guest checked in last night and left disgruntled this morning. Wants a refund.

[James1092]

Please give me your advice:  Gentlemen checked into a 9-day stay last night. This a.m. he sent a text saying he couldn't stay as there is mouse poop under the bed.  He said he left and made other arrangements and wants a refund. His payment was approximately $650 paid to us.  There is indeed mouse poop. I just checked. But easily cleaned up and not indicative of a mouse problem or odor. I work in that space, I see clients daily and we just had week-long guests who were very content. Plus he had two rooms and could have used the other while we cleaned the one.  I think he was unhappy with the the Airbnb concept of being in our house, his wife set it up, and perhaps found a hotel or something more to his liking.  In the mean time he prevented us from receiving Labor day holiday guests.  How would you handle this?  Thanks, Katherine and James

[Jill295]

“Indeed there was mouse poop” that means you didn’t clean before your guest arrived. Sorry, indeed he should be refunded for every night he didn’t stay. 

[Lisa723]

I agree with @Jill295. (Personally, I would refund 100%.) But do not cancel for him, or accept a request to cancel! Tell him you will refund him after he cancels. When you get the cancellation notice you will have an option to do that. (Don't send money by any other means.) Hopefully you can clean, trap if necessary, and re-book for the holiday weekend. If this guest contacts Airbnb they will almost certainly refund him 100% in any case. Better to be as apologetic and gracious as possible to mitigate the severity of what's undoubtedly going to be a bad review.

[Ginny30]

James,

I like your honesty in this post.  Finding mouse poop does mean there’s a mouse problem.  The guest did not prevent you from having a Labor Day holiday stay...the mouse did!  I would give a full refund and address the mouse problem before any new guests stay. 

Best of luck to you!

[Sarah977]

@James1092  If there was mouse poop under the bed, as others said, you didn't thoroughly clean the room. No excuse for that. And if you have mouse poop, of course you have a mouse problem. The guest does deserve a refund.

[James1092]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the feedback. Will follow your advice. 

[Jim-and-Marcia0]

@James0    Sorry this happened to you.   Let the guest cancel, let him get a refund, clean & disinfect thoroughly.  Even though you lost this booking because of the mouse, there's still a chance someone else is looking for a place, last minute, for the Labor Day hoiliday weekend.  I suggest you call Airbnb support and let them know your place is available for immediate rebooking. We had a guest cancel upon arrival (his friend had found lodging at another location), so Airbnb helped me make my place immediately available in case someone was looking for a place that night. Airbnb support told me they sometimes are trying to relocate a guest and appreciate knowing places that become immediately available for a same day booking.

[Sandra126]

The problem is that the next guest will also want a refund, labour day or not. Rustling in the night... Buy traps galore, take the opportunity now that the place is vacant and trap the hell out of the place. Peanut butter, chocolate, yummy almond biscuits, whatever works for you. A trap every metre. Skirting boards. Under the bed. In kitchen. In bathroom.  Get that mouse/mice! Check where they get in and stop any future ones. Guests will always be able to cancel if there is evidence of mice. Don't poison, it takes too long. Snap snap snap. Hopefully it will all be over in one night. Then clean and re-check. Make breadbins available etc and covered rubbishbins and hope the guests use them.