What happened?

Airbnb or Short-Term Rental Guest Won't Leave

A booking platform can classify a stay as a reservation, cancel it, remove a listing, or suspend an account. Those actions do not necessarily determine who has the legal right to possess the property. Host policy is not local law.

The important question

What agreement existed, how long has the person remained, and what law governs possession?

Facts that may matter

Booking records; listed check-in and checkout dates; extensions or repeated bookings; any direct payment or off-platform agreement; whether the current occupant is the original guest; mail or address use; local licensing if any; and platform cancellation or listing-removal notices.

What not to assume

Calling someone a guest, using Airbnb or VRBO, or using a short reservation does not automatically resolve the legal classification. Platform cancellation is not a possession decision. A longer stay does not automatically create a tenancy — and does not automatically fail to raise tenancy questions. Host house rules are not a substitute for state or local law.

What to document

Platform logs, cancellation notices, messages (on-platform and off-platform), payments including any direct transfer, guest agreement if any, and a dated timeline of who was in the property after the booking ended.

What not to do

Do not physically remove a guest, change locks, shut off utilities, or remove belongings because the platform cancelled the reservation. That cancellation does not, by itself, authorize self-help.

Where to go next

Georgia sources (Georgia-specific; other states vary) · All states · STR guest-overstay case · Short-term rentals · Protect my property

When professional help may be appropriate

When a short-term stay continues after the booking, a licensed attorney familiar with local occupancy and landlord-tenant rules can evaluate the facts. This site does not determine whether the occupant is a guest, tenant, or something else.

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