Experience with AIRBNB

Dang - trying to find one of my other posts so I can cut and paste, but no luck.

Since 2011, hubby and I have airbnb'd in Boston, London, Paris, Bath, Florence, Villefranche and San Fran, Yosemite, San Diego, Santa Barbara and LA. Needless to say, we are fans. Of those, only Florence and Yosemite were private apts/rooms, the rest were with owners present (well, in Paris she was gone the two nights we were there).

We only had one really awkward key retrieval, in London when we had to get off at one tube stop, walk a long block to where the guy worked, then back to the tube and off at the next tube stop. Most others, the people we either home when we arrived (a few - Bath and Florence actually came to pick us up at the train/bus stn) or, as in the case of San Fran, had a lock box with a key, or the Santa Barbara lady who sent an email saying where the key was 'hidden'

So, my usual tips...
1. Read all the reviews - I always make sure to look for comments about cleanliness (or lack thereof) and if there are any awkward key exchanges, people will most likely mention them.

1. Look at the maps tab to get an idea of where in the city it is located...is it near public transport?
2. Also look at the street view tab if it is there - get a look at the area - does it look upscale? Sketchy? I've passed on a few because the area looked...rundown.
3. Do the have the amenities you want...air? TV/wifi? Parking if you need it? Laundry, use of kitchen (some, if you stay with people, will offer breakfast as part of the deal, others you are on your own)? Smoking or non?
4. Honestly, I tend to avoid the ones who have an additional cleaning fee - that's just me.

I tend to do a little of everything on a trip, airbnb, reg bnb, hotels, motels, couchsurfing (tho not as much since we discovered airbnb). And we've had some great memories - the Villefranche lady who cooked us supper, took us in her car to Eze, took us to a park with her to walk her dog (and the amazing story about how she rescued him from the streets in India); the 3 hour chat we had with the lady in Yosemite about anything and everything...it's a great way to connect with locals. Don't be afraid to stay with someone (tho if I was a single female traveler, I'd tend more towards either couples or women only). And they will usually point you to some great restaurants and sights off the beaten path...

Airbnb's growth has been astonishing. A recent article in The Economist magazine said it now rivals the world's biggest hotel chains for number of rooms offered. Of course you cannot be guaranteed a hotel's front-desk services, and the nitty-gritty of daily management comes down to the individual owners. An advantage that appeals to me, compared to its rivals, is how Airbnb handles all the money, especially security deposits, rather than turning its clients over to landlords' idiosyncratic requirements. That also eases the use of credit cards.

Apartment rental is now our first choice for travel. The lows of apt rental are far higher than the lows of hotel experiences. We echo the first reply to your inquiry and strongly counsel you to enjoy this form of accomodations.

I booked my first airbnb lodging yesterday. It's in London. I was encouraged by the positive comments I've seen over a period of time on this forum. The process was was easy. Be sure to read ALL the reviews. I will be booking more places on my trip through airbnb. I've already set up my wish list on their site.

Check to see what their house rules are, if any. For the places I'm considering in France, it's easy to copy and paste them into a translation app. Also pay attention to their cancellation policy. They can vary from being lenient to strict.

Since this is your first trip, be sure you have a working phone with you - the owner's phone may be locked. I've never used airb&b but I have encountered the no-phone situation with apartments or other types of b&bs.

We used AirBnB last Summer in Halifax. We prefer apartments or houses without any host present for privacy. It was a great experience in a great property.
My only problem was that we made our reservations months ahead of time, and had to pay in advance. When booking B&B's through Booking.com, I can choose to do a credit card when reserving but not charged until I arrive.
AirBnB was very insistent upon our rating our accommodations. I now realize that our hosts were also rating us as renters at the same time. I do appreciate their attention to customers' and hosts' ratings/comments.
AirBnB is going to be a serious player in the accommodation business in the future. I just hope AirBnB gets their sales tax disagreements settled with the City of New York because shortly private rooms will be the only way to visit this city that's affordable.

AIRBNB is not good

Here is my experience with their bad guest and AIRBNB support center

This bad guest booked my unit for 4nights.

After he stayed 3 nights he was trying to get 100% full refund from me,(he already stayed this 3nights)
He was trying to get refund out of me directly not through AIRBNB.

He called me on the 3rd day and told me to come to the unit, he and his friend was threatening me to get the money in my apartment.
I said to him "speak to AIRBNB resolution center" but he said "I do not want to contact AIRBNB I just want money from you NOW"
He let me log in, he tried to send refund from my account.
There were 2 big Caucasian men in my unit, both of them threatening me, I had to press emergency button at the elevator call building security guard to escape from the unit.

It was on the 3rd day, He said this apartment isn’t clean. He didn’t tell me anything on the 1st nor 2nd day. And he is asking for the all 3 days full refund which he already stayed.

None of his complains sounds logical, He was showing me small wall dots on corner ETC, Those are just reasons to get money.
(Later He sent the picture of this unit to AIBNB by himself but his refund request was also rejected by AIRBNB.)

I had around 10 guests stayed in my apartment before him.
My unit has been the lowest price in the same area compared to any other serviced apartments any other one bedroom units available in the same area.

He said he will call police if I do not refund 100% now.
I said I am happy to go to police so let's go together,
But he didn’t go nor report police, I think he actually knew himself that all the story is unreasonable and illogical and just a reason to get refund.

Since He was sending messages to AIRBNB that my unit isn’t minimum quality, all false advertise and cannot live here want money back.
So I told him to leave this unit on that day, and I offered 1night refund by cancelling 1 night on AIRBNB system (he booked 4 nights he stayed 3 nights so 1 night left)
Then He said I am very rude not to let him stay for the very last day. He just wants all the money back.

When he left this unit,
He took my electronic swipe key (cost $250) and messaged me "haha would you like me to leave the key for you? Good luck!! That’s not happening"

I am the very first host of him and this is the very first time he used AIRBNB, he didn’t seems to know Airbnb wouldn't accept such unreasonable refund request.

I've been talking to airbnb stuff members more than 20times on email about posting this bad guest review of cancelled booking. (He cancelled on the 3rd night.)
Whenever I contacted airbnb resolution team, different operator gives me different way how to post review.
And they let me try all the things to let me post review i still cannot,
They have wasted great amount of my time. I replied all because they said I can post it if I do what they told me.
still doesn’t solve this issue with more than 20 emails

First time they told me my computer have some problems I have to install with desktop which they found out it was not the problem.
Second time, they told me I cannot put review on the booking which was cancelled by the guest I showed them Q&A 368.
(On Q&A368 it says I can write review about cancelled booking by contacting customer support)
I sent review again, and then the next operator read the review, thought I was enquiring for airbnb to take some action upon the story on my review(the guest was requesting full refund after stay, he stolen my key etc)
she said she will investigate this case, I said I just want to leave the review you don’t need to do anything for this case just leave review.
Then there is another operator again She said she will post it because airbnb policy is freedom of speech,
she told me to just rewrite my review with under 500words.
She also told me to correct some words which I quoted from what my guest said.
then I spoke to another operator (This time was on the phone because I was so annoyed with email operators)
Again she said to me I cannot post review for cancelled booking I also explained the same thing to her by showing Q&A 368.
She told me to upload evidence of what my guest did. So that investigation team can post the review.
She said she is sure that investigation team will deactivate his account if I can submit the evidences.

So I took a lot of time to upload all the videos. I recorded his conversation with me on movie.
Now I can see that your team even didn't look at those evidences
then said to me they closed this case.

It is on youtube so I can see how many times it was viewed, !!!!!!it says 0 views!!!!!!
They are the ones told me to do all those things and let me upload those videos, They even haven’t looked at them then they closed this case.

They were the ones asking me to submit the evidence and told me to do lots of things because they promised them that they can post review.

AIRBNB customer center is not good

The TripAdvisor NYC posts on illegal sublets are a bit shrill. But as a former apartment resident, there is a strong element of truth in their support for laws prohibiting them. You might wish to consider the moral issues raised by AirBNB. It may or may not be legal in various European cities, but transients tromping through permanent resident's hallways day after day, and putting the trash in the wrong place, are unpleasant. There's also the internet entrepreneur issue. That is, just because someone found a way (like Netflix and Uber) to take an existing infrastructure and sell it back to us, should we support it?

Your answer may be, I can do it, and save money too. Why should I consider any moral issues? As Templeton the rat said, "What's in it for me?"

Is AIRBNB good is like pulling 100 random people off the metro in Rome and then asking; "are these good people?" Because that is essentially what you are doing. If one of them screws you over you can complain to AIRBNB and they will drop him. Then for restitution you have to complain to his wife. I know a number of individuals that rent apartments and I can not imagine renting from them. My perspective is from having been on both sides of the key.
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Having been so completely critical I will add that I have heard of 10 good experience for each bad experience with AIRBNB. I prefer professional managed apartments because I know first hand the subtle but important differences a professionally managed apartment can bring to the table (no, I don't manage apartments). Professionally managed apartments by the way can also be found on AIRBNB as well as under their own banner. .

I have travelled with Airbnb, and am currently a host. I also have several friends who have done both. Our experiences and theirs have been mostly good, the biggest bugbear we all have is stubborn stains on sheets! My advice to new travellers on what to do and what to expect is the following.

• Don't stay with anyone who doesn't already have reviews until you have a bit more experience. Read the reviews so you know what to expect. Pay attention to star ratings. Check the house rules - this gives you a good feel for the host and their expectations of guests. If you see something you don't like, go with someone else. There's usually a choice.
• Check the location on street view to see what it looks like and judge if you want to stay there. Once you've booked and have the address, check how to get there. This step and the one above are the most important things you can do!
  • If a place is heaps cheaper than all the places around it, there may be a good reason, but it could be dodgy. Go with your instincts.
• Before you ask any questions about the amenities, read the description, and check the amenities tab! Do ask questions about the limitations, eg wifi may be available, but may not be free.
• Do your own research - I don't mind giving people tips, but I'm not a tour guide! I don't know every bus timetable or how long it takes to get to the zoo. As helpful as most hosts are, they may have outdated information, or just don't know. Google maps will tell you how far things are from the host's suburb, and local tourism websites will tell you how to get there.
• Hosts don't have a 24 hour concierge, but many have flexible check in and out times. Arrange in advance the approximate time you are checking in. Most hosts don't mind if you check in late (I've let people in at 4am, collected them from the airport at 1am...) but do check if it's okay. Don't spring it on them after you've booked.
• If you are staying in someone's home, it probably won't be as clean as a hotel. Like most hosts, I don't clean every day as I have a full time job. Usually a place will be as clean as your home is, but there's no seal on the toilet, nor a guarantee of no hairs in the shower ever if you are sharing the bathroom. The cleaning rules are the same as if you were visiting friends/family: hosts take care of basic cleaning like floors, washing sheets/towels, and scrubbing, but you are expected to confine your belongings to your room, clean up after yourself if you cook/eat, and not mess up the bathroom or leave a ring around the tub.
• Get an app like Whatsapp, Viber, or Skype which allows you to use the internet to directly contact a host's mobile phone (the catch is, they have to have it too!). This gives you other contact options than an international call or an email that may not be checked quickly. You will need to access the internet, but most coffee shops, airports, and shopping malls have some kind of wifi you can use cheaply or free. This is useful if something upsets your check in plans, you can't find the property, or you just get lost!
• Make sure the host has your current phone number! When you set up a profile, you are asked for a phone number. If you change your number, the host can't contact you quickly if something goes wrong at their end.
• Be aware that other places are not like home. Check what local conditions are like, rather than blaming a host for slow internet, expensive accommodation, a cockroach or two coming in from outside (in the tropics, they can come in through the drains or windows even if pest control is up to date and the house is perfectly clean), or intermittent electricity. These things may be quite ordinary to them because that's how they live. Hotels can afford better infrastructure than Airbnb hosts, so if there are things in the places you are travelling to that you don't want to deal with, go to a hotel instead.

Klaus, this isn’t an attack at your post. Your post was well thought out and informative and very valid. This is just sort of the flip side.

This sort of proves my point. AIRBNB is a conglomerate without much standard. That is neither good nor bad, but something to be aware of. If your standard of comfort is Aunt Betty’s spare room there is an apartment for you at AIRBNB. If your standard is the equivalent in fit and finish and cleanliness of a 4 star hotel room then that exists as well. The problem is how to differentiate the two. I doubt that Klaus in his posting says “occasional cockroach and shower hair;” no he wants to rent the place and this is to his standard and he will face the world as if they share his standard and such things can go unmentioned. And I understand that and don’t necessarily think bad of it. Remember there is no standard and it’s all subjective and by definition Klaus is correct and I bet he has had many, many, many happy clients.

Several times a year I stay in one of two apartments in an “emerging economy” country. I would never expect to see a cockroach nor would I tolerate it, nor would I tolerate the occasional shower hair or stained sheet. I expect and receive an apartment that was professionally cleaned before I arrived. They both have WIFI and both have modern wiring and plumbing that does take care of most of the issues of flickering lights and things crawling out of the sink. I do know that in this particular location that there are buildings with 100 year old wiring and plumbing that do have flickering lights and questionable smells rising from the drains – but that isn’t what I choose to rent. So, while it can be a function of the City, it can also be a function of the facility itself. Apartments are so cheap that I really don’t think I pay more than a 5 euro premium over the worst apartment in the area.

The difference is that the apartments I stay in are professionally managed. It is a business to the management company not a hobby or a way to pick up a few extra dollars. Not to say those that manage their own places can’t be equal, they very well can, it’s more of a factor of what are the odds one way vs the other. (no, I don’t manage apartments for a living…or hobby).

As for “stars”, it’s an indicator, sure. But in the city I go most often the Four Seasons is rated as one of the best hotels in Europe and gets an according 5 stars in every review. There is another “3 star” hotel not far away that is very nice, but not the Four Seasons in any regard, that also gets a 5 stars in every review. If I were a budget traveler and I picked the cheapest apartment in every city I would judge one apartment against another and the best would get the most stars from me while the worst would get the fewest stars from me. Still the best apartment I stayed in might be among the worst in town. Then there is the “I stayed at XYZ last week and it is the best place in London!”. Based on what? Have you even stayed in ONE other place in London in your entire life? Generally not. So it’s pretty subjective. Still it is a tool you can use to make a decision.

My advice. Use AIRBNB to find an apartment that looks interesting. Most apartments these days have names. Google the city and the apartment name and see if you can trace the apartment back to a professional management company or owner’s direct listing. Again, its just a little more information for you to base your decision on. Klaus’ comments on using Google Earth or Maps is right on as well. For me when I travel location is everything and I want to be in the middle of why I am there and I want to know the character of the neighborhood as well. I want something that is clean, but indicative of the city, etc……… Anyway, enough…

Thank you Klaus for the thought you put into your post. I think it is one of the more helpful I have seen in a while and I hope it creates some good discussion.

I've used airbnb in Europe, and had great results. I stayed in San Sebastian, Barcelona, Paris, Valletta, Rome, Florence, Venice; all with good results. The only thing I'd advise you is that you want to have a phone; because you'll need to make contact with the host while there. You'll also want to make sure the place your staying at is a perfect 5 stars for cleanliness. Enjoy your trip.

I've used airbnb many times and have had nothing but great experiences as a renter. I know many people who use the service for their travel exclusively and love it. You just have to make sure that you do your homework, read the reviews, and communicate thoroughly with the owner. There have been a couple of listings that, after emailing back and forth with the owner, I decided not to book. These are individual listings by mostly private individuals so pay attention and make sure you lay out all the terms of the rental so that your expectations match what they are offering in the space you are renting, the details of payment, and the logistics for when you arrive and depart.

lindacahill-when I look for a place to rent (I have used AirBnB here in the states several times, never in Europe though) I try to find rentals with a significant number of positive reviews. There are many ways to learn about a rental, as well as learning the reliability of reviews. I look at the reviews of course, but also at the calendar, and how long the person doing the renting has been at it. I will, as has been pointed out on this site, attempt to cross-reference. Can I find the same unit that I see on AirBnB on Home Away or other, similar site? Are the reviews on the other site similar? AirBnB is certainly a tempting option, but inherent in the business proposal is that the renter do lots of due diligence. If a unit has just a few good reviews, I would be looking at others with stronger reviews and a lot more of them. A referral from one who has not stayed there is not worth much.
I don't mean to discount your negative experience, I'm only suggesting that there are a lot of ways to evaluate a potential rental, and that we shouldn't 'throw out the baby with the bath water'.

EDIT: I see now that the comment that I was responding to has been deleted. The comment had to do with a unit with "good reviews" that was not good.

But as a former apartment resident, there is a strong element of truth
in their support for laws prohibiting them.

I live in a part of Florida that's a popular regional vacation destination. When it came time to buy a home, we specifically picked a 'no short term rentals' area in order to avoid being next door to tourists who are often both noisy and on different schedules than we are. Doubly so during spring break season when you never know if a short term rental is going to be taken over by drunken and loud college students despite the best efforts of the rental agency to make sure that doesn't happen.

There are a few London boroughs where short term letting is illegal, mostly the central ones: Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Camden, the Royal Borough of Kensington, and Chelsea, and Westminster.

When checking reviews on anything I am afraid I concentrate more on the bad reviews than the good ones. I would rather read 6 bad ones than 20 good ones. I just think I get more relevant info from the bad ones.

Clarification to a response above: short term leasing in those listed London boroughs are illegal if no planning permission is obtained, most likely allowing just owners to rent their spaces and not tenants subleasing their spaces.
I just returned from an AirBnb stay in one of the aforementioned boroughs where the host was the owner of the building, and the building itself was dedicated to short-term leases. It was wonderful and very cost-effective.

Hi hollypacker,

We are backpackers from Australia, we saved all our pennies to travel around Europe for this year and so far it's been absolutely incredible.
In regards to Airbnb - maybe mix it up with other rental sites. We began using Airbnb exclusively but have had so many problems with money and bookings and never having our problems sorted that we are staying away from them from now on.
I would say - make sure 100% that you have paid for the accommodation - even screen shot your bank transactions showing the transaction (yes - we got asked to pay twice because they had reversed our payment ages after we had paid and had not alerted us to it. Unfortunately we were not able to dispute it well enough because I didn't think to screen shot my transactions list)
If you have problems and they are not being resolved, jump on their Facebook site and query that way - it's the only way we got half our issues solved
Also, don't have too higher expectations of your room. We have stayed in all sorts, and so far only two have been true to the pictures.
On the other hand we have met some amazing people and experienced huge generosity.
We need a better site than Airbnb so that we can keep travelling this way!!!
Hope this is helpfull

Hi everyone on this forum. I thought I share a bad experience so you look into everything with a fine comb before doing your booking. I booked for a stay in January 2015 for Phuket - Tropical Breakaway 26/01/15 for 6 nights. The Host, Max, sounded lovely through his email and online reviews and we thought we will go ahead with him..
I paid $440 on 30/06/14 and had to cancel on 08/07/14 so that I do not disappoint my parents who want to be with me for my big birthday on 26 Jan, as they live far away and I see them once every 2 years. I sincerely did not see the strict policy for cancellation but when I contacted Max and told him the whole situation. There was no understanding whatsever.... he refused to give me a full refund or a full refund less one night for the inconvenience. He said that he would not refund because he potentially lost clients in that 7 days...Really? We are talking 7 months ahead. Anyway, Airbnb is quick to forfeit your $47 for their fees plus now highway robbery from the host.
The guy wants to keep $197 in his pocket for a reservation that is made for 7 months ahead in Phuket, which will get booked quickly anyway. I feel that this is ripping people off... People just trying to rip you off as much as they can. After his reply, I went to check his profile- The man has got a great profile but when you deal with him, completety opposite... no compassion, no understanding but pure selfishness, that's what comes across anyway in this case ... I have sent an email to Airbnb administration. I am someone who live with integrity and do the right things by others as I highly believe you should treat others the way you would like to be treated. I would not like other guests to go through this and the reason I am sharing my experience.

I sincerely did not see the strict policy for cancellation...
While I sympathize with you I think it's important to understand that this is a business arrangement between you and another person-it's not like ordering from Amazon and then changing your mind. While the renter's policy sounds very strict, indeed, you, by engaging him, agreed to his terms. When we deal with private individuals, all the warm fuzzies can go out the window in a hurry; that person is not a brick and mortar store or major online retailer who has such a keen interest in individual customer satisfaction, rather, they see an opportunity to earn some cash even if somebody cancels on them. He is not ripping anybody off, you did not read the fine print. An AirBnB host sets their own policy. Sorry it didn't work out, live and learn.

Dave, along the same line of thought: If you rent from a professional management company there might a better chance of satisfaction. The management company in effect has to clients they have to please; the apartment owner and the renter. They cant afford to loose either one and if they start getting bad reviews they will loose both owner clients and renter clients. The professional operations tend to have standardized procedures and a desire and an incentive to garner good reviews. The professional management companies handle apartments on AirBnb, so its not about the marketing platform, its about doing enough research to determine what you are renting and from whom.

I am glad that NYC has laws that manage this. I live in a building with a lot of people. But, I do know the people on my floor, if not by name, by sight and when I see strangers with big bags speaking a foreign language--not spanish!--I get highly suspicious that someone has rented out their apartment. Who are these people? Are they just tourists? Or are they going to hold a naked orgy with drugs and noise etc? The other issue in NYC is that it's really, really hard to find affordable housing. If companies could rent the apartments by the day, they would never rent them by the month. We all would be living in NJ or Pennsylvania and commuting 2 hours each way. Ugh. So, I'm right there with the locals on TripAdvisor who chastise the posters who think it's okay to break the law.

If you find a legal AirBNB, terrific, but please don't rent an illegal one. If you do, I hope you get locked out and end up paying $500 a night at the Marriott....

Yep, sorry, no sympathy at all.

Pam