How to Handle Difficult Shortlet Guests in Nigeria
How to Handle Difficult Shortlet Guests in Nigeria: 6 Common Problems and What Hosts Should Do
Quick answer: Stay calm, point to your written house rules, keep every message on the booking platform, take dated photos of anything that matters, and escalate through the platform only after a polite first attempt. Never lock a guest out, cut their power or water, or argue in public. Your goal is to solve the problem professionally, not to win the argument.
It is 11:40 a.m. Checkout was at 11:00. The guest is still inside, the next guests land at 2 p.m., and your cleaner is standing outside with a bucket and a worried face.
If you have hosted for more than a few months, you have lived some version of this. Most guests are lovely. But every host eventually meets the guest who stays late, invites "just a few friends", or asks for their money back on day three.
This guide covers the six problems hosts in Nigeria meet most often. For each one you get what to do, what to say and what to keep as a record. If you want the basics first, our Responsible Hosting guidelines cover house rules, noise, guest numbers and reporting damage. This post goes one step further.
The six problems at a glance
| Problem | Your first move | Keep as evidence | Escalate when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guest won't check out | Polite reminder quoting the agreed checkout time | Booking details, message thread | Guest refuses and the next booking is at risk |
| Extra visitors or a party | Ask for the headcount, quote the house rules | Messages, noise complaints, time stamps | Safety risk, repeated noise, neighbours complaining |
| Something isn't working | Acknowledge, check, give an honest update | Photos, repair messages, fix times | Problem can't be fixed and the guest wants to leave |
| Refund demand | Compare complaint to listing and cancellation terms | Listing, booking terms, guest messages | Guest disputes the outcome |
| Damage or disputed responsibility | Photograph and report through the platform | Dated photos, messages, repair estimate | Guest denies it or damage is serious |
| Abusive or threatening guest | Step back, protect people, stay in writing | Screenshots of messages | Any threat to safety: contact security or emergency services |
1. The guest refuses to check out on time
Prioritise: a calm tone and the agreed checkout time.
Most late checkouts are not rebellion. The guest overslept, the Uber is late, or nobody told them how strict the schedule was. A friendly nudge solves most of these.
What to do
- The evening before, send a short checkout reminder with the time and any instructions (keys, gate, bins).
- On the morning, send a second message about 30 minutes before checkout.
- If the guest asks for more time, check whether the apartment is free. If it is, confirm any extension charge in writing, based on what your house rules say.
- If they still stay without agreement, keep messaging politely and keep a note of the times.
What to say
Hello [Guest Name], our agreed checkout time is [time]. Please let us know as soon as possible if you need an extension so we can confirm whether it is available and explain any additional charges. We appreciate your cooperation, as we also need to prepare the apartment for the next booking.
What to document: the booking details, your reminders and the guest's replies.
Don't: change the locks, switch off power or water, or remove the guest's belongings. These actions can backfire legally and will almost certainly cost you in reviews. If a guest flatly refuses to leave, report it through the platform and, where needed, get advice from a lawyer or the police about your options.
2. The guest brings extra visitors or hosts a party
Prioritise: the facts first, then the rule.
Every host sets their own limits on visitors and events in their house rules. There is no one rule that fits every apartment, which is exactly why yours need to be clear in your listing.
What to do
- Check what your house rules say about guest numbers, visitors and events.
- Establish facts before you accuse anyone. Ask the guest how many people are in the apartment.
- Restate the limit and what happens if it is exceeded.
- If neighbours or your caretaker report noise, note the time and what was reported.
What to say
Hello [Guest Name], we've noticed that the number of visitors may exceed the arrangements confirmed for your booking. Please confirm the number of people currently at the property. Your reservation is subject to the agreed guest limit and visitor rules, so we need to resolve this in line with those terms. Thank you for your cooperation.
What to document: the house rules as shown to the guest at booking, your messages, and any complaint from neighbours or security.
Don't: turn up at the door in a rage. Where there is a safety concern, such as overcrowding or a fire risk, speak to the guest through the platform and bring in security if needed. Our Responsible Hosting page also reminds hosts to respect their neighbours by setting clear rules on noise, parking and guest numbers.
3. The guest complains that something isn't working
Prioritise: acknowledge fast, update honestly.
Wi-Fi, air conditioning, water pressure and power backup are the most common complaints in Nigerian shortlets. Guests are rarely angry that something broke. They are angry that nobody replied.
What to do
- Reply within minutes, even if the answer is "I'm checking now".
- Ask for a photo or short video so you know what you are dealing with.
- Give a real timeline: "The technician can come at 4 p.m." beats "soon".
- Offer a reasonable fix, such as a fan or a swap of rooms, while you repair the issue.
- Follow up once it is fixed.
What to say
Hello [Guest Name], thank you for letting us know about the [issue]. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. We are checking it now and will update you by [time]. In the meantime, [temporary solution]. Please tell us if anything else is affecting your comfort.
What to document: photos, the time reported, the time fixed.
A note on power: never promise uninterrupted electricity in your listing. Say what backup you have (generator, inverter or solar), explain the hours it runs, and be upfront about fuel. Guests who know the arrangement before they arrive complain far less.
4. The guest demands a refund
Prioritise: the listing and the booking terms, not your mood.
A refund request feels personal, but it is better treated as a simple review. Ask three questions:
- Did the stay match what the listing promised?
- Was there a real service failure, and did you fix it fast?
- What do the booking terms and your cancellation policy say?
Each host picks a cancellation tier (Flexible, Moderate or Strict) that guests see before paying. You can read how the tiers work on the Dwelns cancellation page. A change of mind on day three is a different case from an air conditioner that failed for two nights.
What to do
- Ask the guest to explain exactly what went wrong.
- Compare it to the listing and your terms.
- If the failure was genuine and you caused it, consider a fair gesture that fits your policy.
- If the request falls outside your terms, explain that clearly and kindly, and say what you can offer instead.
What to say
Hello [Guest Name], thank you for explaining. I've reviewed your concern against the listing and the booking terms. [Outcome and reason]. We want your stay to go well, so [what you can do]. Please let us know if you'd like to talk it through.
What to document: the listing as it appeared, the booking terms, the guest's complaint, and your response.
5. The guest damages the apartment or disputes responsibility
Prioritise: evidence, taken early.
A broken chair is not the end of the world. A broken chair with no photos and no messages is a stressful argument.
What to do
- Photograph the damage with the date visible, and take wide shots as well as close-ups.
- Keep the messages where the guest reported or discussed it.
- Get a repair or replacement estimate.
- Report it through the platform. If your listing has a caution fee, Dwelns asks hosts to report from the booking and add photos before the fee is returned, which is 24 hours after check-out. Miss that window and you lose your simplest route.
What to document: check-in condition (a quick photo set between every stay pays for itself), the damage, the estimate and every message about it.
6. The guest becomes abusive or threatens staff
Prioritise: people over property, always.
No sofa cover is worth a confrontation. If a guest shouts, insults or threatens you, your caretaker or other guests, step back.
What to do
- Avoid face-to-face arguments. Move the conversation to written messages.
- Keep your replies short, polite and factual.
- Screenshot abusive messages and note any incidents with times.
- If anyone is at risk, contact your security or the police. In Nigeria, 112 is the national emergency number.
- Report the incident through the platform so there is a record.
Don't: reply in anger, threaten the guest or post about it online. It makes you the one with the problem.
Your incident-report checklist
Write it in your notes app and fill it in the moment something happens.
- Date and time of the incident
- Property name and booking reference
- Guest name and number of people involved
- What happened, in two or three plain sentences
- Photos or video, with dates
- Screenshots of relevant messages
- House rule or listing detail that applies
- Repair or replacement estimate, if any
- What you said and what the guest answered
- Whether you reported it through the platform, and when
Prevent half of these problems before they start
Clear rules prevent more trouble than any clever reply.
- Put every rule in the listing. Guest limits, visitors, events, noise hours, smoking and checkout time.
- Repeat them. A short welcome message or a printed notice inside the apartment helps.
- Be honest about the amenities. Photos, descriptions and amenities must match the property, which is also a Dwelns standard.
- Photograph the apartment between stays. Five minutes saves five days of arguing.
- Keep communication on the platform. If it isn't written there, it is hard to prove.
Hosts managing several apartments can find it hard to keep track of who said what. Dwelns Business offers a shared guest inbox and staff roles, so your whole team can see messages and reply from one place. Our guide on managing multiple shortlet apartments goes further.
Frequently asked questions
Can I lock out a guest who refuses to leave? No. Locking a guest out, switching off utilities or removing their belongings can create legal trouble and damage your reviews. Message politely, report it through the platform and get legal or police advice if the guest still refuses to go.
Can I charge for a late checkout? You can if your house rules or listing say so, or if the guest agrees to an extension charge in writing. Say what the charge is before the guest decides.
What if a guest brings more people than I allowed? Ask for the headcount, quote your house rules and explain what the agreed limit is. If it becomes a safety or noise issue, escalate through the platform and involve security where needed.
How do I prove a guest damaged my apartment? Take dated photos of the damage and of the apartment's condition before the stay, keep the messages and get a repair estimate. On Dwelns, report the issue from the booking and add photos. Where a caution fee applies, do this before it is returned.
Do I have to refund a guest who complains? Not automatically. Compare the complaint to your listing and the cancellation policy you chose. A genuine service failure may deserve a fair response. A change of mind may not.
When should I call the police? Whenever anyone is in danger, you receive threats, or there is a serious safety risk. The national emergency number is 112.
How can I stop difficult guests before they arrive? Write clear house rules, describe the property honestly and set expectations in your welcome message. Most issues come from unclear expectations, not bad guests.
Final thoughts
Difficult guests will happen. A good system means they stay a small story rather than a nightmare. Keep your tone calm, your rules visible and your records tidy.
Managing difficult guest situations? Start with clear house rules, keep a record of important communications and follow the correct reporting process. Read Dwelns' Responsible Hosting guidelines, then see the hosting guide for setting up properly.
New to hosting? Add your property and get your first listing live. Know a host who needs this? Refer them and earn.
