thanks Alex! you are right, almost everything that we have is a valuable, they did not make copy of the keys, they just knew we might be out all day and they took the time to rob us during all day, we just provided them with the apartment main door key and they own room key, our room was with double lock and they just broke it and went inside to take everything they could, they did not take TVs or anything that was big or liquids as they took a flight after they left our place. It is really sad situation. @Flyboy thanks for your tip!
