A guest reports bed bugs. What to do in the next 48 hours

Few messages make a host's stomach drop like "I think there are bed bugs in the bed." It feels like a disaster, and it can be expensive. But handled quickly, it's a solvable pest problem, not the end of your listing.

Respond to the guest first

Reply quickly, take it seriously and ask for photos of what they've found: the insects themselves, bites or small dark spots on the sheets or mattress seams.

I'm really sorry, thank you for telling me straight away. Could you send photos of what you've seen? I'll arrange an inspection as quickly as possible and help you move somewhere else tonight if you'd like.

Don't argue or suggest the guest brought them in. Even if that's possible, it's not provable and it won't help. What the guest wants to know is that you're dealing with it and that they don't have to sleep there.

If they want to leave, contact Airbnb support together so the guest can be rebooked. That protects both of you and keeps everything on record.

Block the calendar

Until a professional has inspected the property, block the next nights. Letting another guest check in to a suspected infestation risks a second complaint, a cancelled stay and a much worse review. Our post on pausing your listing covers the options for blocking dates without hiding the whole listing.

If the inspection finds nothing, you can reopen. If it confirms bed bugs, you'll need the time for treatment anyway.

Get a professional inspection

Bed bugs are small and good at hiding, and lots of things look like them, from carpet beetles to fluff. A pest control company can confirm what it is and how far it has spread. Many offer specific bed bug treatments, usually heat or a series of chemical visits.

Don't try to fix it yourself with shop-bought sprays. They tend to push bed bugs into walls and other rooms, making professional treatment longer and more expensive.

Keep a record

Write down the date of the report, the guest's photos, the inspection result and the treatment dates and invoices. If a later guest raises the same issue, or if Airbnb asks what happened, you'll be able to show exactly what was done and when. It also helps if you ever need to discuss the costs with your insurer.

Contain it while you wait

Before treatment, avoid moving things around the property. In particular:

• Bag bedding and towels from the affected room straight into sealed bags, then wash and tumble dry them on the hottest setting the fabric allows.
• Don't move mattresses or furniture to other rooms.
• Ask your cleaner not to take linen from that room back to their own home or car unbagged.

Talk to guests with upcoming bookings

If treatment means you can't host for some dates, cancel or move those bookings through Airbnb as early as you can. The earlier guests know, the easier it is to rebook them. Our post on cancelling a guest's booking with the least damage covers how to word it and what penalties to expect. Contact Airbnb support before you cancel and explain the reason, since circumstances like this are treated differently from a host simply changing their mind.

Prevention for every turnover

You can't stop guests bringing bed bugs in, but you can catch them early:

• Check mattress seams and headboards for small dark spots once a month, or whenever you change mattress protectors.
• Use zip-up mattress encasements rather than standard protectors. They leave fewer places to hide. Our post on mattress and pillow protectors covers what to buy.
• Bag used linen straight away at turnover rather than piling it on the floor.
• Avoid upholstered headboards and second-hand fabric furniture where you can.

Adding a short "check mattress seams" line to your cleaning checklist means it gets done at every deep clean, not only when there's a problem.