Bed Bugs in Vacation Rental Accusation

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Bed Bugs in Vacation Rental Accusation

Gerald Pitts
Lender · Asheville NC · Member since 2016 · 470 posts · 317 votes

I'm anticipating getting a review saying "This cabin has bed bugs." Guest sent a picture of his friend who woke up with some kind of bite on her shoulder (not consistent with bed bugs on google images).  And then the next morning, she had another one on her face.  Still not like the bed bug images I looked up.  I recommended seeking medical treatment if they were concerned. Which they said they didn't want to do.  I'm not a doctor, but discussed with pest guy who said could be mosquitoes, spiders, possibly bed bugs, not sure.  He came out and sprayed the cabin, and inspected.  He sprays every month for pests.  He found only one skin from a bed bug and that seemed to be months old from before I owned the cabin in January.  Since January, we would have had probably 200 + people come through to stay...none with bed bug bites.   He all but ruled out bed bugs, telling the guests that it might be from a spider or something.  He was also discussing with me that people often have reactions days later from a bite.  So it could have happened when the guest was home and then just had the reaction show up while at our cabin.  The cabin is located in the Smoky Mountains in East TN in the woods.  There are "critters" here and there.  Basically a lot of variables, none of which say "definitely bed bugs".  

I can't be 100% positive of any responsibility / or not at this point, but just in case, I proactively refunded them one night's nightly rate of the 3 that they were staying, and offered a discount on future stay.  There's always the possibility she was bitten by something in the cabin, which  I don't love, and I acknowledged that this has possibly affected their experience negatively, and apologized if that was the case.  

They now are saying that that isn't good enough (also anticipated) that they're getting in touch with airbnb support
and that they want a full refund.  Saying that "WE" (first time the "we" word was used and no pics supporting, but fine) have bed bug bites all over and were not able to enjoy our stay at all.  At this point, I've just told them we've reached out to airbnb support as well, and they are welcome to do the same.  

I've let cust. svc know I'm monitoring closely the pest situation, and even willing to give a full refund if needed but concerned about a review that says inaccurately there ARE bed bugs when that has not been confirmed, and could possibly have a significant impact on future bookings.  Haven't heard back yet.  Have you had a similar experience?  Any chance of this review getting removed if posted?  

TLDR: Guest claiming bed bugs, pest control found no bed bugs.  Will ABB remove review claiming bed bugs if guest posts one?



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Luke CarlPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Tennessee Florida · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 5k+ votes
6y

@Gerald Pitts

Bed but day sucks. Good news is it doesn't sound like this is bed bug day for you :) 

I'm in your market and been through this dozens of times. Only one time was it actual bedbugs. 

GREAT job immediately calling the exterminator and getting them over there.

Have your exterminator write you up a note on a company letter head that says something to the effect that "We treat this property monthly. We have inspected the property and have found no signs of bedbugs" and send this to airbnb via messenger. This will get you off the hook with the crazy guest. Because that's what you have.... a crazy discount seeker. 

I would cut off all communication with the guest and advise them to call 855-4-airbnb for any further assistance. 

Don't worry about the review just yet, and certainly don't mention it. Turn off your auto review for this guest in your PMS.  When their comes through you'll have the proper documentation to have it removed. 

Again.... If you ACTUALLY had bed bugs I would have different protocol. But... you don't. Just learn how to handle this for next time. Because there will be a next time. And it will be easier :) 

Podcast Guest on Show From Surviving on $30/Day to 30+ Properties Thanks to Blue-Collar Skills
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  • Luke CarlPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Tennessee Florida · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    6y

    @Gerald Pitts

    Bed but day sucks. Good news is it doesn't sound like this is bed bug day for you :) 

    I'm in your market and been through this dozens of times. Only one time was it actual bedbugs. 

    GREAT job immediately calling the exterminator and getting them over there.

    Have your exterminator write you up a note on a company letter head that says something to the effect that "We treat this property monthly. We have inspected the property and have found no signs of bedbugs" and send this to airbnb via messenger. This will get you off the hook with the crazy guest. Because that's what you have.... a crazy discount seeker. 

    I would cut off all communication with the guest and advise them to call 855-4-airbnb for any further assistance. 

    Don't worry about the review just yet, and certainly don't mention it. Turn off your auto review for this guest in your PMS.  When their comes through you'll have the proper documentation to have it removed. 

    Again.... If you ACTUALLY had bed bugs I would have different protocol. But... you don't. Just learn how to handle this for next time. Because there will be a next time. And it will be easier :) 

    Podcast Guest on Show From Surviving on $30/Day to 30+ Properties Thanks to Blue-Collar Skills
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  • Ken Boone
    Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    I have been down a similar path only the guest was not problematic.  I would get a statement from your pest control company confirming they found no evidence of a bed bug colony in your cabin, then I would also hire the bed bug dog handlers to bring their dog in as well.  If the dog finds nothing get a statement from them as well.  At that point I think you can say you performed your due diligence to ensure there was not a bed bug colony alive in your cabin.  

    In my case, the guest sent us  some pictures when they were heading home of bites on their arms.  They were in the hot tub the night before for a long time and could have been bitten by mosquitos or who knows what.  So we immediately followed up with both inspections for good measure.

    I don't know what AirBnb will do but if you have proof from two sources and two types of sources confirming no bed bugs I think it would be hard to dispute.  Also as far as the review goes, you can state a follow up response, that you maintain your cabin with routine pest maintenance and as soon as you heard this complaint you acted immediately to find that no bed bugs were found and that your cabin is in the woods out here and that is how things are, etc.. etc..  Then you can state that future guests can look at your prior reviews that ensures you keep a clean cabin. blah blah blah..   You get the idea.  

    BTW.. the bed bed dogs were only like $125 if I remember right.

    2Reply
  • Anand S.
    Plantation, FL · Member since 2009 · 329 posts · 119 votes
    6y

    I've had this pulled on me twice. All you need is to have a professional exterminator inspect the home and provide documentation that there was no evidence of bed bugs found. If the guest leaves a review referencing bed bugs you can have that portion of the review removed with your supported documentation. 

    I wouldn't provide more than a consolation for the guest's inconvenience. Anything more is extortion. 

    2Reply
  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    6y

    If they leave a bad review ABB will likely do nothing about it. You can add your comments and how you addressed the issue. That will count for something.

    If none of the previous guests mentioned bed bugs then these people could be the guilty part that brought them to your property. 

    Sounds like it was not even bed bugs but something else entirely.

    I wouldn't get too worked up about it. See if they leave a review before worrying about something that may or may not happen.

    I like what @Luke Carl

    2Reply
  • Doug Pintarch
    Rental Property Investor · Harrisburg, PA · Member since 2018 · 369 posts · 406 votes
    6y

    We do the bed bug bags on every bed, and all pull-out sofa beds.  Check them weekly for tears during the summer season and monthly out of season.   Haven't had any issues, thankfully.   Good Job jumping on it with the inspector right away, all you can do!

    2Reply
  • Gerald Pitts
    OP
    Lender · Asheville NC · Member since 2016 · 470 posts · 317 votes
    6y

    Great suggestions.  Thank you for the input.  Feel better that we've been on the right path, here.  We did cut off all communication after they asked for the full refund and mentioned cust. svc.  We also did turn off auto-review for this one.  We just added Your Porter after @Luke Carl's recent thread.  Love it.  Hadn't thought of the letter from the Pest co!  Typed that up, and asked them to put on letterhead, and sign / return.  Good call.  

    0Reply
  • Paul CoxPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Manassas, VA · Member since 2013 · 194 posts · 156 votes
    6y

    For future reference, can somebody tell me how to turn off auto review on ABB?  Thank you

    0Reply
  • Julie McCoy
    Real Estate Agent · Sevierville, TN · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    @Paul Cox If you don't know about auto-review, you don't have it.  It's not an AirBNB feature, it's a feature offered by many third party management systems.  

    @Gerald Pitts Sucky situation but sounds like you've got a good handle on it!  You're lucky - the one time it happened to me there really WERE bedbugs (my housekeepers discovered them on a later turn, I immediately got the exterminator in, rehoused incoming guests, etc - all that was in motion by the time these people complained).  Probably the most stressful week of my life, riding out the (remaining) clock on their review, haha!  I immediately gave them a full refund and apologized profusely, but then they wanted additional money because they had a story about how they had to throw out all their stuff (they didn't actually have to) and how they went to a friend's house right after and before they knew so paid for their friends' house to be treated preemptively.  Me: Stall, stall, stall.  Run out the clock.  AirBNB was no help at all, they told us to work it out between ourselves.  Finally, the night before the review period expired, the guy said something about wanting to get this handled before the review period expired.  Me, in my head: IT'S ABOUT TIME!  Me, in writing: "I'm sorry, am I to understand that if I don't give you the money you're asking for you'll write a bad review?"  aka "Did I just read that you're extorting me?"  He immediately backtracked and then the clock ran out and BAM I was saved from the bad review.

    Those buggers took forever to get rid of, though, I probably lost $10k in the whole mess over lost rents and treatments and whatnot.  Ugh, the worst.  I hate bedbugs. 

    3Reply
  • Paul CoxPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Manassas, VA · Member since 2013 · 194 posts · 156 votes
    6y

    Thanks @Julie McCoy for the clarification.  I too have an utter loathing and hatred for bed bugs, having been eaten up by them before and then having an allergic reaction to them. I can see why the mere mention of them in a place would make me steer clear using the oft used phrase of today "Out of an Abundance of Caution"...Thanks for sharing @Gerald Pitts and showing how to address the issue asap as well as the rest of you who shared your stories and solutions. 

    2Reply
  • Julie McCoy
    Real Estate Agent · Sevierville, TN · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Paul Cox:

    Thanks @Julie McCoy for the clarification.  I too have an utter loathing and hatred for bed bugs, having been eaten up by them before and then having an allergic reaction to them. I can see why the mere mention of them in a place would make me steer clear using the oft used phrase of today "Out of an Abundance of Caution"...Thanks for sharing @Gerald Pitts and showing how to address the issue asap as well as the rest of you who shared your stories and solutions. 

    Yep, I too have been a victim - twice over the years I discovered bedbugs in my cabin because *I* stayed there and I do not respond well to them either, though I don't believe I am actually allergic.  That said, I've also been told that some people don't really react to them at all, and may never realize they've been bitten.  I'm not sure if that's better or worse, LOL!  

    2Reply
  • Aaron Hollingshead
    Flipper/Rehabber · Roswell, NM · Member since 2014 · 74 posts · 65 votes
    6y

    @Gerald Pitts - this is a crummy situation, sorry you have to deal with this!  There is nothing more terrifying in my opinion than bed bugs!  I once went tracking for 30 days and managed not to get them until the last night...I was worried for weeks as they are notoriously difficult to get rid of.  I suppose if you have had 200+ people come through, then it's not outside the realm of possibility that somebody brought them along with.  I think some of the previous posters are absolutely right - you respond to their comment stating that while you didn't see evidence of any bedbugs, you still had an exterminator inspect the house and treat it for pests.  If you've got a bunch of positive reviews, I don't foresee this hurting you. 

    1Reply
  • Gerald Pitts
    OP
    Lender · Asheville NC · Member since 2016 · 470 posts · 317 votes
    6y

    @Julie McCoy, yeah, the pest guy told me the same thing.  Someone can get bit laying next to the person that knows they got bit, but show no signs of it.  :0 That sucks for everyone I feel like haha.  If the cabin has them, I want to address it sooner rather than later, but you could have a lot of time go by and no one be the wiser.  I'm just gonna ask them to check specifically for bb's at the next spray, but that's hopefully overthinking it.   Another fun fact....that log furniture everyone loves / And this cabin has?  Pest guy said bed begs  really can get down in the cracks of that and be hard to remove.  I'd be sad to see the log beds go if I ever do have bbs.  

    0Reply
  • Julie McCoy
    Real Estate Agent · Sevierville, TN · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Gerald Pitts:

    @Julie McCoy, yeah, the pest guy told me the same thing.  Someone can get bit laying next to the person that knows they got bit, but show no signs of it.  :0 That sucks for everyone I feel like haha.  If the cabin has them, I want to address it sooner rather than later, but you could have a lot of time go by and no one be the wiser.  I'm just gonna ask them to check specifically for bb's at the next spray, but that's hopefully overthinking it.   Another fun fact....that log furniture everyone loves / And this cabin has?  Pest guy said bed begs  really can get down in the cracks of that and be hard to remove.  I'd be sad to see the log beds go if I ever do have bbs.  

     Literally what happened my last go-round.  When I bought the house my pest guy warned me that the log bed in there would be a great spot for bed bugs to hide... I chanced it until the last infestation, which took three treatments to get rid of, during which I had my handyman throw the bed out and bought a whole new bed frame.  Ugh.  

    I will say, not all log beds are created equal - the one that came with my cabin was unfinished with lots of cracks in the wood; however, nicer ones that have nice thick finishes and perhaps have been kiln-dried won't have the same multitude of cracks that serve as a refuge.  (they are, however, crazy expensive!)

    1Reply
  • Gerald Pitts
    OP
    Lender · Asheville NC · Member since 2016 · 470 posts · 317 votes
    6y

    Aw that sucks so much!  I love that style of furniture, but will be ruling it out in the future.  :(  We'll see with this cabin.  

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