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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:
Justmuddlingalong · 06/09/2021 14:29

There's a check out time in order for the cleaner to ready the property for the next guests. By not making the effort to vacate the rental on time alone, yabu.

Dollywilde · 06/09/2021 14:31

The lateness and referring to the cleaner as brusque in the review YABU

The rest YANBU, breakages happen, Netflix they shouldn’t leave logged in if they don’t want people using it and the dog - don’t want dog hairs, don’t accept dogs.

But the lateness rather overrides the rest.

SirChenjins · 06/09/2021 14:31

All these things on their own aren't too bad, but added together they were probably a bit annoying. Leaving 40 minutes late is pretty off though - 10am is a standard self catering checkout and while it can be a total pita moving teenagers it's a non-negotiable, with breakfast in a cafe somewhere if needed to get out in time.

How bad was their review of you?!

JustLyra · 06/09/2021 14:31

You were still hoovering and cleaning at 10.40 - when were you actually planning to leave?

The teenagers are hardly an excuse for being at least an hour late. If you had toddler triplets then it would be more understandable, but still not excusable.

You didn't bother checking out on time, blocked the drive, left the place messy, let your dog on the sofa, broke something and then you were rude about the cleaner in your review, but you're huffing because their review of you isn't glowing?

JackieChiles · 06/09/2021 14:31

We are much worse guests than this and we always get good reviews!

Ifyoudontlikeitdosomethingelse · 06/09/2021 14:31

I can't stand it when people are late. There is no excuse for it.

Wake up at 7, that's 3 hours to get ready and leave.

10 is standard hotel/b and b times.

I have been a cleaner at holiday houses and it bloody annoying when people don't leave on time. It makes your job so so much harder.
It also makes you feel degraded as you know you can't afford £1000 holidays and the people who can just waltz around like your job is far less important because your just the poor cleaner.

Innocenta · 06/09/2021 14:31

@SylvanasWindrunner A hotel wouldn't normally charge you for 40 minutes. It's more of an inconvenience to an AirBnB owner.

memberofthewedding · 06/09/2021 14:32

Why were you cleaning and hoovering if they had a cleaner? I would certainly be altering my own review and/or responding. And I would certainly not have put up with a sassy cleaner.

SirChenjins · 06/09/2021 14:32

Actually - you weren't leaving 40 minutes late, she pretty much threw you out 40 minutes after leaving time, so you might have been there longer if she hadn't arrived.

cherrybonbons · 06/09/2021 14:32

I struggle with leaving on time too Op. I think that makes me the devil in Mumsnet eyes. Actually it's hardly the biggest deal when, as you have said, you were leaving so hardly still in bed, and you spent £1000 for a week. I know prices are competitive but That's a huge amount of money.
Netflix, I would say that's for the owners to delete if they don't want the guests using it.... I have been offered Netflix when I stay.
Dog hair is ridiculous if allowing people to stay with dogs.
I wouldn't worry about it. In the grand scheme of things, Netflix, dog hair and leaving slightly late is hardly the worst thing in the world.

ithinkilikeit · 06/09/2021 14:33

Think this is some type of reverse or just made up, there was a post about a woman not taking out bins after staying at a church Airbnb and getting a bad review a few weeks ago and another post about one who had used someone else’s Netflix that had been left logged in at an Airbnb.

HappilyHadesBound · 06/09/2021 14:34

Oh wow, I'd say yabVu- just for the time!!!

Teenagers can help for goodness sake!

We had a check out time from our summer accommodation of 9 am and we were out at 8.30- and that's with 5 kids, only one of whom is a teenager!

MintyGreenDream · 06/09/2021 14:35

You haven't got a leg to stand on Yabu

SylvanasWindrunner · 06/09/2021 14:36

[quote Innocenta]@SylvanasWindrunner A hotel wouldn't normally charge you for 40 minutes. It's more of an inconvenience to an AirBnB owner. [/quote]
Yes that's true about the inconvenience. I was just thinking more along the lines of most people being out on time in a hotel but because it's a 'home' setting thinking it doesn't matter as much or something.

Ifyoudontlikeitdosomethingelse · 06/09/2021 14:36

@cherrybonbons it is a big deal when the cleaner only has a limited time to clean and the last people don't leave on time.

I've been a holiday let cleaner. Its bloody hard work and takes a certain amount of time. So people leaving late means your job is even harder.

Have some consideration.

It's not hard to not be late.
Wake up earlier, do things the night before. And move quicker!

Sneesher · 06/09/2021 14:36

Leaving 40 minutes late is pretty bad.

I'd expect to be marked down on a review for that.

Justmuddlingalong · 06/09/2021 14:36

The next guests could well be paying £1000 for a weeks stay. And if they can't check in on time, would presumably blame the host for being disorganised. Possibly leaving a negative review, when it's the previous guests who've caused the hold up.

DynamoKev · 06/09/2021 14:37

Sounds like a truthful review you don't like OP, rather than a "bad" one.

lunar1 · 06/09/2021 14:38

What time do your teenagers have to be at school?

Luckingfovely · 06/09/2021 14:39

Frankly you are ill-mannered, entitled, and rude, and deserved much worse than you got. You were way out of order on multiple accounts and won't take responsibility for any of it. Grim.

I really really hope this does stop you from getting into any other AirBNBs in future, for the sake of the landlords.

Thatsjustwhatithink · 06/09/2021 14:39

It sounds like you were late, left it in a right mess and were rude to the cleaner??

MammaSchwifty · 06/09/2021 14:40

£1000? bloody hell!

Lweji · 06/09/2021 14:40

What time did you get up, OP? Just curious.

RiversideAnne · 06/09/2021 14:41

They sound a bit picky about some things (hair on the sofa if they have said pets are ok is to be expected, and occasional breakages are surely par for the course?) but I do think it’s pretty bad form for you to not be out on time. Your teenagers ought to be capable of getting up and ready to leave by 10am, which is far from early.

These days with Covid people are having to do more thorough cleans than before, so I can see why a delay was a pain for them.

You could respond to apologise for leaving late but suggest they don’t allow pets if they’re going to be difficult about pet hair, but I would be inclined to let it go and move on. I think it’s unlikely to affect your ability to rent places in future as your overall rating should still be good.