Uegent help needed -Wedding venue cancelled -- need your help, please!

Dear Fellow Hosts,

As some of you know, I’m a superhost with two properties in Miami. I’m facing personal drama and need your help, please. Months ago we selected a venue for my daughter’s wedding at a mansion in Miami that we booked via airbnb. I dealt with the owner’s representative and when I booked months ago I was eager for her to reassure me that the owner of the mansion would not be likely to cancel the booking. I explained that it was my daughter’s wedding, etc, and she reassured me that the owner would never cancel the venue, that he was a man of integrity and very kind, etc. About an hour ago she called me to tell me she would be cancelling my booking because the property owner was upset at airbnb for not covering damages caused by previous guests. The vendors have visited the venue, rentals were made with the venue in mind, invitations are ready with the address of the venue, etc. Do you think that if I tweet, send the story to various media outlets, etc, will help? What else can I add? Has anyone heard of a lawsuit to compel the property owner to fulfill his commitment to rent the property? Your help is much appreciated.

@MissMiami. I remember when you found this venue. I would try to talk with the owner’s representative to determine if it would be possible to rent the same venue directly. Perhaps the terms would change [i.e. a large deposit] but moving a wedding isn’t something to take on lightly. How far out is this event at this point?

p.s. EDITED TO ADD: I don’t think sueing will get you what you want. The court system takes a lot of time.

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@anon67190644 Susan, thank you for your message. I asked the property owner’s rep to allow me to speak to the owner and that I’d accept doing a contract outside of airbnb, even if it meant a hefty security deposit but was told the owner had made his decision. In fact, before booking it via airbnb I asked about doing it outside airbnb and it was declined (that’s at a time when the owner thought doing it via airbnb would provide a “guarantee”; he has found that this is not the case.

@MissMiami. This is really horrid… can you find a platform where they are listing the venue? Surely, they need the property to make an income, right? If you want to PM me information, I am happy to use my Google-Fu to help you.

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If you have the address of the property, you can find the name of the property owner. It will be at the registry of deeds for the county the property is located in. Perhaps, if you’re able to speak to the owner directly, you can appeal to his/her emotions.

Let me know if you’d like help with this. I’m a Realtor, so I’m well versed in looking up property owners.

@Chloe – Chloe, apparently the owner is some millionaire living in Russia and visiting his $8 million mansion every few months; I can’t imagine he would be swayed but it’s worth trying your approach. However, months ago, I think I had looked up the name of the owner and it’s a corporate entity and not an individual. I haven’t had the heart to tell my daughter and rest of the family…I’m so sad and anxious.

@anon67190644 – Susan, the platform used to list the property is airbnb, as for using the property for income, apparently the guests have caused extensive damage, including to the Lamborghini parked in the garage. I hate myself for having suggested it to the bride and groom, I’m such a trusting moron.

I am sorry this happened to your daughter but I think you are taking the wrong approach by trying to publicly shame the owner into reinstating the booking.

If I was property owner I would be incredibly upset at you trying to pressure me by using social media and the media. And would definitely not reconsider.

I’m a former journalists and I can tell you it’s not something a regional UK paper would be interested in…it’s what we would call a non story. However I don’t know how the US media work.

I am glad invites aren’t sent out so you have some flexibility.

I do hope as a host you can appreciate your fellow hosts feelings, if you had thousands and thousands worth of damage done to your property with no compensation from Airbnb wouldn’t you be reluctant to use the platform again.

Why not go back and offer a substantial deposit and see if they reconsider. If not, work with Airbnb to identify alternative properties or look for them elsewhere.

Good luck.

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@Helsi - Helsi, do you really think shaming the owner is not warranted, particularly when I’m offering to rent the property outside airbnb with a $15,000 deposit? Besides, it seems to me to be a deceitful commercial practice not to fulfill a contractual agreement. The owner’s rep said I don’t have a contractual agreement with the owner but only with airbnb, which I think it’s incorrect…

@Chloe – is it ok to post the address of the property here? I could really use your kind assistance in identifying the owner, please…

Oh gawd, reminds me of my trip from UK to NY last year. Three New York Hosts cancelled on me, we ended up getting a hotel so as not to risk spoiling a long haul holiday of a lifetime

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Sorry for your drama and I wish you the best- I would stay strictly focused on finding a new venue. None of the things you have suggested would make me change my mind renting to you if I have not had success with other Air guests- in fact this aggressive approach of trying to get Jo Public to force me to rent to you, would have the very opposite effect.

My only suggestion would be to offer a very substantial deposit and written contract to allay their genuine fears, not a forceful approach that disregards this.

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@Barns – I wish it was just a vacation and not a 200 people wedding…but I understand your point and how upsetting it must have been for you…

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By all means, please PM me, and I’ll see what I can do.

Have to agree with Helsi.
They didn’t sign a contract with you so a lawsuit would never hold up in court. Airbnb allows owners to cancel with no retribution other than a public slap and loss of SH status. Both of you agreed to those TOS when you joined. What if this guy sold the place and or just took his listing down? It doesn’t really matter what the reason was, he was within his rights to cancel, just as you are…

I wonder why you used the third party agent who, as we know, has zero control over anything.

But all that being said, you have to move on. Use your energy toward finding a new venue. I would go with a bona fide wedding planning service. Airbnb is just not reliable enough for something as important as this.

I’m not trying to make you feel worse. I just want to express that you shouldn’t waste time on going after him. Spend your time tryi to find a new place.

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@Emily – yes, I offered a $15,000 deposit and offered to draft a contract outside of airbnb. I have even hired a security company to ensure that no guest would cause property damage or misbehave.

I didn’t say it wasn’t warranted - I said that by doing so you could achieve the reverse affect and make the owner dig their heels in and not consider you at all.

You didn’t mention in your initial post that you had offered to go outside of Airbnb.

You’ll know as a host what happens when a host cancels. They have financial penalties imposed on them. They must have decided it’s worth taking the hit.

I have to say - knowing how Airbnb works I am surprised you decided to book one as a wedding venue, knowing there wouldn’t be the sort of protections in place that you would have if you booked a wedding venue with appropriate legal contracts in place.

You’ll also know that unfortunately it’s not that uncommon for hosts to cancel for all sorts of reasons.

Personally my focus would be on working with your daughter to find a commercial wedding venue where you can sign a legally enforceable contract with them. Good luck.

NO…Don’t do that. …

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I believe that the “third party agent” is the AirBNB co-host of the property.

@konacoconutz, sure, I will look for a different venue, but I still think that the owner’s behavior is unacceptable and it doesn’t make sense to just shrug and walk away.