This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
I’m so sick of the issues I have bee having with Airbnb guests as of later!!
Found out that a reservation of mine decided to leave after a few day because she “thought the place was unclean”.
This is the email I received:
“We received call from Grethel and about the reservation 4FS55A. She requested to cancel the reservation because she said she cant sleep at the room because of the foul smell in the bedroom and she said that the bedroom was not as clean when she arrived. She sent us documentation / pictures that serves a basis for us to cancel the reservation.
One of Airbnb’s Hospitality Standards is accuracy. Giving travelers a sense of who you are and what your listing has to offer can help them feel more comfortable requesting a reservation. Creating a detailed profile and accurate listing will help attract guests and set their expectations. Please keep in mind that your business is our business and you are extremely important to us that’s why we cancelled your reservation with Grethel to keep your good reputation. We released the payout last 2016-01-24 with a total amount of $486 CAD , and because of that we also need to adjust the $486 CAD on your next payout.”
I am NOT ok with this. First off, she brought their two dogs with them to my place (which I was ok with) and they first thing they did was pee on my floor. Then this guest left them in the bedroom by themselves while they went out for house. This guest never mentioned anything to me about it ot being clean and I want to know the time stamps of these photos because the “stains” I’m being told about could have been left from their pets! I also had other guests staying there at the same time, who made no complaints about anything so I hope Airbnb reaches out to them to get their opinion or talk to the guest there now. I had to recently kick out a guest due to their uncleanliness so that my other bookings and reviews wouldn’t be negatively affected. So why would I take the hit of $300+ to get that guest out only to not make the place presentable for the incoming guests. It makes no sense!!
a. The email I got regarding with issues was sent to me Jan 27 at 1:18am. FIVE days after their reservation started.
b. Their dog could have easily caused the “stains” and “smell” in the bedroom when they were left alone there all day.
c.They made NO effort to reach out to me with any issues they might have had, I could have given them new sheets and investigated any smells and they hadn’t even bothered to tell me they left.
Unfortunately the human race is filled with hustlers, and nothing AirBnB could do can guess correctly who they are or when they will show up or who they will hit next. This is asking too much of AirBnB who are nothing but a booking agency, nothing more, not a property management entity. It is up to hosts to deal with the realities; i.e. in your case the guest showing up with two dogs, that is a wild card no one could foresee, but only you could then control or deal with the unexpected situation.
I had a similar situation somewhat lately, a party of two showed up with 2 extra people, circumventing additional fees, and the guest was a pushy, aggressive type, used to hustling his way through life. Upon arrival I brought it up, he immediately said it was ‘my problem’; I told it wasn’t since he doesn’t enter until the matter was resolved. I asked them for 1/2 of the normal additional fee, and they agreed, problem solved, ON THE SPOT.
The best thing we could do as hosts, is move on, BUT learn from it. I immediately when into my description and listing and double check my settings were correct and I also changed my property information and explicitly added that no unexpected extra guests are allowed - period. In your case, may I suggest eliminate the pet allowance, it is too much of a wild card. Imagine if they showed up with 4 cats, what then?
The dogs weren’t the issue here.
The issue is that my place was just fine for these guests for 5 days. And then suddenly the place smelt and the sheets were stained?
In case this is confusing it’s the guests with the dogs that cancled their reservation.
Yes, I have called twice now.
The first girl said she couldn’t do anything as she wasn’t the case manager.
When I called again looking for the case manager, she said she wasn’t in but could look a the issue for me.
This is what they are charging me!!
7-01-2016 Cancellation Fee Cancellation of reservation ($142)
27-01-2016 Adjustment Jan 22 - Feb 6, 2016 Lower Duplex - Private bedroom #2 ($486)
The big issues I want to know are:
WHY this was not brought up in the first 24hours?
WHY was it ok to stay a few nights and then decide to leave?
They say she sent in pictures … Ok, so what are the pictures of?
WHAT is their time stamp?
If it’s Jan 22 at 12:30pm when they arrived, then that’s my doing. If it’s any time after that, then there is no proof that whatever was dirty was because of me not keeping it clean when it could have been there doing or their dogs doing.
WHY did they never contact me about the issue, just instead leave without notice?
They said in our communication that they got a hotel instead. Ok, so where is the receipt from that or the banking information showing that a hotel was purchased.
I know exactly what this is … They had originally asked for a third person to stay in the room with them. I said no as there wasn’t enough room, but was happy to book them the futon I have listed if he wanted to stay. I never heard back about this after two follow up messages so I assumed he wasn’t coming. Well, when they showed up, he was there. Unfortunately the futon was already booked so there wasn’t room for him. They said this was ok and that he would stay at the house the had rented instead. That’s when they told me they were staying at my place till they bought furniture for their other place. So they bought furniture, didn’t want to pay for the rest of their stay and then called Airbnb to cancel is saying it wasn’t clean and it smelt. It’s total bullshit.
I had another couple staying in the same suite while they were there and told Airbnb to ask them if it was dirty and if there was a smell because their stay was just fine and the rooms are right next to one another.
So the first reason they allowed the cancellation was because technically, I misrepresented the room. The one they had originally booked was the smaller of my two rooms. I decided to move them to the bigger one, which had a newer bed and more space for their things and the dogs. Well, apparently I should have run that by them first. Note to self, when trying to do something good for someone, don’t. NOW - Had they brought this up, saying it was the different room and they wanted the other one, it was available and I’d have gave it to them no problem. GUESTS - ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BRING UP THE ISSUE!!
Second, there was pictures a stain on the duvet covers. But low and behold, I asked what the time stamp was on those pics and it was days after they arrived. So no proof i it was due to me or them, but I’m going to say them as it was in a pretty obvious place and I’d have noticed it there when cleaning the room before their arrival. More than likely their dogs were outside, came in and jumped on the bed the muddy paws.
What bugs me is that the original person looking over this case says they called me twice but I never got any calls. And then the email they sent, they had already made their decision before speaking with me or getting my side of what may have happened.
They great thing was the case manager who I spoke with on my second phone call. She got my statement, went through all the notes and we discussed the issues. She knew and could see through my listing pictures that the room was indeed more spacious and that as per the refund rules, the guest never initiated any kind of concern to me about it.
So in the end, my calendar is open for bookings, the cancellation fee was waved and only 50% of their stay was refunded to them. Still not as it should have been but WAY better than me having to refund their entire stay and get charged fees.
Do you contact the guests after checkin? I think it may be beneficial to just shoot new guests a text asking if they got in alright and if they have any questions. That way you have something to go on if halfway through their mood sours and they want to take it out on you.
Glad it worked out… See? Air can be reasonable, you just have to CALL ASAP and make sure your side of the story is told.
BTW, you should have turned them away at the door if they showed up with DOGS (!) unannounced. Not sure how you can say dogs peeing on your carpet is not a problem? (This, I say, as I just blotted up pee on a raffia rug from my 6-year old Maltese… she will never ever really be house trained. )
I met them when they arrived and continued to check in with them almost daily. (I live in the suite above them.) When I went down yesterday to ask if they wanted their sheets changed, everything was gone.
You’re right … I should do it over Airbnb next time.
Ya, I wasn’t going to let this go either. When it’s important I will call for sure.
They asked me about the dogs in advance so that was ok. I have two myself so I didn’t mind them being there. I also have hardwood floors so a little easier to clean up messes than carpet. Mind you, when they did pee, the guests didn’t even bother to try and help clean it up.
)