Airbnb Host Stuck with $30 Grocery Bill After Guest Disappears

An Airbnb host is asking for advice after a guest left without paying for $30 worth of groceries they had requested.

The host had agreed to buy bread, milk, fruit, sausages, bacon, and beer for their guest, who promised to pay them back through Venmo (a money transfer app) or leave cash behind. But when the guest checked out, there was no money and no note - just the untouched jar of honey the host had left as a welcome gift.

Now the host faces a dilemma: should they chase the guest for the money and risk getting a bad review on Airbnb? Bad reviews can hurt a host's ability to attract future guests and earn income from their property.

The financial advice columnist suggests: • Send a friendly reminder message asking for the $30 • If no response, send one follow-up • After that, either mention it in their review of the guest or contact Airbnb's Resolution Center (their customer service for disputes) • Consider if the $30 is worth the time and stress of pursuing

The bigger lesson: When running a short-term rental business like Airbnb, hosts should set clear boundaries about what's included and what costs extra. While providing basic items like milk and bread is good hospitality, special requests like bacon and beer should be handled carefully - perhaps by collecting payment upfront.

This situation highlights the challenges of the sharing economy (businesses where people rent out their personal assets), where trust between strangers is essential but sometimes broken over small amounts of money.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-guy-has-no-manners-my-airbnb-guest-requested-i-buy-bacon-and-beer-the-30-bill-remains-unpaid-do-i-insist-e98ccecd?mod=mw_rss_topstories