Guest walks out of Airbnb and wants full refund

[IgglePiggleLovesUpsey]

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.

You seem to have it in your head op that it was ok for a couple but not for a child or a grandma? That’s a very odd way of looking at it. Either the property is safe to let to guests or it’s not.

To rent a whole property on Air BnB, or any short term rental website, the whole thing needs to be perfect. You can't have bits that you tell them are not available, or shelves they don't have any need to use, or stairs they have no need to go up. The whole property is what they are paying for, that's what they get.

Unfortunately a few things left around give an impression that this is not a professional operation that they are paying for. OR they changed their plans and wanted an excuse for a refund. Either way, it's not good.

It makes me wonder if you are aware of the legislation around Short Term Rentals? Really sorry if you are aware,but do you have specialist insurance with public liability? If you don't and there is an accident your residential insurance would be invalidated.

Do you know there are new fire regulations that mean you need wired and linked smoke alarms in all rooms, a keyless exit and fire doors? If there is a fire and these things are not in place best case scenario is your insurance doesn't pay out. Worst case you end up in prison because someone dies. I'm pointing this out gor your own benefit, again sorry if you have all this in place.

And people who have grandchildren are not 'elderly'.

Ignoring the horrors of loose wires in walls, doors propped up against a cupboard, and an unfinished staircase job, I can't get my head round how anyone would imagine a guest would want to share the owner's slippers in the bathroom (I assume this is that OP intended them for.)

That's just gross.

I've only done Airbnb a few times because usually we rent by looking at owners' websites, not another platform. And have done for 40+ years.

My 'needs' of a property is that it's spotless and there is no sign of anyone else living there before us.

Finding 'communal slippers' or the owner' s they forgot to remove is just yuck.

@Curtainqueen yes, it is - the socket she uploaded a picture of earlier is unsafe.

There are two sides to Airbnb.

Originally, it was people renting out a spare room, or letting people stay when they were not using their home (on holiday etc).

The home owners belongings were there etc.

Latterly, it began to be used by people letting out second homes, which are often hotel standard. These places are empty of belongings as nobody actually lives there.

I use Airbnb a lot and it's very obvious which camp a property falls into.

And the price, accordingly, is very different.

If your property was priced appropriately, as being your home, not an empty, hotel standard holiday let, then her expectations were too high.

So it really depends on how it was priced.

I do see your side OP but did you explain why she couldn't access the stairs, that there may be unconnected electrics? If not it should have been cordoned off, maybe you could have used the baby gate.

Slippers and coffee lid, fine. Screws on the floor not good if there's a shoes off policy. Tissue, why didn't you take it with you or flush / bin it? Doesn't look great.

She should have let you know about the child especially after you'd mentioned the building work but I think you should have put some kind of barrier in place or cordon given it was exposed electrics.

I know you want to hear she alone was unreasonable but I don't think she was on this.

I think you may need to suck this one up all or partly. The fact she didn't address it straight away doesn't change the material faults (electrics, screw, tissue which is 'trash', I'm not from the US but what else would you call it, a collectible?).

I don't think a property with exposed wiring was in a fit state for rental and i think your preparation was sloppy.

I don't expect perfection in an air BnB as I agree with the original idea (renting out your spare room) and actually prefer not to use them as they've damaged the rental market, but specifically used tissues and screws are a off-putting and a potential hazard.

I'm not sure the origins of Air BnB are particularly relevant tbh - their T&C's now state that properties must be safe and conform to local laws and regulations - a house with dodgy light switches cannot be classed as safe 😳

This is absolutely right.
(Less vital but tissue etc should not have been left lying around either - who wants to deal with used tissues? - they don't know what it was used for).
They may have needed to eat after a long journey and while deciding what to do. You put yourself in the wrong by not making sure property was ready to rent out. YABU I'm afraid.

Don’t think the OP will be back given the comments she’s getting. You’ve messed up OP, pay the refund and learn from this for next time you rent out your home.

Just give them the refund!

Yabu.
im with the guests on this one.
a property is either safe and ready for use.. or not.. there is no in between imo

It's a bit disingenuous to claim that you didn't know about the child as you say that she mentioned she would be returning with a 3 year old when you were showing her round. That was your chance to say something - e.g. "That will be £x for the extra person, please". Even better though you could have said that in that case, you didn't feel the house is suitable for a child of that age and you would not have accepted the booking, had you known. But you chose to say nothing. As others have said, your house was not ready to rent to anyone. The impression you've given is of a slightly manky and uncomfortable property. And
as for whingeing about having to pack up your things and move out, presumably you would have been receiving a fair bit of recompense for a stay that long. To be honest, you don't sound as if you are cut out to be a host. Any business making money out of people is tough. I think you should refund and reconsider whether you want to make money this way.

YABU. You shouldn't have rented out the property until the work on the stairs was completely finished and safe.
You left yourself open to something like this happening.
Also it's not on to have tissue left lying around. Why didn't you flush the tissue down the toilet after you cleaned the mirror rather than leaving it on a shelf. The problem is that if a guest sees a piece of tissue, a coffee cup lid and a screw they will assume that the property hasn't been cleaned properly and therefore the place is dirty.
Were the bathroom flipflops supposed to be for guests to use? Were they new or clean? Or were they yours and you'd just forgotten them. It doesn't look great to be honest.
The cupboard door was off and leaning against the cupboard. That's also a hazard and looks shoddy. The cupboard (like the shelf in the bathroom where the tissue was and the light switch) was apparently not for the use of the guests. If you're renting the place out you can expect guests to be into everything and use everything unless you have locked cupboards or locked rooms or blocked access to the loft stairs.

The thing with the 3 year old is a bit odd and probably they were trying to get out of paying the extra money. They probably got the takeaway and used the bathroom facilities while deciding what to do about staying in the property. They've arrived somewhere, discovered it isn't suitable and they'll need to find somewhere else to go which isn't always easy at short notice.

You should refund them and learn from this and improve your standards in future.

@IgglePiggleLovesUpsey if you don't think that putting in a set of stairs is not classed as renovations, or that a socket left unattached from the wall is OK for a space where guests can access (even if they shouldn't), you need to have a serious rethink.

Regardless of whether tou told them not to go there or not, it should have been locked off and inaccessible.

If you really don't understand this absolute basic, regardless of comms, you should not be letting the space.

I imagine the 2 hours they spent in your house were spent discussing whether they would stay or not, and then trying to find somewhere else to stay at very short notice.

If I was staying with a toddler and there was work being done, and a screw on the floor, I'd be very worried that there would be more screws about the place, which would be dangerous. Maybe they didn't tell you about the child as they didn't want to pay extra, or though you wouldn't want to rent to a family with a child, or maybe it was a neice/grandchild coming over for one night - you've rented your house out to them, so I don't really think it's your business.

I think you need to suck this one up - you're running a business, not putting a friend up on your sofa.

I can understand why they stayed at least 2 hours as it can take that long to find alternative accommodation and that is with AirBnB's help !

We don't know how far they had travelled from, maybe hours so that could/would explain why they ate a takeaway - esp as now there is a child present.

Plastic flip flops left in the bathroom - yuk
a dirty or otherwise tissue left - yuk yuk
and the coffee cup lid left - that is just careless

and all this looks like you don't get professional cleaners in

Building work uncompleted yet you chose to let out the property - greedy !

of course they get a full refund !
and Airb&b will have already done that through their funds or used it towards their alternative booking.

This family will still get the opportunity to leave a review !
expect photos to be included.

you will need to be very careful with the review you leave for them, it will need to be very apologetic !!!

Airb&b may decide to remove your listing from their website.

Really, she was probably in her 50s or 60s to have young grandchildren.

I have a holiday house, and I use Air as one of the advertising platforms.

Although Air started out just as a way to let out a spare room, most owners now let the whole house, and it sounds like this is what you are doing.

As an owner you have to have a professional approach- the property must be absolutely spotless, comply with local fire and safety regulations and be fit for purpose.

Your house should not have been open for bookings in that state. Unfinished building works, unsafe electrical outlets, inadequate cleaning. You are lucky your guest didn't get an electric shock or hurt themselves in anyway- leaving you wide open to be sued for compensation!

It's just not good enough to tell guests "not to use an area"- you should have closed your calendar on line, it's easy enough to do!
Our house is closed for bookings for the next few weeks as we have decorating to do.

A couple of points: have you complied with the latest regulations for professional fire risk assessments and implemented any changes required? (Hard wired fire /smoke alarms, escape routes, fire doors etc)
Also, unless your listing specifically states it is unsuitable for children or people with mobility issues, then it should be fit for their use.

Pay the refund in full, and use this as a learning experience to improve your standards!

@BlueSky2024

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
Do you always feel the need to add in some nasty judgement. 'You were being greedy' is just a judgement you didn't have to make.
Says more about you tbh

And also, don't quote the OP. It's looked upon badly on MN. It's considered poor form

Sounds like these people are chancers.
They lied about the child to avoid paying an extra person
then lied about the coffee lid ( you don’t buy take outs )
then lied about the screw ( you’d hoovered )
then didn’t tell you they’d left

They are trying to get free accommodation

Id charge them for the number of nights ( including for the child ) they stayed based solely on when it was confirmed to you they had left. If your contract has a cancellation charge ( ie they must be a certain amount if they cancel at the last minute etc ) then charge for that too.
They have set this up and are being unreasonable.
Keep emotion out of this, its purely a financial arrangement that they have defaulted on.

I have read the your points re works not finished but as you say they are on another floor and access to those was not part of your agreement.

I have friends living rurally who had a neighbour whose father had built a ramshackle dwelling back in the 80s, used for holidays. It was rough, and when the father died and the son inherited it he put it on AirBnB as a party house capable of sleeping 12 on mattresses and sofa beds as well as in the three bedrooms. The photos were candid (the place was a total dump) and it was very successful, even in winter when the only heating and hot water can from a log burner. Every weekend it was packed with people partying noisily till dawn, people doing drugs, using the garden as a loo (there was only one loo for everyone) and generally causing mayhem. The reason it was so popular? It was £150 a night in high season for 12 people and for that price people didn't care what it was like.

Despite the locals trying to get it shut down because of the noise nuisance and the drugs, Air BnB did nothing — until a couple of people made complaints about there being an issue with the electrics and no carbon monoxide monitor. Someone took a photo of an unsafe electrical socket and whoosh, the property was off AirBnB, to the relief of everyone who lived in the area.

How clean was the place, seeing that building work was ongoing? I would seriously have my doubts staying somewhere like that or even advertising it. There are rules and regulations in place for a reason.