Airbnb host gave us a bad review!

[airbbbnb]

This is the first time I have used Airbnb. So perhaps I'm not versed at how to properly use it.

However, we spent up from 3.5 k for a house for a week and I think we had to pay around 200-250 for cleaning.

This was in a southern European country.

We have two young kids and we had a nice time but had to leave early due to a family emergency.

We stripped all the beds and put all towels and sheets in the washroom.

We cleaned the kitchen and sweeped the floors.

Some rubbish was left in the bins outside, because the weekly collection came after we already left.

We apologised for this and they told us not to worry.

We received a bad review - all around the fact that we left all the bedding and towels in the washroom and that they could see children's finger print marks on a lot of surfaces and on windows. They also mentioned that there was some sand on the floor under the beds. Obviously we didn't sweep well enough.

I don't really understand why I need to pay a cleaning fee if I need to clean windows ?

I'm never using Airbnb again.

paid a large bloody cleaning fee anyway.

They must pocket the cleaning fee. So they make guests do most of it and they don't employ a cleaner do the rest themselves.

Re negative reviews, at the end of covid when they lifted the ban we booked to go to a theme park and booked and AirB&B. We travelled 5 hours with a toddler while heavily pregnant got there and couldn't get ANY response from the people. They wouldn't even tell us what building it was or how to check in, no answering the phone or messages then 4 HOURS later (6 hours after we could check in from) we just got a generic cancellation email with 'you will recieve a refund'.

It was late now, no chance of driving 5 hour home, kids crying with hunger and had already spent money on the tickets for the next day so we had to run around trying to find somewhere else. ALL hotels where either fully booked or INSANELY expensive.

I left a totally honest bad review... and Airb&b deleted it no explanation of why and told we would not be compensated for the extra costs because we got a 'refund'. Their reviews still show as perfect on the website, now I wonder how many others complained but where deleted.

Other than that experience though I have never had a bad experience. Even the one that left the rude review it was nice while there its just the review that soured it.

I wouldnot stay in this accommodation BECAUSE of the bad review that the owners left. As an owner myself, I would expect to have the entire apartment (including windows) cleaned properly and not expect the guests to do it. I tell them not to touch the sheets etc as they all go to the laundry.

I have no idea why it was such a problem for them that I put the sheets in the washroom.

In terms of the smell of the sheets, it really was odd. The place was otherwise clean.

I found the comment about my children's hand marks especially upsetting.

And also the fact that we had met the hosts and we really found them so lovely and inviting and helpful. I really didn't have the heart to call them about the sheets and internet because I just thought they were so lovely on a personal level.

They had bought a whole host of stuff for us, like cold water in the fridge and some biscuits, a bottle of wine. They knew we had a one year old, so they'd got a high chair especially and a cot. They also left coffee for us to use and that kind of stuff. Milk even. I really appreciated that, so I didn't want to call and complain about something I could fix. Just to give a bit of context around the experience.

I think that's why my feelings were hurt by the whole thing.

We got a poor review from an Airbnb in the south if France for cleanliness. Ffs! I'd cleaned all bathrooms, stripped beds, swept and given the kitchen a surface clean. I also don't see the point in cleaning and paying £200 for cleaning!! Bonkers.

I get really put off by all the rules for properties on Air bnb. I have used it a few times and it's been ok but I generally prefer not to use it. We avoided booking one place because the host sounded batshit in some of the reviews they were leaving about guests.

I much prefer a hotel.

I can totally see why your feelings were hurt @airbbbnb

The thing is, if I read a review where the host is complaining about a toddler leaving fingerprints, I'd be thinking "nutter" and not book it, so they're shooting themselves in the foot really.

Fucking hell they’re utter scum.

Could you send them one of those environmentally friendly glitter bombs?

We've stayed in dozens all over Europe. We've only had two bad experiences, one in Wales years ago which was filthy. We only stayed as we'd arrive late and it was in the middle of nowhere. I slept in my clothes and we left really early without showering. I did not leave a good review.
The latest one was in Biarritz recently. It had great reviews and amazingly continues to have them. Again it was dirty and the bedding smelt of damp. Again we'd arrived late and were glad we were only staying one night. The host gave us a glowing review but I'm afraid I didn't. He then went ballistic in response to our very fair review but as he'd already said what great guests we'd been he looked a bit stupid.
Please don't leave great reviews for somewhere lousy, it just spoils it for the rest of us. If you have been good guests but have a poor experience you could wait until the host has reviewed you, you can't see it until you've written yours but you can then feel more comfortable writing your honest review.
We've loads more booked this year including a month long stay so I'm keeping my fingers crossed they are all as great as they look and reviewers say they are!

Ok so as it was my first time using Airbnb and I have no idea how it works, maybe you've just highlighted something then. As I couldn't read the review either, until I had given mine.

Being inexperienced I thought that's just how it works.

As we had to leave early and I've not used Airbnb before and I'm not a big reviewer, it took me, perhaps a week or a little longer until I left a review.

I got an email saying they'd reviewed us, but couldn't see it until I reviewed them.

So perhaps then, they thought we were going to leave a shitty review ? We weren't. I wasn't even thinking about reviewing until I kept getting emails reminding me to review. Could that be what happened too ?

If you have been good guests but have a poor experience you could wait until the host has reviewed you, you can't see it until you've written yours but you can then feel more comfortable writing your honest review

Can you explain this a bit more please? Just trying to understand what you mean.

Also, this wasn't France - It was Italy.

I do. They are killing small villages here but i am glad to say in a nearby village 2 of them have been sold as there were too many in the village and they just weren't getting the occupancy they needed.

Also Air bnb take 20% off the booking, it's not profitable, book direct in future.

I agree with this - many hosts are amateurish, and want the money without having to put up with the inconvenience of guests, and many don't seem to understand the normal conventions surrounding staying in a hotel/BnB.

You can be treated as unwelcome house guests.
Cancelling at the last minute is unprofessional in itself, and I really wouldn't consider using one for anything like a holiday if cancellation would leave us in an impossible situation.

How did you read the reviews the host left for previous guests?

Regardless of the reasonableness of the review or not, I am glad you are not going to use Air BnB again. Every person less using such short term lets will help the housing market in coastal and other holiday areas, for people such as those who work in hospitals and other key workers.

I had a very similar experience a couple of years ago OP. It was really horrible. I'd left a nice review - in spite of a couple of problems with the flat - and was horrified when we got a negative review. Like you, we'd stripped the bedding, swept up, taken bins out etc. I guess they expected something more? A full deep clean and a thank you gift?

I'm another that had a similar experience. They complained there was sand in the house (next to a beach, and we took shoes off) and said it was messy - but we'd stripped the beds tidied everything, emptied bins and separated and out out recycling, washed all dishes and wiped down the sides. There was £150 cleaning fee too! I think they expected us to hoover from the sounds of it. Also they said the neighbours could hear us (normal volume chat but house was terraced in an area they resent Airbnbs). I felt awful and emailed to apologise, but in retrospect I shouldn't have. I'd also left a good review when the place stank of cigarette smoke from the neighbours. Regretted that too.

Don't feel bad - you're not alone.

I begrudge the cleaning fee and the expectation you deep clean air b&bs. Why do they do that?

Forgot to say - you can leave a response to a bad review. I did that setting out my perspective.

I can't remember. We were reading reviews that guests left about the property (which were all quite nice) and then somewhere in there found the hosts comments and they were mad. Maybe it was replies to the guests reviews, I don't know. It was a few years ago and I generally avoid air bnb now unless it's absolutely necessary.

Surely a hotel would've been cheaper? Why spend that much?

Several posters have mentioned stripping the beds. I have never stripped beds in any Airbnb because it was never instructed to do so. Are hosts actually asking/telling you to do these things or are posters doing this of their own accord?

I’ve only done what was written (empty bins, not too loud, etc.). I will admit though I did clean the glass door in an Airbnb that my own tot left hand and mouth prints on but to me that was something that I noticed upon packing up and felt weird leaving behind even though I knew the host had a young child themselves.

There weren't nice hotels in the area.