20 guests check in to Selangor flat with maximum capacity of 7
A homestay owner in Selangor, Malaysia, was shocked when she discovered that 20 guests had checked into her property, which had a maximum capacity of seven people, including kids.
Worse, the guests even left the unit in disarray, with a damaged kitchen sink faucet.
Frustrated, the owner took to Threads on Monday (13 July), seeking advice on what she should do to get compensated for the damages.
Guests left property in disarray
The owner claimed that 15 adults and five children stayed at the 850 sqft unit.
She shared CCTV clips taken from Monday (13 July) showing the guests walking in the apartment building’s hallway in groups.
Source: @primestay.homestay on Threads
The owner said that the guest who booked the stay also asked the housekeeper to clean the place, as she was staying for a long time.
However, guests are expected to tidy up after themselves when staying at properties booked via the platform Airbnb.
The platform’s policy states that guests should treat the host’s home like their own.
It added that cleaning fees charged by hosts are only meant to cover the cost of standard cleaning between reservations.
Source: @primestay.homestay on Threads
The owner also posted photos showing that toys were not put away.
Apart from that, food droppings were left on the table, and dishes were left unwashed in the sink.
Source: @primestay.homestay on Threads
The beddings were also stripped and moved to the living room.
However, it is unclear whether the guests did this at the owner’s instruction.
Guest dismantles kitchen faucet
Beyond leaving the unit in disarray, one of the guests also dismantled the kitchen sink faucet, the owner claimed.
She shared a video showing that the spout and handle had been removed from their mount.
A screenshot of the owner’s conversation with the guests showed her asking why the whole pipe was removed when she had only asked them to turn off the water filter hose as it had been leaking.
The guest responded, saying they did not know how it works.
Source: @primestay.homestay on Threads
Source: @primestay.homestay on Threads
Netizens advise owner to claim compensation for damages
The owner said it is her first unit on Airbnb, so she was disappointed to host such a guest.
She sought netizens’ advice on what measures she should take to be compensated for the damages.
Other Airbnb hosts on Threads suggested she request money from the guest for the extra visitors through Airbnb, claim compensation for the damages through the platform’s built-in protection program, and report the guest to Airbnb.
Three people initially checked in
Speaking to MS News, the homestay owner, 35-year-old Nadia, said the group originally booked a stay for a night, from 12 to 13 July.
They also requested a one-night extension, which the owner agreed to.
Nadia said that at around 6pm on 12 July, two women and one child checked into the unit.
She did not check the CCTV then, thinking no one else would join them.
However, when she received the complaint regarding the leaking water filter and the plumber sent her a photo of the broken pipe, she felt that there was something wrong with the guest.
She then decided to check the CCTV and was astounded to discover a large group of people had checked in.
Ms Nadia told MS News she suspects that more than 20 people had stayed in her unit during this time.
“I cannot imagine how they sleep and stay in the house with 20+ people,” the owner said, adding that she was worried about the condition of the unit and the furniture and other items inside.
Guest tells owner to clean up
In a screenshot seen by MS News, Ms Nadia confronted the guest about the damage via text and accused them of intentionally damaging the unit.
Image courtesy of Ms Nadia.
However, the guest replied saying the owner was just upset because the house was left untidy, not because anything was damaged.
The guest also said they had paid for a cleaning fee and told the owner to just clean up the mess they left, Ms Nadia said.
Image courtesy of Ms Nadia.
The owner said she has spent RM790 (S$250) on cleaning services, repairs, and replacing damaged decorations after the booking.
Image courtesy of Ms Nadia.
Ms Nadia said she initially did not report the incident to Airbnb, as she was new to the platform and did not know how to go about it.
Thankfully, two Airbnb staff reached out to guide her through the process of claiming compensation for the damages.
The owner said she is now collecting receipts for all the repairs before submitting her claim to the platform.
Also read: Tenant in M’sia leaves rented apartment grimy & in disarray, landlord forced to cover S$3K repairs
Tenant in M’sia leaves rented apartment grimy & in disarray, landlord forced to cover S$3K repairs
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Featured image adapted from @primestay.homestay on Threads.
