My Airbnb guest initiated an early cancellation after losing personal property loaned to him as a courtesy. He was promptly refunded and a confirmation email was sent to both parties showing checkout the next day at 10:00 AM. The guest didn’t leave; his belongings were still in place.

Numerous calls were placed to Airbnb requesting assistance. They responded by saying “it was out of their hands… do what you have to do to get him out”. The advice of the “Trust and Safety Team” was to call the police, who stated that they “don’t get involved in residential issues; place his items on the curb and change the locks.” A courtesy text was sent to the guest at 6:00 PM advising him of the above action. He was allowed in to pack his belongings. He then sat down and refused to leave. He offered no explanation as to his obstinacy, intentions or resolution.

Three hours later, after trying to be reasonable, advising him he was trespassing, I called Airbnb and the police for recourse, and started packing his items. Instead, he took out his phone to apparently try to stage an incident. Two other people were present during this time. He was prevented from approaching me, but an altercation ensued and damages to the property were incurred. 911 was called a few times but they “had other emergencies to attend to”. Close to midnight (almost 12 hours after the checkout time), he finally left.

Instead of Airbnb supporting me, within days they deactivated my account. All reservations were cancelled. Guests who had paid money to Airbnb months ago were left stranded, despite having great reviews along with phone calls in support from guests who were present advising Airbnb of the occurrence. Airbnb’s refusal to intervene and lack of protection placed me in a dangerous situation. Airbnb chose to penalize me. Not only did their guest use and lose personal property and refuse to leave, but also damaged my home. All requests for escalation and arbitration have been ignored.