Tag Archives: host story

CANCELED TO AVOID PSYCHO RENTER – AIRBNB TAKES $100!

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We accepted a booking from a young college student. Our rates are based upon number of occupants. Upon restating our occupancy rules in our acceptance email, the renter became rude. She wanted to know if we had cameras in the rooms or how else would we verify occupancy? She then stated in her next email that we were rude and had bad customer service skills. Well, that did it for me. If she was going to be that rude, pushy and obnoxious there was no way I would let someone like that into one of my properties. I sent her an email stating that we were not comfortable renting to her now and that she needed to cancel her reservation. She went ballistic after that. Airbnb penalizes the renter if they want to cancel and they penalize the owners $100 if they want to cancel. So, you see, no one wants to cancel their reservation. Even after I told her that I would refund her entire amount the lady refused to cancel. I told airbnb the situation and told them I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE GUEST they charged me $100 and said it was my fault for wanting to cancel!!! Airbnb has you by the balls. They control the money. They control the payouts. They control the security deposit. They control the contact information. You have all of the risk and they make all of the money. What a scam!!!! I never go thru this with VRBO because I am in control.

DO NOT BECOME AN AIRBNB HOST!!! $1500 in damage and NO help!

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Hosts beware!!! I had over $1500 in damage done by guests, all documented via photos and witnesses, and I even submitted professional estimates to repair walls, replace damaged dressers, sheets, mattresses, pillows, rugs, and carpet cleaning (guest took red lipstick and used it on my off white carpet all over the entire house!).  I advised airbnb at the VERY beginning of this guest abuse (verbal) that my house was being destroyed while they were here, it started slow and they went crazy with it when they departed (I was at work at that time).   I was never given the option to evict them without penalties.  I did EVERYTHING airbnb asked of me from submitting the request to “guests” which was refused immediately by them along with NO denial that they did it, continued on with the representative who then told me I had to speak to a different team at airbnb (this was now my FOURTH “pass off”).  The new airbnb individual said they needed documentation.  I provided it and asked if he could access or if I needed to start from the beginning (I had A LOT of evidence so this was weeks worth of work), I also requested a number to call. The representative, Jake, said they have no number to contact them, that they would only offer “fair market value ” (items are new and only 4 months old), and asked for additional/actual proof of original costs of the destroyed items.   I searched emails and the web to find this after I told Jake I didn’t have this information readily accessible/available. No response. I email again 6 days later with everything ready and ask him if what I have is what airbnb needs, no response. Airbnb appears to have closed the claim…… Wow, just wow.

This is a huge hit for my family. I continue to receive no response or resolution from Airbnb on this. I am sad this happened, hurt because I adored hosting people (before this guest), and financial burdened during holiday with a young child who will not get the gift she deserves because I’m left on my own to clean up the mess and have been abandoned by airbnb. I could have put an ad on Craigslist and had a better result and fewer fees.