intoxicated guest

[Mani6]

Hi,

we are seeking some advice, we have a guest who arrived two days ago, he arrived quite drunk, he is also drunk today, although he stays in the room most of time, we are concerned about his level of intoxication impacting on our other guests in our family home property.

At this stage he has not caused any safety concerns as such, however it does make us uncomfortable and his personal hygiene is also a concern.

not sure what to do about this or if we should ask him to leave?

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Mani6 - This is a customer service issue for you and this guest.  You should have a conversation with him and see if he needs assistance in some way. Let him know you are concerned about his well-being.  Once you know the cause of his drunkeness, you can address some of that by requesting he not drink in your home or to bother the other guests (which it sounds like he's being polite and relatively quiet).  Being drunk is not necessarily illegal - not sure of all the rules in AU.  Also, being smelly is not illegal.  You can certainlypolitely ask him to clean up and launder his things as this is an issue for you. 

Please be aware, that not all "drunkeness" is actually because people have been drinking.  People who have had strokes, brain tumors, MS, or other medical issues present themselves as being drunk.  Any of those might cause a guest to forgo showering if their footing is not sound.  Travel and stressful events can exacerbate the symptoms.  We host guests frequently in some level of treatment for brain tumors locally here at the hospital.  We've seen plenty of "drunks" who were not intoxicated at all.  

Please tread lightly and with empathy.  If there is an issue you cannot resolve with a brief, private conversation with the guest, you need to contact Airbnb before you do anything else.  If the guest gets irrate, you may need to call the police for your safety.  

Good luck. 

[Huma0]

@Alice-and-Jeff0that's useful information. I would not have known or thought about those medical conditions if I had experienced similar issues with a guest.

However, if the guest smells strongly of alcohol, could one not assume that they are intoxicated?

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Huma0 - you most definitely can "smell" like alcohol without ever drinking. Someone being treated for cancer or has a weakened immune system can develop candidiasis which smells of alcohol. It is commonly known that a side effect of diabetes can be the smell of alcohol.  Heavy use of rubbing alcohol, like if you have to clean a wound or have frequent intraveneous injections, may make you assume drinking (especially if it ends up on clothing that is not frequently washed).  Also, people with mouth diseases, like chronic halitosis, gingivitis, or periodontitis, may use mouthwashes that smell of alcohol.  The only way to really know is to ask or actually observe the person drinking.  

[Huma0]

Thanks @Alice-and-Jeff0. I did not know that. I haven't had to deal with a similar guest situation yet, but it's good to know for the future.

[Paul154]

@Mani6  

Relax and get perspective. Breathe.

You are doing the correct thing seeking advice - it is a complex and intimate issue.

Just as is your right to have a safe comfortable home.

Is he dangerous? or it just uncomfortable? (I don't mean to minimize the stress, just put into perspective.)

Is he long-term or short-term?

Whatever you choose, do not let money or Airbnb policy dictate your decision. Also do not worry about the effect upon your guest. Drunks have a long history and experience with their condition.  Getting kicked out will not surprise them.

That said, Airbnb may help you come to a decision.

Your question reminded me when I had a long-term tenant on contract, before Airbnb. Every week, the recycle bin was full of empty bottles. As he was on contract, I could not kick him out.

In my city, alcoholism is not a just cause reason to evict,  so I grinned a bared it.  But after I heard him howling on the patio, I knew I would do anything to get rid of him. And I did.

[David126]

Interesting

I have only come across the usual situation.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

This is a topic not often explored here on the Forum.  Funny thing is, most people have hangups about drinking and "drunks".  The reality is, everyone is different and using empathy and common sense go farther than assumption and judgement. 

Being a wine collector, I've met some big drinkers in my day, some I would even classify as alcoholics. But in reality, you'd be hard-pressed to know it unless you really knew them. They were not the dance-on-the-table, get-into-trouble, get-themselves-kicked-out-of-anywhere type of people.... meaning to say, they are high-functioning and responsible. They go to work, order cars home, hold their tongue when around the boss - even drinking like a responsible, "respectable adult",  but if an average person went drink for drink with them - they would be in serious trouble.  Point being, not all who overconsume need to be monitored like they are the kind of person who will piss on the rug.  Additionally, we can't assume that every person who "appears" to be drunk is actually, indeed, drunk.  

[David126]

@Alice-and-Jeff0

I have certainly noticed that the US has a very different attitude. I initially thought it was a land full of recovering alcholics and teetotallers.

Having a beer at lunchtime seems an anathema, I have a few stories...

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@David126 - I've have more than one glass of wine out of an opaque coffee cup at lunch on a workday just under the off-chance someone else from the office may arrive and see me "drinking" and get in trouble.