You’ve heard horror stories about Airbnb nightmare situations, in which the host loses a lot of money or, worse, is banned from the network. Fortunately, if you take the appropriate steps and prepare yourself for an Airbnb nightmare scenario, you won’t have to worry about it.
Here are seven frequent Airbnb horror stories and how to avoid them.
1. You’ve Been Catfished!Â
The situation is as follows:
A single visitor books your home, and everything seems to be in order. However, the individual who checks in is not the same as who booked the stay, even though they claim to be the same. Their profile picture is simply a stock photo, as it turns out.
How to stay away from the Airbnb nightmare:
Accepting visitors who have no reviews at all should be avoided. If you have any doubts about a visitor or anything that appears strange, don’t be afraid to ask further questions or do a fast internet search for information on the person. The visitor might be catfishing you to keep you from learning about their criminal history.
Notify Airbnb as soon as possible about the profile and cancel the reservation before the person arrives.
2. drunk Guests
The situation is as follows:
Your visitors have arrived. They’ve had a little too much to drink and aren’t pleasant. You’re hesitant to let them stay on your land, and they’re beginning to raise a commotion. The scenario is becoming a nightmare for Airbnb guests.
How to stay away from the Airbnb nightmare:
If the individual is on your property and seems to be inebriated, call Airbnb immediately and request that the booking be canceled so that they may be removed from your home or sent to a hospital. If you suspect you are in danger or that drugs are being used against you, call the cops first.
Finally, make it clear in your listing what you will accept when it comes to the use of alcoholic beverages in your home rules.
3. The Century’s Storm
The situation is as follows:
Your visitors have barely arrived when the local emergency officials issue a tornado warning for your region. The hurricane blows across your neighborhood, ripping the roof off your house. Your visitors are unchanged, but their possessions and your property have been entirely wrecked.
How to stay away from the Airbnb nightmare:
It’s OK to cancel a reservation with your visitors if you know a storm is coming. If the storm has already impacted your visitors, contact Airbnb and your insurance carrier straight away for help. Let them know that, even if it means a negative rating, their safety comes first.
Airbnb will assist the visitors in finding alternate lodging, after which you may inspect the damage and file an insurance claim.
4. Tourists that are a pain
The situation is as follows:
It’s the busiest time of year, and you’ve managed to reserve your beachfront rental home for the full month. Unfortunately, the guests who had already paid for three of the four weeks chose to cancel the night before they were supposed to come.
How to stay away from the Airbnb nightmare:
To protect yourself against visitors who wish to cancel at the last minute, consider implementing a Strict Cancellation Policy. During the peak season, you should also restrict the number of days visitors may book your home so that a bad guest doesn’t wipe out your whole month’s revenue.
Finally, make sure your ad is posted on numerous short-term rental sites so that you have a higher chance of getting new visitors to book your home if one of your current guests cancels unexpectedly.
5. It’s time to have a good time.
The situation is as follows:
When your visitors inquire about booking your house for the weekend, they are interested in sleeping and reading books. Unfortunately, the true goal is to have a crazy party at your place, which is the start of another Airbnb nightmare.
Your cleaning service comes to discover your property in disarray after the guests depart on Sunday morning, without warning you, of course.
How to stay away from the Airbnb nightmare:
Keep an eye out for people who are just interested in staying for one night, particularly on weekends. Check your guests’ reviews to discover whether other hosts have experienced similar issues in the past.
Finally, if you’ve only committed to a particular number of visitors at a time, don’t allow more guests to remain at your house. Installing video surveillance on your property will also enable you to detect the arrival of partygoers, allowing you to contact the cops and shut down the event.
6. You’ve Been RobbedÂ
The situation is as follows:
Your visitors reserve a stay at your establishment, and everything seems to be in order. They don’t bother to ask you questions. After they’ve left, you’ll realize they’ve taken a lot more than you’ve given them. Some of your possessions, including valuable artwork and cash, have gone stolen.
Those guests have since left and are no longer responding to your Airbnb messages. Airbnb has not provided the cost of replacing the goods.
How to stay away from the Airbnb nightmare:
Leave no valuables on your premises. If you have valuable furniture or home décor that you want to keep in the house while visitors visit, be sure it’s all protected by insurance.
You should also submit a police complaint as soon as you detect that things have gone missing so that the problem may be investigated.
7. Infestation of the Mind
The situation is as follows:
You’ve just confirmed a new visitor, and you’re looking forward to their visit. Until they check out, everything seems to be expected.
Your visitors send you a note shortly after they check out, claiming that your property is plagued with bugs or vermin. The guests demand a complete refund and have threatened to report you to Airbnb if you do not comply.
However, your home isn’t contaminated, and the whole thing is a ruse.
How to stay away from the Airbnb nightmare:
Instruct your visitors to report any difficulties they may encounter as soon as they arrive. If the whole property is infested with roaches or mice, there’s no way the visitors will wait until they’re ready to go to inform you of the issue.
Ensure you fumigate your property regularly and get documentation from a pest control provider that the service was completed. A recent inspection may help you establish your case against the visitor.
It’s also a good idea to take photographs and videos of your property between visitors to establish your case if the guest attempts to produce “proof” to the contrary.
