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It is the morning of check-out at 11:00 AM. Then you get a message from your guest saying, “We are loving our stay and want to stay longer, but we forgot to book another night.” You try calling and texting, but they are not responding. You have got new guests arriving later that day. So you are in a tough spot. You even offered to refund the last night if they left on time by 11:00 AM, but they still won’t budge.
What do you do next? Today we will talk about the solutions.
First, you need to try to find out the reasons why your guests do not want to leave. We only mentioned a possible scenario, but with your guests, this can be different. Then communicate with them to solve. When these are not working we have further solutions for you. Let’s talk.
Identify Why your Guest Refuses to Leave
There can be several reasons why your Airbnb guests do not want to leave. Not every time the reasons have to be impractical. Some may have medical issues or sudden changes in their travel. Here we are discussing some issues that we have faced with our Airbnb guests, and you might fall in the same situations:
- Unexpected changes in travel plans due to flight issues.
- There may be confusion or miscommunication about the check-out time.
- The guest is enjoying the trip and does not want it to end.
- Sudden health or family emergencies that may need an extended stay.
- The guest is having trouble finding alternative accommodation due to last-minute booking issues.
- The guest is simply negligent or disregards the check-out rules.
- The guest has requested to extend their stay but hasn’t communicated it clearly or the host hasn’t confirmed it.
- Severe weather makes it unsafe or impractical to leave.
- A deliberate refusal to leave. This can be due to dissatisfaction or dispute with the host.
Immediate Steps to Take If a Guest Refuses to Leave
First of all, you cannot behave rudely because you need a good impression that will get you a positive review. So be calm and try to understand what the actual reason is. Here are three steps that should be your first steps to take to resolve the situation.
Communicate Politely but Firmly
It is possible that your guest forgot the check-out time. They may not have noticed the message you sent them about the check-out reminder. So, it is your duty to give a firm reminder about their check-out time. If there are no other reasons, the guest should respond positively and leave as soon as possible.
You can resend the message or make a direct call if they do not reply to your message. Also, be double-sure about the exact check-out time.
You can also use the Airbnb messaging platform. This way, you can have a record of all interactions with your guests on Airbnb itself. This will help Airbnb’s help center review your situation.
Whatever communication method you use, keep your tone soft, nice, and respectful. Be very polite and gentle when talking to them, as if you are here to understand the reasons, not forcefully making the guest leave.
Offer Assistance (if appropriate)
After communicating with your guests, you know the reasons why they are not willing to leave. If the reason is legitimate, and if it is possible to extend their stay, do that. Offer them assistance as much as you can.
Do the guest want to stay for a shorter period? In such cases, adjust an extra hour or two for check-out if the delay is minor. This is known as the grace period, which hosts need to adjust many times.
Also, offer help with packing and moving their luggage to speed up the process. You can ask your cleaner or housekeeper to help the guests or give them a secure place for their belongings if they need to leave but can’t take everything with them immediately.
If the guest wants to stay in the place and you have another guest checking in, you can help them find another place to stay nearby for the extra time they need. If it is possible, try to assist in arranging transportation for them to their next destination.
In the meantime, negotiate a flexible check-in time with the incoming guest.
Contact Airbnb Support
If all your tried ways fail, then contact Airbnb support. They will help you with your guest’s departure. For this, study and understand the Airbnb guidelines and policies. They have rules and support if your guests do not want to leave.
Report the issue to Airbnb customer service. Provide them with all the documents and relevant evidence. Here are the steps to contact Airbnb support:
- Go to the Airbnb Help Center. There select “Contact Us” to reach Airbnb Support. Or, you can call their customer service number.
When contacting Airbnb Support, provide all relevant details, including:
- Guest’s name and booking information.
- The nature of the issue (guest refusing to leave).
- Documentation of all communication with the guest.
- Any steps you have already taken to resolve the issue
- Airbnb Support will guide you through the next steps.
Legal Considerations for Overstaying Guests
If an Airbnb guest refuses to leave try to understand the legal implications. In many areas, short-term rental guests can become tenants if they stay beyond the agreed-upon rental period.
Know Your Local Laws
You need to be aware of local laws when running a short-term rental business because there may be times when a guest refuses to leave. These laws can vary depending on your area and country. By knowing them, you can know whether someone is a short-term rental guest or a tenant. The rules for each are different.
- If a guest stays longer than a specific period 28 days, then they are considered a tenant. This period varies by jurisdiction.
- If the guest pays rent regularly, they might be seen as a tenant.
- If the guest establishes the property as their primary residence (e.g., receiving mail there), they could be considered a tenant.
- Different states have different rules. For example, in California and New York, a stay longer than 30 consecutive days can establish tenant rights.
- Other signs that a guest might be considered a tenant:
- Staying beyond the agreed-upon reservation period.
- Moving belongings into the property as if it’s their primary residence.
- Receiving mail or using the address for official purposes.
When you confirm whether your guests are still considered rental guests or have become tenants, it is time to take the steps under the eviction laws in your area. If an overstaying guest is classified as a tenant, these laws will be effective. You may need to give a formal written notice. This is regarding the request the tenant to vacate the property. After that, you need to give them a specific time to leave. This can vary from 30 to 90 day that depends on your local regulations.
When to Involve Authorities
Have you followed the legal procedures for eviction in your area? Then contacting the authorities should be a last resort. Know when to involve local law enforcement.
You are done notifying the guests of their overstaying. Still, if the guest becomes aggressive, poses a safety risk, or refuses to cooperate, you can contact the police for assistance.
If the situation comes to the point where you need to file a police report, here are some tips:
- Document everything: Gather the records of all communication with the guest, as well as reservation details, check-in, and check-out dates.
- Provide evidence: When filing the report, give any evidence that supports your case. These can be messages, emails, or formal notices you have issued to the guest.
- When speaking with law enforcement, explain the situation clearly and calmly.
How to Prevent Overstaying Issues in the Future
Handling Airbnb remotely is tough as you will face a lot of problem especially when you are dealing with bad guest that you need to solve without presenting physically. To avoid situations where your Airbnb guest becomes stubborn and refuses to leave your property, adapt some ways from the beginning.
Rental Agreement
The best way to avoid overstaying problems is to have a clear rental agreement. Though Airbnb has its own rules, you can add a custom agreement. This gives you more control.
In your agreement, include the check-in and check-out times. Also, highlight any penalties for staying late. Lastly, mention the steps you will take if a guest refuses to leave. With the rental agreement, you can also make them sign that after the check-out date, they cannot stay forcefully or seek any legal assistance. This agreement will help protect you in such cases.
Clear Communication Before Check-In
Before guests arrive, remind them of the check-in and check-out times. You can send a friendly reminder the day before they are due to leave.
For Example:
“Just a reminder that check-out is tomorrow at 11 AM. Let me know if you need any help!”
This way, you can avoid any confusion. Also, if the guest wants to stay longer, they can tell you clearly.
Require Security Deposits
If you want to protect yourself from such situations, you can ask for a security deposit. This will make the guest extra careful about breaking the rules, especially regarding extended stays. If they overstay, you can use the deposit to cover the extra costs.
When guests are aware of these rules and have a deposit at stake, they’re more likely to leave on time. For example, you could charge a $200 deposit. Knowing this, guests are less likely to risk losing it by overstaying.
Set Strict House Rules
Either create a strict house rule manual and give it to your guests, or send them a digital version via message. Here, clearly explain what happens if someone stays beyond their booking.
For instance, you can charge a fee for every extra hour they stay without permission. Be clear that you have the right to take legal action if guests overstay without approval.
How STR Assistance Can Help
From Bookings to Cleanings and Guest Communication, We Manage It All for Seamless Operations.
We understand that no Airbnb host or short-term rental (STR) property manager wants to deal with guests who don’t want to leave. The consequences can be involving local authorities or dealing with several days of hassle. But all of these issues can be avoided if you stay alert from the beginning; such as having strict, clear rules and a legal agreement with deposits.
In case you face such a situation, you will need someone to communicate with the guests. STR Assistance, along with handling many other STR management tasks, can help you with this as well.
We have already helped several hosts where they didn’t need to go to local authorities. We spoke with the guests, helped them understand, and did our best. The result was that the guests were convinced to leave the Airbnb rental place, and left a positive review too.
Our Airbnb VAs are well-versed with local laws, both for rental guests and tenants. Want to avoid situations where your guests overstay and cause you trouble? Make us your partner.
From Bookings to Cleanings and Guest Communication, We Manage It All for Seamless Operations.
We are a dedicated team of virtual assistants specializing in managing and optimizing short-term rental properties. With a passion for simplifying the lives of property owners, our team brings years of expertise in guest communication, pricing optimization, cleaning coordination, and overall property management across multiple rental platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com.
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