- Short-term rentals were in high demand this summer, despite market headwinds.
- Insider spoke to Airbnb hosts about what guest behavior they struggle with the most.
- They shared their experiences of petty complaints, 2 a.m. requests, and theft.
As summer vacations come to an end, over 4 million Airbnb hosts around the world are winding down after their busiest season of the year.
While the number of hosts on Airbnb keeps increasing, overly demanding guests seem to be the final straw for hosts who are considering leaving the platform in an oversaturated short-term-rental market.
Insider spoke to hosts from England, Wales, Dubai, and the US about the most annoying things guests do while staying in their Airbnb properties.
1. Not following simple instructions
All hosts are advised to create a house manual for arriving guests to proactively answer any questions they might have and ensure appliances and other features in the property are used correctly.
Even though most hosts will provide clear instructions and house rules, guests can disregard them.
"The most annoying thing is when instructions are not adhered to," said Frankie Fonseca, who has been hosting cyclists, hikers, and construction workers in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, since 2019.
In his house manual, Fonseca clearly states how to use the central heating, emphasizing it shouldn't be used excessively. He also notes that lights should be turned off when not in use. But he often returns to find guests have left lights on or the heating on "full blast."
"It annoys me because it's a waste of energy, an added expense, and easily avoided," he said.
Kyrie Adams recently stopped renting out her 16-person Denver Airbnb. She would ask guests not to go into closets as the house was her primary residence."But a group of guys dug through the closets to find sleeping bags and use four without asking," she said.
2. Complaining about things the host cannot control
While complaining might be necessary if a property has underdelivered, hosts get annoyed by trivial complaints that impact their reviews and booking potential.
Polly Arrowsmith has been an Airbnb "superhost" for four years, renting out her apartment in Islington, London. She's still received a fair share of complaints she felt were beyond her control.
Arrowsmith told Insider guests once complained "they didn't like that there was a basement flat below their ground-floor flat," of her London apartment. "Or criticizing the external paintwork and basing their review on that when the flat was immaculate."
"They are silly complaints. I can't be responsible for the way the property was built," she said.
3. Stealing items from the Airbnb property
Arrowsmith remembered how disappointed she was after a Moomin mug, worth about $30, went missing after a guest's stay.
"They have taken other things like towels, umbrellas, full-sized shampoo, shampoo, conditioner, and hand-wash bottles," she said. She told Insider she was shocked people think it's acceptable to steal items from her property.
When Dr. Hamdan Abdullah Hamed first rented his Dubai villa on Airbnb, he left his food in the cupboards, assuming it wouldn't be used.
"When I came back, my stores were bare," he said. "My sheets, towels, and even pillows were missing."
4. Expecting a hotel experience
Even though the description of her flat states there will not be a daily room refresh or a full breakfast in the morning, Arrowsmith's guests often expect it. She also said guests have asked to be greeted at "silly o'clock" hours.
Arrowsmith said she reminds Airbnb guests that they're "staying in a serviced apartment, not a hotel."
"If you want hotel services, stay in a hotel," she added. "And if you expect me to meet you at 2 a.m., then expect me to charge you more or go to a hotel."
Hamed received a complaint from guests staying at his Airbnb property because it wasn't wheelchair accessible. Airbnb policy states that all reasonable accommodations for accessibility need to be discussed before the stay.
"At no point did I ever state we have wheelchair accessibility," Hamed said.
5. Burning through gas and electricity
As the price of gas and electricity soars, hosts find it frustrating when guests use either excessively.
Arrowsmith has experienced guests "leaving all the windows open while putting the heat on full blast." "Would they be so wasteful with power paying their own bills?" she asked.
Amanda Morgan owns a property in Anglesey, Wales, and started receiving calls last year from concerned neighbors about guests hanging wires out of windows to charge their electric vehicles.
Morgan worked out that charging vehicles from her property added as much as £600 to her electricity bill. She was shocked by the "total lack of regard" for electricity theft.
6. Being a 'professional complainer'
In his four years of hosting, Fonseca has come across a few people he calls "professional complainers" — guests who try to find issues to get refunds or discounts.
Despite multiple five-star reviews, there was one guest who complained about his house being dirty and smelling of cigarette smoke, even though they could provide no proof.
"When I rang Airbnb to say about the unfair review, they sided with the complainant," he said.
Another of Fonseca's guests moved furniture and stripped beds "looking for faults."
"They couldn't find anything except for a picture frame underneath one of the beds," he said. "They took a picture of it and said there was rubbish under the beds. They ended up getting their refund."
