Would like some advice on a review

I am interested in how others might review this situation. We had a group in last weekend that we definitely would not host again. We are a whole house rental on a quiet street in the hill country and live next door so we can see and hear pretty much everything.
Guest ( 25 year old woman) booked for 8 adults saying they wanted to explore the area and have a peaceful family vacation. We have many of these types of groups and it has not been a problem. Turns out she shows up with three small children and an undetermined number of adults (at least 5). It is self check-in, but we do go over and say hello to our guest and ask how things are going. They said all was great and they loved the house and the area. The next morning we hear constant yelling and screaming, not only from the children but from the adults who were screaming profanity at the small children to ā€œget in the f***ing houseā€ or "get out of the f*ing car". Most of this was done while the adults were on the front deck, leaving the windows and screen door open (with AC running) and screaming at the children who were inside. We decided to just suck it up and wait for them to be gone. I was going to just let this blow over but today my neighbor stopped me and told me they heard people screaming curse words at children Sat and Sun mornings. Yes, we did too. My question to you isā€¦ would you say anything at all about this uncomfortable and sad situation?
I was going to review as followsā€¦
Communication 4
- brought children without informing me
Cleanliness 3
- (attempt made to clean up but refrigerator and freezer left full of food, toothbrushes, razors, diapers, underwear, beer cans and drinks left around house, red sticky liquid spilled all over, all game boards and pieces were scattered all over one of the sleeping areas)
House rules ? they didnā€™t technically break any rules.

Would any of you say anything in the private comments about the profane screaming? She has already left a review, which Iā€™m sure will be good, because they loved the house and are clueless to their rude behavior. I will wait till the end of the 14 days to review her. Just wonderingā€¦

Iā€™d list the way they left the house just like you did here, sticking to the facts. Iā€™d also add the profanities that bothered your neighbors.

Actually I have in my house rules ā€œdo not let the heat/ac running while windows or doors are openā€. I also email people in the check-in instructions to gather all their dishes in the sink so I dont have to chase them all over the house.

Perhaps they didnt break any explicit rule but your cleaning time was at least an hour longer than usual.

By iterating what they did future hosts will be able to determine if they want to host them or not. For instance, I won;t.

2 Likes

Hmm, I wonder if my neighbors went on a little vacation last weekend. Itā€™s even more unsettling when the kids are also screaming the f word.

I would mention yelling as a noise violation. I donā€™t really care about profanity per se. People can be just as cruel and demeaning to kids not using profanity. Review as you would for anyone who violates rules and leaves behind a mess.

3 Likes

I think your star ratings are spot on. We donā€™t have an ā€œoverallā€ rating for guests, so I think itā€™s fair to use the house rules section to grade their ability to function as adults. Iā€™d give them a 3 because they broke the golden rule. :wink: Who yells at kids like that?

ā€œGuestā€ booked for 8 adults and arrived with three additional children. Their stay required more cleaning than normal with spilled sticky drink, sorting and reassembling board games, and beer cans scattered around the house. Both our household and the neighbors heard adults screaming profanities at the children, which made this an uncomfortable stay we wouldnā€™t wish to repeat. Guest may be suitable for isolated listings, but we wouldnā€™t recommend her for shared listings or those with nearby neighbors."

5 Likes

What a horrible experience. In my book, this amounts to dysfunctional child abuse. Those kids must live in constant fear, with raised adrenaline levels and all that entails for their neurodevelopment, and futures as individuals. Iā€™m left shuddering at what is probably going on behind closed doors.

I know what action I would take in the UK. Iā€™m a retired Assistant Director of Social Services and Safeguarding expert, so I would somehow get a Safeguarding Alert raised if they were Brits. By hook or by crook; I know the systemā€¦

I remember feeling very helpless in France, when I witnessed a mother slap her toddler so viciously hard, she fell over on the pavement, cutting her head open. I was told by friends not to interfere. French people donā€™t, not in Southern France anyway. A WW2 legacy from their guilt about deporting Jewish people from Vichy to the Nazi concentration camps.

So misplaced and misguided.

Sorry; sidelined with a rantā€¦ Back to your review.

Communication: bringing children without telling you. Airbnb states that we will know if people are bringing children; obviously not, but I would give them a 1* How old were the children? Under 2? But you should have still been told.

Cleanliness; overly generous. 1*

How they treated their children is a difficult one. I know what I would want to say, including publicly, but there is the chance of this enraging them, to the further detriment of the children. Too risky.

I would focus on the rest of your review rendering them unacceptable to fellow hosts; unemotional, just factual.

Iā€™m sure others with great reviewing skills will pile in for you. My head is simply too disturbed by your story at this moment.

2 Likes

ā€œCannot recommend ā€œGuestā€ and her friends/family. Guests were loudly and profanely screaming at kids for two days, such that even the neighbors heard and reported to us. Left doors and windows open with the AC on full-blast. Left the place an absolute mess with spilled liquids; left-behind food, games, diapers, clothing and more, that required 'way more than our usual cleaning efforts and timeā€¦ā€

13 Likes

See? Ken at his perfect best with ā€œprofanelyā€.

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:heart::heartpulse::heart_eyes::hearts::gift_heart:

The forum doesnā€™t let me ā€˜likeā€™ your post more than once, so please accept these as my whole-hearted endorsement of your review.

5 Likes

Why? Since she has reviewed you there is no reason to wait unless y9ou think you are getting a bad review and want some new ones on top. You are not expecting a bad review so let her have it. I would mention the child abuse for certain.

Kens review is pretty good imo

RR

3 Likes

Sounds like a lovely family vacation. Just the kind of people you hope to never meet up with over the holidays.

2 Likes

Thanks. No one should host them again.

I feel bad for you if these were your neighbors! Kids were not using f words. Only the ā€œadultsā€

I agree. I was an elementary school teach for 29 years. Have had too many of these families. I am reluctant to mention the games because that will go back on the kids.

I am working on a review now, not waiting 14 days. Just wanted some advice before i sent it in.

Its perfect!

Yes, I have neighbors with 3 kids and multiple pets. They are one of ā€œthoseā€ families who you just wish would move away. Over the years theyā€™ve had the junky yard with code enforcement visiting regularly; at one time two macaws that would be out front screaming; multiple dogs that are always getting out and running down the street; the dad looks like a classic meth addict (skinny, terrible complexion, missing teeth, cig hanging out of his mouth half the time), shooting off fireworks and or other loud things in the street year round and the kids and dad cursing at one another out front. However itā€™s been getting better each year. They got rid of the macaws, started keeping the dog in the yard, have cleaned up a bit, the kids are getting bigger and less obnoxious and the cursing has greatly diminished.

1 Like

We have had a few of those as well. I forgot to mention that as this lovely group was taking their time leaving on Sunday (ie screaming at each other to either hurry up or to stop screaming because neighbors could hear) our aerobic septic sprayers went off (they all must have showered in the morning) and I could hear them saying hurry up, that shit stinks! It was the perfect send off for a sh*tty group!

3 Likes