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?

I feel sorry for the child but ultimately it was his mothers fault. She should never have tried to chance her luck and put the poor kid in that position. Don't think you're being unreasonable at all, if you're told no then it's a no.

YWNBU and refunded her in cash. She is an epic CF and WBVU.

YANBU.

She was clearly trying to manipulate you and assumed once the were there you wouldn't say no to their faces.

I think you did the right thing by not refunding in cash at the doorstep.

Any refund (and probably within your rights not to refund) should go through AirBnB

You don't owe her anything. You were clear about the terms on which she could stay and she broke those terms by bringing her child. She should have cancelled up to a certain date I believe which clearly she didn't.
I don't see how this could be a scam though? The most she would get back is the money she paid you, no additional benefit.

Yanbu. She didn’t even try to find a sitter...she was banking on you being too polite to turn them away.

She was wrong to do that and I feel sorry for the toddler having to witness the argument late at night.

For this reason alone I would have let them stay. Sure, she was a CF, but to be on the streets in a strange town... I think you were a bit heartless, tbh.

Personally I would have refunded the money (although it would not have been in cash...I would have used whatever method she had used to pay you).

pixie, OP would not have received any money by air&b until later. so you she would have been out of pocket.

The woman asked & was refused prior to arriving , it stops there.

If a refund is due it should be claimed and processed through Airbnb, surely? No wonder scammers keep trying it on. Soft people who just hand over the cash make it easy for them.

YANBU to turn her away but YABU to keep her money. You don’t say you had another booking you turned down because of her so I assume you wouldn’t have lost any money

How do you know, Shifty? The house won't have come up on searches for those dates so OP could well have lost an alternative booking. Plus she's presumably had the trouble and expense of getting the place ready.

Don’t see she was entitled to her money back at all, let alone in cash on the doorstep. She broke the terms of the agreement.

not sure how airbnb works but assume once op had accepted this booking her vacancy would no longer show as available.
dont refund. cf indeed

It's not as simple as giving this CF her money back.
CF has not paid the OP.
CF has paid airbnb in advance when she booked , and airbnb will /would pay the OP after the cf has stayed.
So OP would be out of pocket

I rent an attic room with a private bathroom for forty quid a night, with a continental brekkie.

I have a very fair booking policy on airbnb. Five days before and they get all their money back.

I usually have people in all the time, so because I had her two night booking, no one else could book. Refund her meant I lose eighty quid because she ignored my house rules and decided to bring her kid.

YADNBU in fact you did the right thing . Don't feel guilty and Airnb will soon tell her where to go .Don't let it put you off.

I meant if they cancel five days before they get all their money back.

that poor kid seeing his mum cry hysterically to be allowed into a stranger’s house, then made to move on by the police. And then what? I feel so sorry for him.

The hysterical crying was almost certainly part of the act, maybe coupled with surprise that she hadn't got away with it. And she wouldn't have had to be moved on by the police if she'd just left when asked to.

Total CF. You did the right thing. It's for her to apply for a refund through Air BnB and them to - hopefully - turn her down. I hope it doesn't take up too much of your time and, if she's a repeat offender, they pick up on it. Cheeky Fuckery is rarely a one-off!

The cash on the doorstep bit is worrying. Sounds like a scam. She could easily have paid by stolen credit card and then caused a scene to collect the money. I think in this case just sounds like she was just a CF but I would never refund on the doorstep.

I don’t understand how she couldn’t find anywhere else right on Airbnb, a cheap hotel or bnb that would take her and her child.

Are you in the middle of nowhere?

Am also wondering why she would have needed cash to pay for her accommodation. If she didn't have a debit or credit card she couldn't have paid for the original booking.

I mean, I understand she didn’t look but that this was used as an excuse/didn’t think to look elsewhere but try it on.

Also are your prices particularly cheap?

I bet she’ll ask for a refund via Airbnb too!

I do not belive you should have reindeer her in cash - should have been done via Airbnb. What about their charges?