Stuff AIRBNB hosts.

[Bangolads]

I used to love AIRBNB - it’s felt like the world was your oyster, you could stay in houses rather than sterile hotels and often the price was really reasonable. I loved the quirkiness.
Now the price is often extortionate, the place is run my professional hosts, it’s ruining communities and the rules and lists of things you can and can’t do feel as if hosts think they’re doing you a favour rather than offering a service for which you are paying. For the first time in years we stayed in a hotel on holiday - amazing! Airbnb is dead for me- AIBU?

I’ve stayed in a few AirB&Bs with no problems at all - nice homes, good locations and very accommodating hosts. We tend to look for self catering and it’s an easy way to find somewhere to stay. I do check reviews, look at the area etc before booking but I’ve never had any problems.

I use airbnb fairly often and have mostly had brilliant experiences. Which countries are these massive cleaning fees?

We do not list on Airbnb and if I’m looking for accommodation I don’t look there. Far too many chancers on there looking to make quick easy money with no regard to guest safety and well-being.

The STR market urgently needs licencing with no exemptions for “rent a room” or home hosting. The same standards need to apply as in traditional B&B accommodation particularly regarding fire safety etc

@justgotosleepffs - the air BnB I had the misfortune of living next to would charge £150 cleaning fee (SE England) for a 1 bed flat and people would pay it as it was always full. The cleaner would come for 1-2hours max. The hosts were just using it to pad profits.

Hate Airbnb now

Awful

Many are overpriced for what is offered, especially the shabby spare room ones. The positive reviews for occasional places have stayed read like fiction. I notice my particular bugbear has reinvented itself and changed its name several times, perhaps someone was brave enough to describe it as it was.

Done 2 air bnb’s this year.
France and UK, both fabulous, good locations and clean.
I’ll be going back to both of them.

AirBnBs did start as a room (or even couch) in someone's flat or house and was mega cheap but (usually) a great way to travel esp in expensive cities and meet people. Now some of the new AirBnBs (last ten years), short holiday lets etc are making more money for their owners than an ordinary tenancy would, especially if you can escape local taxes, and local communities are suffering. I still stay at one in north Norfolk which includes a delicious breakfast, lots of good advice, plenty of books - but in the owner's home. No en suite but plenty of space for privacy. And a quarter of the price of a hotel, half of a B&B.

I've honestly never had a bad experience with Airbnb.

However, I've never been interested in staying in people's actual houses where they live (if that makes sense?!). I don't want to stay with a stranger, or to be in their house while they're away or anything. So when I've used Airbnb I've only ever used it to book a holiday property and I'm pretty sure some of the places we've stayed in could also be booked via other sites.

I think the only we've ever had a problem at any of the places we've stayed in was when we arrived at an apartment to find there was no hot water, and the host was there within 15 minutes to sort it (he actually moved us to his other apartment in the same building, which was actually an upgrade as it was much bigger, because he thought that would nicer for us than having to wait for an emergency plumber).

I don't think we've ever had any major cleaning/early checkout requests either - maybe we've just been lucky.

I'm a host, wouldn't dream of asking people to clean, I even do their washing up and take out their rubbish!

I have a very liberal check in from 3pm - 9pm / check out at 11am.

I was waiting for a guest last night who never showed. No communication. I knew what she’d done. She gone to the event she was in my town for and planned to check in after. I also knew this would be after 11.00pm

I had to go to work. After advising her that she was out of time I set off. Sure enough she messaged me after 11pm saying she had only just seen my messages. I had already told airbnb who took over this point. They asked me if I could go home and let her in - my answer was no.

No I didn’t make her vulnerable, I sent her a message a while back with my check in times which she chose to ignore. What a rude, entitled idiot. She needs to book a hotel!

There was no other accommodation available so she had to drive home. She’s messaged me with an apology and asked to come today which I will allow If she arrives from 3-9pm.