Airbnb - not sure who is BU.

[Flossynoodle123]

I've just returned from 2 nights away staying in someone's house booked through airbnb. I have only done 1 airbnb trip before and it was problem free. The home owner for the trip this week now wants me to pay for carpet cleaning and I don't know what is reasonable.
I'm a single mother with a 6 year old son. The advert on airbnb said that we would be sharing the 3 bed 1 bath terraced house with just the single female owner and that only 1 bedroom was let out. Baths were not allowed as she was on a water meter. The cost was £114 for 2 nights.
The house was fine. However, after the first night the lady owner said there was a man in the back bedroom who works nights but not to worry about waking him as he sleeps deeply. This was another airbnb person staying for a couple of weeks. I was a bit taken aback but said nothing. I wouldn't have booked had I known he would be there - safety issue and only 1 bathroom.
I also didn't say anything about the fact that the water pressure of the over bath shower was so low I actually couldn't get the shampoo out of my hair despite standing there for 5 minutes.
I also didn't mention the curious fact that there was plaster all over the (old) white bathroom tiles. Could be scraped off with a fingernail. Seems she'd had the ceiling skimmed but not cleaned up.
I put it down to experience and just decided not to leave a review on the site as I didn't want to be negative when she has only been doing airbnb for a couple of months.
I confess that my DS made a tiny chocolate mark on the new white bedding. So tiny I didn't mention it as I have pure white bedding and knew it would wash out easily.
After we left she emailed to ask me to pay for carpet cleaning and complained about the bedding stain.
Apparently there was a speck of chocolate on the carpet that smeared when she hoovered and the mark on the bedding wouldn't come out on a "refresh' wash.
I was mortified to have left anything that would mark the carpet and offered her £20. I also explained my issues re the random man and bathroom. I asked if Vanish carpet stain remover wouldn't get rid of the stain. I said that small marks on a carpet in a letting bedroom were inevitable and suggested she get a Vax carpet cleaner as this shouldn't really be a guest issue as minor matters like that should be factored in to the price paid.
I said I was a bit shocked that bedding shared by strangers was only getting a refresh wash and that you can't keep white bedding pristine without a proper wash.
She has said she takes on board my comments (but said no more) and gave me bank transfer details to send her the £20.
On reflection I think I'm the one who should be getting a discount!
What should I do????

[Cheby]

I wouldn't pay her and I would leave a review stating the facts as you've described them here.

Also, £57 a night for one room, sharing with other people and with restricted bathroom privileges is a complete rip off. I paid £350 for 3 nights, for a full 2 bedroom split floor apartment, 4 minutes walk from Euston station in London. And it was lovely. As many baths as you could eat.

I live in the north of England, I've got a nice spare bedroom. I'm now thinking about Airbnb myself!!

[BoatyMcBoat]

Yuk, anyone could sleep in that bedding........

[SapphireStrange]

I wouldn't pay. I'd say her attitude and more reflection has caused you to decide to retract the goodwill offer.

Having someone else staying when you'd been told you'd be the only guests is not acceptable.

Not being able to have a bath because of her water costs, when she's charging that much money, is not great.

Her not even washing bedding properly is alarming.

I'd say all this in an email to her, and leave a public review along the same lines.

[Pinkheart5915]

She said there would be only her and you arrived to find two other guests staying
You aren't allowed to use the bath and the shower doesn't work properly
She doesn't wash the bedding properly

Based on that would I pay for her carpet cleaning, No I wouldn't. I'd also leave a review stating the above things so people booking in future know what they will get.

[Rainbunny]

Please don't tell me you paid her! I've used airbnb for 3 years now and your experience sounds bad to me. First of all she shouldn't EVER spring a "surprise" guest on you without prior notification. The other issues make me think she's being ridiculous, and cleaning costs should be factored into the fee in anycase. A chocolate stain that can't be cleaned with a bit of carpet cleaner? Pull the other one. You need to contact airbnb and write what you have written here - they will take the extra guest business very seriously and they may well refund you on that basis alone. I have had partial refunds when I stayed somewhere that was clean but clearly hadn't been cleaned recently (dead spiders in the bed).

Another thing, you need to follow up with airbnb because your host will write a review (she can write both a public review and a private review that you don't see, as can you). You don't want her writing a bad review about you so that other hosts think you're a bad guest, effectively giving you a black mark on airbnb. If you contact airbnb with your concerns they may stop this from happening.

[MyFriendsCallMeOh]

This sounds terrible. I'm an Airbnb community expert and superhost. She is not allowed to ask you for any money outside of airBnB and you should definitely not pay a penny. On arrival at her place, if there was anything you were unhappy with, you should have logged a complaint with the resolution center online and they would not have released payment to her until the issues were resolved.

I would definitely review her in the public section (that shows on her listing) and also let Airbnb know (you can give private feedback to Airbnb I believe).

[Wolpertinger]

£57 for a shared bathroom in the North of England, where you couldn't have a bath, she doesn't wash the bedding properly and a strange guest was sprung on you is flipping extortionate! Even in half term!

I'm currently looking a places for less than that for sole occupancy in peak season in Rome slap next to the main tourist attractions with 5 star reviews coming our of their ears, wifi, air con and everything you could possibly want.

You need to contact AirBnB pronto as she is a bad host and you don't want to be reviewed as a bad guest when none of this was your fault.

[AElizabeth]

Unless it'd put me in hardship, I'd pay the £20 just because I said I would. But I don't think it would be wildly unreasonable not to.

Whatever you decide, leave a very detailed and accurate review. And make sure you've got records of your communication, especially if you decide not to pay her, as she might kick up a fuss and try to get Airbnb and god knows who else involved, or just plain harass you - she sounds a bit odd.

[Rainbunny]

Good point Wolpertinger! I stayed at a gorgeous downtown condo in Vancouver, BC last month for $60 a night. It was pretty swanky too, the OP's stay sounded very grim and ridiculously expensive!

[RubbishMantra]

Just had a look at their site, and they offer a Host Guarantee up to £600,00, and host protection insurance at no extra cost to the host. Both claim to cover accidental damage. (not sure how much "damage" a couple of chocolate stains could cause - a spray of Vanish on the carpet, and washing her sheets at the proper temperature would sort that out.)

Cheeky mare's trying it on! Don't pay, and leave an honest review.

[Rainbunny]

Please OP, deal with this through airbnb NOT personally with the host. Airbnb users rely on the reviews and airbnb themselves need to have accurate information about hosts when deciding to allow users/hosts to be on airbnb. If you just deal with her directly then future guests won't know about the true situation.

I don't think this woman should be an airbnb host tbh.

[QuestionableMouse]

I paid less than that per night for a Travelodge where I had a fantastic room and could have as many showers as I wanted. I'd tell her to bugger off.

[rookiemere]

I have to say the more I read about airbnb, the less likely I am to use it unless it was for full rental of a property which I can do through owners direct etc anyway.

I'd pay it just to get her off your back, but I'd leave a scrupulously honest review and in future I'd stay in a Premier Inn - we recently stayed in one on Good Friday night on the way down to Wales - cost us 52 for a room for 3 including breakfast and we didn't have to share the bathroom with anyone.

[Sugarlightly]

She should absorb the cost - cleaning is going to be necessary to people using air bnb. However, if you didn't feel you were safe you should have left and requested your money back, not stay and then demand a refund for services you used