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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:
Sweetpea55 · 07/01/2018 10:27

If she knew that she hadn't have a sitter for the child she still had time to cancel you. She knew your rules but chanced it a way CF

swingofthings · 07/01/2018 10:27

I used to work in hotels and if someone insisted on smoking in their room after check in they’d not only be thrown out, they’d be charged for extra cleaning. We had to do it a few times
Firstly, you can't compare smoking with having a child, one is a danger to the whole place, the other is just an inconvenience.

There are few hotels that don't allow children and I would think that in the circumstances of a family arriving with a child at 9:30, not only such hotel would indeed make an exception, but in most likelihood indeed refund if they said they really couldn't accommodate them.

OuaisMaisBon · 07/01/2018 10:28

What about a gesture of goodwill for the OP, though, swingofthings? After all, she made her terms clear and the CF's behaviour prevented her from potentially letting the room out for two nights. Why should OP be deprived of earning some income because of this CF's brass neck?
For what it's worth, OP, you were not in the least bit unreasonable because this CF refused to abide by your T&C - from what I know of it, I should imagine Airbnb will think the same.

Rachie1973 · 07/01/2018 10:28

I don't think OP is unreasonable at all!

Business is business, and it pays an income. Why should OP be out of pocket?

I don't think 9.30pm is late for a child, I wouldn't ever let someone kicking off in the street in my home. I would let the company that deals with payment decide on refund. Personally I think CF will be lucky to get her money back in this instance.

Softkitty2 · 07/01/2018 10:28

I would have allowed them to stay due to the child but said they needed to find somewhere else in the morning.

You could have commented on her profile as a guest on airbnb as someone who dont follow rules.

Poor child to have witnessed that

Iwasjustabouttosaythat · 07/01/2018 10:28

try pulling this trick with a pet dog instead of a baby at a ‘no pet’ hotel and see how much you get refunded when they refuse the dog! 😂 You are no difference between a dog and a human child? Really? Good lord.

I bet about 2% of the outraged MNers on here would have actually turned them away. I have to believe that most people are basically decent even with all the blustering on this thread.

Oh well, it will be in the DM soon enough, then OP will be remembered forever as the cruel woman who threw a mum and a child out into the snow for no good reason. It’s getting Dickensian.

reallybadidea · 07/01/2018 10:28

Out of interest, why is your home unsuitable for children? Sorry if you've already said and I've missed it.

AstridWhite · 07/01/2018 10:28

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. Hmm

Just unbelievable.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 07/01/2018 10:30

My fear is also that it's a cloned or stolen card, she's used to boon the room. Turning up and demanding a cash refund is away of getting hold of cash.

The thing is OPs terms and conditions clearly state NO CHILDREN and five day cancellation. All of those going but you didn't provide the service, many hotels also have a cancellation period, ok 5 days seems a long time, but many hotels it's three days so they have a chance of reselling the room. Some even charge you for cancelling.

There was no harm in asking if she's be prepared to bend the rules for one night, but with the understanding that the OP was well in her rights to say NO. which she did.

OK I'm not sure I could see a child not have a bed or go to the toilet, I'd have at least let him use the loo. And I do think the police might have been a little much but then I wasn't there. But the woman was being unreasonable for booking despite being told that her child wouldn't be able to stay.

SuburbanRhonda · 07/01/2018 10:30

There are few hotels that don't allow children and I would think that in the circumstances of a family arriving with a child at 9:30, not only such hotel would indeed make an exception, but in most likelihood indeed refund if they said they really couldn't accommodate them.

“You would think”?

Based on what, exactly?

LostSight · 07/01/2018 10:30

swingofthings... I surmise you’ve never worked in a customer/client facing role.

swingofthings · 07/01/2018 10:30

I expect the issue with the woman was not as much that she was turned down, although yes, she probably expected that OP would make an exception (because let's face it, what is a 2yo going to do that is so horrible after 9:30 at night), but lost it when OP wouldn't give her money back.

I hate people who use the 'rules' to justify making money out of the misfortune of people.

rwalker · 07/01/2018 10:31

swingofthings
basically the woman was told no kids turned up with one and lost her money HER fault you seem very defensive was it you

Marcine · 07/01/2018 10:31

swingofthings - so when I book a family room for two children and turn up with three children the hotel should just accommodate me? That's good to know, it should save me quiet a bit of money!
Actually I might just book single rooms and bring an airbed from now on.

Viviennemary · 07/01/2018 10:32

I feel quite sorry for the neighbours in this scenario. It must be awful to have AirBnB operators next door. Maybe they should be charged business rates.

Marcine · 07/01/2018 10:32

You know the OP didn't have the money, right?

ptumbi · 07/01/2018 10:33

I stay in Airbnbs all the time. I love them - cheaper than hotels, usually better maintained and just more friendly.

But - one I stayed in was filthy ; cat hairs all over the place due to cats which we couldn't lock out of the room (no lock! Hmm Not even a proper catch on the door - we had to cram the suitcase against the door to stop it opening), cat hairs in the bath, on the breakfast table; breakfast was stale bread and rancid butter with mouldy jam and tea with 'off' milk, that we ate standing up, as the table was manky dirty.
I found out that any review, good or bad, goes through the houseowner first. So any bad review simply doesn';t make it to the Airbnb site.

I wrote a 'coded' review (must NOT be allergic to cats; nice shower but communal areas not as clean as could be - style of thing) and sent a private message to the owner, stating our disgust. Never heard back.

OP - you were completely within your rights to chuck her out. CF.

swingofthings · 07/01/2018 10:33

Based on what, exactly?
I haven't experience this situation specifically, but I've experienced quite a few occasions when 'things' happened and I did get my money back even though the rules said they didn't have to do so.

Ultimately, there are many people who apply the 'rules are the rules' no matter what when it suits them. They are often the people who complain when they find themselves on the other side.

echt · 07/01/2018 10:35

I hate people who use the 'rules' to justify making money out of the misfortune of people

The airbnb rules are not the "rules", some nit-picking addenda as your punctuation implies, they are a contract. They protect the client, other clients and the owner.

BashStreetKid · 07/01/2018 10:35

In fact, cannot believe anybody could be so grabby as not to accept the guest but to accept her money.

It's not in the least grabby. If this woman hadn't booked, OP could have let the room to someone else. If she gives the money back, she's out of pocket by quite a significant amount. Why should she suck that up?

lynzpynz · 07/01/2018 10:35

@iwasjustabouttosaythat OMG I genuinely wrote “and yes for the lunatic pedants out there I do know the difference between a child and a dog but using the principle to demonstrate the absurdity of this” and DELETED it because I thought surely NO-ONE could be that stupid as to assume I wouldn’t know that - guess I was wrong hahaha!

Bunnyboo88 · 07/01/2018 10:35

Swingofthings as many people have explained the OP didn't have her money. The traveller pays Airbnb and Airbnb release the money to the host 24 hours after the traveller checks in. That's so the traveller has time to complain if there is something wrong and ask Airbnb to either refund them or find them new accomodation. Quite often if people are staying one night, you don't get the money until after they have already left.

So if she wanted her money back, she needs to request a refund through the Airbnb website. A host would never ever give anyone cash back, it would always be done through the website.

echt · 07/01/2018 10:35

Ultimately, there are many people who apply the 'rules are the rules' no matter what when it suits them. They are often the people who complain when they find themselves on the other side

Based on what, exactly?

fellipejuan · 07/01/2018 10:37

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!

treaclesoda · 07/01/2018 10:37

I hate people who use the 'rules' to justify making money out of the misfortune of people.

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