Need help on difficult guests--late departure + damage

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So, I’ve been at this a while–over two years, 250+ guests, but I’ve never run into this. I suppose I could be a lucky one.

Anyway, had a guest want to book. No reviews. Seemed nice enough in all communication, but had a lot of questions about the security deposit. I explained, all went well, and she booked for three people.

She asked if she could check in several hours early, so she wasn’t walking around the city with her luggage. I obliged, because I had no one checking out that day.

Then she told me that her friend booked the wrong departure on her air ticket and her flight was at 3am the night (next day) of their departure, and could she get a late check-out just for her friend to stay. I obliged, again, but said she had to be out by 6pm (7 hours after check out) because I had guests coming at 6am in the morning and needed to clean, etc.

Fast forward to today. I come by at 6:30 and the friend is still there. I explain to her (nicely) that she kinda has to leave. I told her that I Informed her friend of this and she was aware. She claims friend didn’t tell her anything. I tell her I have guests coming at 6am and they’ve already paid to come early and I need to clean and make ready for them. She asks if I can’t just clean around her, I say no, that’s not how it works. She asks “where am I supposed to go, what should I do, just stand outside until 3am?” I tell her there are hotels in the area, or other airbnbs, and I start looking for something for her. Than she asks if I can just clean between the time she leaves and when they arrive (3am-6am??!?). I say no. She says she’ll ask her friend, because she didn’t know she had to leave. Gets on phone with friend. Gets off phone, doesn’t come back to the door, just starts shuffling around. I call out to her that I will give her another hour to gather her things, but my hands are tied and that’s all I can do. She says ok.

So then I talk to the guest, who asks if she can have a later checkout, or maybe pay for a half day. I say no, I can’t do that.

I tell guest that her friend can stay until tomorrow, but I will have to charge her for an extra night because I will have to refund my next guests for their inconvenience.

An hour later, guest tells me (after not being able to get ahold of friend because she is "not responding) that they can’t pay for another full night and she should be gone by now.

I go to the apartment to clean, and while it’s mostly ok, I find lipstick on the wall, all over the bare down duvet (obviously “applied”), and the duvet is completely soaked with some sort of sticky hazelnut smelling oil. The miniblinds in one of the bedrooms have been cut down as well.

I’m not sure what to do next. Have you ever had a situation like this, and what did you do? Go to the guest? Airbnb? I manage my own listings from start to finish, so I am sure this was them and not a previous guest.

Thanks in advance!

**edit to say I have photos of the damage

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Take photos. Put a claim in. Tell airbnb exactly what you’ve told us.

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Again… Speechless at the guest’s atrocious behavior. Obviously the second guest did as she pleased because she was not responsible to you in the least and felt no accountability.

Honestly, I think you were too nice. You should never have let them get away with the first thing they tried to pull on you which was the early checkin and late checkout. The guest and her friend then knew they could play you until the bitter end. I never would have let that young lady stay another night.

Next time, the minute they push back on your house rules, call Air immediately and open a case.

These girls were bullying you with guilt or whatever until you did their bidding. Have people just not ever traveled before? Hello,that is what happens when you travel. You get to a place early and if it is a hotel you can leave your stuff in the lobby. If it is an Airbnb, tough luck. If you have to get to the airport for a late flight you go there and wait. You don’t ask for a free room to lounge in.

Be sure to open a case for damages of all the items. Do it now, you only have 48 hours. Keep us posted. These guests were terrible little brats who disrespected you without conscience. Leave a bad review too, but wait until midnight in the guest time zone so they can’t answer back.

Ughhh. Awful experience, nervewracking.

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So sorry this happened - luckily most guests are not like this. Glad you have a security deposit!

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If you were me, would you even bother have a conversation with the guest who booked? She was obviously mortified at her friend’s behavior and has been apologetic in subsequent messages, but that was before I went over and saw the damage. We have not messaged each other since, so I can only guess that she knows nothing about it. But I just don’t feel like it’s my duty to negotiate anymore.

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What is up with guests cutting mini-blinds?

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Is this a thing? I was baffled as well! ???

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Thanks, konacoconutz. I’m opening a case right now. It’s not even much money, and the money I’d get from the damages can hardly compensate for my stress and time spent. But if I let it go, they’ll never learn, right?

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Natali, i would call police also. And have report handy. What she did is an act of malice. WHenyou file a claim, they are asking if you have a police report. Its not nesesesary but i assume will be helpfull. Hope you made enough pictures. I just had afwull guests from India who trashed my house and filth was unbeilevable, only couple nights stays. I got 500$ in damages back. I could get more if my husband took pictures of ruined bedding before he threw it away.
Kona is right, you were way too patient with that girl. I would not leave her again in an apartment and i would not let her on keep calling or arguing with me.

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Natalie,

Sorry to hear this happened. So you left for an hour and the little bitch went inside and cut your blinds, and smeared lipstick and oil everywhere? I can’t imagine she would have wanted to sit there while you cleaned if all that had already been done. It’s sounds like she was trying to get back at you?

Also, how could you cancel the guests checking in at 6 a.m. and offer the current girl another night? Did those guests say it was okay?

Definitely file a claim with Air and if you believe the girl did it in spite I would also document that. I don’t buy the fact that the guest who booked is so innocent. You state she was obviously mortified by her friend’s behavior - yet she still asked you to continue to accommodate her after a 7 hour late checkout. That takes some balls. BTW - why is this girl acting so helpless like her only option is to stand by the door till 3 a.m.? Did she have that much luggage that it would be such a burden to kill time before her flight? Why not hang out at the airport and kill time reading a magazine?

I would slam the guest in a review. I would not even care that her friend maybe did the damage on her own. Her friend is the type who would deny it all anyway. So then they’ll just go to the next Airbnb and do it all over again. It’s possible this girl had a lot of questions about the security deposit because her so called “friend” has already pulled the same stunt and told reserving friend that a hotel made it all up.

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Another thing…I can bet if you told the little witch that she could stay as long she cleaned the toilets with a toothbrush…she would have all of a sudden found plenty of things to keep her occupied! How old were these girls?

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Don’t know exact ages, but I’m thinking mid-twenties, just out of college it seemed. As my friend asked, when I was venting to her last night: “were they entitled millennials?” Probably.
I hate to lump people together like that, though, as I have plenty of younger friends and co-workers who would NEVER DREAM of acting that way…

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This is just horrible, sorry this happened to you!! This was though an isolated incident, don’t lump all the millenials together! I’ve hosted that age group at least 4 times this year, and each set was super respectful, sweet, and totally into the whole Airbnb philosophy.

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Natalie, one thing i dont get: how were you going to cancell the other guest reservation? And let this one stay? you know when you cancell you need to pay 100$ in cancelation fee. Not mentioning the inconvinience you would cause the other guest,who is totally innocent in this situation

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We had been letting people check in early and check out late if we didn’t have other guests, before or after, but then a few bad groups ruined it. Now we charge 150Euro for late check out and if they want to stay past 2pm I charge them a full night. It’s interesting that about 50% have decided to pay and the other 50% miraculously find somewhere else to mill about while they wait for their flight.

PS- this tough stance was inspired by @konacoconutz 's post in another thread. I have to stay I am VERY happy with the results. That being said I’m also fine with checking in out 30-60 mins before/after, if we can accommodate, but anything 60+ is taking advantage. IMHO.

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Truthfully, my other guests had not yet paid to arrive a day early, but had agreed to, were I able to confirm I would be able to have the place ready for them at 6am (my normal check-in time is 4pm.) We were still in discussion re: that the entire time I was dealing with the problem guest. As far as I was concerned, the date was booked–if the problem guest would have just left at our agreed upon time. No reason to get into the details with the problem guest. :slight_smile:

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Oh, I know–some of my best guests have been the ones in their 20’s! Truthfully, I really haven’t had many bad guests at all!

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azreala,

When you charge the 150 euros for late checkout - can the place still be cleaned in time for regular check in of next guests same day? Do you need to bring in extra last minute troops to help turn over the place?

I know someone who started charging for early check in and miraculously no one needed it and the sob stories went away.

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Just an update to everyone: I put through a resolution a few hours ago and haven’t heard anything back yet. The cost to the guest is nominal, but I felt it needed to be addressed.

On a side note, after a bit of effort and some Shout and OxyClean, I got the lipstick and makeup stains out of the duvet and towels. So, not a loss, per se…except for my time and aggravation.

Thanks for all the helpful feedback and general commiseration. This forum is way better than the airbnb forum, where all you hear is “that’s the cost of doing business” and “what did you expect?” Sigh…

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What about the blinds?

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