How do you spot the difficult guests? There have been cases of landlords ending up with guests who are a problem.
We regard problem guests as those that upset neighbours, leave the property damaged or very dirty, or are just unreasonable. There are guests who will hold noisy parties, be offensive to owners or neighbours and we suspect some have operated as prostitutes out of holiday let properties.
Sometimes we can spot a problem, because a landlord has said they have had a problem with a given guest and if we see them trying to book again, we will tell the landlord who is at risk. It’s not always easy as the same people will try and book under different names. At other times, people can be unreasonable during the enquiry process – in which case we get worried, and will warn potential landlords.
After a complaint from a neighbour, we became suspicious of single ladies who were being booked under other names. They were invariably bookings with an arrival in the next day or few days, for a week often with a possibility of an extension of an extra week. We suspect these people were running some form of business, which contravenes the terms and conditions of our properties. Now, we simply don’t take these bookings.
What do you regard as a problem guest? Have you any hints and tips for us or other landlords in spotting them? How do you deal with people who cause difficulties?
