Paris Airbnb Beware!

It was probably just a misunderstanding on her part, but this is a good reminder of why one should keep all communication within the Air BnB platform, so you have a record, and Air BnB can actually see it.

Patricia is a Superhost, too. Hmm. That isn't good.

Yes, she is a super host!! Airbnb was very understanding and stated she needed to provide evidence and that a year is way over to collect funds. We were not excited over our Paris trip and this just added to us.

I just had a bad experience with Airbnb in Paris, too. I use them in the US often and have been very happy. I found a great apt, actually had paid for it already. My trip is 100 days from now and host cancelled Monday with no reason. She recommended another of her properties which was more, not as nice and not in a neighborhood I liked. I felt it was bait and switch. I am so disappointed, but I think I will like the small hotel I decided on instead.

As Lola suggests, it really does sound like a simple misunderstanding. The post title is completely misleading and tends to play into the AirBnB hysteria.

I find it unfortunate that Laurie Beth's post describes an actual AirBnB negative experience, thereby, imho, giving credence to the whole 'AirBnB is bad' take.

Dave, I don't think Airbnb is bad. I was just so surprised and disappointed after my other experiences with them. It makes me a little leery of using them when I am planning to visit a busy place where it is not easy to find reasonable accommodations unless you plan early. I will still use them, just like I still use Uber in spite of the bad news stories you hear.

I get that, Laurie Beth, it's just that to me, your issue is a good example of a real AirBnB (or any short term rental) issue that comes up far too often; the original post, not so much.

Air BnB does allow hosts to cancel if they want, but there is a large penalty (they will lose or never attain Superhost status if they do it too many times). I am very careful who I book with on Air BnB: lots of good reviews, Superhost status, and not more than one owner cancellation. with new properties it is hard to tell all that so I do not book those.

I will add that the one time a host did cancel on us (this was in. The USA, in the Bay Area of California), Air BnB was quite helpful in helping us find a suitable replacement (not easy as this was a home to sleep 10 people for a family wedding). They also gave us a % off discount to apply to the replacement.

In Paris it is dangerous because most rentals are illegal and they get dropped last minutes sometimes because they have been reported. How many of us would want strangers traipsing in and out of our buildings every week?

Dave,

I was not trying to play on any hysteria. I wanted to simply point this particular host out. I gave the apartment a great review but cannot comment after my review is posted. If this was a misunderstanding great...but in the even this will or may happen to others I just want to put it out there.

We are Airbnb Superhosts hosts in the Pacific Northwest, and we would be very reluctant to cancel a reservation first since it is a crumby thing to do to someone who trusted us enough to book with us, and also because the penalties are too high. We would have to pay a fee to Airbnb from our next booking, those dates would remain blocked on our Airbnb calendar so nobody else could book them, then we would not be eligible for Superhost status for a year, and if we cancelled three times in a year the site could kick us off. My Wife got cancelled on one of her travels, and Airbnb worked very hard to get her another place.

In my recent week-long trip to France, I had 3 Airbnb stays (two nights in Marseille, bookended by stays in Paris). While in Paris, our final Airbnb canceled on us due to a plumbing issue. Airbnb was helpful but it was understandably stressful and while we were able to find another apartment, it wasn't as central or as nice as the first one we had picked.

All-in-all, a hotel is probably less stress and certainly less hassle, but we saved hundreds using Airbnb and everything worked out.

A good reminder to do as Airbnb suggests, and keep all communication within their site.

Airbnb canceled on us due to a plumbing issue.

I could not count the number of cancellations of Paris Airbnb rentals I have seen due to plumbing issues.

Either Paris has the worst plumbing anywhere on the planet or city inspectors discovered this apartment before you arrived.

I agree with previous poster just above.

Before I scrolled down I was about to say much the same. "plumbing issues" has been a regular late cancellation "reason". In many places it can be that the owner finds that somebody will pay a lot more for a longer stay, and in Paris that they have been discovered.

In any event, very sorry it happened. It is a real PITA when it does.

Either Paris has the worst plumbing anywhere on the planet or city inspectors discovered this apartment before you arrived.

Or, as Nigel says, the owner got a better/longer offer from another platform? Plumbing seems to be the catch all cause when a better deal comes along.