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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:
AdalindSchade · 07/01/2018 12:13

The woman had a car, a home of her own and (presumably) a source of funds so she was perfectly capable of providing a room over her child's head for the night.

Andrewofgg · 07/01/2018 12:15

You have no idea what the situation was. Maybe she was genuine, maybe the person who was supposed to look after her child really let her down at the last minute, maybe she'd saved for months to be able to afford this wedding that means a lot to her.

Maybe. But none of that is the OP's problem. Even if it was not a scam it was a try-on.

AdalindSchade · 07/01/2018 12:15

The. OP. wouldn't. Have. Been. Covered. For. The. Child.

The insurance from Airbnb doesn't pay out if you have deviated from the agreement. If you accept a booking from someone who isn't staying themselves, if you accept extra guests on the day without amending your booking, if you accept payment in cash for extra nights, etc, you have violated the terms of the host agreement and are not covered in case of damage.

lynzpynz · 07/01/2018 12:17

@iwasjustabouttosaythat what I did wrong here is continue engaging with someone out to antagonise and make snide remarks after my first response to deflect from their own flawed argument - duh newbie lesson learned!

RebelRogue · 07/01/2018 12:17

Maybe if less people would be so willing to excuse and enable parents putting their kids in shitty situations, there would be less kids in shitty situations.

LetsGoFlyAKiteee · 07/01/2018 12:17

I let another room in the house as well, and due to my house rule people coming expecting child-free accommodation. So I couldn’t allow her in, as I had another guest

That one..

jedenfalls · 07/01/2018 12:18

Especially for wdigin

bfy.tw/O59

MargaretCavendish · 07/01/2018 12:19

If you rephrase the question to be, “would you allow a woman and child to stay in your house if they booked your air b&b room and were going to give you money to stay there and they had nowhere else to go?” then yes, yes I would.

'They' hadn't booked the room. The woman had, under false pretences.

And I strongly suspect that the people who think this is so awful think that it's wrong that people have childfree rules in the first place, and wouldn't have them themselves. That's fine, but up to you - OP does, and is completely entitled to enforce it.

StylishDuck · 07/01/2018 12:19

"Maybe if less people would be so willing to excuse and enable parents putting their kids in shitty situations, there would be less kids in shitty situations."

This 100%

expatinscotland · 07/01/2018 12:20

'I haven't said fuck anyone, have I? But yes, at the end of the day, I would put a baby's comfort over that of an adult and, if the adult was unhappy, I would offer them a refund and an apology.'

Probably best you don't run an AirB&B business then, unless it's a 'kids stay free' one and you're willing to suck up any liability for anyone not on the booking because, as pointed out, the host's insurance coverage does not extend to persons not on the booking.

Pengggwn · 07/01/2018 12:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ivykaty44 · 07/01/2018 12:23

Penggg and if something went wrong in the night how would you then feel if everyone said - but you changed the contract so your insurance is invalid....and this is why we stick to the contract - you’re on your own

Pengggwn · 07/01/2018 12:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Gladrag · 07/01/2018 12:25

I'm fairly sure money laundering regulations mean that OP couldn't refund by cash when the payment had been made to another party by card.

I agree it sounds like a scam. The mother chose to turn up late at night with a child with no valid booking. She could easily have booked alternative accommodation originally. Why was she so desperate to stay in OP's attic?

All those saying she has 1 million dollars of liability insurance, even if it was valid, it's not enough if the child has an accident due to OP's unsuitable home and needs 24 hour care for life.

CherryMaDeara · 07/01/2018 12:26

@Pengggwn

If you had booked a hotel room that only allowed 2 adults but no children, and didn't cancel that hotel room within the required notice period, then turned up at the hotel with your child, and they re-iterated that the room cannot sleep a child, would you expect the hotel to refund you, even if it was a mistake?

Just this because this is a b&b does not mean the same principle does not apply.

OP would have let the room to someone else and got her £80, so to refund this woman would mean she would lose £80.

You say OP doesn't sound nice, but I don't think you sound nice, because you have no idea about OP's financial circumstances and yet you are urging her to give up her earned cash.

Why don't you send OP £80 so she can issue the refund?

ivykaty44 · 07/01/2018 12:26

So child falls down stairs and ends up in hospital - bad enough but then mother sued you and your personal liability insurance refuse to back you as you didn’t stick to the rules

The jydge rules in the favour of the child as you shouldn’t have put the child in that position - your the adult - and you have to part with several thousand

Remember this mother’s wierd and unreasonable to start with so much more likely to take things further

peppapigwouldmakelovelyrashers · 07/01/2018 12:26

Penggg and if something went wrong in the night how would you then feel if everyone said - but you changed the contract so your insurance is invalid....and this is why we stick to the contract - you’re on your own

Like what? And that isn't how insurance works.

Pengggwn · 07/01/2018 12:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MargaretCavendish · 07/01/2018 12:29

Like what? And that isn't how insurance works.

Like the toddler falling down the steep stairs and injuring themselves badly. Or like the toddler breaking something valuable belonging to OP.

And that is how AirBnB host insurance works, as has been repeatedly explained on this thread - it doesn't cover anyone who isn't on the booking, and the toddler wouldn't have been.

ShoesHaveSouls · 07/01/2018 12:29

This is why I'd be rubbish in business. I'd have probably let her stay.

If I had been firm and sent her away, I'd probably refund her through airbnb. I wouldn't have given her cash on the doorstep though.

I do agree she was a CF - but somehow it doesn't seem fair play to charge her if she didn't use the room.

OrinocoDugong · 07/01/2018 12:29

Yanbu op. You certainly do not owe any refund either. Your Ts&Cs are clear and the woman could only have got her money back if she had cancelled >5 days in advance. If you didn't have a chance to re-let due to her actions then she is liable for the full amount

ivykaty44 · 07/01/2018 12:30

Oh it is how insurance work - believe me the insurance company would back out of paying as the child wasn’t on the booking

Pengggwn · 07/01/2018 12:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RebelRogue · 07/01/2018 12:30

@peppapigwouldmakelovelyrashers really? You see no way in which a 2 yo could get hurt in a house that is not child proofed and in an attic room up steep stairs?

Pigeonpost · 07/01/2018 12:30

Urgh, we've been doing Airbnb for 3 years now and I am getting sick to the death of the ever increasing amount of CF's. We had two lots of guests turn up with a fridge full of food and then totally dominate our kitchen. Completely against the house rules (which they have to accept before booking) but some of these CF's do just think they'll do what they like when they get here. The money has been really useful for us but I really don't want to do it anymore as I just don't want these grabby bastards in our home. It's a shame as the vast vast majority of our guests are just lovely and we enjoy hosting them and it only takes 1 or 2 miserable rude CF's to spoil it. I really feel for you OP. I want to say that you should have stood your ground and not given her the refund in cash but I can totally see why you did. Anything to get rid of her! She sounds utterly batshit. Hopefully Airbnb will see the messages for what they are. Although I don't know if they can do anything about the payment. Please please please make sure you leave her an honest review though, other hosts need to know what they are considering letting into their home.