Airbnb/booking. com rental owners, are your bookings down?

[Oneafterthelaissezfaire]

Bookings have dropped off a cliff compared to recent years. I know it's Jan/Feb but we've always had a steady flow but this year it's just dead.

I have an annex next to my house so not ruining any towns before anyone jumps on me. Curious if it's the same anywhere else? I'm in the SE.

A combination of things for us. CoL means we are booking less mini breaks and weekends away. Have also had bad experiences with expensive properties in London with horrible bathrooms. One flat had been sold when we arrived at 10pm at night so we couldn’t get in! The owner was initially responsive and offered us another flat but it was quicker to get a hotel room so we declined, they then didn’t respond to further messages so had to go through air bnb for a refund - this meant we never got to leave a negative review for this owner and they still have properties on the site. The dog thing is a big issue for us as DC are allergic and it feels like more air bnbs than not welcome dogs. Cleaning and or service charge is annoying too (particularly when dogs have been on sofas etc so it won’t even be clean to the standard we need or would expect!)

It’s a shame as it used to be really handy, and like others, we’ve had great farm stays in lodges built on the owners land etc rather than apartments or houses in residential areas, but it is definitely not a ‘go to’ for us anymore.

Until yesterday, I was unable to get properties to stop loading/unloading on:

Chrome for iphone
Safari for iphone

Chrome for ipad
Safari for ipad

Chrome for android
Safari for android

FOR TWO ENTIRE MONTHS

I checked yesterday and it's now working again.

So, you have to have the app to browse? Sorry, maybe I don't want your app on my phone.

Then, last night, we tried to book one that we're actually thinking of buying.

1. It would only let me log in with my phone number
2. A number I stopped using 2 years ago
3. When trying to change the phone number to actual phone number, it sent a text to dead number to confirm the change
4. I tried to log in with email; it took me to a page to CHANGE MY GOOGLEMAIL PASSWORD
5. I gave up and tried to set up a new account. Before it could confirm a booking, it forced me to upload a photo because 'hosts want to see who is coming'
6. When I did so, it wasn't happy that enough of my face was in the photograph, and wanted me to upload another one
7. When it finally accepted a photo, the booking went from £130 per night to £275 per night once cleaning and Air B and B fees were added
8. .... which was unrefundable
9. So then I looked at hotels and found a huge, gorgeous luxury one with a spa and free breakfast for exactly the same money, rather than staying in someone's house, in a village where not much goes on and all the Air N Bs are available for pretty much every date I put in

Someone just lost £812 because my other half completely lost his rag with Air B & B's shit.

Perhaps it's not all just about the market and people's distaste for Air B & B - except to say I find them a lot more distasteful after trying to make me jump through all those hoops to spend a small fortune.

GET YOUR STUFF TO WORK AND STOP BEING SO DAMN INTRUSIVE.

Not sure what to say really.

I don't work for Airbnb so no idea what's happening with your access.

All I can comment on is that I couldn't care less if I see a photo of you or not and plenty of my guests don't have a photo. I'm also on two other platforms none of whom ask for photos or reviews.

I'm very pleased to report that bookings have taken a major upswing thank goodness. It's my only job and I really need the income.

I'm really pleased for you.

People putting obstacles in the way of me spending money aren't going to have good results! It really shouldn't have to be that hard to book a room.

Long may the upswing continue.

Totally agree, I honestly have no idea why it's so problematic from your end, very frustrating for all parties concerned.

In addition to all the comments above, there have been numerous stories in the press about Air B n B owners putting secret hidden cameras in their accommodation to spy on people, at least with hotels, there's less likelihood of that.

Baffling, completely baffling. I always ask permission to come over, current guests, 5 days and nights, haven't clapped eyes on them or the inside of my property. If they need anything they know where I am, just hoping they're treating my cottage with the same respect that I'm affording them 🙏

We are what what you would call 'prime' airbnb users - with 3 neurodivergent kids, who need their space and large garden. We can't stay in hotels, even if we wanted to. There are never interconnecting rooms and we would need three rooms so cheaper to book airbnb.

We normally book a few weeks in advance, budget c £350 a night. We have worked out 4 nights is our perfect holiday length. In past 3 years we went away on 12 trips.

The main thing that is starting to put us off is 4pm check in time. It's too late, kids get cranky for dinner, then too excited to go to bed at reasonable time.
Quality of accommodation on offer is reducing. 3 years ago when we started going, pretty much each listing was.. wow!
Now it takes forever to find the good stuff. Doesn't help that search buttons are rubbish.
The last holiday was a total write off (freezing cold in Jan cold snap, 12 degrees, we left early). Few houses before then were nice but areas didn't suit us.
Lastly, the weather. It's horrible, so I'm now thinking we will put ourselves through flights etc and go somewhere with sunshine. There is only so much rain I can take.

I want to like something like Air bnb and original concept was good, but it’s just so money grabbing. The money people are asking for when they then expect you to strip the beds, wipe surfaces etc and still pay an absolutely exorbitant cleaning fee just blows my mind.

I won’t book airbnb anymore after several bad experiences with hosts who demanded all sorts and one who claimed I had ruined a face cloth/flannel by staining it and claimed she’d washed it twice on boil wash to no avail, except she wrote the review literally seconds after we had left so there was clearly no time for her to run two boil washes. Hotels much easier and there’s a reception to go to with issues, you can ask for more towels etc any time and room cleaned daily…

Looks like you're not the only one with this issue OP.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2024/apr/07/britains-staycation-boom-may-be-over-as-bookings-dry-up

I think it's a mixture of things.

Numbers of people holidaying in the UK was artificially and temporarily increased due to covid and restrictions. I think also there was a lot of fomo, making up for lost time in 2022 that has now calmed down a bit.

Weather over the past year and the need to charge more in order to be able to actually get cleaners in are both issues on their own, and they've probably exacerbated each other. There's always been the need to build in some contingency money with a UK break just in case it pisses down all week. That mattered less when the accommodation was cheaper, but now the combination is pricing some people out. Plus one of the free activities people often do is swimming in water or a lake, and the sewage is making that less attractive.

Lots of people do hate Air B and B. They have a much worse rep than a few years ago. I don't book with them any more since a friend had an appalling experience with a late cancellation and shit customer service.

I used to book a few short UK breaks a year but not planning to now. The offering is just a lot less attractive than it was.

@Elphame , so is it still worth having a holiday let in Wales with the 182 day rule or has it killed the trade? I live in South Wales and last year stopped renting my house out to long term tenants. In 14 years I had two reasonable tenants the other two were awful; and of course the new Landlord contract has made it riskier for landlords.

I have just refurbished my property and was thinking of doing short term letting. The Welsh government are now doing their best to ruin the sector. They hate businesses.

I was an accidental landlord, having inherited my grandfather's house. I have no personal pension so thought the house would be my pension. I have been paying double council tax when the property was empty due to the greedy bastards in the Senedd so have put the house on the market so I'm paying single council tax while I decide what to do.

I already work full time in my own business and will retire in the next decade. I have a nice property mid way between the Brecon Beacons and Swansea so a good tourist area. Unfortunately, I would have to switch to a FHL mortgage (house was remortgaged to buy business premises).

The new holiday let fire regs are stricter than BTL regs so check them.
You also will have licensing coming in wales very shortly plus the budget in April have removed the beneficial tax breaks for holiday lets.

Unpredictable weather, extortionate prices, rigid rules around cleaning when checking out, tired properties. Airbnb made sense when you weren't paying the prices you would normally pay for a hotel but now hotels with flights are way cheaper compared to Airbnb. I looked at Airbnb abroad and 10 days for 2/3bed would cost me something like 8k miles away from the beach whereas 1 family and one standard room at a 4/5* hotel with breakfast would cost me something like 5/6k on the beach surrounded by restaurants and bars and daily housekeeping. Which one would you choose?

For me Airbnb made sense when it was cheaper than hotels and it had added benefits like a washing machine and space but now it's changed into greedy profit making business by its users. When it first started off, it was meant to be rent your home/room whilst you're away instead of leaving it empty but now it's turned into a massive business and no wonder it's suffering.

My friends a few years ago rented a property in the Balkans and the property kept having water and electricity cut off making it a miserable stay. In the end they checked into a hotel and regretted using Airbnb.

Agree, I think it feels like the worst of both worlds now.

Not significantly cheaper than a hotel or a traditional holiday lets company, worse protection and customer service.

I've gone off Airbnb after a few bad experiences. Also, I found that childproofing the house and keeping up with the owners checklists and cleaning were exhausting. Pretty much the opposite of what I want when I go away.
I'd much rather go without a kitchen and just budget for eating out, stay in a hotel with a 24 hour front desk, and enjoy my stay.

No - I wouldn't recommend anyone to enter the holiday let market in Wales at the moment. The Senedd hates us and it's just one thing after another.

After the fire regulations last year, we now have to have the waste collected in 4 (5 if you produce a lot of food waste) separate bins so each holiday let now has multiple bins outside. We've gone from 1 collection a week to 4! All on different days. Obviously the cost to me has shot up too.

Next will be the bed tax - it's touted as a tourist tax but it will catch anyone who stays in holiday accommodation overnight, including Welsh residents. Day visitors will be exempt so here in North Wales we'll get an influx of visitors who stay just over the border and won't be contributing much to the local economy. It hasn't yet been confirmed but the "consultation" was a sham, just like all the previous ones.

182 days is a high bar. If you are in Cardiff then you have a good chance of making it but it's really hurting those of us in the more seasonal areas. I am now taking 3 night minimums rather than 4 and my costs are through the roof. If I break even this year I'll be happy. Many who have mortgages are losing money hand over fist and the loss of FHL tax status will be the final nail in their coffins.

FHL is hard work and you'll have to either arrange reliable cleaners (another source of stress) or do it yourself. Are there many to be had around the area?

If I was in your position I would sell. We've already sold my parent's home and they've moved over the border back into England. The house ( 5 minutes walk from the beach) sold to a retired English couple from Bristol. No locals wanted it.

To be honest i get more stressed with trying to avoid accidental breakages with my dc than hotels. Trying to avoid paying extortionate prices in replacing a basic ikea plate isn't a relaxing time for me.

@babyhiding - £8k for a 2 bed rental a week? Where were you looking?
You can easily rent a 2 bedroom place in nice summer location in southern Europe for around €1000-1500 per week. That’s at a lake and in mountains. Or at beach.

DH had a sharp intake of breath last night when the invoice/receipt for 2 nights away arrived.

Property rental:
-2 nights....(2*£142). £284
10% early discount (£28)

-Cleaning fee £50 (having been told to strip the beds, collect towels etc)

-Service fee £51.77

The extra charges are almost 1/3 of our costs (and you don't see those until you have narrowed down properties based on the nightly price).

That said, I don't think we'd have got just 2 nights on a BH weekend on a regular cottage rental site.

@Madcats - see I think £140 a night for a private property is cheap tbh. So really the cleaning and other stuff is because they charge low.
Our property I charge say €200 peak season a night, but I cover all the fees and all the cleaning fees within in so it’s a fixed rate per night with no extras. Which in the end costs the same to guests as charging less and adding everything ontop.

not an owner but a customer. I think it's become really poor value in the UK tbh and at best the quality is not reliable. The extra charges you (often) have to pay for cleaning and breakage deposits are really offputting - never done this for a holiday abroad where yes it's also expensive but both the weather and quality are more reliable.

There was clearly a bit of a boom during covid and I think the market is correcting itself.

Exactly 👍

I agree, but I would much rather see a price of £180+ with no extras. It all feels like going to a store in USA and having to add on the sales tax.

FWIW the "cottage" is a small stable conversion in an untouristy area, with narrow overgrown lanes and no phone signal/wifi (but convenient for where we need to be).

As a customer I will use sites like booking.com and Airbnb but always prefer to book direct rather than a third party.