What do you think is a fair refund in this situation?

[EndlessCupsofSugaryTea]

I’m staying in an Airbnb that’s effectively an annexe of someone’s apartment (a self-contained studio rather than just a bedroom). When I arrived, the host told me there was a problem with the water. He doesn’t speak great English, but from what I can gather, there was a leaking pipe and the building manager had switched the water off to prevent damage. There was still a supply, so he got the manager to switch it on briefly a couple of times so I could have a shower, but essentially for the first two days I had no running water.

The resort I’m in is a very popular winter sun destination, so moving to a hotel would have been prohibitively expensive, as the few still available have put their prices right up. I had no choice but to put up with it. I’m going to apply for a partial refund, but what do you think is fair? I’m thinking I should be refunded for the first two nights. I feel bad for the host as he’s really nice and this is largely out of his control - but at the same time, this is more than a minor inconvenience and I don’t feel I should be paying for somewhere without such a basic facility.

The first two nights? Maybe, but you didn’t state how many nights you were there. 3 nights? 3 weeks?

I think two whole nights is being a bit cheeky considering you've had showers etc. Presumably you've been out and about during the day so how much of an inconvenience was it actually?

I wouldn’t ask for a full refund for two nights, you had shelter and a bed and safety and the other utilities. I’d ask for a third of half off each night without uninterrupted water.

You stayed there. They organised enough water for you to shower. I'd ask for 10-20% discount for the first two nights due to the inconvenience and lack of fully functioning basic amenity but not the whole amount. Only whole amount if you had to stay elsewhere as it was uninhabitable.

30% of the cost of the nights you were without water , you still used the rest of the facilities .

I’d ask for the full amount for the first two nights. Presumably there’s no way you’d have chosen to stay there had you known there’d be no running water?

But you've had use of the bed and all other facilities, and you had showers!

In what way was the absence of running water an issue specifically? You had access to drinking water, showered, could make tea etc

I don't think you should ask for any refund

I'm assuming you couldn't flush the toilet or wash your hands when the water was off? What did you do then?

Not being able to flush the loo or wash your hands.

We recently had our bathroom done and living for two weeks with an unflushable toilet was awful.

Other than showering what did you need the water for? Did the toilet flush? If so it's not that bad.

You don't usually drink tap water in most hot winter countries anyway? If it was near a beach they have showers?

But you could just say it was unsatisfactory and see what they offer.

Refund necessary for this reason. Basic hygiene needs not met

You think paying for accomodation where you assume you will be able to wash your hands and flush the toilet for example and then dont get that is acceptable? Your standards must be very low.

I boiled bottles so that I could wash my hands. I tried to use the toilets in restaurants and shopping centres whilst out and about, but obviously I couldn’t do that first thing or last thing.

How did you boil bottles?

Exactly! Running water isn’t a luxury or a “nice to have” - it’s a basic amenity.

It’s interesting to read the different views on the refund, but I must admit I didn’t think anyone would suggest I shouldn’t get one at all.

Autocorrect for bottled.

I would expect 50% for the nights the apartment had no running water. Not being able to comfortably use the toilet or shower are fairly major inconveniences and I would say running water is a necessity.
Having said that if they do give you a refund I would downplay the issue in the review and say there was a problem but it was fixed to your mutual satisfaction. If not I would give a very low score because of the issue.

Absolutely you should be refunded if there was no running water for the first two days. Having running water is a non negotiable. Essentially the accommodation was rendered uninhabitable for those days and they should have put you up somewhere else rather than expecting you to muddle through like that.

I think 50% is fair.

I would expect the host to bring bottle water at the very least!
Leaving me with no water and no solution would have pissed me off.
Water for basic needs, and a bucket to flush -not enough but better than nothing

On a practical note, why couldn't you use the toilets? (as unpleasant as it is). If the water was briefly switch on for showers, you flush toilets at the same time. Twice a day is not great, but better than nothing.

How many days did you stay?

Ah, that makes more sense!

Cant you leave it up to them to decide how much to refund you? Do you have to request a certain amount?

It was out of his control & the guy was nice and arranged the water was turned on for you to shower etc, I wouldn't be that bothered by getting a refund tbh.

You really couldn't work out that on a thread about water that bottles clearly meant bottled?

Cant you leave it up to them to decide how much to refund you? Do you have to request a certain amount?

Yes, you do. But if I understand correctly, they can make a counter offer.

I wasn't sure if the OP meant they had to boil the water before washing their hand to be fair, it wasn't very clear for me either

If this were a hotel everyone would say get a refund. This is no different!