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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Upset by a negative Airbnb review. Should I do anything?

291 replies

Daddyjammy · 06/09/2021 14:15

AIBU to be upset by the bad review we've just been given as guests? Worried it will impact on being able to rent other places.

Our family's always had great reviews from our hosts in the past and we try to be as considerate as possible, so this has quite upset me.

We had a lovely stay (won't mention where but in the UK) and left a glowing review of the place, which, to be fair was pretty immaculate when we arrived.

Checkout was supposed to be 10.00 which is at least an hour earlier than we've ever had before and we did try to get up and out in time but with two teenage kids we had managed to get all of our stuff out of the house and by the car by 10.40 and I was just doing final checks, cleaning kitchen and hoovering when the cleaner arrived. She was very curt with me as I was still on the drive but she was able to park on the road just 5 yards away then virtually threw me out of the house before i could even grab the (tied up) rubbish bags to put in the bin and recycling. We had hoovered the night before, cleared away all of our breakfast and generally tidied but apparently didn't put everything back in its right place, "moved artwork" (absolutely no idea what this could be) and left so much dog hair on the sofa it took an extra hour to clean (the dog, which we had checked was ok in advance, was banned from the sofa when we were there but may have got up there when we were out but we certainly didn't notice much hair).

Turns out the cleaner was the owner's mum so I'm guessing I caused offence by mentioning that she was "brusque" with us and maybe they're upset that we broke a dessert bowl, although I left a tenner to cover for this and offered more if I hadn't left enough, or that we accidentally used their Netflix account rather than our own (is that really bad form?).

Genuinely not sure if we sound like really bad guests and need to up our game or if we've come across a particularly picky host who expects too much from guests paying over £1,000 for a week with one bedroom and a sofa bed in a (quite nice) little house.

OP posts:
Shoxfordian · 06/09/2021 14:17

Yabu not to be out by the time you’re supposed to be out

Also sounds like you made a mess, and used their Netflix which will mess up their algorithms and potentially stop them using it at the same time

AryaStarkWolf · 06/09/2021 14:19

10am is a fairly standard check out time for Air B'nb's (in my experience of them anyway) Complaining about dog hair when they allow dogs is stupid though as are the other complaints, you rent out a holiday home you have to expect a broken bowl or glass every now and then

Chemenger · 06/09/2021 14:20

Why were you not out on time?

TaraR2020 · 06/09/2021 14:20

Just chalk it up to experience and move on

OrangeBlossomsinthesun · 06/09/2021 14:20

Having teenagers isn't really an excuse for being late leaving. You knew the time you had to be out it's your job to get up early enough.

Glssr195726113493 · 06/09/2021 14:21

Ha! You left nearly an hour late, the cleaner couldn’t park nearby and had to lug stuff, you broke something, you used their Netflix, you left dog hair all over the sofa… 😂 oh OP.

LadyTiredWinterBottom2 · 06/09/2021 14:21

Hmm don't know. They have to do extra sanitising because of covid so everyone is having to adhere to stricter hours. Sounds like they already cut your some slack by not turning up at 10.01, which they are entitled to do.

caughtinanet · 06/09/2021 14:22

How do you accidentally use someone else's netflix, had they left it signed in?

There was a thread recently about the etiquette of using the owners/previous tenents netflix in holiday accomodation, iirc I think most posters said you should use your own

If the check out time is 10 you should be out by 10, not sure what the time at other holiday places has got to do with it.

Bagelsandbrie · 06/09/2021 14:22

10am is a pretty normal check out time for any accommodation. You were 40 mins late…! Shock

TakeYourFinalPosition · 06/09/2021 14:23

There’s a bit of tit for tat here… but mostly; you should have checked when you needed to be out and been out then, being 40 minutes late isn’t on. Then describing the cleaner as “brusque” is unfair, and suggests they were unwelcoming which might put odd future guests… and they were equally as petty raising the broken bowl in response.

Using their Netflix is pretty bad form, it messes up the algorithm and it’s obvious it’s not your account when you log in. On its own, it’s minor; but after being an hour late to check out and breaking something, and the potential dog hairs, it sounds like they’ve just overall found you to be poor guests.

I wouldn’t worry too much about a single bad review if you’ve got other good ones, but I don’t think this was a great experience all round.

MerryHellbreakingloose · 06/09/2021 14:23

Reverse?

Because you sound like awful guests.

Lou98 · 06/09/2021 14:23

Sorry but YABU to be 40mins late checking out. I've stayed in a lot of places were 10am is check out. Having two teenagers isn't really an excuse, they're not young kids, they can get themselves ready and out on time.
Having to park on the road may not seem like a big thing to you but when she's lugging cleaning stuff with her it will be.

The dog hair is something they need to expect when they allow dogs and while I personally wouldn't have used their Netflix, they shouldn't have left it logged on if they don't want people using it.

I suspect though that they were annoyed about you being out late and then saying the cleaner was unreasonable about that so they decided to throw in the other bits

LanisHouseLot · 06/09/2021 14:23

None of those things are dreadful, but given there's a small list of things I don't think you could expect a glowing review. I bet the lateness could be excused if the place was a immaculate. Disappointing when you know you weren't a terrible guest reall. The host doesn't know you though, they're just responding to the lateness combined with hairy sofa, Netflix thing, possible moved artwork, and broken crockery.

the80sweregreat · 06/09/2021 14:24

You were a pain op !!
Admit it!! 😂

rainbowandglitter · 06/09/2021 14:24

Why is having teenagers an excuse for being late out? It's more understandable if you had a baby or toddlers but not for teenagers. They help you pack up surely?

SylvanasWindrunner · 06/09/2021 14:24

I think YABU to have left late. If that was a hotel, they probably would have have tried charging you! We always leave in plenty of time and have everything done the night before.

We always bring our own throws for our dog to go on the sofa. Did you do that?

GroggyLegs · 06/09/2021 14:26

You weren't the best guests though, were you?
Late, broke something, hairy sofa, shuffling artwork (?)...

If they're asking 1k for a one bed, their next guests will have high expectations too, which are affected by your actions.

But look, if the rest of your reviews are fine, I'd try & forget about it.

Branleuse · 06/09/2021 14:26

I would be pissed off to get a bad review just for that.

If its any consolation, id probably check the sort of reviews a place left other guests and would avoid someone that I thought were picky
What did they say about you

LawnFever · 06/09/2021 14:26

If they left their Netflix logged in why would you swap it? I wouldn’t! That’s their problem.

They shouldn’t allow dogs if they don’t want dog hair, that’s a silly complaint.

Not like you were still in bed when the cleaner arrived, I think that’s a minor irritation but nothing mega.

I once had an AirB&B complain to me that we’d used the sofa bed & ‘extra’ bedding when we’d booked for four people and yes so obviously we needed to use it, and that we’d left the bins when there were no instructions at all about where to empty them to and it was a flat so it wasn’t obvious whatsoever - I wrote a factual reply to their comments and never heard anything more.

Geamhradh · 06/09/2021 14:26

Accidentally used their Netflix?
How do you manage to not notice that?

You say yourself the place was immaculate and you left a glowing review, then seem to change your mind towards the end. Which is it?

A place may allow dogs, but if your dog "may" have got onto the sofa and dirtied it or left it full of hair while you were elsewhere, then you need to check.

Teenagers not being able to vacate by checking out time is just laughable.

Owners do have to allow for breakages, sure. But I've lived in my house for years and can't remember last time a dish got broken. To manage to break crockery in such a short time does smack of carelessness.

Hoppinggreen · 06/09/2021 14:27

Well you should have been out by 10 and shouldn’t have used their Netflix
The dog hair and broken bowl isn’t a big deal though

WomanStanleyWoman · 06/09/2021 14:28

Can’t you leave a reply to the review? I’ve done that before when I’ve felt the host was unfair, or if something needed clarifying.

I’d hate a 10am check-out, but you did agree to it. I’d apologise for being late out and say you hope it didn’t cause too much trouble. Point out that you specifically asked if dogs were permitted and that you would not have brought yours had the answer been no.

Mintjulia · 06/09/2021 14:28

You weren't out on time, and as you say, a few other little things. All of which you have apologised for.

I'd just leave it. No point in getting into an argument.

SylvanasWindrunner · 06/09/2021 14:29

About the checking out thing - would you have accepted leaving 40 mins late for school? If you had a plane to catch? A medical appointment? Surely they have to get up and ready for those things, so leaving accommodation on time shouldn't really be an issue!

Glssr195726113493 · 06/09/2021 14:29

@MerryHellbreakingloose

Reverse?

Because you sound like awful guests.

Oh, you may be on to something here. Unless the OP never comes back. Then we know they were just not very self-aware, entitled Netflix nickers Grin