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AIBU?

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Original poster

To have turned away this airbnb guest?

999 replies

Hiptrip · 07/01/2018 09:05

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?

OP posts:
TheGoblinQueen2711 · 07/01/2018 11:41

BashStreetKid

I see, I missed that part, this thread is moving too quickly for me lol!

RestingBitchFaced · 07/01/2018 11:41

YANBU at all OP, I can't believe people think you should be out of pocket either! I would not be refunding the CF

peppapigwouldmakelovelyrashers · 07/01/2018 11:41

Yes, but OP, two wrongs don’t make a right. You saw a child with no safe place to sleep at night and his mother saying she had no money to get somewhere else. You had her money. You had a choice to provide a safe lodging and you chose not to. His mother was absolutely at fault for putting him on that position but if something bad happened you wouldn’t be blameless. It was a mean thing to do and I guess this is why you’ve come to MN to talk about what a CF she was, to make yourself feel better because deep down you know it wasn’t right

100% agree with this. You wouldn't be posting here if you didn't feel bad, and you wouldn't feel bad unless you know you did wrong.

Nanny0gg · 07/01/2018 11:43

Johnny it's hardly a scam to get the money refunded that you have paid. No profit has been made.

But the OP would suffer a loss as she wouldn't have been able to re-let the room at that time.

If not a scam, she fraudulently booked the room. So she loses her money.

ivykaty44 · 07/01/2018 11:44

Op called the police - which was the correct stance to take because they will then access the situation in a professional manner and if there is a safeguarding issue for the child - then the police will know and act on that

Rachie1973 · 07/01/2018 11:45

100% agree with this. You wouldn't be posting here if you didn't feel bad, and you wouldn't feel bad unless you know you did wrong

OPs done nothing wrong. I wouldn't feel in the slightest bit bad. The CFs child was put in a difficult position through CF herself.

He wasn't in danger, he just had to watch his Mother behave like a silly bitch.

StylishDuck · 07/01/2018 11:46

FFS! The child had no safe place to sleep at night?? Are you fucking kidding me? The mother turned up in a car! She could have turned round and gone home again or driven to a travelodge.

There's a hell of a lot of drama queens on here! If the police were concerned about the child having no safe place to sleep then they could/would have done something about it when they turned up. Absolutely not the OP's responsibility!

Johnnycomelately1 · 07/01/2018 11:46

You saw a child with no safe place to sleep at night and his mother saying she had no money to get somewhere else.

IT'S A SCAM. The situation was engineered to get the OP to think exactly along these lines. Jesus. Sometimes I feel amazed that anyone falls for this stuff and then I read threads like this. I bet you gave "petrol money" to those scammers with the "no money, out of petrol" stories in beach car parks didn't you?

SemolinaSilkpaws · 07/01/2018 11:47

The child would not have had safe lodging as the OP has explained she has steep stairs to the rental room and no stair gate. She could not have allowed the child to stay full stop.

TheGoblinQueen2711 · 07/01/2018 11:47

Yes, but OP, two wrongs don’t make a right. You saw a child with no safe place to sleep at night and his mother saying she had no money to get somewhere else. You had her money. You had a choice to provide a safe lodging and you chose not to. His mother was absolutely at fault for putting him on that position but if something bad happened you wouldn’t be blameless. It was a mean thing to do and I guess this is why you’ve come to MN to talk about what a CF she was, to make yourself feel better because deep down you know it wasn’t right

100% agree with this. You wouldn't be posting here if you didn't feel bad, and you wouldn't feel bad unless you know you did wrong.

Utter rubbish!
The child was in no danger, do you all forget they arrived by car!?
The mother would have simply got back in her car and driven home.
No good saying but OP had all her money, as she would have had enough money to cover fuel costs there and back after the event.
Probably enough money to cover food and drink etc.
The ONLY person at fault here is the CF mother.
SHE is the one who left herself with no money for accommodation by trying it on. (I don't buy the 'babysitter let her down last minute' because if that had happened to me, I would have emailed/called the host to say so and ask her to reconsider, or cancel the booking)
Mother tried it on, got turned away, tough luck.
Personally I wouldn't want to take my 2 year old to a house where we would be staying in an attic room, with steep stairs, and no stair gate. That is far less safe for my toddler, than getting back in my car and going home.

ArchchancellorsHat · 07/01/2018 11:48

I've been in BnBs before who have booked people in and then kicked them out for smoking in their rooms - as in, breaking the T&Cs. That was in Glencoe so the middle of nowhere. I still thought they were doing the right thing, and they were correct not to refund as they wouldn't be able to re-let the room without deeper than usual cleaning.

Op did the right thing and the woman was chancing it. She would have known the child cound not be accomodated before she left - before she even booked. If the child was going to the wedding too, why would she leave him with someone else anyway - she'd have him with her so they could get ready together in the morning. Bizarre.

TheGoblinQueen2711 · 07/01/2018 11:48

FFS! The child had no safe place to sleep at night?? Are you fucking kidding me? The mother turned up in a car! She could have turned round and gone home again or driven to a travelodge.

There's a hell of a lot of drama queens on here! If the police were concerned about the child having no safe place to sleep then they could/would have done something about it when they turned up. Absolutely not the OP's responsibility!

100% agree with this!

ivykaty44 · 07/01/2018 11:49

Op has it put you off continuing with AirBnB? I haven’t done AirBnB as worked in catering and hotels and know these problems can arise occasionally.

AdalindSchade · 07/01/2018 11:50

Of course the OP shouldn't refund her. The terms are very clear, no refunds less than 5 days before travel and this woman wanted a refund after the booking had already commenced. The OP could not re let the room so therefore she is entitled to keep the money!
I do Airbnb and have had a couple of last minute cancellations. I refund a token amount due to the cost of breakfast and laundry being saved but I keep the room rate. Of course I do! Airbnb is work, it's a resource I use to make a living, why should I be out of pocket because my guests are flaky? Try getting a refund from literally any accommodation at the last minute and you will get a no.

southeastdweller · 07/01/2018 11:50

if something bad happened you wouldn’t be blameless

For crying out loud, the OP is running a business. The welfare of the child is NOTHING whatsoever to do with her.

Margomyhero · 07/01/2018 11:50

I would have turned her away too OP.

Snowysky20009 · 07/01/2018 11:50

Firstly, I'm sorry but if I had been the 'other guest' who had booked a 'child free accommodation' and then a child turned up I would be well pissed off (I do have children for the record).

Secondly, OP was well within her rights to turn her away. Three times she was told 'No Children' what part of that is difficult to understand?

As a parent if I had been this woman, and something had happened last minute, my first call would be to the accommodation to ask 'I know you say no children however I've been let down, is there any chance I could bring my child?', then when the answer comes back as 'no', I would explain that I would need to cancel the booking, and I would be well aware that any refunds would be down to the descretion of the owner, as I would be cancelling as per their policy.

It's not rocket science. These are businesses, people's livelihoods we are talking about. It doesn't matter whether you are talking about a 2 bed aAir bnb, or a multi million pound corporation. Policies are there for a reason, and should be followed.

MumW · 07/01/2018 11:51

Surely, the only sensible way for this senario to have panned out was for mother to have called op when childcare fell through and for op to have said "sorry, but you knew the rules when you booked" and to have offered a full refund IF she managed to re-rent the room. OP may, as a gesture of goodwill, offered a partial refund even if room wasn't re-booked.

Absolutely gobsmaked by some of the responses and how some are calling the OP unreasonable and grabby when it's the client behaving entitled and thinking she can break the contract.

MargaretCavendish · 07/01/2018 11:51

All the posters saying she was cruel/unreasonable for leaving them with nowhere to stay - if a random woman knocked on your day with a 2 year old and asked to stay the night, would you let her? People seem to be assuming she was somehow some kind of innocent because she has a small child - horrible people are just as likely to have kids as nice ones!

expatinscotland · 07/01/2018 11:53

'His mother was absolutely at fault for putting him on that position but if something bad happened you wouldn’t be blameless.'

Actually, she wouldn't be at blame at all.

Personally, I don't keep over 20 quid in cash on me or in my home so any CF wanting 80 in hand wouldn't get it. Do people keep so much cash in their home? Especially when they are renting out rooms on AirB&B?

It's very obvious that a lot of people here do not understand how AirB&B works, but yeah, the B&B part is a bit of a clue. Hosts have contracts and cancellation policies, just like any other business in the trade of renting out lodging, and likewise, when you don't adhere to the terms and conditions, you don't get your money back just because you're special and things haven't gone the way you like.

Really hope AirB&B don't refund her. Some mates rent through their home out by the room, have done for years, and have had a few chancers like this. Thankfully, AirB&B, unlike EBay, seem to have a bit more sense and aren't as quick to hand over refunds.

Jassylaunderette · 07/01/2018 11:53

We used to run a guest house, so probably a bit different. I'd have possibly let her stay, personally, though I'd have been a bit cross. There's also your reputation to think of, the reviews and so on. Though I don't think you have been unreasonable in acting as you did.

Idontevencareanymore · 07/01/2018 11:54

The people saying she should have let the kid in/let them stay because of the kid.

Exactly why she pulled this stunt. She knew the booking stipulated no children
Doesn't even matter why, it's NO CHILDREN.
She booked anyway. And chanced her luck hoping hoping that no one could turn a child away......

The responses on this thread just reinforce that's exactly what she was thinking.

Yanbu. She was being vv cheeky, and a little manipulative.

smashyourglasses · 07/01/2018 11:54

So glad you stuck to your guns, well done OP. She knew the rules and had made contact to re-confirm, so who gives a fuck what happens to them Shock It's a scam, just because you've a sprog in tow doesn't mean you get the golden ticket.

wiltingfast · 07/01/2018 11:55

Did you really turn away a woman and her 2 yo child at 9 o'clock at night?????

She was absolutely in the wrong but it took some callousness to tell her and her 2yo to piss off.

And you want to keep the money too.

And mn to confirm you are a perfectly reasonable person Hmm

Your "guest" is not the only entitled cf around here. Yabu. And unpleasant.

expatinscotland · 07/01/2018 11:55

As for 'gesture of goodwill', those are generally for patrons whose custom you'd like to win again. No one wants people like this as repeat chancers.