How do I handle unruly or disruptive guests?

Vetting Airbnb guests before accepting a booking can help to prevent potential issues down the line. When you receive a booking request, check the guest’s profile and read reviews left by other hosts. If they have a history of disruptive behaviour, you may choose not to host them. You can also ask them to confirm that they have read your house rules before accepting their booking. Note that you won’t be able to pre-screen guests if you have the ‘Instant Book’ feature enabled.

If an Airbnb guest has become disruptive or is causing a problem, it’s important to be diplomatic and assertive. Address the issue as soon as possible, expressing your concerns in a polite, professional tone. Remind your guest of the house rules and the importance of respect for both the property and the surrounding neighbourhood. Finally, clearly outline your expectations going forward. Alternatively, look into Airbnb management companies, who can liaise with guests on your behalf.

You should contact Airbnb’s 24/7 support team if an issue arises that you can’t resolve through direct communication with your guest. For example:

A serious breach of house rules

Intimidating or threatening behaviour

Noise violations or complaints

Property damage

Refusing to vacate the property

You can also contact Airbnb if you identify a problem before the guest arrives, e.g. if you learn that they are planning to throw a party. In some cases, you may be able to cancel their booking without facing a penalty.

If you receive a noise complaint, contact your guest immediately to remind them of the house rules. If the noise continues, it may be necessary to involve Airbnb or contact local authorities.

Noise violations should be addressed as soon as possible, as continual breaches of Airbnb’s Community Disturbance Policy may lead to your listing being removed. Building a good relationship with your neighbours can help, as they may be more likely to contact you before escalating their complaint.

Airbnb hosts can end a guest’s stay early if they are causing a serious disturbance or breaking house rules. Contact the guest directly to ask them to leave, and promptly inform Airbnb Support of the situation.

For short-term lets (under 6 months), you can legally enter the property and change the locks once their stay has ended. However, you must not use violence or physical force to evict guests. Don’t hesitate to contact the police for assistance.

You should contact local authorities if a guest becomes threatening or aggressive, engages in illegal activities, or you are concerned about someone’s safety. You can also involve the police if a guest refuses to leave your property after their stay.

Call 999 if there is a serious crime in progress, or there is a risk of violence, injury or serious property damage. If it’s not an emergency, call 101 for advice.

If a guest damages your property, you are entitled to reimbursement through Airbnb’s damage protection scheme (AirCover for Hosts). This covers you for:

Damage to your home, furnishings, valuables or parked vehicles caused by guests or their visitors.

The cost of unexpected or extra cleaning required due to a guest’s behaviour.

Any income you have lost from having to cancel bookings due to damage caused by a guest.

You should gather evidence of the damage, such as photographs and quotes from repair companies. Visit Airbnb’s Resolution Centre within 14 days after the guest checks out to file a claim.

You can report a bad guest by contacting Airbnb’s support team through the website or app and explaining what happened. Depending on the circumstances, they may choose to take action against the guest, such as suspending them from the platform. After their stay, you may also leave an honest review detailing your experience with the guest. This can help to warn other hosts of their behaviour.

To prevent problematic guests from booking again, go to your inbox and navigate to your conversation with them. Select the three dots at the top of the screen or next to one of their messages. Click ‘Report’ and select ‘They’re being offensive’, and you will be given an option to block the guest. They will then no longer be able to send you messages or make reservations.

Alternatively, if you do not have ‘Instant Book’ enabled, you can simply decline any future booking requests from the guest in question.

If you wish to avoid the hassle of dealing with problematic guests, enlist the services of an Airbnb property management company. They will use their professional experience to take care of all aspects of guest communication, booking management and issue resolution for you. They can also handle the process of vetting potential guests, resolving disputes with Airbnb and making compensation claims. Contact Stayful today to learn more about our Airbnb management service.