To not want to stay in an AirBnB that is basically someone's home...?

[LiveInFulhamGetOverIt]

So for the second time, I've stayed in an AirBnB that appears to just be someone's home, except the host wasn't there.

Food in the fridge, family photographs, laundry in the washing machine, a bag of opened avocados on the surface. Clutter.

It's like the owner has just decamped and left the home to me for the night.

What's going on here? The photographs on AirBnB make the house look like a it is a serviced apartment...but the reality is different.

Does the host actually live here?
Where does the host go when I stay?

Anyone had similar experiences? AIBU to not want this?

Words fail me.

This would be fine if a fraction of the cost of a normal rental and the terms made super clear. The issue is that people thing their precious homes are perfect and charge accordingly as if there was a certain charm to sitting among someone belongings.

This is what Airbnb started as although I’d expect them to tidy their things away!

We use them a few times a year but only stay in places with lots of 5* reviews (super hosts), would never stay in one without any. You just don’t know what you’re getting and it’s getting worse as more and more people jump on the bandwagon.

We’re starting to get a bit put off by the later check-ins, earlier check-outs and excessive and sometimes patronising list of dos and don’ts that hosts leave. We’re having to be even more picky when looking at listings to try to avoid these hosts. Did the property come with any reviews or additional information?

Think yourself lucky we found out we were staying in someone's home whom were staying there as well. We woke to the owner topless making us breakfast. But all wasn't lost as he did us a barbecue in the evening with some fireworks to celebrate our occasion. Thankfully they were lovely but we were definitely not expecting it!

That is literally what Airbnb was set up for. That's why they are called 'hosts', they host you in their house, or list their house when they are not there to make a bit of extra cash.

Absolutely. This is exactly what Airbnb is.

We stayed in someone's home in Paris - and it was brilliant! It was a woman who was a single mum with 2 teenage kids, in the summer the kids went to stay with their dad for extended periods and she went to live with her parents who lived elsewhere in France.

However she left the house like a "proper holiday flat" - there was a big walk in cupboard in the hall where I presumed they locked away all of their personal things, the whole place was SPOTLESS, fridge empty. For us visiting with three kids it was excellent as we had much more space than in a hotel, we had access to washing machine, all the other facilities like coffee maker and cooker, we were in a quiet residential part of Paris with a supermarket downstairs close to the metro. Our host clearly did this every summer though and had very good ratings on airbnb. She was also picky about who she rented to - families only, not single-sex groups or mixed groups of young people.

I've a friend who I think is doing this. They bought a second home and are doing it up. But their movements have changed and they mentioned "sorting towels" to thier husband the other day when I was on a zoom call with them.

I've not asked, it's none of my business, but it would make financial sense.

We always use AirBnB for holidays in the UK, ranging from a room in someone’s house in North Yorks to a static caravan on an eventing yard in Shropshire, as well as the usual whole cottages.

Never had a problem, always been spotlessly clean but the key is to use someone who is a Superhost (consistently excellent reviews).

You didn't book properly. I've been using Airbnb since 2014 and it's always been book either a private room or entire place. You didn't filter it properly.

A friend lets out her house via Airbnb in the summer - it’s a dormer bungalow with her own bedroom and bathroom on the upper floor, with a double and single on the ground floor with another bathroom. When she lets it, the door to the upper floor is securely locked and contains all her personal stuff that would otherwise be around the house. She goes to her boyfriend’s house for the duration of a let and is easily reachable by phone but doesn’t interfere.

It’s immaculate and elegant but it’s not a second home let in an anonymous style. Her photos are clear, and she is booked up with repeat visitors.

Had no one pointed out in the reviews that the owner hadn't made it clear it was lived in rather than empty and that the photos were misleading? Make sure you do if not so that others know in future. Or were there no reviews? I wouldn't stay somewhere with no reviews, made that mistake once, never had a problem since though.

I think it’s reasonable to expect the place to be clean even if it is someone’s house. I wouldn’t expect laundry in the washing machine and food left out. You often pay a flensing fee for air bnb regardless of whether it is a private let or holiday apartment. This (in my opinion) should include a place that is cleaned to a good standard. I’d re-read the advert to check the wording and if it genuinely doesn’t make it clear you can either message the host to ask or instead perhaps go direct to air bnb to explain the situation and potentially ask for the cleaning fee to be refunded?

^ cleaning fee not flensing (!) fee

We stayed in one in London where the owner was there and we just had our own room/ bathroom. As already said that's how it started out. People just renting a room in their home. We got what we expected and it was miles cheaper than any hotel.

What do they do about valuables etc? There are so many drawers of doom in my
house not sure I would want a random stranger rifling amongst our stuff!

If you want, like something and don't want something, ask, ask rather than have your time away messed up.
We've never stayed in ann airbnb but thought about it but most work out more expensive than hotels and now cooked breakfast by most, unlike hotels.

Only stayed in 2, last summer. The first was a converted portacabin, brilliant location, top of the owner’s drive, out of sight, it was like a little cottage. The second was an apartment the guy had built for his elderly mum who hated the isolation and being away from her mates and unable to walk to get to shops so moved back to her town. It was not very private as the guy kept popping up wanting to get his dog in our dog”s face/to chat endlessly. We had to lie and say we had dinner booked to get away! We were inexperienced Airbnb users, should have taken on board the reviews re dog playing with renters’ dog!

One of the best features of our one and only Air B&B one-night London stay was sharing the flat with the owner’s cat Habibi🤗

Other best features - a piano which my son loved and that she had some long-discontinued but one of my favourite perfumes in the bathroom so I had a good squirt.

We found a place which looked lovely. House to ourselves, garden, piano. In messages with the owner turned out he was expecting to feed their cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and parrot which, of course, remained in the family home whilst he stayed with family. Wasn't cheap either. Decided it wasn't for us but I guess some people might have thought the 'my family and other animals' theme would be fun. Seemed well booked up.

Back in the 70's my family stayed in a guest house in Swanage. The family running it decamped to a cabin in the garden for the summer!

Food in the fridge and washing in the washing machine is more than unacceptable, it’s grim.

Be sure to leave a stinker of a review.

How is having food in the fridge “grim”? 🙄

Once the DCs are off I was planning on giving letting their rooms out a go. If we move downstairs then we’d be able to let guests have 2 rooms, and bathroom and a living room. We’d still be in the house though and the neighbours wouldn’t thank us for having party animals in the house so we’d have to make all of that very clear in the listing.

The only Air BNB I've stayed in was a spare room with private bathroom in the owners' house. I only ever saw them in the kitchen - in theory I was welcome to use the sitting room but I never did. I thought they were mostly like this tbh.

It’s grim because OP was under the impression that she would be staying in a serviced apartment (as per the photos) rather than someone’s home. That’s hardly unreasonable of her