We often hear Airbnb horror stories, but most are from the guest’s point of view. However, we don’t often talk about how it can be challenging for the host as well. I mean, we all know the world has plenty of weirdos. Imagine trusting them with your property. Urgh, sounds scary, doesn’t it?
With nightmare guests like that, people must really regret being hosts. From stealing to turning the place into an absolute mess, they can run into all kinds of problems. But an online community lets hosts share stories about what unhinged guests are capable of. Check out the wildest ones below!
#1
Guests abandoned dog, I want to keep him, they want him back
I manage listings for a family member and one of them is a really low budget place that attracts a lot of low quality people. The latest guests exemplified that by abandoning their dog.
When I arrived, he was in the garage barking. I also noticed he damaged the casing on the entry door from clawing at it so much. They didn’t even leave him a bowl of water or food.
My first thought was they were keeping him in there to keep the place clean or something, forgot about him and left. I messaged immediately saying their dog is still here, left in the garage. I received a response of “We know we already left and will not be coming back”.
That kind of floored me, and I responded “Am I to assume then you’ve abandoned your dog here?”
No response.
Fine by me. I really hit it off with the little guy. Golden retriever. Probably somewhere between 2 and 4 years old. Very loving and friendly with people. We were basically best friends within 20 minutes. My old dog passed away a few years back. I brought him straight home and busted out his old bowls and got him some wet/dry mix. He sleeps in my bed, we go on daily walks at a nature trail, the dog park, meeting all my friends/family.
I thought I had a new dog. It wasn’t reported to Airbnb (didn’t want some weird policy that I have to do something like call animal control)
Tonight (almost 3 weeks later), we get a message saying “Hello we want our dog back. Where was he taken??”
My heart sank, because I don’t want to give these P’OS their dog back to neglect and probably abandon again when they decide having a dog isn’t convenient anymore. I really wanted to lay into them, and had this been a more informal arrangement I would. But, I’m not in a position to do that.
I’m not sure the best way of going about this. I really hate lying to people, but this is a situation I feel like I might sacrifice my morals for the best interest of my little buddy Henry (They named him “Blaze”, the poor thing wasn’t even named right).
I’d like to say something along the lines of “As you abandoned your dog on our property and did not respond to our last message, we were forced to call another party to remove the animal. We do not know where the animal is.”. If they ask who, I’ll just say “We called an individual who works with various animal rescues. If you’d like their number let me know.”. If they say yes, I’ll give them a Burner number for my own phone and then tell them the dog was adopted to a family in Maine (all the way on the other corner of the country).
Thoughts?
Image source: ConundrumBum, Matthew Henry (not the actual photo)
#2
Guest mistook my house for the Airbnb, complained it was very messy and cleaned my house.
A few years ago I got a message from a guest saying that the house was very messy and that she had cleaned it up. I thought this was odd because my cleaner generally does a very good job. Anyway I apologised and offered to refund the cleaning fee.
After a couple of hours she messaged me and said please don’t worry and the she made a mistake…
I get home from work and find my house absolutely spotless, my house is 15 and the airbnb is 15a. I left the door unlocked and she mistook my house for the airbnb and cleaned my house…
Image source: Big_Possibility5156, stockking (not the actual photo)
#3
Kicked Out a Group of Crybaby “Heat Stroke Victims” Full Refund, Full Regret
Had a group of three grown women check into my Airbnb in San Antonio this past Thursday. They somehow managed to put the thermostat into Eco Mode “Away,” which basically shuts the AC off, and then were shocked to return to a house that was 88 degrees in the middle of July in Texas. Shocking, I know.
They immediately freak out and claim the AC is “broken.” I drive over to check it out, and of course, the thermostat is in Eco Mode. I switch it back to normal and explain very clearly that it will start cooling now and just needs a little time. That’s when the meltdown starts.
I’m not exaggerating full on crying. Not from a child, not from someone with actual heat exhaustion. From three adult women who claimed they were going to get heat stroke unless the house hit 65 degrees in five minutes. I asked if they understood how AC works. They told me yes, because when they go to a hotel it cools in 10 minutes. Right. Because a 200square foot hotel room and a 1,800 square foot 3 bed 3 bath home are totally the same thing.
I told them the house was cooling, they just needed to be patient. But they doubled down on the drama, saying if it wasn’t freezing cold in minutes they were leaving. At that point I realized I wasn’t dealing with normal guests just manipulative, entitled people who were either clueless or fishing for a reason to cancel.
So I told them to pack up and go. I gave them a full refund just to get them out. I’m not about to let people like that stay in my property, especially when they’re already acting like victims because they don’t know how a thermostat works.
Honestly, this just confirms everything I’ve been thinking. Selling off my Airbnbs was the right move. Hosting is great until you run into people like this who think crying will change how HVAC systems function.
Image source: meow4mekitty, NEOSiAM (not the actual photo)
Founded in 2007, Airbnb has become a major player in the online travel market. The pandemic had a huge impact on the travel industry. But research shows Airbnb was one of the hardest-hit platforms, with new bookings down 85%. In the post-COVID years, it began to regain momentum.
In fact, by 2022 it surpassed 2019 figures in booking volume and usage. Airbnb’s gross booking volume reached $92.6 billion in 2025. It had 9 million listings, run by 6 million hosts. Today, it is active in over 200 countries and 81,000 cities. Over half a billion guests have stayed in an Airbnb home, earning hosts $65 billion.
#4
3 guests stuck at my cabins
I had 3 of my 5 cabins occupied a few weeks ago all checking out Monday morning. To get to the cabins you drive across a dam past my little lake. Sunday night a TERRIBLE storm rolled in that took out trees all over the grounds. I got up early Monday and started chainsawing trees in the pouring rain so the guests would be able to check leave.
I finished around 8:00 am and got a call from one of the guests saying they couldn’t get out, not because of the trees but because of the flood. Flood?
I drove back to the cabins and sure enough there was over a foot of water overflowing over the dam and flowing HARD. 2 of the guests and I all have big trucks so I slowly picked through the water to make sure it was safe then they both left. Guest 3 had a lowered Toyota Corolla. I ended up pulling a truck off my trailer, loading their car on there and driving them out.
It was a wild and exhausting morning but the guests were thrilled they were able to leave with only a slight delay and I got my 5 stars.
Image source: PARKOUR_ZOMBlE, Engin Akyurt (not the actual photo)
#5
Person who showed up in my airbnb is a 15 year old kid who doesn’t speak much English.
He is attending a 3 week pre-college program at a nearby university. The person who booked the unit (months ago) now admits she lied – she said she was taking a course at the university and would be staying alone. She claims she is the kid’s cousin but I doubt this. The kid referred to her as a “counselor” and she is an educational consultant according to her airbnb and linkedin profiles. The pre-college program has a residential option that costs 12K. Without housing/food/supervision, the program is 6K.
What I think happened is that the kid’s family (who presumably speak even less English than he does) paid this educational consultant to put their son in this program, and she decided to put him in our airbnb rather than pay for housing/food/supervision through the university so she could make more money. Now I’m trying to figure out what to do. I think I will notify his university program, which specifically prohibits minors living unsupervised like this. I will make sure he gets some dinner tonight. I will report the person who did this to airbnb.
Image source: pangolindsey, Jesús Rodríguez (not the actual photo)
#6
Lawyer guest threatened to sue us
Had this lawyer from Oregon stay at my place. After checkout, he called saying he forgot his AirPods. Usually I help guests ship stuff back for free, just charge shipping costs.
Soon as I said this, he started cursing me out, accusing us of stealing his airpods and threatening to sue. I was like, I was just about to send it. And honestly who the hell steals airpods?
Told him if that was his attitude, we’d follow the rules and charge a handling fee. He agreed.
When it came time to pay, he refused and started threatening to sue us again.
I looked it up online – lawyers using their license to threaten regular people was misuse of professional privilege. I wonder if I should file a complaint with the State Bar or something
Updates:
His sister just called us and apologized and actually paid the handling fee. And I was collecting evidence and actually found him asking us about policy for lost items but I have an auto reply on (I have pre-set some FAQ auto replies) so I just missed it among multiple messages. And my auto reply actually told him about the policy already. He knew the policy.
I am still going for a complaint to the State Bar even if it doesn’t go anywhere. This is just not right.
Image source: Vegetable-Run6714, ready made (not the actual photo)
Speaking of the hosts, dealing with nightmare guests is probably one of their biggest cons. But they are not the only ones troubled by it. As short-term rentals slowly take over residential areas, issues are inevitable.
Homeowners are really unhappy with how some Airbnb guests turn their spaces into party zones. Especially with hostile guests, people feel unsafe near their own homes. I mean, their concerns are valid because nobody can predict what a guest will be like.
#7
Guests won’t leave
We are new to hosting on Airbnb, and we were hoping for some advice.
We make it clear in our listing that no pets are allowed. We confirm that rule with guests in writing before booking so that there are no misunderstandings.
We gave the guest the code to the lockbox as we always do, but when the guests showed up, they had a dog with them. We sent our cleaning lady over to talk to them, and they denied having a dog. They even told her to search the property. We messaged the guest and said it’s not necessary to search since the dog is clearly visible on the security camera for the front driveway.
We contacted Airbnb, who told us the guest was in the wrong and that we would be supported. That ended up being a complete lie. They asked us what we wanted, and by that time (5:30 pm) the guests had burned up all of our good will, so we asked that the guests simply leave immediately with a full refund. We were told that Airbnb was helping them find pet friendly accommodations that were readily available and extremely close.
An hour later, at 6:30 pm, Airbnb contacted us and told us that the guests couldn’t leave because the parents (50 year olds) and kids (7-10 years old) had all gone to sleep. That ended up being one of many ridiculous lies.
To add insult to injury, the Airbnb “supervisor” accidentally messaged us a message she intended for the guests that encouraged them to keep asking us if they could stay.
Airbnb then encouraged us to submit a claim in the Resolution Center for a fee that the guests must pay for the dog. Of course the guests just ignored that as well.
The guests ended up ignoring our communications and they refuse to leave. They have spent the night even though we agreed to a full refund if they left immediately. The police won’t do anything, and Airbnb is actively working to keep the guests there.
Any thoughts?
Image source: Fred-Jenkins, Tima Miroshnichenko (not the actual photo)
#8
Guests who checked in today are disappointed because they can’t bake a cake
So, I point out that we have a hand blender with a whisk attachment. there are several 9×13 casserole dishes she can bake the cake in. The oven is brand new and pretty good. And there are two grocery stores within 10 minute walking distance (not to count bunch of mom and pop convenience stores in between). So she can indeed bake a cake if she wants.
She’s disappointed because I do not stock, flour and sugar and butter and cream for my guests.
Just had to share. Guests are getting crazier and crazier….
Image source: EntildaDesigns, ROMAN ODINTSOV (not the actual photo)
#9
Guests asked to use mailbox. I told them the mailbox is not available for guest use and now they are angry.
I have a guest that is booked for two weeks and on their second day they asked me where the key for the mailbox was because they wanted to have some items delivered. I told them the mailbox is not available for guest use, and suggested they use “General Delivery” where the packages will be delivered to the local Post Office for pickup instead. I was nice about it, but they came back angry and messaging how it’s ridiculous they can’t use the mailbox and how it’s going to inconvenience them.
My reason for not allowing them to use the mailbox is because I was talking to a friend who is also a host, and use of the mailbox was part of how she had problems with squatters. Her guests had some bills delivered to the address and then claimed to live there, and she couldn’t get them out for 3 months (finally the squatters parents came and removed them).
Am I being unreasonable in not allowing use of the mailbox and suggesting they use the post-office instead?
Image source: NebulousNitrate, Ekaterina Belinskaya (not the actual photo)
In 2025, Anytime Estimate surveyed 1,000 Americans, including 33% who have stayed in an Airbnb and 24% who have or had one in their community. The survey asked about their views on Airbnbs and other short-term rentals, their potential impact on neighborhoods, and more.
It showed that just 40% think Airbnbs make good neighbors, and only 30% believe Airbnb guests care about the neighborhood’s well-being. Also, roughly 40% believe a neighbor converting their home into an Airbnb would decrease residents’ quality of life, more than 4x the number who say it would improve it (9%).
#10
It finally happened. First time I had to cancel someone’s reservation and kick them out
As it happens with all Airbnb horror stories, it started with a last minute booking. It was for the next day. We chatted a bit, she seemed like a nice young woman. She said she and her husband were on a road trip and were stopping here for a few days. They had their dog with them. I approved the booking.
Today, she checks in and corners my cleaning person who was in the building an other apartment asks her 3 sets of extra towels and 3 sets of sheets. She’s staying in a one bedroom apartment maximum occupancy 3.
My cleaner nevertheless takes her the extra sheets and the towels and when the guests open the door 4 dogs jump the cleaner. Not one, FOUR dogs plus 3 extra guests.
Cleaner called me, I checked the doorbell camera, sure enough five people and 4 dogs strolled into a one bedroom city apartment.
Called Airbnb and then messaged the guest. I told Airbnb to cancel the reservation. I told the guest that she had to leave with her FOUR dogs and 3 extra guests. I would be there in 15 minutes.
Her response, I told you we had a dog, didn’t know extra dogs would be a problem. Also, didn’t realize she couldn’t bring 3 extra guests. This woman has 27 5* reviews. How is this possible?
I told Airbnb, I didn’t their money, I just wanted them out and if they vacated the property in the next 10 minutes, I would give them refund. They were gone by the time I got there, but I was ready to call whoever I need to get those people out of there. My brother thinks I’m insane to go there to confront five guests, but I was seeing red at that point.
Image source: EntildaDesigns, Alena Darmel (not the actual photo)
#11
Time travelers
I just hosted two time travelers. These people arrived around 8pm last night and left at 730am this morning. They left the apartment with a week’s worth of wear and tear as well as four tall kitchen trash bags worth of trash plus two empty boxes. Surprisingly, no booze whatsoever.
My guess is that they somehow manipulated the time space continuum to squeeze five or six days into less than twelve Earth hours. I’d love to ask them how they accomplished this.
Image source: MonicaPVD, Curated Lifestyle (not the actual photo)
#12
Guests Used 11,000 Gallons of Water in 15 Days… Bill was over $200
Me and my wife lived in this townhome for 5 years, and our monthly water consumption was usually 2,000 gallons but never over 3,000 gallons which was always under $40 in that time. Over the last year with Airbnb guests that is pretty much what we have continued to see, with the exception of one month where it got up 7,000 gallons last December. Today we got a bill for a record breaking 11,000 gallons and I just don’t even know how someone could possibly use that much water. What is truly amazing is the fact that August was our largest vacant month in the last year with only 50% occupancy.
So here is some math. We only had guests for 15 days in August and they used a record breaking 11,000 gallons. Our shower heads are rated at 2 gallons per minute. 11,000 gallons is enough water to take a 6.1 hour shower every day for those 15 days. Just pure insanity.
I doubt there is much that can be done about these one off months, and its just the cost of doing business, so this is more of a rant. We also had guests set the heater to 80F for their entire stay when it was 90F outside… and another guest that had heat set to kick on at 70F and ac set to kick on at 72F.
Image source: ImpossibleZero, Thilina Alagiyawanna (not the actual photo)
Then there’s also the housing market issue in residential areas with Airbnbs. Terrible guests can make things pretty chaotic for residents. The survey showed that almost half of respondents (46%) believe short-term rentals will harm their neighborhood’s housing market in the next five to 10 years.
Also, 44% said they would be concerned, and 29% said they would be annoyed if they learned their neighbor was operating an Airbnb. Moreover, about half (49%) think residential areas should ban short-term rentals outright. Well, many governments have already started implementing this ban in a few cities.
#13
Flagged for discrimination because someone thinks our Norwegian flag is a confederate flag. Sigh
The whole theme for the cabin is Norway. It’s referred to as a hytte (what you call a cabin in Norway). We have the flag on the porch and under every pic it says Norwegian flag. Got a message at 4am that we were being investigated for discrimination. I tried to call twice but the operator didn’t understand what a confederate flag was either time. I wasn’t put through to anyone doing the actual investigation. I tried to reply to the email but the message feed was closed. Started a new thread so we’ll see if that helps. My concern is just that the person doing the review won’t know the difference. Sigh. Just venting. In case you’re wondering, we are of Norwegian descent, have family there, have been to their hytte, that was the inspiration. We’ve had this theme for 2 years.
ETA- STILL under review. As of yesterday they are “still investigating” and as of this morning they are still “reviewing the host’s response.”
Final update: It’s official, we did not violate the discrimination policy. Case closed. I mean, duh. I hope they reach out to whomever filed the complaint and tell them they’re an idiot.
Image source: Van1sthand, Marek Piwnicki (not the actual photo)
#14
Cleaner allowed unauthorized stay between bookings
Our cleaner was letting her nephew stay at our place between bookings. Not sure how long this was going on, but he sure was surprised when I showed up. He didn’t stick to the story and I kicked him out. Should have called the cops. Glad I didn’t get physical even though I wanted to deep down. Cleaner obviously had the schedule and was exploiting that. It’s a good idea to go check on your place unannounced and stay when the cleaner doesn’t know you’re the next guest. Needless to say, cleaner was fired and all locks/codes changed. Security cameras going up asap, obviously can’t have them up for booked guests.
Image source: Oldlucky303, Antonius Ferret (not the actual photo)
#15
I’m sure I will be downvoted to the basement for this BUT
many of you need to get a grip. I am both an owner of multiple properties and a frequent guest. I am so confused by all of the hosts out here who take such an antagonistic view of guests and/or expect them to earn the right to pay you for a night’s stay. Too many hosts treat PAYING guests as if they are doing them a favor by renting them accommodation. These are not friends crashing in your guest room. Like it or not, you are in the hospitality business, be hospitable.
After 4 years hosting, I recently got my first bad review for an issue that really was a bad guest experience. The guest got a refund, new accomodatoin, and left a bad review. I didn’t like the Airbnb policy that allowed both a refund and bad review. After some thought though, I was ultimately happy that the guest had a satisfactory experience renting on the platform. Hopefully they will use it again and another host won’t be punished for my management company’s mistake.
Our competition is hotels. So, yeah, if a guest treats your property as they would a hotel, that is wholly appropriate. If they are egregiously filthy or damaging, fine, issue a complaint or request for renumeration. I see too many hosts on here who expect their properties to be treated with absolute kid gloves. Charging to replace stained towels? Are you kidding? Bleach them and keep extras. It’s part of the cost of doing business. Are you not writing off your expenses?
If you spend any time on travel forums you know that Airbnb sentiment is bad and getting worse. The #1 complaint is the huge list of checkout chores when we also charge a cleaning fee (far in excess of what they perceive they pay at a hotel).
My point is that hosts should either treat this as a business or get out. The more you demand of guests, the more people will go back to hotels. That hurts everyone who is trying to make a go of this hospitality business.
If you didn’t enjoy my Ted Talk, go ahead, down vote away. When Airbnb loses its paying client base and all of our utilization rates go to hell, just understand that we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Image source: Comprehensive_Link67, Vitaly Gariev (not the actual photo)
The truth is that we can never really know people. But an Airbnb host shares that hosts can look for red flags before accepting reservations. While this doesn’t solve the issue completely, it might help them avoid some difficult situations. For starters, hosts need to be suspicious of incomplete profiles.
If a guest’s profile lacks a photo, verified ID, reviews, or other details, ask a few questions before accepting the booking. Hosts should also watch for vague booking requests. When guests dodge basic questions, they often reveal a lot about themselves.
#16
Mother books for 18-year-old daughter and friends, the mother gets mad at the host for her daughter drinking.
I had a mother book a reservation “celebrating her daughter’s 18th birthday”. All of Mother’s messages indicated that she would be staying with her daughter as they were in town for a concert with one other person. No big deal.
Three guests show up, and they all look 18. They brought alcohol and started smoking right away. I called the number on file, but there was no answer. I go to the unit’s front door and ask to speak to (guest’s name). The young daughter says that it is her. I asked to see an ID and that she looked very young to have an 18-year-old daughter. I told her it was better not to lie. She admitted she wasn’t the guest and was underage. I asked if someone who was not drinking could drive them home. They said they had someone.
I messaged the mother in the app, telling her what happened and that some were using alcohol. I also told her that they told me one was not drinking and could drive them. Her first message was that she was shocked by their behavior. The next morning, she messaged me saying how terrible I was for kicking them out and that if they were drinking, I was somehow responsible.
Lady, you’re the one who booked. You’re supposed to be at the listing; you’re supposed to be responsible for your guests and your now adult daughter. You’re the one who booked knowing the rules and sent her the information on how to get in. You’re the one who raised her to act that way. What did you want me to do? Call the cops? I called you first.
Edit: For the few people who think that I was in the wrong, here is some clarification. I knew from the mother who booked, that someone under the age of 21 was coming. From my doorbell camera, I observed three young individuals enter my property with what looked like alcohol. They all appeared to be about the same age. As the mother has said that her daughter is 18, I assumed they were all around that age. If you are a host and not watching when guests first come, you are asking for trouble. While trying to figure out what was going on, someone came out to smoke, holding a drink. We don’t allow smoking on the property. So I called the mother who booked, but there was no answer. So I was confident she was not there. At that point, I could have done nothing, and it could have turned into a party with more underage individuals showing up and drinking, or I could have kicked them out before anything really started. When I confronted them, I asked if they had someone who had not been drinking. If they didn’t have someone, we would have figured something out. It was so early on they had just started drinking, but individuals under 21 can’t have any alcohol in their system if they drive. I called Airbnb right after. When they were leaving, nobody was visibly intoxicated, stumbling etc. The individual was 18, so they were their own legal guardian.
Also, when Airbnb was looking for proof that it was a third-party booking, these geniuses signed the guest book with their real names (not the person who booked) and said, “18th Birthday Party”.
Image source: SliceWild, katemangostar (not the actual photo)
#17
If you charge a cleaning fee, do not tell the guest to clean?
I got the 100$ coupon for superhost, so I decided to go to an airbnb for a couple days with my wife. I’m looking at these check out instructions and these seem insane to me? Am I too relaxed or are other people too far gone? There are 100$ dollar cleaning fees, where they expect you to wipe down all the hair out of the bathroom? Then start the sheets in the laundry? I can’t comprehend this, I get taking the trash out so it doesn’t smell, or not leaving a huge mess everywhere, but is this normal? What is the average check out procedure here? I’ve never looked at other people’s listings, this is just wild to me.
Image source: Couldntbeme8, Towfiqu barbhuiya (not the actual photo)
#18
Airbnb canceled long term booking because the maid entered as planned.
My listing is serviced – maid comes every Friday at 8am. It’s in the house tiles and I wrote it in a message to a longer term Guest J when she checked in. When maid arrived 5 nights after checkin, knocked then used her key to enter, just exactly like they do at a hotel. Guest J freaked out and messaged me. I reminded her that the maid – who has worked for me for over a decade and is over 60 and a smiley round grandmother – comes every Friday per the listing and per my message to her at checkin. She went quiet and then reported a safety concerns to Airbnb that she was “violated in her privacy.” The let her leave and refunded the rest of the month (about 25 nights).
Now I’m fighting with Airbnb support and I am so frustrated. Canned, AI lack-o-logic responses and cases being closed with no resolution. They say now I have to get each guest’s active acceptance of the maid. They have to say in writing it’s ok she comes.
Anyone else have this issue? Anyone not lose this battle – for the refund or for there weird maid agreement requirements?
Image source: PiePotential8144, Liliana Drew (not the actual photo)
Hosts should also scrutinize requests that violate house rules. Guests who try to push boundaries before reserving are showing a toxic pattern. And this pattern might continue after they stay on the property.
Last-minute local bookings should also raise suspicions. Sometimes, they can indicate party intentions. Hosts can ask about it, gauge their reactions, and decide whether to accept the guests.
#19
Just had a great review that said “Best. Checkout. Instructions. Ever!!!
Our check out instructions are:
1. Go outside, take a deep breath and look at the beauty of nature.
2. Remember this moment.
3. Head out.
We got this. You paid a cleaning fee.
Image source: power-cube, Micah Eleazar (not the actual photo)
#20
Guest showed up with 22 people, Airbnb doesn’t want to enforce $50/per person per night fee
I had a guest book for 2 nights for 4 guests. She showed up with 22 people and had a party (music, speaker, balloons, very loud, violated quiet hours, unauthorized parking, alcohol pouches and balloons scattered over the property inside and out, all of which I caught on my exterior cameras and sent to Airbnb).
The party ended after 1am and now Airbnb does not want to give me the $50 per person per night fee that I charge for any guest over 7 which is my max. In total the guest should have paid $750 extra (22 people total, 7 max, which means 15 people were unauthorized and a $750 fee. I define “overnight” as anything past midnight). I reported the guest the night of and when she found out I reported her she sent me very nasty messages, cursing at me in the chat, and even threatened me saying “I hope I don’t have to show you how low I can get”. Airbnb says they “reprimanded” the guest, but she is apparently still on Airbnb and I’m really at a loss as to what I should do.
Has anyone else experienced this and how was it resolved? Airbnb is only willing to give me what the guest wants to pay, which is $150. I’m extremely annoyed and am not sure what to do, and Airbnb support, as you all already know, is awful.
EDIT AND UPDATE: Guest has been removed from Airbnb. Still waiting to see what I can get from Airbnb. If I get the $750 fine, if not I have learned my lesson and will call the cops/shut the party down and cancel the reservation immediately.
EDIT AND UPDATE #2: Airbnb gave me the $750! Thank you all for your help and the negative nellies for the entertainment.
Image source: JaguarMedical3137, Matheus Bertelli (not the actual photo)
#21
Guest with PTSD claims she was trapped in my house and wants full refund
I had a guest check out two days ago. She spent one night and the only message from her during her stay was a question about parking. Today I received a message from Airbnb stating that the guest was trapped in the house and is requesting a full refund because of her trauma. When I wrote to the guest, she said that her sister was forced to knock the bedroom door down because she was trapped inside and her PTSD was triggered and why should she have to pay for this trauma. When I asked her why she never mentioned it during her stay, she said that I was harassing her and she knew that this is what she was up against, and the reason that she didn’t contact me before. I actually called the police and attempted to file a report for making false allegations but I have no recourse there. She left a review which I have not yet seen – I know it will be ugly and the Airbnb representative said that it is. I asked her to remove it as there is no damage to the door and clearly this guest has a mental disorder which has nothing to do with me beyond my control. Airbnb is claiming that they are not able to remove her review because it’s subjective to her experience. There is nothing wrong with the door. Any input appreciated!
UPDATE: I finally left a review for the guest and warned other hosts not to let her book. Her review was then revealed and it was very nasty, as I thought it would be, with her accusing me of harassing her and complaining about the driveway, even though I gave her a permit for street parking, and making false claims that the bathroom and linens smelled, and of course, that I caused her to have PTSD. I immediately called Airbnb, and the representative told me that because she mentioned the cost of what she paid for the visit, which is a violation ( who knew?), they were able to remove the review. I’m so relieved about that but because she gave me all 1’s, that part still factors in and my rating dropped so dramatically that I’ll probably lose my Super Host status for this round. At least I don’t have to see her horrible lies among my great reviews! Thanks to all of you for the support and encouragement.
Image source: Present-Range-5200, MART PRODUCTION (not the actual photo)
Hometime is a professional Airbnb management company. It offers helpful tips on dealing with difficult guests. It starts by warning hosts to stay professional when problems arise, no matter how frustrated they are. Here are the important tips:
- Implement guest screening to weed out any potential bad guests.
- Set clear Airbnb house rules with guidelines and instructions for using your facilities.
- Use automated messages to ensure you send reminders.
- Record all communication with guests, in case you need to dispute false damage claims or have falsified reviews removed.
#22
Oh my God. VRBO booked five stays on my incomplete, hidden listing. One showed up tonight.
I am having a full blown meltdown tonight. I can’t even believe what happened.
Was out at an arcade with the wife and kids. Had just ordered pizza. Unknown number called me five times. I ignored it because it was out of state, not my current guest, and it was too noisy to talk. Then get a text. “We just arrived and need the door code”.
I was completely lost. Our AirBnB guest has been there for two days. Next one isn’t til Thursday. Ask them their name. Search my emails. VRBO booked them and I missed the email.
I have never had an active VRBO listing
I had started the listing months ago. I never completed it. Had uploaded some photos and few other fields, but decided to stick with just AirBnB for now. When I log in, even tonight, the property says “incomplete” under it. It shows it’s also hidden. Nobody should have ever been able to see it, much less book it. I never even downloaded the app because it was an abandoned project in my mind. I wasn’t looking for VRBO emails because again, I had an incomplete, hidden property.
When I logged in, my stomach sank. They booked five stays. One was last week? I never heard anything from that person as best I know. VRBO never reached out or canceled it either. So I don’t even know what happened with those people.
The other three future stays all conflict with stays already confirmed on AirBnB.
I texted back the person tonight apologizing. I told them my VRBO listing is not supposed to be active, I have tenants in there, and asked them to please not bother them. I told them I would immediately cancel the reservation so they are refunded and did. They were extremely unhappy.
I have no idea if they bothered my current AirBnB guest or if they were even home. I’ve been waiting for an upset AirBnB message or call for hours. Thankfully nothing yet, so maybe I avoided absolute catastrophe.
My next thing is probably reaching out to my bank to make sure VRBO has an ACH block so they don’t start drafting cancelation fees for all the stays that should never have existed.
I am beyond words right now.
Image source: strikecat18, Startup Stock Photos (not the actual photo)
#23
Guest WiFi Complaints after sharing access
So, had a family of four (mom, dad, two late teen kids) check in for five days. On day two they complained that they could not stream movies. I check my internet account to check for and see that they have 32 devices attached (in addition to my 2 Rokus and Ring doorbell) including 14 phones, 10 laptops, two Apple TVs, a couple gaming consoles and the rest “unidentified”.
I ask how many people are in the unit and they say four. I ask about all the devices and they decline any knowledge, saying only a phone and laptop each, one AppleTV and one gaming console. I suggest that I will disable all devices and add theirs back one by one, to remove and block the “pirate” devices. They then fess up that they shared the Wi-Fi with the two families next door (they were traveling together) since our Wi-Fi was so much better than the one provided by the AirBnB next door.
I explained that the system couldn’t handle that much streaming all at once ( this was after dinner, everyone back at the condo looking for entertainment). No biggie, but always amazed that a guest thinks a complaint and request for discount are in order when they create the problem.
Does anyone have Wi-Fi that supports 7-8 people all gaming or streaming content at the same time?
Image source: WildWonder6430, Anastasia Shuraeva (not the actual photo)
#24
Well, that’s a new one. Guest moved all her personal possessions into our Airbnb for a week.
This one blindsided me. Girl messages me a couple weeks ago. “I live in the neighborhood and my home is having work done for a week. I’d like a place to relax”. She had 22 five-star reviews. Seemed like an easy stay.
Today was checkout day (11am). She messaged me a 10:15 saying she overslept and asked if she could stay until 2. I let her know we have a 4pm check-in, but that I could accommodate 1pm if that worked for her. She said absolutely and thanked me.
I drive up to the home at 1:20pm. There’s a car backed into the driveway. Uh oh. Then I look at the front porch.
It’s *PACKED* full of boxes, laundry, furniture, etc. I realize she’s loading up her Prius and making trips with all this stuff. I park down the street and watch her run 3 more car fulls of stuff before she’s done.
I’d estimate there was enough stuff there to have filled a small u-haul. Especially if she’d been doing this since messaging me in the morning.
The inside of the home was even stranger. She didn’t use the master bedroom- she slept in the smallest guest bedroom and left everything else untouched. Home was spotless except for packing debris *everywhere* on the floors.
I mean… I guess you’re allowed to bring as much stuff with for your stay as you like? If she’d timed moving it all better, I wouldn’t have even known. But I am so confused.
Image source: strikecat18, Ketut Subiyanto (not the actual photo)
Well, being a host is definitely a challenge. In fact, research shows that participating in Airbnb both enhances and diminishes hosts’ material, relational, and subjective well-being.
Moreover, Tracey, founder of The Sustainable Host, mentions that apart from burnout, hosts also experience anxiety. “The uncertainties of guest preferences, fluctuating income, and the need for constant availability can fuel anxiety, leading to incessant worry about potential negative reviews, guest issues, or the stability of one’s income,” she adds.
#25
Guest freaking out over mail
I have an extremely needy guest staying for 13 days. He has been there for 3 so far, and every day has been something. Today he messaged me asking why there was no mailbox, as he had mail being delivered. I asked him if he was having packages delivered and he said mail from fedex and usps.
Called him to clarify further and he said that he forwarded all his mail to the Airbnb for his stay. I told him I’m not sure how that was going to work as all the mail is forwarded to the owners out of state for security purposes. He asked me “how am I supposed to pay my bills? I need that mail!” Then he asked if we have a maintenance person and how easy it would be for him to come put in a mailbox for his stay. Also said “you NEVER have people stay more than a week or 2 who need mail?” To which I replied no, we’ve never had this issue come up once before in over 100 stays.
Kinda baffled by this and confused how to handle it further. I told him I would call the post office tomorrow and attempt to figure this out but also feel like this isn’t my issue to handle? But also trying to avoid a bad review as there have been other issues already with him. Who forwards their mail to a short term vacation rental ffs.
Image source: Chickenyeah17, Arti Kh (not the actual photo)
#26
Guests Brought a bed bug today and took a video and expected to get a free stay.
Funny situation today. So a guest brings a bed bug throws it on the bed and takes a video and sends it to me. I said “I’m going to give you a free refund no questions asked”. But you have to leave by 11am normal check out time.
He asked me if if I could help help them find another place, I said “NO”. I Said I believe in Excellent customer service “BUT MY RESPONSIBILITY ENDS ONCE I REFUND YOU”.
But guess what…I called the BOOKER, and the BOOKER Said “NONE OF HIS OTHER FRIENDS WANTED TO LEAVE”… All of his other 12 friends were enjoying the house and didn’t want to leave.
The BOOKER admitted that it was “suspicious” as to the bed bug and they couldn’t find any other evidence of bed bugs. Except that one bed bug.
The little scam didn’t work. I guess he thought I’d give him a refund and he’d get to stay for free.
Love it!!! STAY VIGILANT!!!!
Image source: LongDongSilverDude, wd toro🇲🇨 (not the actual photo)
#27
Guests passed away (natural causes) in our home. Refund?
Ugh. So sad. Our guest passed away in our rental two days into a 12 day stay. They were staying while their home was being repaired and the entire fee for the stay was being covered by their homeowners insurance. They also booked a month with us post labor day. The guest passed and now the insurance company wants a full refund for both stays. We have a firm cancellation policy.
I want to do what’s right here, but also want to make sure we’re not overcompensating due to the nature of the situation. We are in a remote area that is highly seasonal. We likely wont even be able to rebook even a few days to try to recoop since its the end of summer. Insurance company reached out twice already today on Airbnb, even went as far as trying to modify the guests stay and wants a full refund for the month they booked coming up with a partial refund for the current stay plus all extenuating booking fees. Also will mention the agent booked the stay under their personal account for the insurance recipient. Im thinking to just have them contact airbnb customer service to have them handle it since there are extenuating circumstances.
Thoughts?
Image source: NWsea, Alex Green (not the actual photo)
Tracey advises hosts to prioritize self-care, set work-life boundaries, and seek help if things get too challenging. Dealing with weird guests can definitely take a toll on the hosts. This list is proof of what they have to go through.
Anyway, dear pandas, which one of these was too creepy or annoying for you to handle? Let us know about them in the comments!
#28
Guest showed up at 10:30am and got upset because her code didn’t work
Just venting.
I had a guest checking in today. Our check in time is 3pm. She reached out and asked if she can check in early.
The cleaners were scheduled to be there early in the morning, the previous guest checked out yesterday. I told her sure, we could accommodate her. I told her she could check in at 12pm and adjusted her codes accordingly. Thank god, they were there at 6am and were finished by 9am (it’s a 1 bedroom).
She called me from the door at 10:29am and she was very upset that her code didn’t work. I reminded her our conversation and that she was approved for 12pm check and that’s when the code would be active. She started complaining about how cold it was and she didn’t want to wait on the porch for another 90 minutes. She was making a lot of noise and yelling at the ring camera. I have tenants on the first floor. I didn’t want her to wake the nurse who works night the shift, the poor thing, I finally told her just to hold on and I opened the door for her.
I’m just mad at myself for caving in to her bad behavior. But also, Gold help me, she’s staying for an entire week. She was so lovely in the messages!
Edit: Obviously I will leave the appropriate review and make sure other hosts know she showed up at 10:30am and Karen’ed her way in.
Image source: EntildaDesigns, Roberto Hund (not the actual photo)
#29
Guest refusing to leave
We booked a guest very last minute this morning – she said she missed her flight and needed somewhere to sleep in the day and would leave at 7pm for her flight. The booking was based on that.
She booked for one person but has had 3 male visitors having said she’ll just be sleeping. The first one she was obviously ‘having relations with’ and on viewing the doorbell camera it is obvious they had never met before.
Then she had a second one round who we kicked out. She now has another guy staying in there. We asked them to leave and they are refusing – also quite obviously doing substances (laughing gas) in the room.
She’s said she will leave at 9pm but I doubt that’s going to happen. My fiancée and I agreed to give them one more chance at 9pm but then we’re calling the police.
We’re in the UK so any advice on whether calling the police would help or not would be much appreciated!
Image source: No_Alps2706, Mikhail Nilov (not the actual photo)
#30
Guests are beginning to wear on me.
We had 7 people stay for two days. First notice I get from them. “We saw a mouse, not off yo a great start.” I was surprised because we just had an exterminator in. But I comped them first night, meaning we will get 40 dollars from the two day stay.
Next day, he tells me a bulb is blinking. I mean, it’s a 4 story Victorian. Sometimes bulbs blow out. He sent me like 9 dms about it.
As he left today, he dm’s “not to add insult to injury, but there were ants on top flooring my SIL’s bed and they bit her.” I know for sure this is a lie. He’s hoping I’ll make the trip free for him. I’m so done though, just want him to leave.
We had pest control come after they left. Report said “no sign of any recent rodent activity. No signs of ants.”
So, I think guy lied and why are people like that? I changed my stay minimum to 3 nights. I actually want less people. Lol.
Image source: Finnssmile, Denitsa Kireva (not the actual photo)
#31
Guest had a party and trashed my place. How harsh can I be in my review?
I just started as a host and my second guest ever threw a party and left an absolute mess. Thankfully I was able to catch it before things got completely out of hand and the guest was evicted the same night she checked in. The guest completely lied about why she was interested in my property, and I’m not even certain that the person I communicated with in the app is the person who showed up at the property.
When I showed up with police the entire front of the house was under a thick fog of weed smoke and even the police were shocked at how overwhelming the smell was. It took my cleaners an extra day to get the smell out of the furniture and hallways. On top of all of that the guest lost the key fob that opens the gate to the property.
Airbnb Support is still investigating the incident and I have videos and pictures to document everything. Airbnb sent the payout this morning and I now have the opportunity to rate the guest. Are there any negative implications to going scorched earth on this person? I wouldn’t wish her on any other host.
Image source: ds_1906
#32
Some guests are just….special.
So checkout at my place is so simple. Literally toss your keys on a red tray (with a large label on it that says ‘please leave your keys here’ and go. No cleaning, no trash to takeout….just go. It has worked well for me for years.
Recently I had a guest who was relatively young and had several reviews but was unable to use the app. Lots of oddities during his stay, but his last note was ‘had to leave, keys at the pizza place’. Wouldn’t answer a call or give any more info. I live in an area with at least ten pizza joints that are within a few blocks. I had to actually walk into several places, asking random people at counters if a stranger had by chance left keys. And by golly someone had them…he apparently walked in and just handed them to the counter person and walked out without saying anything.
I felt so bad I bought a pizza.
The kicker…this place was not all that close and was not on the way to the train or any other destination I would have imagined.
Image source: Competitive_Oil5227
#33
Medically diagnosed chemical sensitivity (Oy vey)
Saturday night, ten pm. My reservation for Sunday cancels; the guest sends a nice note apologizing for the last minute cancellation. As I’m reading it I get a notification that the space has already rebooked.
Ok, cool. I’m happy to double dip income:-)
Incoming guest is from Ohio and sends a wall of text. It’s obvious she cut and pasted it in…paragraph after paragraph about her medically diagnosed sensitivity to fragrances. Wants a full list of all cleaning products used, if there are air fresheners, tells me that she travels with her own bedding and towels.
My brain goes ‘oh, no’ but whatever. I don’t like scented products personally and it’s a pretty short list of cleaning things we use. Murphys oil soap is about the strongest smelling thing. I tell her that I don’t have any control over the mopping of the lobby floor and the janitor seems to love Fabuloso for everything building related. Tell her that the bath products are all from public goods.
I get back another list of clarifications from her, she asks that all bath products get removed. Inquires when the floors were mopped with Murphys, tells me how wrong I am for using it. Wants details on bed pillows.
Asks if she can check in at 9 am the following day. I tell her no, the current guests will likely still be sleeping at that time and cleaning starts around 11….check in starts at 4pm.
This morning at 11:30 my cleaning crew calls me, asking if it’s ok for them to show a lady at the space the cleaning bucket. Yes, the guest is already there and followed them in. My cleaning crew is super professional…I tell her to do whatever she thinks is appropriate.
2 pm cleaning crew lets me know all is tidy. They did not mop, per the guests request. They put the towels and bedding on the shelf instead of making the bed, removed the bath products. Apparently the lady has been sitting in the garden for 2.5 hours.
I message the guest that all is ready for her.
About 5 minutes later I get a notification from the Amazon fire stick thing that the ‘fox news’ app has been added to the tv.
It’s going to be a long three days.
Image source: Competitive_Oil5227
#34
Superhost in London for almost 10 years, thousands of guests — can we talk about American guests and the A/C thing
Been hosting in London since 2016. Multiple properties, thousands of check-ins, Superhost status the whole way through. I’ve hosted people from pretty much every country you can name, and Americans make up the biggest chunk of my bookings by far.
They’re also, hands down, the group I get the most grief from. And I say that as someone who’s had lovely American guests too — but the pattern is undeniable, and the entitlement from the difficult ones is on another level.
Case in point: it’s summer. It’s hot. It’s hot every summer, this is not breaking news. Roughly 10% of UK homes have air conditioning. TEN percent. It is simply not a thing here — our housing stock was built to keep heat in, not out. Some of my properties have A/C. The ones that don’t have high-powered fans provided, and the listing says exactly that.
Every single summer, without fail, I get American guests checking into a clearly-listed no-A/C flat and then messaging me like I’ve personally wronged them. “There’s no air conditioning??” Correct. It’s in the listing. It’s in the amenities section. It’s in the house guide. Guests from Spain, Japan, Germany, Australia — they read the listing, they crack a window, they get on with their holiday.
If climate control is a dealbreaker for you, that’s completely fine — book a hotel, or filter for A/C on the app, it takes four seconds. But don’t book a Victorian terrace in Zone 2, ignore the listing, and then come at me like I’ve hidden the A/C in the loft out of spite.
Rant over. Any other UK/EU hosts dealing with this every July?
Image source: No_Store7368
#35
The nerve of some guests
In December we had a guest stay at one of our homes. Turned out they were a construction crew traveling with a dog (none of that is an issue as we are pet friendly). During their stay, everything was prefectly fine, never heard from the guest which we prefer.
After they checked out however is where things started to go downhill. The cleaner informed us that they left the house trashed, and that they allowed the dog to use the basement as it’s bathroom and there were pet messes left everywhere.
Ultimately, since we charge a pet fee, we did not file a claim. However, we did leave an honest review with a 3 star indicating both the human and pet messes that were left.
This is where the entitlement of this guest becomes shockingly apparent. Yesterday, over a month after they checked out, they messaged us asking us to remove our review. Their reasoning… because now hosts won’t approve their inquiries on other properties! NO, I won’t be removing the review! This is the entire reason why there are reviews in the first place. Had I known how poorly they would treat our property, we wouldn’t have approved their reservation either! THE NERVE!
Image source: MuddWilliams
#36
Hosts, spend the night at your Airbnb
Unexpectedly, I spent the night at my Airbnb and it was an invaluable lesson.
I noticed the squeaky bed, draws that don’t open and close properly and a list of other things guests had not flagged up yet.
I would encourage all hosts to spend the night at their own listing as this could flag issues, highlight things your Airbnb could benefit from and prevent the 4 star review.
Image source: Own-Income487
#37
Are toys provided considered free for the taking?
Hosting for almost 4 years. This year alone, I have noticed after a stay that includes a child, I’m noticeably lighter on toys, books, coloring books etc.
From one mom who messaged me to let me know she took them because her daughter loved them, (thought it was her Christian duty to inform me, but wasn’t Christian enough to send them back), to the parents who simply pay no attention to what’s going on and gather up things which happen to include all 4 provided coloring books and several smaller toys, it just feels like this could get old long term. I loathe the notes for every single thing but Lordy. Do I need to specify that if everyone just went ahead and took home their favorite toys, there won’t be any for anyone as I’m not sure I’m cool constantly resupplying?
I get that I can find them “fairly cheaply” (relative term) from yard sales etc, but I tend to try and put out specific things that will clean well and appeal to all genders and ages. Not as simple as it sounds. Thanks in advance for the input!
Image source: TheChubbyHaflinger
#38
Guests redecorated cabin.
We rent out a small rustic cabin. Very rustic, but it is equipped with anything a chef would need. Has power, indoor plumbing and wifi. It was built in the sixties on a limited budget back then. The site has specific pictures of the entire two bedroom cabin so people aren’t surprised when they don’t find a modern building.
It has old barn plank floors, very well aged wooden walls, etc. The exterior was completely renovated including a brand new roof, siding, heat pump, decks, insulation, etc. a couple of years ago.
These guests came in, raved about how wonderful the place was, sent messages about how cosy and serene. The visit went well, they were here for almost two weeks. When I went into clean they had taken all the pictures off the walls and moved them around, changed the furniture configuration, taken all of the pots and pans and dishes and rearranged the kitchen, and switched curtains from one room to another. It took me hours to change everything back. There were some old maps of the area that were on the walls which just disappeared. They also threw out a doormat, and small rugs. They asked me how I liked their surprise. When I told them I wasn’t pleased and some of the items were missing and we wanted them back, they were incensed. I said the place was small and everything was were it was for a reason. Example, why did they move the kitchen table and chairs in front of the door leading to the deck? Why did they move long curtains to small windows and vice versa? Their answer was fengshui.
Image source: My_Name_Is_Amos
#39
Guest shocked that we don’t provide a free Netflix account
We have a guest who sent us a picture of our Samsung smart TV (which includes sound bar and subwoofer) and the screen was showing the Netflix login page. She said surprisingly: oh, there’s no streaming service provided? I politely informed her that we provide smart TVs, which include all of the streaming services, including free channels, but that guests would need to login to their own personal accounts for things like Netflix Hulu subscriptions etc.
Every Airbnb or modern hotel I’ve ever stayed at had the same set up, where the guests would need to login. I wanted to ask the community here, should we be providing a house account for the property? Do any other hosts pay for a Netflix subscription for guests to use?
Image source: zoom1208
#40
Guest covers ring doorbell
I had a guest that booked for 42 nights. As soon as he got there he wanted to access the garage. The garage is not part of the listing. It is not listed under amenities. And it states there is free parking on premises. (Which is the drive way). He then broke into my basement, which also is not part of the rental. He said the door was unlocked which I do not believe. He then started complaining about the ring door bell was facing inside. He said that I needed to have someone move the doorbell. I told him the ring did not point inside only the porch and sidewalk. He proceeded to cover the ring door bell. I contacted airbnb safety team and advised them that he would need to leave if he didn’t remove the covering. They asked him to leave and now are refunding him all his money except $65. Does not even cover the cleaning fee. How do I appeal this?
Image source: Lmf0624
#41
Had my first ‘why do you even have cameras’ moment today…
Guest: messages at 2am Hey just letting you know we’re only 2 people staying not 4
Me: Outdoor cameras show 4 people entered at checkin
Guest: oh those are just friends visiting
Me: At 2am? With suitcases?
Guest: leaves me on read
Been hosting for years and this is why I’ll never remove my outdoor cameras. The audacity of some people thinking we won’t notice extra guests
Anyone else catch guests trying to pull this? Still debating if I should charge them the extra guest fees or just leave a review about dishonesty.
Image source: samdaz712
#42
Guest is filing a police report
I had a guest yesterday night. Left a 5 star review. She messages this evening and says her two Nintendo switches must have been left behind. When I cleaned there was no such thing. She says the only time they were left out of their hands was when they went for dinner.
The Airbnb is above the garage in my home. I was home all evening. Nobody took anything, no cars arrived etc. I’d hear someone if they went up there. I don’t know if she’s implying I took it.
She then says she looking her jewelry box and several gold items are missing and her husbands watch. She says she is filing a police report as it must have happened while she’s out for dinner.
Is this a scam? There is genuinely no way anyone took anything. We’re way out in the country on a long driveway. You’d see and hear someone. And nothing from our house is taken. What do I do?
Image source: Main-Ad-9348
#43
Review Removed!
I had a guest book for 7 and actually have 10 guests. My limit is 8. I messaged him in the app asking him to update the reservation… twice. Crickets. So I sent the alteration request myself, which included additional cost for the extra guests. He declined. He said the place has 9 beds and he thought it was big enough for 10. I involved Airbnb. As a courtesy, I gave him the option of staying and paying. If that wasn’t agreeable, they had to leave. An hour and a half of him arguing the house is big enough, and he finally agrees to pay. In his message to me, he says he’ll pay, but is leaving me a “trash a*s review”.
His bad review shows up today. I screenshot what he said and Airbnb’s policy on retaliatory review for enforcing rules. My first request to remove it was declined. I used the words “I feel”. Don’t do that! My second request was approved; I didn’t use those words again.
Just a tip and giving y’all hope that reviews CAN be removed with this new system.
Image source: tuckersmom78
#44
Guests being ridiculous.
Current guests (4 adults, 4 night stay) want me to supply 4 bath towels per person per day. That is 64 towels used over the course of a 4 night stay! They tell me they each shower twice a day and want to use 2 clean bath towels after each shower. I usually just supply 2 large bath towels per guest for the entire stay if just 4 nights. They spring this on me right after check-in.
This is a one bedroom cabin that does not have a washer-dryer due to septic (this is clearly stated in the listing). All linens are laundered professionally, offsite, by a linen service, and I absorb the normal cost. I don’t even have 64 bath towels and the linen service has a 3 day turn-around, so not even possible if I did have 64 towels. I offered to supply 16 towels (double the normal amount), but they were unhappy with this and demanded more.
The four of them are paying $160 a night (so $40 each per night plus taxes/fee). Cleaning fee is $125. Rates are average for this location, so not particularly low or high. This is a nice place but it is not the Ritz Carlton with an endless supply of linens. It’s a small cabin in the Colorado Rockies. I’ve told them I can drop off an additional 8 towels, but that is the best I an do. Preparing for a poor review, but oh well.
Is it just me, or are guests becoming more and more demanding with ridiculous requests / demands/ expectations?
Image source: kristainco
#45
Guest accidentally stole beach towels
…and replaced them at their cost!
This sub tends to amplify the bad hosting experiences so I wanted to share a positive one as a newer host who still hasn’t become jaded.
We had three older but still nice beach towels available to use. During cleaning, they were nowhere to be found. Contacted the guest, who realized someone in their group had taken them on an outing to a remote location and forgotten them there. We said not to worry about it, since they were great guests otherwise. The beach towels were a near-zero-cost extra amenity anyway. (And not in our listing photos!) But the guest ordered a set of four nice, large beach towels, delivered to the property. We thanked them enthusiastically, of course.
I want to believe most guests would have the integrity to take responsibility for things like this. It may be naive, but for now I’m holding onto innocence!
Image source: Lobster70
#46
How would you handle guests (2 adults) that used 1.5 entire tubs of your laundry detergent for a 2 night stay, then just filled one of them with about 2 inches of water and left it?
I mean, it’s there to use but they finished a half tub of detergent, opened a fully unused one, completely finished it, then filled it with a little water and left it. That is like $25 in detergent for 2 nights. I know they did insane amounts of laundry because the dryer lint tray was overflowing. Just strange. Not sure if I just let it slide, charge them, and/or mention it in my review for other hosts. They also took/used every single paper product in the house and pantry, but willing to let that slide I guess. Weird guests man.
[Edit] update:
I didn’t take any action other than just leaving an honest and direct review, both positive and negative. I’ll let other hosts make their decision based on the facts I conveyed. Consider this topic thoroughly discussed. Thank you all that provided your input. I don’t need the 500th comment telling me to just leave out a few tide pods next time. I get it. All good.
Image source: Gazillionaire
#47
“We cannot possibly stay here”
Message from our guest today:
“We arrived to the property – looked inside and unfortunately it is significantly below our expectations. Very dated, ceilings are extremely low… we cannot possibly stay here for 10 days.
So we left for a hotel and not going to stay with you.
We would like to request a full refund”
We have 151 reviews and a 4.97 rating. After 7 years on the platform, this is our first complaint about the ceilings (which are 7 ft tall, though they do slope down in several places. Our listing very clearly states our house was built in 1928 and is cozy. I have since updated it with square footage and details on the sloping which is only in several random areas). We had a brand new tile shower put in in April 2026. The floors were completely redone in November 2025. All new painting was done September 2025. The kitchen has high end appliances; everything is small as it is a small cottage, as noted in the listing.
If only people could communicate without being so rude. This is my home. We put a lot of love into our space. Hard not to take it personally.
Image source: curiousinquery
#48
Please just buy a multi-pack of consumable items!
I’m a host and also a frequent AirBnb traveller. A pet peeve is places which list a dishwasher and washing machine, but DON’T provide the detergent or pods required to actually use these.
If I’m paying hundreds of dollars a night to stay in a house, the absolute least a host can do is spent a few cents on detergent. Just buy a multi-pack, please!
Image source: Advanced_Blueberry45
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