Airbnb money grabbers

[Toetapper]

Airbnb hosts: Would you consider the following grounds for a refund?

The property was situated opposite a very noisy outdoor bar. I recorded 80db at 10pm at night, and I have videos to share. This was just the sound of the revellers - it was much louder with the music. The bedroom window on the top floor didn’t close, and so the noise was exceptionally intrusive. The property had not been adequately maintained. The listing does not reflect how the property looks now. Most indoor plants are dead. The garden was unusable, as it was dirty. We found a hair on the loo seat, a chip in the oven, mould on the window, and old laundry piled up. The windows were very dirty. Walls were scuffed and dirty. Decoration used for staging the property were taken down, leaving bare walls. The property is not adequately provisioned. We could not find the hair dryer. There was no washing up liquid, no bottle opener and just a handful of mugs. We complained as soon as we arrived, please check.

So, we spoke to Airbnb as soon as we got there. They didn’t resolve. The host declined to help. Said it was our fault for booking it as we should have known about the bar?! I disagree, and think that a/ he should have been honest about it, and b/ should have taken steps to mitigate noise for a comfortable stay. Instead not only was our bedroom window a rotting single glazed window, it wouldn’t close!

Offered a £300 ‘refund’ for our £1100 three night stay, but only if we vacated right away… assuming so he could rent it out again and pocket the £800 it would have cost us for the one night.

It’s now with Airbnb for arbitration, but I’m not holding out much hope. Any advice?

What were the reviews like?

To add insult to injury, the host employs a ‘co host’ to manage the property - who also hosts about 50 other properties and so has little ‘skin in the game’ as it were. We have had no direct communication from the owner of the property, but we got an idea of their modus operandi by their bookshelves… sickening.

@Blinkagain the reviews were great, which is why we chose it, and what I don’t get?

Huh? What does that picture tell us about them?

So you’re very much the outlier?

how many reviews and what was score overall?

Did any of the reviews mention the noise?

We always, always Google streetview when booking this sort of self-catering property, whether it is in the UK or any other country.

I will never understand why folk book Air BnB, just use a hotel! Staff onsite to resolve anything, no cleaning and no quibbling over issues.

@Blinkagain yes, we are the outliers. I just don’t understand though. The bookshelves had lots of books on making money from property, but I suppose it was telling me that that is their mindset rather than offering a great experience.

none of the reviews mentioned the noise?

8 years of using air BnB

and every single one without exception has been nothing short of perfect

I go high end, and only with loads of very positive reviews

Because it’s cheaper and you can self cater and mostly they are fine.

It's basic common sense to check out the location of your accommodation, and what's nearby, on Google maps.

No mentions of noise in reviews. If I could attach videos here I would - 80db of DJ… we’ve had lots of experience of Airbnb - good ones at that. We booked it because of the garden. Somewhere private and outdoors for us to relax. It probably would have been cheaper to book a hotel but there wouldn’t have been that amenity. As it was, we couldn’t use it as it was dirty.

Complaining about the location is where you went wrong, you should have checked before you booked - that said it wouldn’t have bothered me because I would have gone to said bar, hence the good reviews. Cleanliness, laundry and missing items are a separate matter but none seem too outrageous

You’d be better off with pictures of the dirt and grime rather than books that offended you.

@theunbreakablecleopatrajones

In most places hotels are cheaper but you can’t cook in one, as I never cook on holiday that’s immaterial. Im on holiday now and my hotel rooms have averaged £90 a night, self catering was considerably more and not in convenient locations like hotels (who also cook breakfast!)

This is the risk with Airbnb unfortunately. It's not as tightly regulated as hotels are, so you can get places like this and hosts who don't care. As a PP said, mostly it's fine but this is the downside.

Your fault for not checking the location properly and for choosing an AirBNB in the first place....

The picture of their books just make you sound a bit unhinged.

@Tirednessismydefult - I have lots of those pictures too, and I haven’t shared the pictures of the books with Airbnb as it’s not relevant to my complaint. Regarding looking at location, yes I see your point. We knew it was going to be busy - its city centre. But so are lots of hotels - and other airbnbs we’ve stayed in. And what happens is that they take measures at the property to mitigate the noise. I have also learned that it’s good practice for hosts to mention noise in their listing. I understand that noise doesn’t bother some people…they’d be happy to go to the bar, but we would not have chosen it had we have known and I think the hosts were disingenuous for not mentioning it.

Premier Inns are cheap and fine to stay in. They’re clean and have helpful staff (IME). I’d just never stay anywhere where I’m paying, then having to clean the place myself and then running the risk of issues with unhelpful people like OP has experienced.

I would usually agree but we have a child with Coeliac and depending on where we are, it’s sometimes easier to self cater so he’s not sitting around loads of food in a hotel he can’t eat. Saying that I effin hate Airbnb - mainly on principle.

Depending on where you are staying noise is to be expected.

city centre apartments can be in very noisy areas.

Dirty is more of a problem - did you take photos?

Person who runs Air B'n'B has interest in property investing books doesn't seem to outrageous. I can think of far worse books for the shelves to be filled with.

Don’t want to derail thread with discussion of pics of books and benefits or otherwise of Airbnb, but to the person who mentioned I sound unhinged… yes I’m very annoyed :) it feels like we’ve been ripped off. Any hosts on here who can offer their perspective?