AirBnb not cleaned - AirCover experiences?

[Happygogoat]

Hi
i have arrived at an AirBnb and it is not cleaned from previous guests - think unmade beds, wet dirty towels everywhere, stuff in sink, no sign of the “welcome goodies” referred to.
I immediately contacted host with pics and they apologised and said the cleaner would be there soon to sort it out and “work around me”. I have 3 kids 5 and under to get to bed including an overtired baby going mental now.

I hadn’t got as far as thinking about resolution, we just need somewhere to sleep tonight but the host said “I’m so sorry and we will offer you 10% off your next stay”.

AIBU? My next stay?! This area is a tourist spot but I am here for a specific reason not likely to come back. And 10% feels very little for this inconvenience?

I calmly explain that didn’t sound suitable to me but left it there. AIBU? Should I try to resolve this directly or via Airbnb, does anyone have experience of this? In my mind having this first night refunded is more like what I had in mind.

Updated to add that the (lovely) cleaner had just arrived and explained that the host contacted her in a hurry to ask if she could come and do the property short notice “because they have a booking”. I booked this in January!!

I'd say 10% off your next stay doesn't even come close. Why the hell would you be thinking about going back there right now?. It's this holiday that's been massively impacted not the next one. You need compensation for this holiday. I'd be wanting a couple of days worth of refund. The whole point of renting a cottage is that it's all taken care of and turning up to a house that's unclean and unmade is totally unacceptable.

Get onto Airbnb if necessary.

Yeah I'd be really annoyed about this too. As an Airbnb host, you get loads of reminders about guests coming. How long are you staying? I'd maybe ask for the first night and the cleaning fee to be waived. You might have to deal with Airbnb itself. I'd also leave a very stinky review! Poor cleaner - not their fault. Hope you get the kids settled.

10% off the next sale is a joke.

Id want my cleaning fee refunded at a minimum as well as some money off the stay for the inconvenience.

Plus I’d be giving a 1 star rating for the cleaning, the lack of gesture and the inconvenience

I'd want that nights stay refunded at the very minimum. I'd ask her for that and then escalate if she doesn't agree.

Thanks for replies so far. That’s what I was thinking. It’s a 3 night booking. So this night and the cleaning fee refunded is what I’m after I think. The place is otherwise perfectly suitable and as described but grrrrr

I'm also a host with Air- this just isn't on. I get repeated reminders from Air if I have guests arriving in the next week/ days/ hours- did you have a message from the host with an arrival time and details of where to get the keys?
If I had made that mistake (or my cleaner just hadn't turned up) I would at the very least refund the first night and arrange a nice gift (wine and a meal at a local restaurant for example).
You are probably stuck there for tonight, but if it's not put right, you would be within your rights with Air to ask to be relocated to a different property at the hosts expense.

This happened to us when we arrived at a self-catering property in Northumberland at half-term last October (not Airbnb). We contacted the owner who was horrified, apologised profusely and arrived within an hour with three of her friends to do the job herself. It didn't occur to me to ask for compensation, BUT we discovered the situation when we arrived at 4.30pm, and we didn't have small children or babies with us, and hadn't paid a separate cleaning fee. She left us two bottles of Prosecco rather than one.

I suppose it depends when you arrived - 4pm is different from 7pm - and what you think is reasonable. I would agree that waiving tonight's fee would be appropriate.

I'm an Airbnb/booking .com/VRBO host. I'd be completely mortified if some one arrived unexpectedly and tbh would probably not charge you at all to make up for it if only a 3 night stay. You get sooo many reminders especially with Airbnb of guests imminent arrival, that's unforgivable.

10% off next stay? They must be joking.
1* and a complain to Airbnd.

and this is one of many reasons not to book air b&c private accomodation.

hope you are able to resolve if. tell the host you expect money off your current stay.

I've stayed and loads of Airbnb and private accomodations and have had overwhelmingly good experiences. I've had far more issues with big holiday companies.

I have stayed in Airbnbs perhaps 30 times and never had a single issue.

This is a superhost of a few well established listings! Yes, they sent check in details a few days ago so it’s not like they didn’t know?

I know mistakes happen but it’s really buggered me this eve with the baby especially. I’d like to resolve it directly rather than via Airbnb if possible.

Cleaner is running round now and to be fair the place will be sparkling and smell lovely by the looks of it; but coming in to other peoples messy sheets and wet towels on the floor has given me the ick a bit!

This happened to us the host refunded the cleaning fee and sent someone within a hour.

I gave a 4* review and commented positively on her availability and speed to resolve an issue.

That is such a one star service. Hence why air bnb are rubbish.

Air b and b are generally fab! Don’t agree they are rubbish at all and we have stayed in loads

Oh heck, what a start to your holiday! Thank goodness for the wonderful cleaner, and hopefully you'll enjoy the rest of your stay. That host's casual attitude is despicable and I hope you can report him to AirBandB. You should get at least one night refunded, not ten per cent off a next time which obviously will not happen.

Yanbu. Who gives 10÷ off something you never book again

Something like that happened to DH once when he was staying in an Airbnb for work. He arrived and found it messy and uncleaned. Got in touch with the host who apologised, booked him a room in a nearby hotel for that night and it got cleaned the next day. Can’t remember whether he got any money off for it as well.

You should not try and resolve directly - all messages should be via the app so there's a paper trail.

We had similar happen just this week. Arrived in Portugal, lovely villa but hadn't been cleaned.
Contacted the host. Cleaners arrived within 30 minutes and an immediate 25% refund (without asking)
I left an excellent review as the problem was sorted so quickly.
We arrived at 3pm and the place was spic and span by 5pm.

Airbnb are not rubbish though. What ever reason you have for hating them (and I get some of the hate around the wider issues of the impact on the local communities, house prices etc.) but the quality of service for the vast majority of stays isn't one of them.

Feel free to call out the real reason you don't like them rather than conflating that with poor service. My experience has always been good.

I agree, I have in general had such good experiences. And this is clearly one human error not letting the cleaner know of the booking so I don’t want to berate them.

However; to continue the saga, the thermostat is out of battery and so couldn’t put heating on! And it is chilly… I messaged asking if there was a manual way to turn it on and there isn’t, but they’ve sent someone here with batteries! I almost feel bad as they are responding and sorting so promptly; they must feel dreadful. But yes not the ideal start.

I am putting it out of my mind until after the weekend as we have travelled for a special reason! :)