How to Deal With a Creepy Airbnb Guest

More often than not, hosts and guests are complete strangers. There is only so much you can find out about a guest prior to their arrival. Hosts can look at all the reviews and any information online from a simple Google or social media search, but at the end of the day, no one really knows what to expect. With this in mind, there is nothing worse than a creepy guest. Some hosts don’t give it a second thought, while others would rather know who they’re hosting and want to feel completely comfortable beforehand. 

Safety is Airbnb’s highest priority so if you feel uncomfortable at any point either before, during, or after the guest stay, notify Airbnb Support right away.  Unfortunately, a member of our Facebook Group encountered some unwanted attention from a guest. According to the host, her guest was checking out her appearance, making inappropriate comments, and encroaching on the host’s personal space. This prompted a discussion from fellow hosts about what she should do, so let’s take a look at some suggestions that were made to avoid being put in this position, and what to do when faced with a similar situation. 

Suggestions

A few users said that it is time to end the reservation. Prior to the guest invading her personal space and becoming quite “hands-on,” she could have contacted Airbnb and ended the reservation. If a guest is making sexual advances or is an unwanted intruder in your personal space, notify Airbnb Support and have them removed. If you stop it at the source right away, it will prevent any unsolicited incidents later on. Your safety is most important in situations such as this.

How do you avoid this situation?

It is hard to know what to expect from a guest. As most of the Airbnb community are strangers to one another, it is hard to tell the good from the bad. Some tell-tale signs come from reviews and your messaging interaction. If the guest has little to no reviews and is quite rude, creepy, and/or aggressive during your pre-booking communications, it would be wise to immediately decline their booking. However if they have a decent number of reviews and are sincere and respectful, all the more reason to accept the request.

Some rather wise advice from our ever-engaged hosts is to not list your home if you are by yourself. If you are alone in your house with a stranger, and especially if you are female, you are susceptible to creepy guests and unwanted attention. This advice does make sense and while the majority of guests are respectful and polite, there is always a chance that a future guest will be problematic. As a result, the hosts suggested for her and anyone renting out their home when they are by themselves to consider switching to listing their full home in order to avoid these unpleasant situations.

What should you do? 

There is no situation that is more uncomfortable than a creepy guest. Whether they are being weird or aggressive over messaging during their stay, it is important to deal with it right away. If you feel like there is potential for unwanted attention, it is better to be safe than sorry. Of course, it is easier to deal with this situation prior to the guest’s arrival; if there is a message that makes you feel uncomfortable, simply flag it by clicking on the flag icon. Airbnb will then review the thread and act accordingly. Airbnb takes host safety seriously.

On the other hand, if the guest becomes creepy or puts you in an awkward position during their stay, it may be wise to let them know how you feel. If once you have spoken to the guest, they continue to make you uncomfortable, contact Airbnb Support to discuss further options. If the situation is very bad and you require urgent assistance, contact your local police or other government authority. 

Whatever the case may be, screening guests is one of the most effective ways you can protect your safety and the safety of others. If you come across a guest who is making you feel uncomfortable, let them know right away because it may be that they are unaware. If they continue, contact the appropriate authorities to assist you.