Guests smoked in non smoking house

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Guests smoked in non smoking house

Mary PastoralPro Member
Investor · Columbus Ohio · Member since 2022 · 27 posts · 34 votes

It's only our third guest in our second STR and the home smells strongly of cigarette smoke. It's clear on our listing that no smoking is allowed. We made the mistake of listing this property at Booking.com and allowed instant booking.

By the time we noticed that it’s a local person who booked the house, it has already been booked. We were not able to copy the detail in our Airbnb listing that says we have the right to refuse local guests. 

The house also has an 8 person limit and there were way more people in the property based on the cameras. They also didn’t follow quiet hours and made music videos in the backyard. 

Do I  just report to booking.com or like hotels ask for $250 fee for smoking in non smoking home. Since these guests are local with no regard for rules, should I be afraid of retaliation to the property? Thank you. 

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Dan H.Pro Member
Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
11mo
Quote from @Michael Baum:

Hey @Mary Pastoral, sorry for that! Do you have a refundable damage deposit?

Have you talked to Booking.com and see what the policy for damage reimbursement?

We had some smokers in our house once and I kept their $500 damage deposit for breaking those rules that are clearly stated.

If you don't have a damage deposit, I would add one but I would also pull that Booking.com listing. They are way too guest centric and often leave owners hanging.

VRBO and AirBNB should be all you use in addition to looking at direct booking as well.

You can rent an ozone machine which should take care of the smoke smell. Maybe your cleaners can handle it?

 Ozone machine can get rid of most odors but 1) they can bleach colors.   This likely means removing cloth furnishings, curtains, linens, etc 2) they can be dangerous.   Their sale is banned in Ca, but you can still rent them at some places.

Keep their deposit as it is a costly remediation on a full unit.   Hotels charge $250 for a single room.   A whole house is much more work to get rid or the smoke odor.   In addition, some people are very sensitive of smoke odors and the odor could result in a bad review.


if you do not have a deposit, contact the OTA and see what they are willing to do to assist with your remediation costs.  If they are unwilling to help, do not use them going forward.  

good luck

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  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    11mo

    Hey @Mary Pastoral, sorry for that! Do you have a refundable damage deposit?

    Have you talked to Booking.com and see what the policy for damage reimbursement?

    We had some smokers in our house once and I kept their $500 damage deposit for breaking those rules that are clearly stated.

    If you don't have a damage deposit, I would add one but I would also pull that Booking.com listing. They are way too guest centric and often leave owners hanging.

    VRBO and AirBNB should be all you use in addition to looking at direct booking as well.

    You can rent an ozone machine which should take care of the smoke smell. Maybe your cleaners can handle it?

    1Reply
    • Dan H.Pro Member
      Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
      11mo
      Quote from @Michael Baum:

      Hey @Mary Pastoral, sorry for that! Do you have a refundable damage deposit?

      Have you talked to Booking.com and see what the policy for damage reimbursement?

      We had some smokers in our house once and I kept their $500 damage deposit for breaking those rules that are clearly stated.

      If you don't have a damage deposit, I would add one but I would also pull that Booking.com listing. They are way too guest centric and often leave owners hanging.

      VRBO and AirBNB should be all you use in addition to looking at direct booking as well.

      You can rent an ozone machine which should take care of the smoke smell. Maybe your cleaners can handle it?

       Ozone machine can get rid of most odors but 1) they can bleach colors.   This likely means removing cloth furnishings, curtains, linens, etc 2) they can be dangerous.   Their sale is banned in Ca, but you can still rent them at some places.

      Keep their deposit as it is a costly remediation on a full unit.   Hotels charge $250 for a single room.   A whole house is much more work to get rid or the smoke odor.   In addition, some people are very sensitive of smoke odors and the odor could result in a bad review.


      if you do not have a deposit, contact the OTA and see what they are willing to do to assist with your remediation costs.  If they are unwilling to help, do not use them going forward.  

      good luck

      1Reply
    • Jeremy Jareckyj
      Real Estate Agent · Salt Lake City, UT · Member since 2020 · 490 posts · 205 votes
      11mo
      Quote from @Dan H.:
      Quote from @Michael Baum:

      Hey @Mary Pastoral, sorry for that! Do you have a refundable damage deposit?

      Have you talked to Booking.com and see what the policy for damage reimbursement?

      We had some smokers in our house once and I kept their $500 damage deposit for breaking those rules that are clearly stated.

      If you don't have a damage deposit, I would add one but I would also pull that Booking.com listing. They are way too guest centric and often leave owners hanging.

      VRBO and AirBNB should be all you use in addition to looking at direct booking as well.

      You can rent an ozone machine which should take care of the smoke smell. Maybe your cleaners can handle it?

       Ozone machine can get rid of most odors but 1) they can bleach colors.   This likely means removing cloth furnishings, curtains, linens, etc 2) they can be dangerous.   Their sale is banned in Ca, but you can still rent them at some places.

      Keep their deposit as it is a costly remediation on a full unit.   Hotels charge $250 for a single room.   A whole house is much more work to get rid or the smoke odor.   In addition, some people are very sensitive of smoke odors and the odor could result in a bad review.


      if you do not have a deposit, contact the OTA and see what they are willing to do to assist with your remediation costs.  If they are unwilling to help, do not use them going forward.  

      good luck


       Agreed with Dan here. You may need a few ozone machines for the entire house. Talk with some local cleaning companies many of them have them on hand

      0Reply
  • Mike GrudzienPro Member
    Lender · Eugene, OR · Member since 2019 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    11mo

    Yes, at the very least, a first step is to immediately contact the booking site, talk to customer service and find out what your options are.

    0Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    11mo

    This really sucks.  It happened once at my personal cabin and I assessed their credit card a $2000 fine.  

    [email protected]806-672-7102
    SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
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  • Mackaylee BeachPro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Kansas City, MO · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 494 votes
    11mo

    Sorry to hear about your experience.

    Handling situations like this can be challenging, but there are steps you can take to address the issue. First, it is important to document everything thoroughly. Take photos or videos of any evidence of smoking, excess guests, or noise disturbances. This documentation will be crucial when you report the incident to Booking.com or any other platform.

    Reach out to Booking.com’s customer service to report the violation of your house rules. Explain the situation clearly, providing all the evidence you have gathered. They might be able to assist in resolving the issue or even help in applying any penalties as per their policies.

    If your listing mentions a fee for smoking violations, you can attempt to charge the guests for the breach of rules. However, ensure you follow the proper procedures through the platform to avoid any issues.

    Regarding your concern about retaliation, it’s understandable to feel apprehensive. To mitigate this, you might consider enhancing security measures, such as installing additional cameras or ensuring neighbors are aware of the situation and can keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.

    Learning from this experience, you might want to revisit your listing settings. Disabling instant booking or setting stricter criteria for guests could help prevent similar issues in the future. Remember, you’re not alone in this, and reaching out to the hosting community for support and advice can also be beneficial.

    [email protected]
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  • Andrew Street
    Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 292 votes
    11mo

    That’s a tough situation, especially this early on. You can definitely charge a smoking fee if it’s stated in your listing or house rules, but be prepared that Booking.com is less host-friendly than Airbnb.

    0Reply
  • Brooke RoundyPro Member
    Investor · Member since 2021 · 45 posts · 41 votes
    11mo

    I had a similar experience recently and rather than renting an ozone machine I purchased an air purifier to run in the effected areas and Airbnb reimbursed me for this expense. I truly hope Booking is as helpful. It took several weeks to work through this claim though, and it was stressful. I'm very sorry you are going through this. It feels violating and is incredibly disrespectful - to acknowledge the potential emotional impact. 

    0Reply
  • Paul Stewart
    Specialist · Atlantic City NJ · Member since 2018 · 115 posts · 50 votes
    11mo

    Unfortunately, this is just part of the business—it’s bound to happen from time to time. The key is making sure you have solid damage-protection strategies in place, whether through the OTA or a secondary service like Safely. I believe Booking.com also recently updated their damages policy, so it’s worth reviewing.

    It’s also smart to have a clear SOP for removing smoke odors from your properties. No matter how careful we are, this issue tends to come up again eventually.

    0Reply
  • Lokesh W.
    Property Manager · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2011 · 185 posts · 16 votes
    11mo

    Sorry for your bad experience. For smoking, you have to collect evidence. If there are cigarette butts or ash or anything else. Guests will deny now. You can raise reimbursement request. Most of it will be under, Extra cleaning where the cleaner can mention in details of why and what type of cleaning was done. In this case they can put Strong cigarette odor, needed deep cleaning and double of washing of linens etc., extra time spent would be 3 - 4 hours. I.e. instead of simply giving an invoice, it is better if they list all the issues and then what specific cleaning was done, using what detergents/ chemicals including the time spent. 

    0Reply
  • Laura Winters
    Member since 2021 · 124 posts · 87 votes
    10mo

    This is a common issue that you will get used to. 1. You can request the platform to cancel the next guest and get reimbursed for the loss of income. 2. You can charge the guest who smoked an extra cleaning fee. Different platforms have slightly different rules. For example, Airbnb has a maximum amount you can charge for smoke damage and you need to go around if you need to charge more. You should have a system collecting the evidence to fight the case. If you don't have any hard evidence, you can collect the minimum amount, but this is a tough battle. What you need is 1. a good PM 2. a good system 3. know how to fight these types of situations. I deal with smoking cases at least 20 times every year since I operate in a state where marijuana is legal. This is one of the most annoying but unavoidable fights for any hospitality business.

    0Reply
  • Adam BartomeoBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Cape Coral, FL · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10mo

    Bookings.com IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE!!!! AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS!

    [email protected]239-339-3969
    Bartomeo Property Management4.7143 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
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  • Christina B.
    Boulder, CO · Member since 2023 · 179 posts · 102 votes
    10mo

    One tool that might be helpful to you in the future is something like Minut. Its sensors will pick up cigarette smoke (and marijuana smoke as well). While I originally purchased it to track noise levels, it has also been useful for documenting smoke and allowing me to reach out on a few occasions. Although your cleaners are the best at noticing smoking issues, AirBnb, etc. also like the additional validation you can provide from the app.

    Given your cams, I hope you wouldn't have to worry about retaliation as it would be documented. However, if your cams aren't PoE or wired, you might want to consider that as it's easier to trip or disrupt wi-fi.

    Sorry this happened to you and hope your future bookings and success will make this seem just a part of the learning/growing pains. (I've been there- when I first started with VRBO, I didn't realize instant booking was default enabled and hadn't set my holiday pricing up correctly yet. The family that got it for Christmas a few years ago scored!)

    0Reply
  • Sameul Ahsan
    Real Estate Agent · Worcester, MA · Member since 2024 · 107 posts · 45 votes
    10mo

    Just charge the fee. Set your rules, if you hesitate, this will happen again. Don't fear retaliation. Set your expectations and hold them accountable. I would charge the smoking fee and charge for extra HC. Your listing should already have those fees. This is not the first time this will happen so I suggest getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. Your running a business. 

    1Reply
  • Landon SmithBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Worldwide · Member since 2023 · 6 posts · 2 votes
    10mo

    Mary, I agree with a lot of the comments here around the Ozone machine...they're great. One thing I've found to be super helpful in my properties that have more potential than others for parties or smoking is Alertify. It monitors for smoke, water, temp, noise, etc...and you can set it up to autmatically send the guest a message if it detects smoke, volume past your settings, etc... Drawback is that if someone is cooking it can't make the distinction, so I set my automated message up to say, "Hey there, our system just detected smoke in the house and notified us. If you're cooking you can disregard, but if it's anything other than cooking please remember we have a strict no-smoking policy".  

    Just make sure you disclose it if you end up getting one.  Similar to having a ring doorbell at the entry, when people know there are systems like this in the house it has some built in accountability included.  Hope that's helpful. 

    737-377-6777
    AirINN535 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Matthew Tregoning
    Property Manager · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 468 posts · 173 votes
    1w

    How did this turn out, Mary? The detail about settings not carrying over is a useful lesson for anyone adding a second booking channel. I’d keep a short launch checklist for guest limits, smoking rules, quiet hours and arrival messages, then check what a guest actually sees on each listing. Did you keep the second property on Booking.com after this?

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