What a nightmare. I think Airbnb should not give partial refunds to guests who claim that the listing is uninhabitable then stay the entire time. Partial refunds should be limited to when amenities are unusable for a portion of the stay such as heating or air conditioning being broken for part of the time.
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I agree. I just feel like guests like that need to be staying at hotels, or certainly not in 100 year old homes. I ended up giving her a partial refund of her cleaning fee, because she was so demanding that the place wasnt clean (despite my 60 5 star reviews for cleanliness) I tried not to take it too personally but I was pretty offended and shocked she called my beautiful home a âwell worn dumpâ I suspect that she might do stuff like this often, instead of asking a host for a discount, she complains its not clean and demands a partial refund. sigh.
Pity the poor hotel that takes her on! Letâs put her in the private bad guest lounge, I will send you an invite to share!
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Horrible. So sorry you went through this
People are trained in society to pick out flaws and take over businesses that do not please them. They abound in the cheaper priced listings. We know because we place our accommodation at cheaper than the rest in our area. We know and are first hand experienced that our listing offers more than others provide. But because we rate so competitively the reviews can be harsh because we are not a Home Depot accommodation. Those that stay for cheaper are more complainers than at our higher rates unfortunately. They complain about things that you cannot control. When we raise our rates our complaints are far less. Itâs against our moral compass to overcharge and become exclusive. But itâs difficult to connect and know which guest is the one that is going to assasinate you till that review goes through. And it only goes through after the double blind. So I believe that Airbnb and the review process is wholly inefficient for promoting this. Or restricting it from direct challenge. We should be allowed to contest reviews. Iâve had some that check off a list that comes straight out of a building code inspection and I believe itâs exploited by special shoppers from the hotel industry who have open memos that bad reviews in local Airbnb listings is an effective approach to both distress hosts and delude future guests.
For example we had one that went through closets and enumerated our silverware and criticized that mason jars were not true glasses. We had one the other day that stated in Germany they provide tents that have coolers and air conditioning inside. We have coolers that we store onsite but not in the tent because people leave ice in there and can cause leaks. So we check them out. They bring them back and we show them which plants to water and make sure they come back clean. She insisted no. It should be inside the tent. And what tent provides air conditioning lol. We have wifi off grid and in an extremely remote area. But because she couldnât use the internet for several hours that evening it was a deduction. We allow people to check their messages. Find their directions for the next day. Usually an hour or two is a good time. We are metered and not unlimited. That was unacceptable. We told her who camps and needs Internet for five hours? Thatâs just some examples.
I have a bad review I have to write. Iâve been mulling it over in my head as to what to say. I keep coming back to something I read here on this forum. Very simple. âAttention all Airbnb hosts. This guest is not suitable for the Airbnb experience and should have booked a hotel. I would never host them again. I recommend you donât either. It was a bad experience.â
I then might add some detail to it. Some specifics. I might comment that they are too tightly wound, nitpickers, and complainers who try to grind out a refund. I could also add the word âBewareâ or the phrase âForewarned is forearmed.â
I think keeping it short is far better than a long and detailed accounting of their history while there. Much less to defend from rebuttal and is not personal.
I have a lot of good reviews and I might mention that if they review me. Especially the review of the person that was in the room just before themâŚfor the third time in 6 years.
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We just had one of these guests as well, not quite as bad or demanding but they did leave me a list on how to improve the house with very nit-picky things. She ended up giving me 3 stars. She said she found some dust on the tv cabinet and the dishwashing detergent ran outâŚ
Itâs like some people just canât be happy and HAVE to find something to be picky about. I find itâs always the older females, nothing better to do that find fault in everything. What a sad way to live 
Were they wire hangers?
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@duanemitchell. I think writing reviews that are about a guestâs personality are much harder than writing a bad review for damaging items, overstaying, bad cleanliness, things that are easy to describe. Without specifics, a bad review doesnât really assist future hosts evaluate if what bothered you would also bother them. There are a number of threads on the forum that discuss this. One personâs line in the sand is a casual annoyance for someone else.
Feel free to post sentence ideas here and folks would be most happy to make suggestions, critique and praise, if you think would help you distill your thoughts.
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Completely agree. Basically, you canât critique a guestâs personality without sounding at best unprofessional, at worst a needy whiney weirdo who wants all their guests to luurrvve them. Sometimes people/listings/experiences donât match up. You just have to shrug your shoulders and move on. Iâve had some nightmare guests - for me - but they didnât break any house rules, were clean and tidy etc, but I found them utterly loathsome individuals. Other hosts might find them delightful. So itâs not my place to comment. Best to just stick to the facts.
@duanemitchell - Your proposed review would not help me if you say they should have booked a hotel. And Iâm not looking for new friends from our guests, so I donât care about their personality. I just want guests that follow the rules and are respectful.
You need to provide factual information. How did they try to grind out a refund? What did they nitpick and complain about - things that were in the listing or items that just might be valid?
We can help you craft a helpful response if you give us some more information.
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Agree, the tired old "better suited for a hotelâ review is kind of a cop out. Tell us exactly why they were bad guests.
The guest expected a hotel and found that this is my home.
I think Iâm all set with my review but thanks to all anyway.
@duanemitchell your review is there to help other hosts assess whether they want to host a guest, so itâs somewhat disappointing that youâre choosing to ignore all feedback in favour of what you want to write.
I donât take that seriously but Iâve only had one such guest like that in 6 years. One thought that crosses my mind is that people like to feel they have power over others and it may be that THEY donât have power in their lives. Donât know.
I donât include personality disorders in with âpersonalityâ. Iâve had a few of those and I donât hold it against them, I work with them. Their issues are real to them.
But, yes, short and to the point is key. Make it about principles and not personality.
Feel free to start a new thread with exactly what happened and we can give you feedback. I know some hosts like the âkeep it shortâ review but if these are really bad guests then saying general things (without factual details) is likely to get them accepted by the next host.
Were they nitpicky complainers because they found a tub full of hairs, or did they whine and cry about not having fresh towels every single day?
Did they attempt to get a refund because one of the kitchen light bulbs went out, or did they want a refund because the well went dry and they had no water? Huge difference
Thanks! Will do! I think Iâm all set.
All tents do, itâs called the zip, info it, hitch the flap up and let the natural aircon in