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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Guest walks out of Airbnb and wants full refund

351 replies

IgglePiggleLovesUpsey · 10/01/2025 00:39

I've had a bit of a crap day today tbh and the icing on the cake has been having to liaise with Airbnb support - I feel I have gone over so many details regarding a guest that decided to leave early due to issues with my property and now wants full refund.- so naturally I have come here to go over it again.

Timeline

  • guests confirms that she and her partner will be using property only but would like use of spare bedroom. 2 adults
  • I inform guest some building work has taken place to access loft eg new staircase and loft hatch, it's not quite finished so please avoid the area. She says it's fine.
  • Guest arrives, is shown round property, then mentions she will be returning and bringing 3yo. They return, order takeaway, use bathroom etc and then contact Airbnb support to complain about property and say they want to leave citing hygiene and safety as issue. They don't cancel reservation.
  • Airbnb contact me, back and forth we go, I want to know what the issue is exactly and be shown photos but they aren't shared.
I call, I message etc and eventually I reach out to guest asking to clarify issues and if she has left of intending to, only then do I find out she left that night. By this point I've stayed away for 2 nights and have packed all my stuff expecting them to stay for 11 nights. I think it's cheeky for them to expect a full refund when they made use of the facilities, didn't indicate they had any issues when being shown around, cost me time and effort to prep for their arrival , lied about number of guests and never even informed anyone they had left.

Or am I unreasonable? They found one small screw on the floor...so they felt it was unsafe for the child...the one we didn't know was going to be there. Also I forgot to check behind the TV stand...there was a clean coffee lid and a light switch to the loft in the area they were asked to avoid wasn't screwed back. I wiped clean the mirrors one last time before leaving and the tissue was referred to as 'trash' left lying around and bathroom slippers suddenly counted as shoes left lying around. The only issue I accept wasn't ideal was that a cupboard - that was not for the use of the guests but had the door removed and was leaning against cupboard.

OP posts:
Octavia64 · 10/01/2025 00:46

Partially complete building work is often not safe.

It's hard to tell from what you have described but if you've got an open plate to a switch, a cupboard door off then I personally wouldn't be happy staying.

I have lived in a house while building work was going on and stuff is left in an way that's ok if you are the person who has liased with builders (don't touch that, stay out of the kitchen, the electrics are going to be off for the next few hours) but not ok if you are renting your house out.

I think you probably shouldn't have accepted the booking. People who haven't had building work done don't know what it is like living in the middle of it and it seems quite likely your living space wasn't safe.

ManchesterGirl2 · 10/01/2025 00:48

I'm sorry but the property sounds a bit shambolic. Depends a bit on your price and how you market it, but I wouldn't be impressed by unfinished building work, a random tissue, a door off a cupboard.

artfuldodgerjack · 10/01/2025 00:59

So you were expecting them to stay in a property that is being worked on, had rubbish laying around and an unsafe electric socket?

If you didn't want them accessing part of the property then it should have been locked off, or the booking cancelled.

Feelingstrange2 · 10/01/2025 01:04

It does sound a bit unprofessional. Like you live there but decamp somewhere quickly when you get a booking. Hence the mistakes and mid building work. It does sound like you should suck this one up - it would have taken a bit of time to source an alternative and been a right palaver for them during their holiday

Ponderingwindow · 10/01/2025 01:05

If someone told me there was building work, but they were still booking the unit, I would presume that work was contained behind a locked door. Now, in reality, I wouldn’t book the unit at all and would choose another, but it’s just crazy to lease someplace out with construction going on.

Emilianoo · 10/01/2025 01:07

You left slippers and used tissue lying around?

Floralnomad · 10/01/2025 01:09

If I’d booked a place for sole use I wouldn’t expect to find other peoples rubbish , slippers or property . So YABU .

AnotherNameChange0 · 10/01/2025 01:11

Yabu

BlueSky2024 · 10/01/2025 01:14

IgglePiggleLovesUpsey · 10/01/2025 00:39

I've had a bit of a crap day today tbh and the icing on the cake has been having to liaise with Airbnb support - I feel I have gone over so many details regarding a guest that decided to leave early due to issues with my property and now wants full refund.- so naturally I have come here to go over it again.

Timeline

  • guests confirms that she and her partner will be using property only but would like use of spare bedroom. 2 adults
  • I inform guest some building work has taken place to access loft eg new staircase and loft hatch, it's not quite finished so please avoid the area. She says it's fine.
  • Guest arrives, is shown round property, then mentions she will be returning and bringing 3yo. They return, order takeaway, use bathroom etc and then contact Airbnb support to complain about property and say they want to leave citing hygiene and safety as issue. They don't cancel reservation.
  • Airbnb contact me, back and forth we go, I want to know what the issue is exactly and be shown photos but they aren't shared.
I call, I message etc and eventually I reach out to guest asking to clarify issues and if she has left of intending to, only then do I find out she left that night. By this point I've stayed away for 2 nights and have packed all my stuff expecting them to stay for 11 nights. I think it's cheeky for them to expect a full refund when they made use of the facilities, didn't indicate they had any issues when being shown around, cost me time and effort to prep for their arrival , lied about number of guests and never even informed anyone they had left.

Or am I unreasonable? They found one small screw on the floor...so they felt it was unsafe for the child...the one we didn't know was going to be there. Also I forgot to check behind the TV stand...there was a clean coffee lid and a light switch to the loft in the area they were asked to avoid wasn't screwed back. I wiped clean the mirrors one last time before leaving and the tissue was referred to as 'trash' left lying around and bathroom slippers suddenly counted as shoes left lying around. The only issue I accept wasn't ideal was that a cupboard - that was not for the use of the guests but had the door removed and was leaning against cupboard.

As others have said, if there was work being carried out on the house you really shouldn’t have rented it out as you run the risk of this kind of thing happening, you were being greedy and now run the risk of getting a bad review

MayWelland · 10/01/2025 01:17

What would you have done @IgglePiggleLovesUpsey if you’d gone on holiday to find that?

Silvers11 · 10/01/2025 01:23

MayWelland · 10/01/2025 01:17

What would you have done @IgglePiggleLovesUpsey if you’d gone on holiday to find that?

This ^^ would you have been happy if it was you OP?

namechangealerttt · 10/01/2025 01:28

I think airbnb started as 'rent a room in your home' but so many people/companies got into it for profit, now people expect holiday accommodation that looks like noone actually lives there as a permanent home, and to be clean to the standard of a minimum 4 star hotel. No personal effects.

I think you need to reconsider the suitability of your home as a holiday rental and expectations of the public when they book holiday accommodation. Otherwise I think this is going to be an ongoing issue.

I know from your POV the child should have been mentioned, and on one hand I agree with you. But on the other hand, I don't think a young child is always necessarily mentioned on a hotel booking and would normally not be an issue, and that is the likely the the mindset of the person that made the booking.

If you want to continue with Airbnb, finish the basic maintenance like electric plates, and perhaps consider stipulating the accommodation is not suitable for children.

No offense, I don't know your personal standard of cleaning, but it does differ between people, so you may want to consider a professional cleaner so it is up to a standard of what the majority would expect.

MJconfessions · 10/01/2025 01:28
  • I inform guest some building work has taken place to access loft eg new staircase and loft hatch, it's not quite finished so please avoid the area. She says it's fine.

^this sounds completely unsafe

OP you just sound like you’re trying to make a quick buck from people and are trying to squeeze others for whatever they are worth. It seems unscrupulous. Whatever possessed you to rent out your place when it’s undergoing building work?

Onautopilot · 10/01/2025 01:30

I can see both sides here...the property was undergoing renovation with out of bounds areas and 1 screw, 1 out of sight lid and power point, a cleaning tissue and a pair of slippers. The booking was for 2 adults only.
BUT the customer was shown around the property and deemed it suitable, THEN returned with an unbooked toddler, which both would up the child proof checking and maybe the price being charged.
Best just suck it up and not rent out until all the work is finished. If the customer gives you a bad review you about leaving rubbish etc, you can counter with trying to sneak in extra guests!

steff13 · 10/01/2025 01:30

Ok, but what are bathroom slippers? Do you have slippers to wear solely in the bathroom?

mattbee · 10/01/2025 01:30

If you genuinely think the experience was OK for the price, marketing etc. I would refund them 50 percent with a mild defence and let them argue the rest with Airbnb.

But if you've hosted less than about 20 guests, this may be a sign that it's not up to scratch.

Once a guest get the ick, theres not a lot you can do to stop them from demanding a refund. IMO it's better to give it to them and concentrate on making sure the next guest has a better time.

PickledElectricity · 10/01/2025 01:35

They probably realised very quicky they didn't want to spend 11 days chasing the toddler around while they found some new and exciting unsafe thing in the house - loft stairs, open socket, what else could the child have found?

I wouldn't have booked a property undergoing renovations but equally I'd never try to rent one out in that state either!

Mamabearandcubs · 10/01/2025 01:43

Sorry OP but I wouldn’t be happy turning up to a place like this either. You should have taken the tissue with you .. they don’t know that the tissue has been used to clean the mirrors for all they know you could have blown your nose on it and left it. Regarding the screw on the floor if they hadn’t seen it this could have been a lot worse for you if they had stood on it and injured theirselves. And lastly they may not have mentioned anything whilst you was showing them round because they might of wanted to discuss between them the best cause of action to take whether to complain to you or air b&b. I think you should give them a full refund and take this as a lesson learned and hopefully take the feedback onboard to improve for next time.

ZippyCat · 10/01/2025 01:55

Yeah I am with your guests/customers here this doesn't sound like it should have been rented out at all while work is going on as for the screw tbh that's dangerous and could have got you in trouble
Yes the child shouldn't have been their but that's nothing to do with the way you left the property personally I would expect a full refund

BreadInCaptivity · 10/01/2025 01:58

Irrespective of what you said to the guests I think you were unreasonable in expecting people to pay to stay in a property with building work that was unfinished.

I think you need to refund them and take it as a lesson learned.

sloecat · 10/01/2025 02:06

You say she mentioned she will be bringing a 3 year old and this would have been your opportunity to say the property wasn’t suitable. To say they ‘used the facilities’ is unfair when they stayed one night only because they found the property unsuitable for a child. Unfinished plug sockets and screws on the floor make it unsafe for anyone and you shouldn’t be renting out a property undergoing building works. I wouldn’t be happy renting a place with cupboard doors off their hinges and tissues and slippers in the bathroom.

MumChp · 10/01/2025 02:12

Airbnb today isn't renting out a place like. It was years ago Airbnb was this. Leave it.

RawBloomers · 10/01/2025 02:24

I understand why you’re upset that she seemed to agree to the situation before hand, lied about who would be staying and didn’t mention anything when you showed her around. She was trying it on and is not a good client. But I agree with PPs that it’s not really relevant since your place sounds like it was in a suitable state to rent out. Even if agreed to “don’t go near X” is not an appropriate way of making something safe when you’re renting out accommodation. And especially after she told you she had a 3 year old coming. You should have said then that was in breach of what you’d agreed to and the place wasn’t suitable for a child.

hazelnutvanillalatte · 10/01/2025 02:36

As others have said, if there was work being carried out on the house you really shouldn’t have rented it out as you run the risk of this kind of thing happening, you were being greedy and now run the risk of getting a bad review

Rude and unnecessary.

MartinCrieffsLemon · 10/01/2025 02:47

It sounds wholly unsuitable

You having to pack up and move out, loose screws and open sockets, building work...

It's not really suitable or acceptable