Apartments Florence - Help!!

Maria, if you are leaving tomorrow, you may very well be much too late to cancel your reservation without a stiff penalty. At this late date, it could be as much as 100% of the price. I'd review your rental agreement carefully before making other plans, and just cross your fingers that all will be well (or even just tolerable) if canceling and re-booking elsewhere would be VERY expensive.

Doesn't the AIrbnb site include a star rating and reviews on the unit you chose? I am taking a run-through of random apartments available and ALL of them include reviews and a rating. What's the AIrbnb feedback on yours?

It’s my understanding that airbnb does not take the money you paid until you’ve stayed in a place for 24 hours. So if it’s a bad place and you can document why, you can move out —- it used to be that airbnb would help find you a new place, but I am not sure about this. We’ve never had any trouble with 40+ airbnb apartments. Read the fine print, or surely someone here knows more than I do. Good luck!

Nancy, I thought it depended on the cancellation policy chosen by the host but will defer to ya'll who've used the site more than I have!

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/475/cancellation-policies-for-your-listing

They are an apartment company. So they have about 550 reviews but not for the specific apartment we will be in. And the last review for the apartment is in 2019. I guess what threw me off was that they sent an email for a request of 300 euros for security fee. So, I started digging for reviews. Apparently airbnb said he he is superhost, but couldn't give me info on the apartment we got. I am worried. But I hope it will turn out fine

See this —- https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/544/canceling-during-your-stay

It’s about what to do if you get there and find out an apartment is bad in some major way.

But the request for money outside of airbnb is a no-no. I would report this to airbnb right away.

Ah, I see what you meant Nancy: they can file to try and get out of the contract if there's an issue within 24 hours after arrival. I was concerned that Maria would try to cancel before even seeing the place. Pretty sure she'd be dinged for that.

Hopefully she'll let us know how it worked out once she got there!

Did they just ask for the security fee and was it through Airbnb? It seems odd. Airbnb has always taken my payments in advance and to the specified price.. Usually the last one is a couple of weeks before our stay. It seems odd that they would ask for something additional. If there is any problem, contact the owner and Airbnb and keep a record. We've had lots of great Airbnbs. However, there was one (in the USA) that was poorly maintained, had dangerously uneven floors and a patio littered with cigarette butts. Airbnb did nothing and wouldn't even let me post a cautionary review. Maybe it will be okay. Good luck.

Yes, I have contacted Airbnb support. They advised me not to sign a contract outside of the Airbnb platform. Or give the 300 euro for security deposit, if it is not on the airbnb platform.

Airbnb called them, which I appreciated. The part where they told them I was worried the were scammers, I did not appreciate.

So, finally hosts said they don't have reviews for this apartment for 3 years because he rents outside of airbnb. And that they won't ask for security deposit.

I will write back and let you know what happens.

Maria

See if they list the apartment on booking.com and read the reviews there.

One of the Airbnb hosts we had earlier on the trip to Italy we’ve still on seemed oddly unaware that he shouldn’t ask us for more money (except for the tourist tax) outside of airbnb —- it seemed like he had the apartment listed in several places and just wasn’t bothering to keep track of how each worked or what their rules were. Let’s hope this is the case with your host. Sounds like you got it worked out, although such a last minute pain in the neck for you!

Yes! Please let us know what shakes out! We'll cross fingers all will be well. :O)

Hello!

I wanted to give you all an update.

We loved the apartment in in Florence. The "Ponte Vecchio, at Florence Apartment" was very pretty, very clean, and had a balcony with a breathtaking view.

I was asked to sign a contract when I got there. I refused to do so. They told me they wouldn't give me the keys.
I don't understand why Airbnb doesn't reprimand them about this. And about all the emails they send, coming from Florence apartments. It should all be done through the airbnb platform.

I had spoken to airbnb support before leaving and they told them that I would not be paying 300 euros for security deposit since it was not on the airbnb platform. They did not give me a hard time about that.

I am glad I didn't switch apartments, as they had offered o pay me back 100%, because this place was just amazing.

I am surprised that they did not review me, so that my review would go up. One of the reasons I didn't feel comfortable, was because they didn't have a review for this apartment in the last 3 years.

Thank you ll for your advice. It truly helped.
Maria

Maria,
So glad this worked out for you! Whew! I think some of these places advertise on multiple sites, but Air bnb has "different" rules and fees, and the hosts sometimes ignore the stricter rules. Did they publish your review?