Home » » Airbnb House Rules Violations (2024): What to Do If Your Guest Breaks Your Rules
An unfortunatetruth of inviting strangers into your home is that not all of them will be theoutstanding guests. When a guest violates the rules of an Airbnb, many hosts canbe left feeling misled and helpless. Fortunately, there are several avenues ofrecourse in case something like this does happen to you.
What Do You Do if You Have an Airbnb House Rules Violation?
- Ensure that your rules werecommunicated to the guest
- Have proof of rule breaking
- Contact the guest
- Contact Airbnb
- Leave a review
Follow alongbelow to find out what exactly you need to do after an Airbnb guest violatesyour house rules.
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Ensure ThatYour Rules Were Communicated To The Guest
Sadly,miscommunications are what most frequently result in rule violations. Somehosts do not make guests aware of all of their rules, or assume them to be“common sense”. While common sense might prevail in most situations, you’llhave a hard time proving that a rule was broken if it was never explicitlystated in the first place.
For thisreason, I always recommend having your rules clearly posted in several placesso that guests cannot miss them. First, theyshould be included in some way in your Airbnb listing. This way, guests lookingto have a wild New Year’s Eve party can know whether or not you (and yourneighbors!) are okay with loud noise all night.
Second, uponbooking, you should briefly communicate your rules to guests again. A simplesentence like “Please keep in mind that check in is at 11 and I do not permitextra guests. Please let me know if you have any other questions, and you canfind the rest of the rules on the closet door!” is a good way to cover yourbases.
Third, aphysical copy of the rules placed in your Airbnb is a must-have. Many hostshave a house manual that includes things like local attractions and their WiFipassword. This is also a great place to prominently display your rules andanswer some frequently asked questions that guests might have.
If you’re feeling stuck or wondering if you’re accidentally leaving out any important information, my house rule examples article will help you make sure that you’re covered!
Have Proof OfRule Breaking
Being able toprove to your guests and to Airbnb that a rule violation has occurred is thesingle most important part of this process. Withoutconcrete proof, usually in the form of pictures, there is basically no way tomake a successful claim against a guest or recover any costs incurred.
One part ofthe proof you’ll need is an acknowledgement from the guest that a rule has beenbroken. Sometimes this cannot be obtained, either due to a guest lying, notresponding, or claiming that they weren’t aware that a rule existed. In thiscase, even more of the burden of proof is on the host to prove that something did,in fact, happen.
Aftercontacting the guest (more on this below), make sure that you collect allpossible evidence of rule violations in your Airbnb. This most often includestaking pictures of the “scene of the crime”, as well as proving that your guestwas made aware of the rules to begin with.
A screenshotof your initial message to a guest informing them of rules is great to have,and so is having the rules laid out in your listing’s description. Not onlywill informing guests of your Airbnb’s rules up front give you proof in case ofa dispute, it will also prevent having the rules broken in the first place!
Check Out Our Other Articles on Rental Recon:
13 Reasons You’re Not Getting Any Bookings on Airbnb (2024)…And How To Fix It…
Contact TheGuest
Once you havethings handled on your end, it’s time to contact your guest. For the strongestresults, it is best to go through Airbnb’s messaging system. External modesof contact can be harder to verify in the event of a dispute.
As we’vediscussed, hopefully your initial message to them (before they even arrived atyour Airbnb) outlined at least some of your rules. If not, then the rules inyour listing description are your next best bet. If you have neither of these,then your physical copy will be all you can rely on for proof. Again, this cancomplicate things when it comes to verifying that the guest was aware that theywere breaking your rules in the first place!
Rental ReconTip: Always keepcommunication with guests professional, even when you might be (understandably)upset with them. If it comes down to having to submit a claim through Airbnb’sResolution Center, screenshots of your messages will be the bulk of the proofyou’ll be able to provide.
Don’t end up looking like the bad guy! For some tips on how to get started, check out our free and easy to use message templates for Airbnb hosts.
Your professional message should not be accusatory, insteadyou should assume that the guest was unaware that they broke a rule. Outlineyour policies and why you believe a violation has occurred, and give the guesta chance to explain themselves. Sometimes disputes can be moderated this way anddon’t require Airbnb to intervene.
Contact Airbnb
If you and your guest cannot reach an agreement on whether or not your house rules were broken, then it is time to involve Airbnb. To do this, you’ll need to make a claim through the Airbnb Resolution Center. Be sure to only do this if you have exhausted the options discussed above.
Again, the most important thing you’ll need in order to successfully make a claim on Airbnb is proof of your rules and that they were violated. For tips on how to craft the best manual possible, check out my Airbnb rules article.
When you file your claim with Airbnb, you’ll be asked toprovide any evidence you have. As we’ve mentioned, this should includemessage screenshots, pictures of your Airbnb, and also the receipts showing thecost of replacing, repairing, or cleaning anything in your rental as aresult of rule breaking.
Airbnb doesoffer up to $1 million USD in coverage for property damage caused by guests,but they will try to mediate between you and the guest before paying outthemselves. They will also attempt to negotiate the price you’re willing toaccept as a restitution, so be prepared to make your case and have a minimumnumber in mind. It helps if you’ve already set a cost in your Extra Feessection.
Leave A Review
After all issaid and done, don’t forget to leave a fair review for the guest. Keep inmind that you are limited to 14 days after the booking ended to leave a review,as are they! Sometimes disputes can last longer than that, so make sure thatyou get your two cents in before it’s too late!
If yourdispute began after you left a review, or if you have an update on thesituation that you’d like to share publicly, you can respond to a review. Thiswill display underneath the review itself and can be seen by everyone, but youcan only respond to reviews left on your profile.
If a guest leaves you a review that you feel to be unfairly negative, be sure to address it and the circ*mstances surrounding their stay! For more information on what can be done after a review has been left or after the 14 day period has expired, check out this article.
Related Questions:
My Airbnb Guest is Refusing to Pay Damages… Now What?
First andforemost, make sure you have documentation of everything. Thisincludes the guest and you acknowledging (usually in the form of Airbnbmessages) that damage has occurred. You’ll also need proof of the cost ofcleaning, replacement, repair, or whatever you had to do in order to fix whatthe guest did.
Your next step is to go to the Airbnb Resolution Center and file a claim. In order to have any chance of being successful, you will need to upload proof of all of the things discussed above. Then, Airbnb will attempt to mediate the dispute between you and the guest.
If this isunsuccessful, Airbnb will pay out to you. Their Host Guarantee provides freeprotection of up to $1 million USD in property damage per booking.
