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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:
KERALA1 · 08/01/2018 08:19

Threads like these bring out the saintly Sandra's. They are extremely amusing - berating ops for not behaving in the saintly manner that they apparently would, to abusive and unpleasant strangers.

Examples include a thread where a rude git turned up at ops door and yelled at op about some volunteering her dh did. The saintly brigade berated op for not inviting the loony in and offering her counselling, a hot dinner, her car keys. Similar when op had been shouted at in a public loo. The op was remiss for not taking the shouter out for a cup of tea in cafe, or bought her flowers, as the saintly ones would have done. Too funny Grin

MaggieFS · 08/01/2018 08:21

I really need to do some work today but yet more people are trying to defend the indefensible. Wow.

BadLad · 08/01/2018 08:22

I'm fairly sure the original suggestion of "Give her a Cream Egg" was by some Saintly Sandra.

ApacheEchidna · 08/01/2018 08:23

NeanderthalWoman what level of kindness would have given the op the magic ability to cause cash to appear in her possession from her bank account?

Or do you seriously think she should have left to her home unattended (very inappropriate given she had another unrelated airbnb guest staying) and travelled to a cashpoint (could be half an hour away or more if it's a countryside location?

Even without the possibility that the CF would then also attempt to get a refund from airbnb (which I think is a fairly unlikely scam actually) it's hardly reasonable to expect this.

treaclesoda · 08/01/2018 08:29

Examples include a thread where a rude git turned up at ops door and yelled at op about some volunteering her dh did. The saintly brigade berated op for not inviting the loony in and offering her counselling, a hot dinner, her car keys.

And the lady who discovered a homeless person living in her shed. Wasn't she meant to take him in to live with her family, despite having no idea if he was an on the run axe murderer/sex offender, instead of being irate that he was trespassing and frightening her?

TheDailyMailIsADisgustingRag · 08/01/2018 08:33

It’s awful isn’t it, but there was a story recently(ish) about a family who did take in a homeless guy, but he unfortunately must have had some serious issues. After the mum had helped him get on his feet, he started taking drugs, turned up at their house and attacked and killed the mother and son. Obviously, that’s just one story, but it’s the one I remember! I’m sure there are loads of stories where it’s worked out really well, but we never hear them.

echt · 08/01/2018 08:36

Two things about this thread:

  1. It would make really good updated nativity scenario - no room at the airbnb/computer says no.
  2. How many posters can't fucking read the many very clear explanations of the OP's position, not least by the OP herself. I blame the English teachers myself.
Mousewatch · 08/01/2018 08:38

What a CF I wouldn't have let them in either!

Anniegetyourgun · 08/01/2018 08:46

The best one in my view was the woman who had been left a house with a sitting tenant paying a peppercorn rent. One of the suggestions was that the woman should give the house to the tenant. That would be very nice, wouldn't it? But I doubt the OP's children would have thanked her for it a few years down the line.

KERALA1 · 08/01/2018 08:49

Yes treacle that was another classic example Grin

Plus super easy to explain how kind and giving you would be from behind a keyboard. Do I believe for one minute they really would? Nope.

cambodianfoxhound · 08/01/2018 09:06

I would be MASSIVELY surprised if anyone who is still stating the Op should have let this woman in has ever run or been involved in a similar business themselves...

Its very easy to say be 'kind' - people who operate like this totally rely on your impulse to be 'kind'.

After a while it becomes very easy to spot the genuine from the CFs.

I bet the Op has regularly been kind to reasonable, respectful guests who need a bit of help. The ones whose flights are delayed etc. etc.

I once had someone ask if we could renovate our property to include an additional shower (despite having two fully functional showers) before their visit of ONE week. I politely declined and politely declined their booking when they said they would still book anyway. I knew that someone who has the audacity to ask for major renovations to accommodate their one week holiday would be a total nightmare.

In this business, you very quickly figure out who you should be 'kind' to and who you should not touch with a barge pole.

Original poster
Hiptrip · 08/01/2018 09:08

I”ve heard from airbnb now, no refund for her. I’ve left her a shitty review, nothing from her yet.

OP posts:
rcit · 08/01/2018 09:13

What about the cash you gave her

LazyDailyMailJournos · 08/01/2018 09:14

OP did not give the woman any cash. The woman demanded a cash refund but didn't get one.

lynzpynz · 08/01/2018 09:15

Glad Airbnb have seen sense Hiptrip (never doubted they would!) and hope you get some more reasonable guests in the future!

aaaaargghhhhelpme · 08/01/2018 09:16

Thank god Airbnb have seen sense.
And well done for leaving a shitty review. To be honest any situation which requires the police to be called for their removal can hardly expect a good review...

Mix56 · 08/01/2018 09:19

Oh God, THE REFUND was not given = NO cash

GertrudeBHAFC · 08/01/2018 09:30

You have your reasons for declining the guest and that's fair enough. Your home and you made an agreement with her which she broke so your in the right.

Personally I probably couldnt see this poor innocent kid stay out any longer and would have let them stay, just for him. She's terrible though and clearly hasn't really thought about him.

It's good she hasn't got her money back. If you had refunded her cash, I wouldn't be surprised if she had tried for a refund though Airbnb after too, leaving you out of pocket.

beryljane · 08/01/2018 09:45

Glad your decision not to refund was upheld, OP.

slashlover · 08/01/2018 09:51

I am wary of people who say that don’t like a whole category of things

Pretty sure that if someone posted that they were a lone woman and had said they had specifically said 'no men' then they would be supported. OP has just said 'no kids' and from what she says it's for the kids own benefit as her house IS NOT SAFE.

slashlover · 08/01/2018 09:55

*GertrudeBHAFC

Personally I probably couldnt see this poor innocent kid stay out any longer and would have let them stay, just for him.*

There have been many posts saying why though, not least the room IS UNSAFE FOR A CHILD.

Hortonlovesahoo · 08/01/2018 10:03

Well done OP! Great news from air Bnb!

ptumbi · 08/01/2018 10:06

Never quite sure why we are supposed to bow to pressure when someone throws a tantrum - it often shows people used to getting their own way - totally. I am using this every time I see a 'MIL' thread, or CF thread. They invariably have someone throwing a tantrum - because it gets the result they want!

Getrude - RTFfuckingT! If you let someone into a childfree house, into a potentially dangerous non-child-friendly room, in spite of your insurance which is for CHILD-FREE accomodation .... and that child has an accident, YOU (YES YOU!) will be liable. The insurance will not pay out. YOU will.

How 'kind' do you think you will be, once you are £100Ks in debt through your own 'kindness'??

CherryMaDeara · 08/01/2018 10:07

could I renovate our property to include an additional shower (despite having two fully functional showers) before their visit of ONE week.

Well OP clearly should have extended her home to build an annex with a bedroom for CF's 2 day stay. It would have been the kind thing to do.

thecatsthecats · 08/01/2018 10:11

Glad Air BnB have backed you OP.

Find it astonishing that so many people are hand-wringing about a child - shock horror! - being put back in the car and then driven home.

If babies are really that sodding fragile I'm not having one.