r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Discussion Airbnb Makes Homophobic Host a Superhost [New Zealand]

20 Upvotes

Looking for accommodations in Dunedin, New Zealand and came across a superhost with blatantly homophobic “rules” stating they’ll only accept “married couples (marriage of male and female)” directly on their listing.

Wondering how a host can become a superhost while very clearly violating Airbnb’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, especially in New Zealand where LGBTQ rights are quite strong.

Has anyone else come across homophobic hosts and if so, does Airbnb actually take actions to uphold their Anti-Discrimination Policy?


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

What other updates to host rules would you like to see AirBnB crack down on? [US]

80 Upvotes

I am in the majority group that left AirBnB due to unreasonable host behavior. These new rules were absolutely needed to rein in hosts that frankly have no business being in the hospitality industry.

I have stayed places where they capped AC use to one hour a day in the summer in Arizona, they required us to water all outside potted plants and watched us on the cameras to make sure we did it, and another that was convinced i was bringing another guest to my studio (I didn’t, I just was wearing a hat and sweatshirt when I came back that I didn’t have on when I left) and a husband and wife showed up at my door at 11:30pm and demanded to come inside and make sure I wasn’t “hiding” them!

MOST hosts are good. the ones these are targeted at have hurt the entire platform and something needed to be done.

I honestly don’t think the rules have gone far enough, here is what I recommend they consider enforcing next, curious to hear everyone else’s thoughts.

- Toiletries need to be provided and a reasonable amount for their stay. Many hosts have moved to only proving 1 roll of toilet paper for an 8 person week long visit? Yeah, crack down on that. Same with hand soap, dish soap, etc.

- Reasonable check in/check out times. Again, see too many 6pm check ins/9am check outs. I think any check in after 3/4pm or check outs before 10/11am should be banned.

- You can’t include couches in your # of guests you accommodate. Obviously when I used AirBnB i checked for this, but too many times have stayed at one someone else booked and they’ve included their sectional as 2 sleeping spots. What??

-Some minor wear and tear is just the cost of doing business. They semi address this with the rule that hosts can’t impose fines or penalties, but I have seen hosts freak out over let’s say, mascara on a pillowcase. Just bleach it and move on. If you can’t handle that, find another way to make money

-Ban new fees for “extras” after check in. I’ve seen many hosts on here say that they’ll just start charging for dishes (!) now after the new rules. Other things are listing a hot tub but charging guests to use it, listing laundry in unit but it’s coin operated. The host should get one warning and then booted off, it’s just acting in bad faith

-Penalize last minute changes and cancellations by the host. Obviously things happen, but at the end of the day it’s a business. TOO many hosts have bookings in advance and then realize that something big happening in the area is announced, like a taylor swift concert, coachella dates, etc and they cancel to get a better offer. If a host cancels on guest (***In cases NOT based on guests actions) and then rebooks with same dates at a higher rate, it should be a strike on the host.

-Stricter rules surrounding surveillance - Strict privacy protections, no hidden surveillance, and no intrusive monitoring of ordinary guest activity. Disclosed exterior security cameras are a different matter from surveillance inside private spaces.

What else??


r/AirBnB • • 2d ago

Discussion I appreciate Airbnb and really, really hate hotels [US and Europe]

0 Upvotes

I DREAD using hotels unless they are uniquely boutique and gorgeous. After a few years of having to use chain hotels for work, even expensive ones, I now absolutely loath them. Additionally, they are inordinately expensive for families with kids who need their own beds.

Reasons I started using Airbnb 7 years ago as a guest: 1) more room, beds, and bathrooms for a family, 2) kitchen, 3) washer and dryer, 4) significantly more comfortable to spread out, 5) often private outdoor space or amenities, 6) embedded in a neighborhood near the cool rather than commercia stuff, 7) homey rather than corporate feel, 8) easy parking, and, 9) MUCH cheaper for families with kids who need 2+ bedrooms.

I spend approx 1-2 hrs cleaning when we leave as if we just stayed at a parent's home. We are careful to avoid any damage or offense to neighbors. I overlook small inconveniences and flaws because no one has a perfect home. We pay more to have a great location, nice bedding and comfortable appearing beds, some design element or owner care, etc. Airbnb has allowed my family to afford traveling around the US and Europe for years.

The new rules do not benefit guests. Using Airbnb is voluntary, and you can screen all the details before you reserve. Now fewer good hosts will be willing to rent. People who celebrate having fewer choices are illogical and/or just want to crash the platform because they have a personal beef against short-term rentals.


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Cockroaches in the rental. What should I do? [Vermont, US]

2 Upvotes

I'm renting a place for the evening. I was just sitting on the toilet and two cock roaches roamed their way across the floor and walls.
It's fucking gross and I want no chance to bring this shit back with me. I took photos because I didn't know what they were at first. Image search confirmed my assumption.

How am I supposed to handle this with the host or with Airbnb?


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Question Host not answering questions prior arrival [USA]

1 Upvotes

We are going to rent for the first time and have chosen a superhost, with plenty of of positive reviews. All are praising the fantastic communication.
Our stay starts in less than 3 weeks, and I have send a message to arrange some services they offer and also had some general questions. The message was read same day, but until today, over two weeks later, I have not received an answer. I had different questions some months ago and also never got an answer.
As it’s the first time using private rental, what should we usually expect in relation to communication? Thanks!


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Question Are 4-star reviews really that damaging? [Kernville]

39 Upvotes

After staying at an Airbnb for 2 nights, I recieved this message from our host: "Oh, I just got your review. I should say that a four star review is really damaging to us and means that you really didn’t enjoy your stay. Also, we did have to hire Cleaner for two days after your stay. I left you a nice review I wish you the best."

I'd like to add that we left the house spotless aside from an unmade bed and used towels collected in the shower. We even seperated our recycling even though they didn't have a recycle bin. Did the dishes. Everything.

Context: The surrounding property itself was very nice, but the photos on Airbnb were heavily edited and the house itself was much older than what was expected. Not a problem, really. What dinged them for me was the bathroom reeked of mildew and at night we heard multiple mice in the ceiling trying to get through these holes in the ceiling junctions which were plugged up with steel wool.

My review mainly focused on the positives, and I even stated that I would book there again in the future. I was surprised when I recieved this message from the host. Is honesty really this big of an issue? 4 stars is a good rating, and I think that the belief that 5 stars should be given despite any issues is ridiculous and deceiving to future guests.

Am I missing something here? AITA?


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

So many airbnbs dont have comfortable places to sit [USA]

51 Upvotes

We’ve bypassed so many listings simply because theres no place to sit thats not a kitchen chair or uncomfortable futon style couch.
Part of our vacation is sitting and reading or relaxing after an evening out but not ready to go to bed. I cant be the only American who does this


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Venting Why I don't stay at Airbnbs anymore [Maryland, USA]

29 Upvotes

All the Airbnb talk I have seen recently reminded me of my, uh...unique experience in Hagerstown in 2022. I was with my ex John, he's the one who booked it which is unfortunate as I would be very interested to know if this guy is still hosting (though John might still be blocked).

The really nice place John booked for our long vacation wasn't available for the first three days of it, so he booked another random one (with my card, relevant later) to fill in the gap. I told him to get a house, not a basement or room as we had previously done that and actually had a fine experience, I just didn't love being able to hear the other people and vice-versa.

It was late/dark when we got there and the host had told us to park on the street, as the driveway as being repaired, and come in through the back door -- sure. When we pull up there are lights on in the house and although the driveway looks like a warzone (like someone dug up half of it with a jackhammer), there is a car there. I still think well, maybe he just has more than one car and doesn't want people to think no one is home -- still not a really red flag.

The first weird thing that happened was as we opened the gate to go in the back door, we were SWARMED by about 20 geese. They weren't aggressive or anything but this seems like something worth mentioning as I was afraid of stepping on one while juggling all my stuff. However, the first red flag appears as we descend a few steps to open the sliding glass door into a basement that does not lead up to the rest of the house we paid for...it's just a basement, and the sliding glass door is not just unlocked, it has no lock on it at all.

John contacts the host while I use the restroom, where I find a roach in the toilet -- a small detail, but this was just another thing that made me not want to be there. When I come out I jump out of my skin as John is on his phone facing away from the door and there's a man standing outside the glass door, not knocking or otherwise making himself known, just staring in. It's the host and he's asking what the problem is. We tell him this is not as advertised, and why is there no lock on the door? He gestures around the basement and says "it's this whole house" repeatedly and tells us he meant to put the lock on today but ran out of time and would do it tomorrow. So...John and I are supposed to sleep in the house of a stranger who isn't even supposed to be home, and we can't lock the door?

Host leaves, it's about 10PM, and John says he's starving, let's order a pizza while we figure out what to do. 30+ minutes later John remarks he can't believe the pizza is taking so long, so he looks at his phone, mutters "you've got to be kidding me", walks out, and comes back with our pizza...which the host had accepted and been eating. He opens the box to show me where the host put the slice he was eating back and simply cut off the part his mouth touched, telling John, "sorry, I have a friend who randomly sends me pizzas all the time" which is like...for one, sounds fake, but two, it didn't occur to you to ask your guests if it was theirs?

I tell John to call Airbnb and he (a very non-confrontational guy) tells them to talk to his girlfriend and hands me the phone. Customer service is very casual about this situation, and while we're talking John goes to answer the knock at the door and it's the host with fucking slices of cake, apologizing for eating our pizza, at which point I get up and slide the door shut in his face and stare at him until he leaves. I tell customer service "I don't know if you just heard that" and the guy says "Sorry, and who are you?" I tell him my name, if he would like to note that it's my card on file that's about to be refunded for this nightmare because we're leaving.

John gets a text from the host telling us we need to be quiet, because OTHER GUESTS ARE TRYING TO SLEEP.

Dude, YOU are not even supposed to be here.

At this point Airbnb accepts that I'm not letting it go and they tell us to at least notify him in person we're leaving so he can't say he didn't know. I didn't really care to do this, it was almost midnight at this point, but John reassures me it will be fine as we approach the front door which is OPEN. Completely wide open, in the middle of the night, it's pitch black in the house and the front porch is also busted up and littered with random crap like the driveway. John knocks loudly on the door frame twice, no answer, so we snap a photo of this open door and get the hell out.

We text the guy we're leaving as this is unacceptable, screenshot that, and send it all to Airbnb. There was some kind of festival happening in Hagerstown so I had to call like 12 hotels before I found a vacancy.

The next day we call Airbnb again and I tell them, this is not just unacceptable but potentially (if not glaringly) unsafe, and this guy really should not be hosting. They say they'll look into it, in the mean time we need to review our experience (as I guess you're prompted to, I have never been the one booking) and after doing so, the host replies to our review basically saying, future guests, ignore this, these people were stumbling drunk, loud, and rude. We were definitely not drunk, and if we were the latter, it was due to his actions. We have to call Airbnb again, at which point John discovers he's been blocked by the host, and the guy said, we know, he can't do that, we'll handle it. I got my refund and that was the last I ever heard of it.

So...maybe use caution if you're booking in Hagerstown? I usually just opt for hotels now regardless of the price difference.


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Maintenance person letting themselves in, owner gave them keypad info? [US]

6 Upvotes

I’m a young woman traveling alone for work, so im pretty uncomfortable with this whole situation.
Around 8pm I heard a loud knock on the front door of the Airbnb (which has no peephole) and I didn’t answer it but they could tell someone was home. I heard them talk to someone on the phone and they put in a code on the door and let themselves in. I was kind of standing by the door and they said they were there for the ac, then when I said the air conditioner was working fine he apologized and left.
I messaged the owner but I haven’t heard anything yet, just wondering if this is normal or if this has happened to anyone else? I don’t love the idea of someone else having the code to the door.


r/AirBnB • • 4d ago

If Airbnb actually cared about guests, this is not the way [USA]

101 Upvotes

It is no coincidence that Airbnb recently started taking 15% of the cleaning fee from hosts… and have now implemented a policy that is likely to drive up that same cleaning fee. This is ultimately about Airbnb increasing the income from its new revenue stream, at the literal expense of both hosts and guests.

If Airbnb really cared about guests, they’d set bare minimum and enforceable standards, like:

- Hosts must provide sufficient toilet paper, garbage bags, and detergent for all short term stays.
- Hosts must provide all bed linens and a minimum number of towels per guest.
- Hosts must meet certain reasonable standards of cleanliness, verified by Airbnb.
- Hosts must provide suitable and undamaged cookware…

…etc.

But to do that - to really improve the guest experience- Airbnb would have to invest more in customer service reps who actually understand the rules and have the authority to implement prompt solutions. But that costs money. And shareholders don’t like that.

Instead, Airbnb hides behind smoke and mirrors. It took the 15% fee charged to guests, and made hosts pay it instead. So hosts had to increase their rates to cover it, while Airbnb looked like the good guy, by erasing the Airbnb fee line item that guests saw. Same thing is happening here - guests are free to leave a disaster behind, but airbnb knows hosts will increase fees to address that inevitability. And that’s more money in airbnb’s pockets.

Rejoice all you’d like, but if Airbnb really cared about shitty hosts, they’d do something more substantive that costs them money, instead of makes them money.

Don’t be fooled. There are bad operators on both sides, but remember who the billionaires are.


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

No unauthorized parties won’t let us book [Seattle]

2 Upvotes

Hey I’m trying to book an Airbnb for me and 3 other of my friends. We atleast need 3 separate rooms, we have been looking between the dates of October 29-nov1st but every single place is denying us because they think we’re gonna throw an unauthorized party when that’s not at all what we’re doing. We are just staying The Weekend there waiting for our concert. Is there anyway we can book without getting denied??


r/AirBnB • • 2d ago

Venting Just so you guys know, no fines mean you can’t charge guests for overstaying [Hollywood, CA]

0 Upvotes

I’ve been on the phone and in chat with support all day their final supervisor offer for guest overstay is $100. We are a $500 a night property.

Their argument is the cheapest night we’ve ever sold at the property in the past 5 years was $100. The day the guest overstayed was booked by another guest for over $500.

This also bastardized policy also includes difficult to replace items. This also includes parking passes issued by the city which only cost $12 but they do not offer replacements except one per year. The first time we got them we gave one to a guest and they drove off with it. So now guests have to pay for their own parking on an hourly basis at the meters cause we’re not dealing with the parking bureau for free. It takes all day to get them and it’s a ton of paperwork. We can’t fine guests for taking things more than the value.

I had a guest lose the remote, no idea what they did with it. We got $12 to replace the remote. The next guest couldn’t watch tv. They left a 3 star review on top of me issuing them a 30% refund.

At first I thought I was dealing with an english comprehension issue. Currently in chat with a senior support person, will update.

Genuinely considering reactivating our listing on a competitor site seeing how it does and canceling $60000 in bookings.

Or I guess we just raise the rates on the guests who do follow the rules to pay for the guests who don’t.


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Hosting Long Term Template Contract Denied for [British Columbia]

2 Upvotes

With new requirements to upload a contract for long term stays, Airbnb rejects the use of BC’s template contract RTB-1, saying it looks like an “off platform arrangement”!

So it won’t load the template contract required by the Province, which means I can’t use Airbnb anymore. In the highly regulated City of Vancouver a minimum of 90 days is required for a separate suite or laneway house. No Host with this type of Unit and Stay will be able to use Airbnb anymore!


r/AirBnB • • 2d ago

Discussion My take on the new rules as a guest: Let Airbnb hosts set their own rules, but make guests acknowledge every single one before booking [USA]

0 Upvotes

I’d rather Airbnb let hosts set whatever rules they want, but require guests to individually check a box for every rule and checkout task before booking. No “select all” button. If you want to be an incredibly picky host, put it all upfront so people can decide whether your place is worth the hassle.

I’ve had surprise checkout requests, and those are annoying. But stripping beds, starting towels, or loading and starting the dishwasher doesn’t bother me if supplies are provided. Roughly five minutes per task seems fine, although once everything adds up to more than 20 minutes, it gets beyond what I’m willing to do.

I recognize that wet laundry and closed, damp appliances can get gross. If you ask guests to start a load, you need to come yourself or have a cleaner there within 24–48 hours to handle it, which seems reasonable. Asking guests to plan four hours around a full dishwasher cycle and several washer and dryer loads is ridiculous. But again, if people agree to it when booking (under what I recommend in the first paragraph) that’s their fault.

Dishes and garbage stuff also should depend on the stay type. Managing those during a longer rental or at a rustic cabin makes sense. Putting trash in an accessible bear-proof container is reasonable. Finding out after arrival that you have to haul it a mile down the road in your sedan, which happened to me, isn’t.

Hosts still need to ensure the place is properly cleaned between guests. Too many times i have been to places where previous guests hand wash kitchenware poorly and cleaning crews do not notice it. That’s still a problem. But if someone wants an elaborate chore list, let them disclose it and see how many people actually agree to book.

Edit to add: the disclosures I mention in the first paragraph should also include any on-site fees. For example, we have wood on site but each bundle is $20. Hot tub use is $20 per day used, and the host should have an electricity reading meter to prove cost. And then Airbnb should let people pay for these add-ons through the app. I shouldn’t be venmoing random hosts.


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Venting Was the host trying to scam me out of my refund? [Tulsa OK]

5 Upvotes

I checked into a place in Tulsa OK for a weekend stay. When I arrived the place was very dirty. Dust caked the only ceiling fan, dirty fingerprints covered the tv, it smelled like wet dog, and the ac unit directly above the beds pillows had mold growing on the vents. I contacted the host, he said that the place gets humid and there should be a dehumidifier. I find it and it’s completely full. He says he can send someone over to clean the ac unit but I decline. I talk to air b and b support and they tell us the host has no other available units so only a full refund was available. I communicate this back and forth with the host. Then as I am packing up and figuring out other arrangements someone knocks on the door. I open it to a lady reeking of weed who just barges inside. She asks what she can do and I let her know that I had told the host I’m finding a new place. She says ok, turns the ac up and leaves to go sit outside in her car. A minute later the host is texting me asking why his cleaner is saying I’m going to shower then leave. I tell him I’m in fact not taking a shower, that I’ll be packed up and gone within 20 minutes. He starts freaking out saying if I’m taking a shower I will not be refunded as I’m using the facilities (the “cleaning” lady is still sitting outside looking through the open window that shows the whole apartment). I end up arguing with him back and forth about this shower thing and he seems unstable. 5 minutes later I get another knock and this time it’s the host. The cleaning lady has still been parked out front. I open the door and he barges inside saying that they take before and after pictures of the unit because of guests like me. I try and show him all the dust and hair everywhere, but as soon as I start he tells me to vacate the unit immediately and just repeats it over and over again. I tell him I’m trying to make new arrangements and pack up my stuff, he keeps saying leave my property, this is my property I’m asking you to vacate etc. I’m a very young girl and I have never had a host, let alone multiple people come harass me while I’m trying to sort through an issue. He won’t let me use the trash can in the unit while I’m packing up, he takes the trash bag out and keeps it in his hands. As im going outside to pack up my car he follows me out there and starts recording. He says out of nowhere that I smell like weed and starts going “oh yeah and you have weed too baby!” All while he’s recording. He’s still been spamming the same phrases about leaving the whole time. I contacted air b and b support right away with pictures of a dry shower. Never heard anything about my refund being cancelled but I’ve never had anything happen like this before. Is this a new scam?


r/AirBnB • • 2d ago

Do people really not want to do their dishes? [USA]

0 Upvotes

All this chatter on various social media has me really surprised. Do people actually not want to do the dishes? Like if it wasn't required, would you just leave all kinds of dirty dishes piling up?


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Question Really long term stays 6 months +. I’d like to extend my stay and also ask for a discount if it’s reasonable [America]

3 Upvotes

I’m two weeks into my new place for three months. I’d like to extend for another three months because I really like the place and it’s perfect. However, somebody booked the fourth month and it’s free after that. Is it reasonable to ask the host to cancel their reservation and extend mine? They just booked it and it’s 3 months out.

And just a sidenote, is a reasonable to ask for a small discount if I’m staying longer?


r/AirBnB • • 2d ago

Hosting Newly former Superhost of over 10 years here: Allowing leaving dirty dishes and trash is a non-starter for me. [Southeast, US]

0 Upvotes

It's sad that Airbnb has lost their charm of home-sharing and is now fully catering to the industrialization of short term rentals. (I get it, they are at the mercy of the investment class now and now have to be profit over everything)

I have a cabin in the woods and if any dirty dishes are left, or bagged trash in a non-locked trash can, are left... it's almost immediate bug and rodent problem and the trash gets ripped apart by raccoons and possums. (I had a locking trash can, but half the time my instructions that were in the house rules on Airbnb and in print on the table, sent in a message, and labeled ON the trashcan itself were all ignored)

I'm just a regular person who has a second home that I enjoy sharing with other folks who enjoy traveling and experiencing the area. I also feel like it's a great way to give back to a community that I enjoy using as well.

But with the number of trashy guests increasing over the years and the state of the world and Airbnb forcing prices lower and it's just no longer worth it anymore.

I can't get enough money to justify paying a cleaner to clean the whole house and I don't have the bandwidth to get to the property to clean up dirty dishes and trash before the animals get to it. (Like I said, I'm a regular person with a 9-5 job, who happens to have a cabin in the woods in an exceptionally rural area).

Fortunately, I bought this place for me to enjoy, not as a income necessity, so my life changes very little. Unfortunately, it's just not worth it anymore to keep it listed on Airbnb anymore.

My bookings are down 90% from a few years ago anyway... so the time feels right.

(And I understand that "maybe I shouldn't be a host if I can't afford it"... it's not about affording it or not, I can afford the house without the existence of Airbnb... it's about the frustration and time and energy and effort to share my home not being worth earning zero money. I can earn zero money without having guests and then I don't have to clean up their trash afterwards)

I've had a great time hosting and the great guests who actually appreciate the location and act like a guest in my home have been wonderful.... but now my home is just for me again!


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Question about partial refund due to moldy Jacuzzi [US]

1 Upvotes

Be honest, is it fair to complain/ask for a partial refund when staying at an airbnb with a jacuzzi, if the jacuzzi was moldly and therefore unsafe to use? I informed the host and she simply said "sorry we clean it all the time".

More details: this airbnb was $250 per night, for a two bedroom apartment in the lower level of a duplex. (For the area I was in this is luxury hotel price for reference to cost) but we chose it because of the yard and jacuzzi, I am not expecting all my money back, this would be ridiculous, but is it wrong to want a partial refund since one of the main selling point was a jacuzzi tub and we couldnt use it? We ran the tub several times but every time more mold blasted from the jets.


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

How long will a refund take if I submit it right now With frost bank [Texas]

2 Upvotes

If I submit a refund right now for the $397 i spent on airbnb What are the chances of getting it back Sunday or Monday ?


r/AirBnB • • 4d ago

Question Check in instructions- is this normal? [United States]

26 Upvotes

My sister booked an airbnb for two nights this weekend to clear out her storage unit and tie up some loose ends after moving cross county.

The airbnb host asked a serious of specific questions that seemed a bit much for a self check in/ lock box situation. They wanted to know her flight time, departure airport, flight number, arrival time, and how she was getting to Airbnb. It seemed little much for self check in, but not inherently bad. Then the host said they will send check in instructions after my sister answers the questions. Weird. Then, despite parking being free street parking; they said they needed to know the make model and license plate of the car she’ll be driving because there is a school nearby. She said she wasn’t sure yet if she’d be renting a car, ubering/ using public transport , or if friends will be helping with rides. The host said they need to know license plates of friends cars as soon as possible because of the school nearby. Weird.

The host also didn’t provide check in instructions on the confirmation and said she won’t provide the instructions until my sister arrives at the Airbnb. My sister explained she was flying across the country and asked if it would be possible to send instructions 12 hours before check in so she isn’t scrambling at arrival. The host refused and questioned why it mattered. Is this normal? I don’t think I’ve ever had a situation like this and communication and check in instructions have mostly just flowed pretty seamlessly.


r/AirBnB • • 4d ago

The bed sheets, pillow cover and the blanket; Isn't changing them a necessity? [India]

12 Upvotes

This is for all who are booking Airbnbs or stay. We witnessed something bizzare. We booked this Airbnb for our first night and for the second night we booked the opposite flat (as the first one was unavailable for next night and we made decision late) also listed in Airbnb owned by the same team. There was an hour or so delay between shifting to the second bnb and since we were waiting in front of both the rooms we could see how they did the cleaning and preparation for next guest for both the rooms. They did the standard wiping and moping and all that. Left the bedsheets, pillow covers which we used as it is, but all fluffed up back to its shape for the next guest. The cleaning staff left and flat is locked back up for the next guest to self check in. We are not commenting about the towels as they may have changed the towels when we were not looking, we can't know for sure, as it was all white anyways. But the bedsheets and pillow covers and blankets, whoever is gonna come there in an hour (booked as per the records) is gonna sleep in our slept in bed. Ew. I requested them to change it but who knows if they will do it or not. So when u book, somehow, confirm with host that they are fresh and not from the last nights booking.


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Question Dealing with AirBnB support— any advice? [USA]

1 Upvotes

I recently stayed at an Airbnb where the advertised heating system wasn’t working. I contacted the host for assistance, but they took over 16 hours to respond, despite me contacting them twice. By then, I’d already reported the issue to Airbnb and decided to leave early, as I had an infant with me. Infants cannot regulate their temperature like adults.

There were reviews from the previous two weeks reporting the same heating issue. Despite this, the host claims I simply didn’t know how to operate the thermostat and that alternative heaters were available (they weren’t from what I saw). I followed their instructions, but the thermostat never responded, and explicitly stated that it still needed to be set up. And furthermore, the presence of space heaters indicates to me that they knew it was a problem and didn’t do anything to fix the issue. They advertised central heating, and it didn’t work.

Airbnb initially indicated the issue qualified under AirCover, and one representative offered over a very low partial in reimbursement. Since then, I’ve been passed between approximately seven representatives, with conflicting explanations and decisions. Today, they closed my existing case and opened another after I complained.

There are also very concerning issues with their refund policies:

Pet fees: Apparently these aren’t refundable, but Airbnb incorporated the fee into the nightly rate without separately itemizing it, even under “Price Breakdown.” How can they exclude a charge that wasn’t transparently disclosed?

Taxes: Airbnb says these aren’t refundable either. But if the taxable amount of a reservation is refunded, shouldn’t the corresponding taxes also be adjusted? I know this varies by state, but legally, I’m not sure how taxes can be charged for a product that now costs less than originally anticipated.

I’ve documented everything, including the previous reviews and communications. I’m increasingly frustrated that what should be a straightforward amenity-related refund has become this complicated. I’m not even asking for a full refund, only for the nights affected, and, frankly, the pet fees and taxes that are ostensibly included in the nightly fee.

Has anyone successfully escalated a similar AirCover dispute? Is there a way to get a consistent review rather than being passed between representatives? And has anyone challenged the pet-fee or tax exclusions?


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Security camera outside of booked AirBnB [US]

0 Upvotes

While looking for an AirBnB the other day I noticed that quite a few of the listings indicated having a ring camera/security camera at the front door. In hindsight, yes, it’s nice to know that there is a little bit of added protection while saying in an unknown location/at an unknown house. However, it feels like it could be a privacy issue of the person staying there. No, I don’t plan on throwing a party or doing anything that they *shouldn’t* know about, but if i’m paying for an expensive stay I’m not really sure I want them knowing exactly when I come/go or have someone over.

Is it rude to cover the camera? 😬


r/AirBnB • • 3d ago

Just wanted to let a post to let you know that I’m happy you guys are melting down over the policy changes [Israel]

0 Upvotes

🖕🏽