When I first started running an Airbnb back in 2020, nothing could have prepared me for the broad scope of guests who would be booking the holiday let - and some really do stand out. While the majority of bookings were from pleasant visitors looking for a relaxing getaway, occasionally I was faced with nightmare situations during the three years of running the listing. It would be easy to assume that messy guests or broken kitchenware were the most extreme of events, but nearly all staycation owners will have to tackle these challenges at some point.
Research has suggested that a growing number of Brits are turning to short-term lettings as a source of income, with AirDNA data finding a 19 percent increase in listings available on Airbnb and Vrbo in the 12 months leading up to February 2024. But oversupply of holiday lets isn’t the only obstacle that owners face - difficult guests is certainly another. As a former Airbnb host, I’ve looked back on what I consider to be the 'worst type of guests' and shared some rare occasions when things didn’t go exactly to plan.
Radiator disaster One unfortunate event occurred just before midnight, when my phone started pinging with messages from the guest, who said the heated towel rail in the bathroom was leaking. It was soon discovered that drunken, stumbling antics had caused the radiator to fall from the wall, breaking the pipes and causing a leakage. Despite panic starting to set in, I instructed the guest to turn off the heating.