How to Handle Guest Complaints

When a guest encounters an issue upon arrival or during their stay, handling it quickly and professionally is essential. Typical complaints include check-in problems, cleaning issues, missing items, damages, or amenities that don't match the listing.

A structured approach to resolving complaints ensures that guests receive timely support when needed, while also helping you prevent negative reviews that could impact your reputation and future bookings.

Why handling complaints matters

• Fairness for guests: If something disrupts the stay and it wasn't the guest's fault (and wasn't clearly communicated before booking), guests may be entitled to compensation.
• Better reviews and future bookings: Fast, solution-focused communication increases the chance of a positive outcome and protects your rating.

Understanding complaint validity

When is a complaint considered valid?

A complaint can be considered valid if the problem is linked to the accommodation or its surroundings and could reasonably have been prevented, communicated, or handled.

Examples of typically valid complaints

• Poor property conditions
• Non-functional or unavailable amenities
• Wrong advertisement
• Inaccessibility to the property
• Property uninhabitable
• Poor road conditions in the vicinity of the property without an alternative route
• Essential advertised points of interest unavailable (beach closed)

Examples of typically invalid complaints

• Weather conditions
• Non-essential points of interest unavailable (restaurants, supermarkets)
• Typical cultural or local conditions (includes noise disturbance typical for property location, such as in a city centre)
• Normal noise by neighbours during the day
• Minor dust on surfaces or spider webs
• Minor dirt or fallen leaves on outside areas
• Old-fashioned furniture or interior
• Failure to read the advertisement properly
• Force majeure on host side
• Damage by a third party, such as burglary (unless proof of pre-existing security issue at the property)

Assessing the severity of complaints

Complaints are classified according to the impact they have on the guest stay and the disruption caused:

Minor severity

Small inconveniences that do not impact the usability of the property or the overall stay. Examples include not enough cutlery, worn furniture, or non-essential appliances not working (toaster, coffee machine).

Moderate severity

Issues that affect comfort or parts of the property's functionality, but the stay can continue. Examples include temporary loss of hot water, Wi-Fi, or heating; cleanliness issues; bugs; daytime noise disturbance; bedrooms being locked; strong smell with identifiable source; incorrect location by more than 5 km; or several separate minor issues.

Major severity

Issues that significantly limit the intended use of the property or create serious disruption. Examples include health or safety concerns (mould or pests), loss of critical utilities (water or electricity), night-time noise disturbance, or more than 3 separate moderate issues.

Severe severity

The property is not usable or accessible, or there is a serious health, safety, or privacy breach. The guest may not be able to stay or may need to leave. Examples include guest cannot access the property at check-in, flooding or fire, bed bugs, severe mould, CCTV in private areas, host entry without permission, or not enough beds or space for the booked number of guests.

For moderate, major, or severe issues, a solution should be appropriate to the impact on the guest's stay.

Response timeframes for on-site issues

When Holidu steps in to assist with valid on-site complaints, the following response timeframes are expected:

Severity	Expected host reply time
Minor	Within 24 hours
Moderate	Same day (max. 12 hours)
Major	Within 2 hours
Severe	Within 2 hours

Response timeframes for after check-out issues

For valid complaints reported after check-out, the following response timeframes apply:

Severity	Expected host reply time
Minor	Within 2 working days
Moderate	Within 2 working days
Major	Within 2 working days
Severe	Within 2 working days

Guest reporting timeline

Guests are requested to inform you immediately if anything is not right during their stay. They have up to one week after check-out to report any issues. Most concerns can be resolved quickly when addressed on-site, and prompt communication helps prevent further inconvenience.

When Holidu steps in

Holidu will step in if no appropriate solution or agreement is reached between host and guest. If compensation must be granted based on the severity and validity of the issue, it will be handled by Holidu and recovered from you using the Balance Concept.

Contacting customer service

If you need assistance handling a guest complaint or have questions about the complaint process, use the Holidu assistant to contact customer service. The support team can provide guidance on specific situations and help ensure complaints are resolved appropriately.

Platform responsibility

Booking platforms are not responsible for property-related issues and will not refund their commission. Each platform has hosting standards, which allow them to refund or cancel bookings if a guest provides valid documentation of a violation, such as health hazards or misrepresented listings.