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?

@thrive25 How? There is more than £500 over. That can’t all be cleaning fees.

I don't work all year to be forced to book something I don't want. I want self catering for more reasons than I mentioned, the list is much longer.
No one forced the sellers to sell their house to an investor. They could have sold only to a young family or first time buyer.
While self catering is an option, I, and plenty of others will do that

Yeah, the post above mine says “it’s just not happening” if you want quiet in a city. It definitely happens!

More reasonable to presume you won’t get “peace” in a cc air BnB garden, than you will

Hi @marmaladeandpeanutbutter : I couldn’t see your question in full but I think you are querying my calculations

£1100/6 is £183.33 per night

(2 bedroom apartment minimum as OP does not mention sharing a room with her DC and states her DH is with her)

Cleaners will charge approx £20 ph and it’s not a normal level household clean

We do doors, windows, skirting, dust down to the lightbulbs , clean inside drawers, disinfect lightswitches, remote etc every single time … I do it myself so I know & can’t get my 1 bed 1 showed room 1 kitchenette space done in less than 3 hours, plus maintaining the patio on top …

Something similar happened to me in France although it was a lot cheaper. It was a small studio within old town district of a city, very good reviews. Every night there was a cackle of noisy uber drivers waiting as there was a busy takeaway on the corner. They were revving up their bikes, laughing, playing music well into early morning. How come other guests find it bearable? I do not know. I left after 2 nights, did not get refund even though I complained.

Oh. I thought it was 3 nights! I must have misread.

How did you measure the exact decibels of the noise?

It was 3 nights!!

@Silvers11 you were correct

@marmaladeandpeanutbutter is wrong

Decor changing is not the same as walls attractively decorated in pics turning out to be bare

It's not the same as all the quality furniture in the pics stripped out and replaced with something fit only for a skip either, but that's what happened to a pal very recently

Unfortunately this was after my own horrible experience - if I'd known then what Air B&B allow I'd have cancelled - but FWIW they cancelled her review too

That’s something of a leap - there are loads and loads of airbnbs which are annexes or spare rooms - they’re not denying anyone a home and actually in a lot of cases enabling people to afford to stay in their own home instead of selling up!

Please can we see the photos of the dirty garden and piles of laundry?

No chance

@Blinkagain I identified that myself. strange addition from you.

Thanks everyone. Good to see all range of opinions. I’m glad also that there are people who are seeing the nuances of the situation and why I’m so annoyed. We didn’t let it spoil the holiday, and yes we had a great time in the sun.

We’re not going to see this photos are we 😆

@Blinkagain nope! 😝

YABU about the pub being opposite - you could have looked this up on Google Maps.

YANBU about the rest - no excuse for a dirty property. When you're paying £400 a night you expect it to be lovely! Not windows that don't close, food left in the oven, dirty laundry etc... The lack of equipment would really piss me off, as the whole point of AirBnB is the ability to self cater!

I'd leave a factual review making it clear that the property is nothing like the photos. Make sure it doesn't come across as ranting though!

I'd be wanting a £500 refund if you stayed. Look up the price of less nice properties and ask for the difference.

If you have reasonable grounds for complaint @Toetapper and are not just trying it on (because you seem outraged by the books that your hosts are trying to use their Airbnb as an income stream), why the reticence to share photos of the piles of laundry, the mould & dirty garden that have upset you so much?

edited to add: and the mould

Blah blah. As someone living with an Airbnb above me, I have no sympathy. As you don't think of the other residents you and your hosts inconvenience

Just keep on complaining to Airbnb. Doubt go through the chat but find an email address as then you get through to sometime with actual decision making capability/power

Well, someone said 'You're not going to get quiet in the center of a city. It's just not happening.' which sounds like the same thing to me.

That's shite. I'm sorry for your friend.

if I book a city centre Airbnb for peace…. Then I’m rather taking a risk