To have turned away this airbnb guest?

[Hiptrip]

I have been doing airbnb for a while and have found it a great way to meet new people, and earn a little extra. That is until last Friday night.

Despite my house rule of no children, a woman wrote to me and asked if I could make an exception, promising that her two-year old son would be very well behaved. My house is not set up for children, and I simply don’t want toddlers here so I replied and said no.

She said that was okay and booked anyway, saying she had to come to my town for a wedding, and that she’d find someone to look after him.

Then she turned up with her child at 9.30pm saying she couldn’t find a sitter, and had hysterics as she pleaded with me on the doorstep, to allow him to stay. I refused and in the end called the police because she said she wouldn’t leave until I gave her, her money back in cash because she needed it to stay elsewhere. As she was starting to cause a nuisance, they got rid of her.

She’s taken this to airbnb. My argument is that she was told she couldn’t bring her child, and did anyway, so she should lose her money. Not unreasonable?

@idont not an airbnb scheme it's language schools. What made it difficult was he was sharing a room with a girl putting me in breach of the single sex sharers only rule. The language school head and I tied ourselves in knots about what to do for the best...not easy

I suddenly remember, my OH booked a BnB last year for an event and the rules was very clear that he and friend needed to arrive before 8pm. Unfortunately, the flight was delayed and then had problems with the car. They tried to call but neither their phone (work) allowed them to call abroad. They arrived at 10:30 and amazingly, were welcome in and treated very well.

This is a massively different situation. Two adults unavoidably delayed when they were actually on their way vs a woman who almost certainly booked knowing full well she was going to try it on and even if she didn’t, set out from home knowing she was going somewhere where she was breaking the rules.

I think you should open a cf’s home from home swing. You’d save genuine people like the OP a lot of problems!

I would have also turned her away, and kept her money as she didn't stick to the cancellation rules. The cash on the doorstep thing is a scam and a half.

YWNBU.

And you didn’t refuse to provide a service, you were willing to provide the service as booked and paid for: adult occupancy.

She was trying it on.

I’ve had a guest call and say that their flight was delayed. I got up and let them in at 3am. I made them a hot drink and a sandwich, and made them welcome, even though I had to go to work in the morning.

That’s all part of it. Welcoming kids when you don’t like or want them, isn’t.

Think you were really horrible. No reason at all why thechild couldn't share the bed with their mother.

Apart from:

1. the house was not suitable for children as per Air bnb listing so assumably would have invalidated the OP’s insurance.
2. her other guest booked as per info in the listing ie. child free therefore taking in the child would have breached the terms of the OP’s contract with other guest.
3. OP clearly stated that booking was for Mother only and Mother chose to go ahead with booking on these terms.

Exactly how does that make the OP horrible? I absolutely can not see it.

"Reading threads like this you can really start to understand why some people develop such a sense of entitlement and learned helplessness can't you?

So many people who just won't take responsibility for their own messes and expect other people to fall over themselves to help them out and solve their problems for them. And a bunch of cheerleaders on here who are in support of them, calling the OP mean spirited.

Just unbelievable."

Couldn't agree more.

The OP couldn’t have been clearer, from the getgo. She was not being in any way, unreasonable. No refund because the booking was made, the rules being clear, and the woman STILL brought her child.

YWNBU. I felt sympathy for the mother until you said she became hysterical and tried to let the son go to the loo and you were worried you wouldn't get her out etc etc. Who needs that? She knew she was chancing her arm. Be interested to know what Airbnb say about her refund!

Yep, me too! Lost quite a bit of sympathy for her. I would not bend the rules for someone who screams and swears.

The reason I don’t allow children to stay in the house is because there are no stairgates, and the stairs themselves are steep.

Most of all because I don’t like them. It’s my home and I don’t want them here.

OP, I like the cut of your jib.

I bet there is a child free wedding with a toddler and grumpy parent somewhere nearby op!

All you people saying you couldn't have turned away a mother and child at 9.30 at night are conveniently forgetting that fact that the woman arrived by car! She wasn't wandering the streets with nowhere to go

Also I think some of you are being deliberately obtuse by stating that the OP wouldn't have been out of pocket by refunding her. What part of "the room would have been unavailable for another booking that night" don't you understand. If she had a line of people at the door begging for the room brandishing the money then fair enough.

It's exactly this attitude that means that some people get away with being cheeky fuckers like this.

The toddler being up at 9.30 night with nowhere to sleep was the mother's responsibility and not the OP's. She had clearly stated no children on several occasions. This means no exceptions. I have a toddler and I would never ever expect someone to accommodate them if they had previously told me no just because I turned up on their doorstep and gave them a sob story.

I actually can't believe the attitude of some posters on this thread towards the OP.

OP YANBU and I hope AirBnB agree with you and don't refund the CF.

Had op allowed this woman into her home, she would have caused trouble in other ways. Someone behaving in the way she did has red flags coming out of their ears.

I don't know much about air b n b but what would have happened if the OP had agreed to let the mum stay with her child and the child had been injured because the house was not set up for children.

Would the OP be liable for damages? Does air b n b tell hosts that they are at risk of being sued if there is any kind of potential liability?

I would have turned her away too. She had already proven to be untrustworthy and I would not want someone like that in my home.

Hope you feel very satisfied to have that bit extra in your pocket having done nothing for it.

OP hasn't got anything extra, swingofthings. If this woman had been honest and said she was going to turn up with her child anyway, OP would not have taken the booking and would have let to someone else. If she'd given the money back at 9.30 p.m. when obviously she couldn't let to anyone else, she would have been out of pocket.

There is, furthermore, the very significant factor that the other guest might have complained had she let this woman and her child in, having booked expecting a child-free house. And that guest would certainly be entitled to a refund.

As for having done nothing for it - OP would have had to get the room ready and buy in the stuff for breakfast. All she saves financially by having the room empty is the minimal cost of washing the sheets, vacuuming round and a few cleaning materials. It doesn't exactly equate to a potential loss of £160, does it?

OP you are NOT being unreasonable. The guest was a CF who should have made alternative arrangements when her childcare fell through.

You were right not to refund in cash on the doorstep. If AirBnB say you should refund then you'll have to but I can't see that happening given that she failed to comply with the booking conditions. I can't believe the number of people on here saying you should have let her stay!

And Swing and other posters; I don’t see why an adult woman with a car and a credit / debit card (to have been able to book in tne first place) is either vulnerable or some sort of sacred special case just because she is a mother.

Do we really think that being the mother of a toddler gives us a Free Pass anywhere we like? Such entitlement.

And, some people don’t like kids. At least OP is honest about it and therefore wouldn’t set herself, or her home, up for them. I’m not keen on other people’s children... love my own, of course 😊

Most of all because I don’t like them. It’s my home and I don’t want them here

I, I like the cut of your jib

Why should she welcome children if she doesn't want them? If I were to run Airbnb I would not let to men, though I now understand that men who say they are women would scuttle that.

U did the right thing- U are not going to refund her cash on doorstep like others on here think u shud.
Go thru proper procedure. U lost out by her booking room up for 2 nites so no one else cud book.
She sounds a right cheeky mare, thinking u wud cave in and let her have room.
So what if Airb&b are informed u were in the right 100%. As she broke the contract she shud get no money back -this is why u pay up front.

That’s all part of it. Welcoming kids when you don’t like or want them, isn’t

But OP it was the mother's behaviour that was awful, surely, not the kid?

But you don't hate people who expect the rules to not apply to them?

If indeed that woman attitude had been 'stuff her, I don't care, I'll show up with my kid anyway and there's nothing she can do about it', then yes, I would have felt differently but firstly, OP doesn't know that was the case, and secondly, that scenario makes no sense as as mentioned, why would she have taken the chance when there are supposedly other places she could have booked that allowed kids.

There is something called 'the benefit of the doubt' and 'gesture of goodwill', but these seems more and more lost in our society of entitlement and selfishness.

Anyway, I'm done here, personally, I would have much preferred to give the money back then to have to deal with the police coming on my doorstep, but here we go, we are all different!

YANBU OP.

She booked a room for herself and turned up with an extra guest she hadn't paid for and knew you couldn't accept or accommodate.

She was wrong. And if she wants a refund she needs to go through the site she paid to get it.

Not BU at all, OP. The woman who booked the room should be heartily ashamed of herself.