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.

I'm an Airbnb host and understand there's a difference between renting a room in a host's property and the whole property (which most people opt for and are used to nowadays). The slippers are not an issue (guessing you're Asian - it's not like you wear them outdoors, right?!). To be fair, you had informed them of the 'building works' whatever that means to you, and they still turned up. I believe upon closer in-person inspection they made the decision that the listing wasn't safe for their child (who they didn't declare)
. It is fine for them to back-out. As they did use your property for several hours but didn't stay the night I think you should refund them 10.5 nights.

I wouldn't have said anything instantly either. Not everyone likes confrontation and it may have been after they'd spoken about it after you'd left and had a proper look and noticed the electrics etc.

This. Your argument is that its good value for its london location but people don't factor this into their happiness with property. Had the booked this a while back? Then you contacted them and sad x,y,z is still being done are you still happy ? They didn't want to have an argument with you about it so they went through air b&b instead. Either let it out in perfect condition or not at all.

It does sound a bit unprofessional. Like you live there but decamp somewhere quickly when you get a booking

That is how AirBnB originally worked. People letting out a spare room or whole house while they’re away etc. Not unprofessional at all.

Have you queried their lie about just the 2 guests but then their inclusion of a child without informing you, @IgglePiggleLovesUpsey ?

And are people really offended by a tissue so much as to call it ”rubbish lying around”?

Well they voided the contract by bringing extra a guest. What's your cancellation policy? I'd charge any nights they stayed plus canx policy . So say 1 night stay plus 2 nights canx policy and refund the remaining 8 nights.

If people want hotel standard, they should stay in a hotel. Refund the night she didn't stay. Had she told you she was bringing a child in, would you have refused the booking? She sounds like a CF.

I could overlook slippers in the bathroom and I'd simply throw away the tissue but I'd have said I wasn't happy immediately if I saw a light switch not attached properly to the wall.

I think the issue is that light switch. That should have been covered up in some way not left like that.
I think the screw and tissue are forgiveable but a bit annoying. The flip flops you should have explained when you showed her round
I'd offer a refund but less the night they stayed

I used to Airbnb in my own home with a clear disclaimer in the profile, but got so sick of stuff like this that I stopped. Guests coming in and using things, sometimes staying a night, then disappearing without any communication and demanding a refund. And Airbnb always refund customers.
Airbnb used to be a rent a room type thing, not any more. People see it as equivalent to a hotel.

Now you have posted a picture the light switch is obviously unsafe.

You've got exposed electrical cables there.

Yes they did stuff they shouldn't - 3 year old etc - but you do need to have a safe house to rent out.

I’d want a refund.

Not rude nor unnecessary, but quite accurate. OP, not the guest was the one being cheeky, trying to make money by renting out a building site.

Sorry, OP, but this was a mistake, and them leaving has potentially saved you from a ruinous liability issue.

I don't think that telling people not to go near something is appropriate or safe when you are renting out a property.

That light switch is a hazard.

If it's not an area that can be locked off, then it should be safe and ready for guests. If it's not then you shouldn't be renting it out.

It also sounds like you left mess around the place, which is just a bit unprofessional really.

I have to admit the Air Bnbs I’ve stayed in have always been spotless. The standards sound fine to me (although honestly I can see why the plug raised eyebrows at the very least) but they aren’t typical of most air bnbs now.

2 adults book a two bedroom property but you only gave them access to one bedroom? Regardless of the toddler they should have had access to the second bedroom. It’s very presumptuous to assume two adults want to share the same bed. The booking form doesn’t ask any questions about how many beds are needed does it? Even if you knew at the time of booking that the adults were ‘partners’ you don’t know their sleeping arrangements or relationship status.

Is it advertised as the full property or room within the house? Just noting you vacated it even though they only used one room.

I say this as an Air BnB owner who used to rent out my house when I lived there when I went away and so left all my stuff there although I tidied it away. I never got any complaints about my stuff being there but I priced accordingly and set expectations.

I think setting expectations is the most important thing. Also sounds like more should have been done to ensure clean up. They should have notified you they had a child on the booking though. I think they're not used to staying at Air bnbs but also I think like the others said it doesn't sound very professional to have guests in that environment.

@Lokielo it sounds like it was discussed in advance. That's why I asked the question to the OP if it was a one room or who property booking as makes a difference.

Totally depends on how you described it in the listing. I would have been very unhappy about the light switch though. I probably would have asked you to come and fix it though rather than leave.

I wouldn't choose to stay BUT also I wouldn't do a walk through and say it was fine. I would say sorry not ok. And leave.
Bot saying they had fuests or children is not acceptable. No refund should be given at all.
If you gave them the opportunity to cancel after walk through and they didn't cancel then tough luck to them. Awful guests. I would report them.

I do think they should have informed you about the child they were bringing but ultimately I think you have to refund them. Contained building work behind a screen/door might be acceptable to some people but a light switch not properly reattached to the wall in an accessible living area is another.

My parents rent a room on Air BnB and whenever there's been building work going on they mark it as unavailable on the site so that no one could book it until work has been done, I'm curious as to why you didn't consider doing this OP?

Another thing to think about is your insurance. I doubt it would cover you to rent out the place in the state it’s in