Sorry, but I just can’t get into this Airbnb craze. On occasion I don’t mind renting an apartment with Tim or a friend; I’ve actually written about several that we loved like this one in Berlin and this one in Split. But in general I like the amenities of a hotel stay when I’m traveling and just don’t find the majority of apartment rentals all that convenient. I also have a lot of concerns about the various safety aspects. I’m not saying you shouldn’t ever use Airbnb, but it’s not for me. Hear me out on why I don’t like Airbnb…
1. Airbnb Doesn’t Feel Like a Safe Choice
Here’s where I’m going to hate on Airbnb as opposed to all holiday apartments in general. I don’t like Airbnb’s lack of quality checks and that they aren’t subject to any of the inspections that keep hotels from being death and fire traps.
First, no matter how many reviews you read, you’re kidding yourself if you think people don’t game the system and post fake reviews. And for the ones that aren’t fake, well, one man’s castle is another’s dungeon. How do you really know what you’re getting?
Like so many things, the right angle and a little Photoshop can make a photo look entirely different than the reality. I stayed in a (as advertised) luxury holiday apartment in London where lovely artwork was hung on the walls to make the apartment look chic and upscale; in reality it was a dump and not a single piece of art from the photos was actually in the apartment.
Second, even if you aren’t renting from a psychopath (or just generally creepy man), there are loads of other safety issues to take into consideration.
Apartment rentals don’t typically provide a safe to store your valuables while you’re out and about. I’ve personally known one too many holiday apartment renters that have had laptops, expensive camera gear and passports stolen from their holiday apartment. Sure, theft can and does happen at hotels too but it’s your own fault for not securing valuables. At an apartment, you’re vulnerable.
And does it concern anyone else that God only knows who has keys to the apartment you’re staying in? Perhaps I’ve watched one too many episodes of CSI, but think about it. What’s to stop a crazy from renting an apartment, heading to the nearest hardware store and making a copy of the key? They can enter whenever they please. Maybe that’s what happened to this still unidentified woman who was found decomposing this a Parisan Airbnb rental’s backyard; who knows since it’s still under investigation.
And it doesn’t even need to be a wayward criminal. It could be the host, like in this incident with Jacob Lopez in which he claims his host locked him in the apartment he was renting in Madrid and sexually assaulted him.
I’ve stayed in too many apartments that only had a single lock. I always deadbolt my hotel room door.
I also much prefer the electronic keycard locks since the majority of them change the combination with each new guest. There’s little chance of other key cards floating around that will open your room. I’ve never seen an electronic keycard door lock on a holiday apartment rental.
I could go on, but you get my gist on safety issues.
2. Check-in and Check-out Can Be a Pain
With the majority of hotels, reception is open 24/7. You just show up whenever and someone is available to check you in or out.
When it comes to the majority of holiday apartments, these are rented by individual owners who you have to arrange to meet. I can remember renting an apartment in Berlin and the owner being downright pissed off that I wasn’t there at 3pm, or whatever time we arranged to meet, on the dot.
I have zero control over delayed flights, how fast the taxi can get me there in traffic and a myriad of other things that just go wrong when you’re traveling.
3. There’s Isn’t Luggage Storage
I don’t know about you, but rarely do our flights conveniently line up with checkout time. We often pack-up, checkout and store our luggage in the hotel’s luggage room while still having at least a few hours to explore before we head off to the airport.
Holiday apartments simply don’t offer this convenience and not every destination has a nearby train station with luggage storage services. This one isn’t necessarily a holiday apartment deal breaker, but it is something to take into consideration when planning your holiday.
4. I Don’t Really Want to Cook on My Holiday
Hell, I don’t want to cook every night when I’m home. So why would I want to cook on my vacation? In short, I don’t (unless I’m doing a really fun cooking class like learning to make macarons in Paris).
Look, I get that food can be one of the biggest expenses you have when traveling. Three meals a day adds up, especially if you’re feeding a family. There’s appeal in being able to spend less at the grocery store and save by cooking some meals in.
By booking a hotel with breakfast included, one meal is already taken care of daily on your trip. And where I might grab a yogurt at home, I enjoy indulging in delicious breakfast dishes I would never take the time to cook for myself like eggs benedict.
5. Lack of Amenities and Customer Service
The lack of all the extras, like a gym, spa, onsite restaurant, room service and toiletries are what make holiday apartment rentals so inexpensive.
But I like all that stuff.
I wake up cranky and that can set the tone for my entire day when I have to sleep on a pillow that’s the equivalent of sleeping on a rock. I like having pillow menus available to find a pillow that gives me a comfortable night’s rest.
And let’s face it. The majority of holiday apartments are furnished as cheaply as possible. I have yet to see one with a mattress that envelopes you in what sleeping on a cloud must feel like.
But the biggest missing amenity in holiday apartments is customer service and the ability to move you to another room when problems arise. I thought sleeping on a rock hard pillow was bad…until I stayed in another apartment in London in winter with a broken hot water heater.
I stayed in that apartment for seven nights because no others were available to move to and the company refused to pay for a hotel. We didn’t have heat or a hot shower for our entire stay. Worst of all, the apartment owner wanted me to sit around waiting for the plumber to come for hours at a time.
I was there to speak at a conference. I needed a hot shower and I certainly didn’t have time to sit around waiting for a plumber from 1pm – 4pm. Would you want to do that on your vacation? Probably not since you paid to, you know, go see London!
The press loves to say Airbnb is taking over the world and the sharing economy is all the rage these days. But I’m not convinced. At the end of the day, I’ll still pick a hotel over a holiday apartment rental and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
All of that said, if a holiday apartment or vacation home rental really is the best fit for you, be aware that are many other options out there. There are Airbnb alternatives like holiday apartments that operate as a business with a reception, competitors like onefinestay that personally vet every single listing on their site by staff personally staying in the place, and other sites like Airbnb such as Homeaway and Flipkey.
Larry says
Have to agree with you. Hotels are safer, more comfortable and have better options.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
I just really don’t like that any Joe Schmoe can list a place on Airbnb. It’s just asking for trouble.
elvan says
True. I had bad experinces recently .Airbnb does not care if you had horriblee xperince at all. They say things like ohhyou dont rent the all house , youa re renting the room so on, and you should be respectful to the host.I am kind and nce person but i still got bad experice.Host is th eone who should respect me because i am paying a lot of money.
Joe Sims says
Its not just Guests that don’t like Air Bnb. I am a Host and I have been renting 4 units on Air Bnb for a few years and I HATE Air BnB. They Suck!!!! I like the money and — I will have to think about something else that maybe I like about renting to strangers. I promise to do that soon.
Alexander Solomatin says
Thiefs they are Airbnb.
Alexander Solomatin
teresa ann frankfurth says
agreed! I’ve been a host since airbnb started and yes, I HATE them too. While traveling I try not to stay in them. Currently, for the last 2-3 years I’ve watched what they’ve done to housing markets across the globe. I’ve repeatedly wrote to them about my concerns, never a reply. They talk a big story but don’t care one iota. Mexico city is currently up in arms with them and airbnb just won’t respond. Yes i hate them. looking to retire.
mateo says
Mateo – Los Angeles, CA – AIRBNB HOST BATTERS GUEST UPON RELEASE FROM JAIL
Hello, I am considering seeking legal action against AIRBNB and the owners of the property for allowing a known drug dealer (convict) to rent out a location on Airbnb. On September 29th 2016, at approximately 3am, an intruder came into the rental while I and a friend were sleeping. They were scared away. We were, as expected, worried an attempted robbery was just prevented. At that point it was a nightly watch in case this person came back. I felt unsafe and concerned about my safety. I contacted the individual who managed and checked me into the unit about the situation, and he apologized profusely. Up until that point the only person I was in contact with was Elliott Bermudez, a fellow tenant and AIRBNB representative prior and during the rental. After discussing with neighbors the following day I was told the tenant (HOST) the unit is rented under had just been released from jail and was looking for a place to stay. I was shocked and dismayed that something like this could happen. On Friday, Sept. 30th, I received a text message soon after from an unknown number stating his early return. I did not know who this could be so I asked for an introduction, there was none given but I assumed it was the HOST. On Saturday, Oct. 1st 2016, after returning from an event that morning there was a person sitting on the steps near the unit. I introduce myself to the individual. The individual, now known as the HOST confirmed it was him that entered the rental at approximately 3am on Sept 30th. I voiced my objections and told him that was inappropriate and possibly illegal and requested the rental refund fee if he wanted to have the unit back for himself. Later that evening the host let himself into the unit multiple times and after objecting and asking him to leave the host knocked me aside and entered the rental yelling and threatening me screaming at the top of his lungs. I immediately called 911, the host left quickly. Police came while I was reporting the incident to AIRBNB help desk. The officer wrote down details and gave me the police report number. I left that evening as I could not stay any longer. I returned on Oct. 4th to retrieve my personal items and vacated the unit. I also spoke with the maintenance employees and was told the property owners never knew that the recently released convict was even in jail let alone renting a space on Airbnb. In fact I received a 3-day notice to pay or quit the unit last month. I have multiple witnesses to the altercation and neighbors who have witnessed the host dealing drugs and doing drugs outside the unit. I contacted AIRBNB and was promptly told if I canceled the rental I still have to pay the host for time unspent. I find that unacceptable and disturbing. I’m pursuing legal advice and intend on bringing this attention to the local news. I would appreciate any help with this matter. I tried to upload pictures and emails but your page upload function is not working. I’ve disputed the charges in question with my credit card company.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Hi Mateo,
Thanks for sharing your story and we’re very sorry to hear you had such a terrible experience. These are the things that are precisely the problem with Airbnb. There’s just no telling who you might be renting from because there are no measures to prevent just about anyone from putting a room or place up on Airbnb.
There’s nothing that we can do to help you. But Christopher Elliott is a well-known travel advocate. I’d suggest visiting his website and posting in the Help Forum. http://elliott.org/ Perhaps there is something his site can do to help with your situation.
I really hope that at the very least your credit card company sides with you. I would also keep complaining to Airbnb and ask for someone higher up in the company to speak with. They do typically have good customer service and refund charges when the rental didn’t meet expectations. Best of luck!
Lorraine says
I’d like to know more.
I’m a writer looking into this topic.
[email protected]
Nathan Ellis says
I was a big Airbnb fan for years as a guest and host for years. Will continue to host but I’m prettty much done with using it as a traveler.
Recently my wife and I rented an apartment in Los Angeles during Thanksgiving week. The host ended up being a complete psychopath, we mistakenly took a bottle of his liquor to a friends party rather than one we had bought for the occasion which looked similar..
Realized it the night before we checked out but couldn’t find it in local liquor stores so ordered a replacement online and let him know of the mistake and that a replacement bottle was on the way.
The guy went completely crazy – accused us of stealing and then claimed we also took another (very expensive, shocker) bottle and his Sirracha sauce (it was spoiled & stinking up the fridge so we tossed it). Tried to calm him down & reassure him but he continued the accusations, then called me an a—hole and started to threaten me.
At this point I stopped engaging and called Airbnb. Said I had already politely apologized and replaced the bottle (provided receipt as proof). Said any further communication would need to be handled by them as I was not comfortable engaging directly..
On top of all this, our stay was mediocre at best. The A/C was only an ancient window unit in the bedroom, the living room and kitchen were boiling hot but definitely not ‘flooded with natural light’ as the listing boasted. Were told there was street parking which was total BS. Oh and he made little effort to conceal his meth pipe, condoms or hiv test kits – my wife really loved seeing those. Also we saw bedbug spray in the bathroom cabinet and she had numerous bites. Had planned on addressing those after check out as there was little point in complaining while we were there to a host who wasn’t in town. Damage had already been done. Most people would have felt justified taking some booze but I felt we should replace the bottle regardless of the apartment conditions. .
Airbnb support assured me they would speak to him and handle things moving forward, He filed a claim for $200 for the bottle we’d already ordered a replacement for and the other bottle which we never saw or touched (and I’m not even sure existed).. I disputed it and Airbnb ended up giving him $200 out of their own pocket.
Despite this, he continued to send nasty text messages which I ignored until they escalated to threatening me in various ways including my family and indicating he knew where I lived – had clearly invested considerable time cyberstalking me.
At this point I became very concerned and contacted Airbnb again – they appeared to take it very seriously and also recommended I contact law enforcement if I felt unsafe. I told them I just wanted this guy off my back and to understand what they were going to do about it – again I only met this clown because of Airbnb ! They asked for photos of the drug paraphernalia but I refused – I’m not looking to rat people out and again, this guy was clearly nuts and it wasn’t worth the risk of adding fuel to his crazy fire.
They said they were ‘escalating’ my case to the ‘Trust & Safety’ department. Later I got an email saying ‘Some people can be disagreeable – what can I do to help?’ I couldn’t believe they would send such a glib, casual reply and asking me what they should do? Seriously? Isn’t it their job to know what to do about this?
The texts had stopped at that point so I didn’t bother replying. It had already sucked up so much time and energy, plus I knew they would do nothing to help anyway.. I resisted the temptation to leave a scathing review as I’m sure it would havd escalates the harassment – why would he stop if there were no consequences to his ability to host?
Fast forward 2 weeks – my wife alerts me that Airbnb allows the host to post a nasty review of me as a guest !!! After promising me no further interaction and that they would do ‘’whatever they could’ to protect me this was allowed?? I’d obviously avoided reviewing the host on my end as it wound no doubt result in further harassment and potential escalation of threats.
So the host was allowed to repeatedly insult, harass and threaten me while delivering a mediocre at best experience with zero consequences while I ended up with a nasty review (the only review I’ve ever received that was not 100 percent positive) on top of everything else .He even ended up with an extra bottle of booze and $120 !!!
I was furious and called Airbnb support in an attempt to understand how this was allowed to happen (yeah I should have known better at that point).. The conversation was almost comical if it wasn’t so frustrating – the rep didn’t deny any of the facts (they had screenshots of all the texts etc.) and said I should comsider calling law enforcement. But wait it gets better.
Before I go further, important to point out I got on board early with Airbnb – like 2010/11.. Over the years I used it frequently for personal and business travel, for my staff when I was runnng a company etc. Again all pretty easy to see from my profile.
You think that mattered at all ? Nope. I was informed the nasty review couldn’t be taken down per their ‘content policy.’ What about your host conduct policy I asked? The rep said that the harassment had been noted but the would need another incident to establish a ‘pattern of behavior.’
What?? You’re recommending I call law enforcement but Airbnb is fine with this person continuing to host and crap all over the guest he spent a week harassing ???
I lost it at that point – and I’m not sorry. Everyone has a breaking point and that was mine. I realized Airbnb had officially jumped the shark – the shiny idealism and ‘disruptive’ spirit that had drawn me in back in the beginning was gone. I realized Airbnb had become just another greedy, faceless corporation who didn’t give a s—t about its customers.
elvan says
I had very similar experience with the nasty review after i was abuised y the host.I left after staying one day. Snd even though host was a lier and she posted different pictures of a living room which was not existed , airbnb did not take off her review.
Jonetia Saunders says
Man I thought my experience was bad, I’m sorry that happened man
Emily says
As a host with an exquisite newly remodeled apartment i have to say not all guests are created equal. Your correct when you suggest some people are better suited to a hotel. If you\’re going to be a guest who requires hand holding who is incurious, is obsessed with the idea that when they leave home and stay in an Airbnb they will automatically be robbed of their valuables. I\’d add most Airbnb\’s are safe. But there is always the exception and if you chose to show up and don\’t like what you see you can always leave and cancel the booking. I would also add there\’s another side to this equation the guest who shows up in a sour mood and the moment they show up are unfriendly, treat the host as invisible, with suspicion and expect a warm welcome. I would suggest that if you come with an open mind and remember not all Bnbs are alike , that you are in fact staying in someone\’s home for a time. So be respectful, clean up after yourself , keep your luggage off the sofa and appreciate your time on this earth.
Alexander Solomatin says
Airbnb is the WORST company. They don’t give a shit about customers. Liars. I wish they close. LIARS.
Alexander Solomatin
Kate Blake says
I am with you all the way Jen. I have rented cabins for ski vacations and stayed in lovely time share units but am not keen on the AirBNB model. I like that with a timeshare there is on site management and you would be moved into another available unit if your water heater crapped out. You also have security at those properties. I really don’t like cooking on vacation and prefer a hotel with breakfast too. I understand how this can work well for people on a budget or traveling with kids. I personally enjoy eating out and I like someone else cleaning my bathroom every day.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
I think food is an important part of connecting with a place. It’s the one part of travel that knows no language barriers. So we also like eating out, going on food tours, seeing what breakfast looks like in different countries. As I’m finishing up today’s story on some foods to try when visiting Israel, I’m thinking about how I wouldn’t have encountered shashuka if I’d been renting an apartment and eating a yogurt I picked up at the grocery store for breakfast.
And I also like on site management. There are professional holiday apartment companies that offer that, but the Airbnb economy sharing model isn’t my thing.
Brianne says
I feel the complete opposite! Started living full time off of airbnb 9 months ago. Most of the places I’m in are in big cities, which maybe makes them more travel focused. I have stayed in places with closet cut outs for suitcases, locked closets, etc. I stay in places typically for a month so I find the convenience of having my own space way better than any hotel. Also if you’re lucky you can get airbnb hosts that are down to take you to their favorite locals spots. This is awesome for me now since I’m far far away in SE Asia. 🙂
Jennifer Dombrowski says
I can totally see how a holiday apartment would have a lot of appeal for long term travelers. Eating out all the time not only gets expensive, it gets old. But we’re not on an indefinite around the world trip and we write for regular professionals going on weekend breaks and a few week or two week long vacations each year.
Galia says
Hello!
I just wanted to say that I understand and benefits from their experience, but I must say that AirnBnB apartments for tourists means a great lack of opportunities for locals who want to stay and live in their cities. We are suffering this big problem in Barcelona (Catalunya_Spain) now … The locals can not afford to rent the prices … I really think that this platform is no longer collaborative: it is speculative. Think globally :)) AirBnB and similar platforms destroy local communities for the benefit of tourists and private speculators.
elvan says
I had very similar experience with the nasty review after i was abuised y the host.I left after staying one day. Snd even though host was a lier and she posted different pictures of a living room which was not existed , airbnb did not take off her review.
Brenda says
I am only agree with the safety concerns, but Im definitely sure most of them are also possible to happen in hotels as well. Housekeeping people has keys to every room, even if I put my things on safety boxes, there are always ways on which outside people can come in.
I guess it all depends most on the kind of person you are and what your interests are. I personally hate hotels and no, Im not looking for any amenity while Im on vacation. I’m just looking for a place to spend the night, feel safe and cook (yes, I love to cook when Im on vacation!) In my case, the amenities I am actually looking for are to meet locals, understanding the place from an inside view and being close to what I actually want to see. In my opinion, everytime I stay in a hotel I don’t really get a grasp on what the culture is all about.
I am totally happy with the experiences I’ve had in Airbnb. Once again, I guess it all depends on what you feel comfortable with.
Thanks a lot for this post! I love reading opinions so well explained even when they are the opposite of mines.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Glad to hear you’ve had good experiences with Airbnb, Brenda. And you’re right – it comes down to what your preferences are and what you feel comfortable with. I agree that the majority of safety concerns could happen in a hotel too, but I feel that women in particular are more vulnerable in an Airbnb simply because anyone can post a place. That’s a gamble I’m just not willing to take when traveling solo.
I obviously love hotels and luxury hotels are an experience, not just a place to sleep and shower for us. We still meet locals and learn a lot about the culture. You don’t have to stay in an apartment to do that and staying in an apartment doesn’t automatically mean you will meet locals or learn about the culture.
elvan says
well, meeting a local trough airbnb is a lie. and myth .this is a business , they do not rent heir places because they wanna meet with their guests or others from other cultures. most of them are not happy with it and they show their uneasiness.
Laurie says
I do worry about safety for air bnb so havent used it yet. I like the idea of being able to meet someone local and would probably choose an older woman as a landlord but of course on line people can be anyone. I did by a travel pac secure bag this year – even the safes in resorts are suspect because they do have a master key or some way to deprogram them. Still havent had the nerve to so air bnb because i travel on my own.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
I just personally feel more secure in a hotel. And we generally stay in luxury hotels, which typically a key card is necessary to even access your floor.
elvan says
well, meeting a local trough airbnb is a lie. and myth .this is a business , they do not rent heir places because they wanna meet with their guests or others from other cultures. most of them are not happy with it and they show their uneasiness.
Kate says
I’ve had really good experiences with AirBnB. I don’t rent them when I’m on my own, but for two (or more) of us it sometimes makes more sense to rent an entire apartment than to rent a hotel room, and then have to pay for food on top of it.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
We’ve rented a few and I stayed in one with my sister-in-law, who works on the marketing team for Airbnb when she had a client meeting with them. All of my experiences have been just okay – definitely nothing great and certainly nothing special. One I even broke out in hives from my skin allergy to some detergents from sleeping in the bed and using the towels. That’s a problem I have yet to have staying in luxury hotels as they tend to use higher quality detergents.
Jennifer Cooper says
I completely agree – safety concerns are my main issue with Airbnb. When did it become ok to sleep at a complete strangers house!? I like a lock on my door and a safety deposit box for my cards/passport/
Jennifer Dombrowski says
I really don’t know when or how it became okay. I should hope these places people are renting out aren’t death traps, but there’s no inspector to check. And even if most of them are safe, the few I’ve stayed in all lacked a separate deadbolt from the key lock. None of them had any sort of room safe to store valuables in.
Amy Trumpeter says
Yeah, you make some good points about AirBnB – of course, safety is a concern, and I don’t really want to cook while I’m on holiday, either!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
For us, food is a big part of the experience. First, we get super excited when we leave Italy and get to have any other cuisine than more Italian. And second, the food is like a universal language that helps connect you to the culture. I really don’t need more than a mini fridge to put some bottles of water in.
Talon says
Where we’re typically planning on staying for 1-2 weeks at a time, or longer, an apartment is just more practical. On a holiday, esp if it’s just for a few days, yeah I would probably choose a hotel. A rental just isn’t worth the hassle unless you’re having a problem finding a place in high season, or because of a conference like the last time we were in Glasgow.
Good points about the safety issues, esp with the lock. I always wonder about that.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
I can totally see that. When I used to still work for a university and traveled to Phoenix for work, I’d usually stay for 3-4 weeks at a time. Staying in a hotel long term can get old and eating out 2-3 times daily in that scenario does get expensive. But for the typical holiday, which for the majority of Americans is just 4 days, I can’t see the appeal of an Airbnb.
Jon Dunn says
Touch wood, I’ve not had a problem with Airb&b and I’ve used them 4 or 5 times.
I love that they tend to be inclusive, so if you’re a solo traveler, which I normally am, you don’t get that isolation feeling that can be an issue in impersonal hotels. The hosts I’ve met have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome, at home, and involved.
I also love the pre-booking email contact, so in a way you’re not turning up completely ‘blind’, but have an idea about who you’re meeting from emails. Plus they often meet you at airports / train or bus stations, which is a nice touch. Finally they love to enthuse about their city, so you’ll definitely discover the best restaurants, bars, clubs, bus routes, etc whereas hotels (generally) recommend the ones that bung them the biggest back-hander!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
That’s not been our experience at all. We’ve never had a host spend more than a few minutes showing us around and then they’re about their way never to be heard from again. One host, who was a super host at that, wouldn’t even come down to the street when we spent a frustrating 40 minutes just trying to find the right building.
Sue says
I’m wondering how the Airbnb rating/review system can be hacked since you can only provide a review if you have actually stayed in a place – what am I missing?
I agree with your safety issues but the onus is on the traveler to do the research and read the reviews (which you are suggesting to be fake). Was the ‘luxury’ holiday apartment you mention in the article booked through Airbnb? If it was you would have been well within your rights to call them and say the apartment is not as advertised and you want to be offered an alternative.
You would then be able to leave a review saying ‘the apartment was completely different as pictured’ which would then alert fellow travelers that this is probably not a good place to stay.
I have had mostly good experiences with airbnb and use it *because* of the rating system which you do not get with other property rental sites.
Scott - Quirky Travel Guy says
I would like to hear an answer to this question as well. I don’t disagree with most of the points here, but that one seems flat-out bizarre, as only hosts & guests who have made a monetary transaction can leave reviews. If there is evidence somewhere of fake Airbnb reviews taking place, I’d love to read all about that! In the absence of such evidence, though, making a charge like that seems quite misleading,
Jennifer Dombrowski says
According to a friend that works with the executive team at Airbnb, they monitor for fake reviews by watching for bookings made with credit cards with the same name as the host, bookings made from the same IP address as the host and a list of other things.
I couldn’t find out any statistics about the percentage or how many they remove. Their policy states that they don’t censor or remove reviews, so I’m unclear if they even remove ones deemed fake at all. One host on a Reddit forum I found said that people can game the system by charging the minimum per night plus fees and have friends write good reviews. If reviews get you bookings, that’s an investment that could turn a profit.
Ever heard that saying that locks only keep the honest people honest? The same is true with policies and people find ways to break the rules.
I believe the majority of reviews are from real guests, but they either say a place is awesome or horrible. There’s no real critique and most people won’t ever mention the small problems.
The review system also lets both hosts and guests leave both public and private feedback. Since private feedback happens behind closed doors, there’s no accountability that the issue will be fixed in the future. Potential new guests don’t even know there was a problem in the first place.
elvan says
the thing is even reviews written by real people are not helpful because it seems to be that guests wanna be kind and wanna write helpful reviews for people because they think that they are trying to make a living. I myself never left a bad review unless m experience was horrible. And their so called super host system really sucks . they are not super hosts ,just that they become very good at renting their place and making money.
Rachel says
We had great experiences with the 2 Airbnbs we stayed at. In fact , we are still living in one of them. I totally understand the safety aspect though, and we were a little hesitant to try one at first because of that. I think Airbnb is great for people looking for more long term accommodation. We’re in New Zealand on a working holiday and I don’t know what we would have done without our Airbnb home. It’s too expensive to live out of a hotel and this has helped us get settled.
Sidonie Sawyer says
I have tried Airbnb twice, once in Miami (a disaster) and once in Paris where we had a lovely apartment with 2 large bedrooms, a big living room, plasma tvs everywhere, cute kitchen and plenty of closets. Lovely modern furniture and IKEA linens. Coffee pot, alarm clock, free wifi, 2 bikes (we never used), shampoo, sodas, mineral water, apples, candies, no washer/dryer but we knew that in advance and we packed for a week anyways. The host left plenty of guides and maps, not that I needed them because I am from Paris. Granted you don’t know who gets in your place but at hotels, maids get in and who knows who else? we never cooked in Paris, by choice – but we could never have found a hotel with 2 bedrooms and beds for 4 people for 99 euros a night! And I loved the pedestrian street, a permanent fresh food market.
Elaine Schoch says
I completely agree with you. I\’ve only used AirBnB once and while it was OK – with a fully decorated Christmas tree up in April – I would have much preferred a hotel. I love the amenities and the deadbolt. 😉
Katie says
AMEN!!!!
I have never tried AirBnB and have no desire to. In addition to all the reasons you list, on the couple occasions when I considered using it, I found that available apartments in the cities I was looking at weren’t any cheaper than staying in a hotel. If I’m not saving any money and they come with all of the other issues you touch on, why bother??
Rachel Elizabeth says
I thought I was the only person who really didn’t like cooking on holidays, hahaha! Glad to see I’m not!
Luca says
I truly agree, airbnb experience is simply inferior to hotel experience. If it was not for the money everybody would live in a hotel instead of a place.
My question is: why people say that airbnb is cheaper than hotel? its only marginally true, savings can be of 10-15% maximum in my experience (quick search, no time to do research) and for a 10-15% saving i get an experience which is 30-50% worse than a hotel
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Holiday apartments or house rentals can make a lot of sense for families because if you have more than one kid, you need to book a suite or multiple rooms. That can add up quickly. But there are alternatives to Airbnb out there that are actually operated as businesses and not just by some Joe Schmoe looking to make some extra cash.
george says
I’m an airbnb host myself, basically for the selfishness of making some extra cash during those periods I’m not leaving in my house because of work. I always try to keep the apartment as nice as I keep for myself and try to please the guests. But I completely agree with the author, most of the apartments are not regulated at all and follow no standards, apart of this stupid subjective star-grading system. Whereas hotels and registered guesthouses they have to comply with inspections and legal standards. That is why, despite being myself an airbnb host, I NEVER use airbnb when I go on holidays or visiting any city. I prefer to use any of the wide offer of nice hotels, even if they are slightly more expensive than an airbnb apartment, but this is definitely worth because you get all the services mentioned here, plus the safety and convenience.
Annie says
You raise very valid points and ones people should be aware of.
I host my bedroom on Air BnB and I never give a key for the reason you mentioned. I work from home so am always here or will arrange to be here when the guest returns, My pictures are not glamorized and everything in them is in the home. I do have a nicely decorated place. I include a nice breakfast too and my place is very very clean. An expensive bed as I bought it for me and it has to be good.
Having said that, I did have bad experiences using Air BnB in Denmark. Seems most hosts only want the money, do not care about the guest. I did rent a summer cottage from a lovely Danish couple and it worked out very well. I would never rent a room in someone’s home through Air BnB again though. I prefer hotels. I prefer the service and being treated well and the security.
I must say, one place I stayed was not safe and Air BnB moved me to a nice hotel and paid for it and gave me credits to use on my next place.
It can be hit and miss for sure.
Thanks for your great article!
Paul Manley says
Booking on Airbnb has been a nightmare. All of my Hosts have cancelled after 24 hours, not responded or, as my current booking has done, accepted the booking, wrote me that he wanted to cancel, and then done nothing, there by causing me to spend forever on hold with their awful customer service. They refuse to cancel until they “reachout” to my host Michael and get him to follow up on the cancellation.
This Airbnb model in not what it is cracked up to be.
Rose says
Thanks for your story. I found it by Googling “I hate my Airbnb apartment”!
I am currently staying in my fourth Airbnb rental. Up until this one the places I’ve stayed in have been fantastic. The one in Whistler had a key-code lock instead of a key that the owner changed for each tenant so no chance of anyone copying a key. And the owner was very flexible about our checkin/checkout times to fit in with our travel. The one in Quebec was a beautiful, spacious apartment, great value, and really lovely hosts. However, I am now lying awake in my rental in New York because it is so unbelievably noisy I’ve not been sleeping well at all. Between the traffic noise at the front of the apartment, the whistling of the heating when it comes on about every 20 minutes and the rumbling of the subway below, there’s just no getting away from the noise. I know NY is noisy, but a decent hotel would be better insulated. Not only that, I realise now there is no fire escape! If a fire breaks out in this building and we can’t get out the only door (and we’re on the third floor), we’re trapped. And they are traditional keys so easily copied. We chose Airbnb as we are a family of five so would have needed to book two hotel rooms. Plus, eating out three meals a day for five quickly adds up.
I can’t help but wonder whether the reviews of the place are fake. There was one negative one and the owner responded to it very defensively, saying they couldn’t expect a penthouse, and that all the things they had complained about were part of the charm! The other reviews were gushing about how spacious and comfortable the place is. It isn’t. And I had to collect the key from some guy at a dry-cleaners nearby who was unimaginably rude.
I might stay in Airbnb again elsewhere, but there’s no way I’d risk it again in New York.
Thanks again for your post and I also appreciate hearing other experience from the comments.
Sherman Migliore says
I am self-employed and expenses were a consideration when I accepted a five-week assignment in Toronto from January 7 thru February 14. That\’s when I decided to try Air B&B instead of more expensive lodging.
My husband accompanied me the first week of the trip. Our first reservation was for a week-long stay in a basement apartment in a very old masonry home, probably built in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The apartment was roomy with a decent kitchen and surprisingly good light. The furnishings were tattered and loosely covered with a sheet. Dingy, but clean enough, I thought. Two days into the stay, the basement flooded as a result of a cracked foundation.
The first time we met our hostess was when we texted to let her know water was coming up through the flooring. While we are grateful that none of our belongings were affected, her apartment sustained catastrophic damage. Through that ordeal, she was very gracious and even gave us use of the entire house, while she stayed with friends. She was quite lovely and we genuinely felt for her.
At the end of the first week and prior to my husband\’s return to the US, he helped me settle into the second Air B&B, a tiny one-bedroom basement unit with low ceilings. It had a nicely appointed kitchen with coffeemaker, toaster, etc. And it was in a great location.
Before reserving this apartment, I inquired about noise. The host responded that no one had ever
complained. What she failed to disclose in her listing and in her response to me was that the house above was occupied by a very active family with two children, ages 6 and 11. The noise levels frequently exceeded anything I experienced in 25 years of living in old Chicago walk-up apartments — children running on the floors above me, bouncing balls, etc. I couldn\’t hear myself think.
Preparing for meetings, reading, napping, just chilling out have been impossible. Throughout my stay, I have felt like the dog someone put in the basement to keep it from being underfoot, I have not felt like a paying guest, nor have I been treated as such.
I was as friendly, polite and even-toned as possible when I \”addressed\” (actually, complained) about these issues. I have been too busy and stressed to find alternative lodging and too exhausted to re-pack all my belongings. And I am without a car, relying on Toronto\’s fantastic public transportation.
About ten days into my four-week stay, with almost daily requests for quiet time, we reached a fragile truce. I can count on the place being bedlam from 3 pm (when the kids get home from school) to about 10 pm, at which point, it is quiet enough to sleep with earplugs. I have not had five hours of uninterrupted sleep since coming here. On the weekends, noise levels render the space almost uninhabitable. Lesson learned.
In addition to the valid point about keys and security, I encountered yet another safety issue:
With this second Air B&B, the CO detector in the bedroom sounded on a Sunday at 5:30 a.m. While texting the hosts, I attempted to open the bedroom window. Not only was it bolted shut, there were bars on the outside of the window. Had there been a fire, escape through that window would have been impossible. I checked the only other window in the unit and discovered it also could not be opened. While waiting for my hosts to respond to my text, I opened the entry door for ventilation.
When I mentioned to the hosts that the CO detector sounded immediately after the furnace cycled on, they told me there couldn\’t possibly be a problem with the furnace because \”it had never happened before. THey agreed, however, to open the window to the furnace room and to keep it open for the duration of my stay. They shut it after a week.
Going forward, I will make other lodging arrangements the next time I travel. My experience with Air B&B is that they cannot offer safety or consistency in the quality of lodging. This is my last Air B&B and the last time I live in someone\’s cellar!
ski bum says
I recently stayed at a place in Colorado. She was a “super host”. However, I didn’t find her to be so super. First, the bed was disgusting. I just peeled back the sheets to see the matress and it was stained with sweat. it was disgusting. Secondly, she drank often so she came home at 3 am screaming at her kids and dog. That’s another thing. Im a 25 year old male, left alone with her children. how safe is that for her kids if I had been a felon or something? Also, ever night, I would wake up to piss, and there would be 2-3 bugs running around back to their hole. it was disgusting. FINALLY, I bought a cheesecake at the cheesecake factory but didn’t finish it. So, I put the remaining cheesecake in the fridge… The next morning (after she came in hammered at 3 am) I saw that my left over cheesecake was practically all gone. one small bite left. The chick ate it! I was livid!!!! Did I mention one roll of toilet paper for 4 days? I wanted to leave so bad but I bared it, and I will ever ever stay at an airbnb again. Stay at a hotel! a nice one, at that. it’s worth it.
Roger says
There probably was a mattress pad that looked like that. It\’s nothing to worry about.
PJN says
I am with you! I have always decided against AirBnB because I feel a hotel is just safer, easier and now I know it is a better bargain.
My husband and I wanted to go to stay at this unique property in Elgin, TX. Unfortunately they exclusively use AirBnB as their booking platform. The weekend we wanted was available so I went ahead and filled out the request form. It turns out someone had booked at exactly the same time as me so I had to resubmit a request for another weekend — which was fine. The host accepted that request.
A few minutes later I get an itemized receipt and I was shocked at how badly i underestimated the hidden costs:
$195 * 2 nights for the room (which was fine)
$75.00 cleaning fee
$56.00 airbnb service fee
$27.00 occupancy tax
$61.00 state and county hotel tax
$250.00 deposit (which should be returned once we leave the property, but still is a hold on my account for a few days)
Total: $859.00 for a 2 night stay at a hotel in tiny town TX..
I am excited for the trip and I hope it is fun but this will probably be the last time I use Airbnb and probably will not stay at boutique hotels that exclusively use airbnb as their booking platform.
Burcu Basar says
I definitely agree with you and I will take a hotel any day over Airbnb accommodation. I also think hotel adds to the travel experience in such subtle ways that most people do not realise.
Burcu
Arlette O'Rourke says
My family (husband and 2.5 year old son) recently traveled to Buenos Aires we rented several air bnbs during our stay. One rem
Neal changed the price after booking and I had to spend an hour on the phone getting a refund. The next apartment had a faulty lock and we were locked inside the apartment on the 5th floor. The host climbed down from the roof and opened the lock with a hammer. This yapped two more times during our stay. If there had been a fire we would have been fighting the lock to escape. The next apartment looked great online but had old beds and bedding and was crazy noisy. On e of the neighbors came by to let us know that it was not legal to sub let the apartment. All three expected us to wash the sheets and towels even though there was no washer or dryer. Finally we just left and got a hotel room. Hotel prices were the same as the apartments. Air bnb is a hastle, and waste of money.
Abe says
I don’t really get the attraction of Airbnb in the first place, to be honest. I like privacy and control, and Airbnb goes against that completely. That being said you sound like a prissy, rich, stuck-up, selfish prick.
Frannie Zellman says
My concern about using airbnb is that I don’t know the host/ess and have no idea of whether I would get along with her or him. If I didn’t, it would ruin my entire stay.
At least with hotels, surly or impolite staff aside, you don’t interact a whole lot with hotel staff, and you don’t really care, as long as they are civil when you do interact.
Tony M says
What i didnt know about air bnb is they also charge you a security deposit! WTH! I was looking at air bnbs in LA and the apt was 89 bucks a night BUT the security deposit was 398 dollars LOL wtf, unless its some super special thing then hotels are the way to go for me,. and air bnbs arent even cheap, after booking a hotel we found that most air bnbs were around the same price for a whole place if not much more than the hotel.
Its just crazy. that whole securyty deposit still boggles me, pay 50 bucks for a room? guess what security deposit is 300 bucks, geez
Davie says
I had a bad experience with AirBnB. The place was rated with 5-stars. While the room appeared clean, the sheets were obviously not replaced before I came. They smell of beer. I can see how most people don’t even notice that if the bed is neatly made. There is no way to tell if the sheets were actually replaced or do they just appear clean (after being used by 10 clean people). I was so disappointed, slept on top.of the covers and didn’t even bother leaving a bad review.
With AirBnB you can NEVER be certain that you will enjoy the stay. It does help if someone is tagged as a “superhost”, and if the place have many (MANY – 100+) great reviews.
Also, while I don’t think cooking is an argument against AirBnB – I mean you can still dine out – not having fresh towels etc. means a really bad experience for me.
Meg says
I HATE HATE HATE airbnb!!! They really are the WORST. As a fellow seasoned traveler who has been doing this before accommodations were even accessible options online, I have never had worse experiences than those I’ve had with airbnb. That says something considering some of the countries I’ve traveled…
First there’s the FEES. Yes, these guys are crooks with all the tacked on fees. It’s obnoxious. Then as stated in this article there’s having to deal with the check in / checking out process and never knowing if the rental will live up to the description which many times it doesn’t.
My recommendation is to use airbnb ONLY as an absolute last resort and pray for the best while swallowing all the additional fees.
The last two times I had to use them were an all out nightmare. On one occasion, these blood sucking vampires actually blocked me from communicating with my host! Imagine that? This is after I was paid up in full and in the country. Luckily we had narrowly ditched this bullet by having all the check-in information sorted before. Otherwise we would have been screwed. Because of this we were unable to communicate with our host for the remainder of the trip and had problems when she showed up unannounced for check out since she could not communicate with us. Thanks for the misery airbnb, you guys suck.
If you do get stuck using them, make sure that you have a personal email and phone contact for your host before departure or you could be very sorry. You do not want to rely on airbnb as a middle man. And, why should anyone have to?
Here’s to hoping that site gets shut down.
Yang says
You have made very good points.
For me, the biggest problem with Airbnb is that there is no quality control. Registered hotels have some industry regulations and they have training as what to do. None of this is the case of the Airbnb.
I have more than once experienced that the Airbnb stay was not clean at all – this makes me angry. Being clean is the basis for any commercial accommodation. But unfortunately, some Airbnb owners seem not care at all.
Also, I don’t understand why there are almost none negative reviews on Airbnb, I just don’t believe that they are all so good. I don’t know whether it’s people being ‘too’ nice or the feedbacks were fake. I left my honest feedback after one disappointing stay – and I only booked it after reading all good reviews.
If people are not giving honest reviews, then we are not helping each other – then Airbnb is pointless.
Anyway, I have had my fair share of bad experience of Airbnb, will stay away from it now.
Jonetia Saunders says
I agree I believe either some of those reviewers are fake or the people who Stay are spineless and don’t have the guts to leave a bad review or talk about the bad parts of the place. I personally don’t care I have left negative reviews for people and I learned the hard way that you really need to focus more on the bad reviews and less on the good reviews unfortunately. I’ve used Airbnb 6 times so far and only 2 of the 6 times have been problem free the last two hosts were extremely awful and have put a bad taste in my mouth but I guess there’s a reason why you can stay 3 nights in a place for less than $150. They really need to school their hosts on good customer service
Tamara says
Whew ! I’m glad I’m not the only person who has issues with AirBnB . I just returned home from a girls weekend in Washington DC . I’ve traveled to DC many times and very familiar with hotels AND I’m a Davy deal hunter. However my friend insisted on finding an AirBnB and I figured we wouldn’t be spending much time in the room. LAST TIME I WILL DO THAT . The unit we rented had great reviews. These MUST be fake . The first issue was the SMELL. It was a dank, moldy smell. As we walked in we realized the dryer was running. The owner said the laundry hadn’t finished and asked us to put another 90 minutes on it. I assumed he would come back and get the laundry . WRONG. I ended up having to fold all the towels and linens from the previous guest. The first morning as I was trying us dry my hair, I blew the circuit/ fuse or whatever . (thankfully I brought my own hairdryer because the unit didn’t have that or an iron). This also blew out the electricity in most of the apartment. The host emailed a response awhile later telling us where the breaker was and to switch it. ( uh, NO, I’m not an electrician). He then asked what I was doing, as if it was as MY FAULT. The place just seemed tired and the furnishing seemed like it came from a garage sale. I slept on a very tired pullout bed that was very uncomfortable. Now, let’s talk fees. My friend was excited when she went to book it and said “only $72 per night ). She then says my portion for the 3 nights was $225., which means we paid $150 per night !! This place wasn’t even conveniently located . I could have booked something off Hotwire for about that amount !!
I have rented beach condos from VRBO over the years but quit because the fees were going through the roof…
charles starks says
I suppose it comes down to preference.
I’ve stayed in hundreds of hotels across the US and internationally. I’ve come to really appreciate the mid-range hotels (The W, Westin, Marriott). This is after even staying in plenty of 5 star hotels, and a couple of extremely upscale penthouses (I’ll be transparent – I paid for zero of these – I was a touring musician at the time).
The 5 start hotels are insulting when they charge $7 for a water bottle, and $20 for wi-fi for a single day (prices may vary). It’s just insane to me how much they pump up all the prices for “convenience.” I really grew to hate most hotels.
Enter AirBNB – granted, I have not had near the amount of experience. However, when it comes to renting a house – I not only find it to be much more convenient (no parking garages, valet, crappy room service) but also a much larger bang for your buck. I’ve been in plenty of situations where hotels are not safe – crime downtown, fires where the hotel has to evacuate. Heck, I’ve even been in a situation where my hotel room was flooded – twice – because of heavy rain fall (the first room flooded, and the second room 10 floors down flooded once I was moved).
I also like being away from a thousand other people. I’d much rather be in someones home, pushing funds into the local hosting economy rather than to a huge hotel chain who legitimately could give two flips who you are.
Just me. Cheers.
Jennifer Dombrowski says
Thanks for weighing in, Charles.
Airbnb actually isn’t good for the local economy in many situations. Here in France where we live, Airbnb is a huge problem that is causing a housing crisis. Foreigners come in and buy apartments or entire buildings just for the purpose of making money by putting the apartments on Airbnb. They also don’t register as businesses and the proper taxes aren’t paid. The locals are being forced out and students can’t find housing. France has been in an ongoing court battle to entirely kick Airbnb out, but for now they’ve required owners to register with their local government office and placed caps so that apartments can only be rented a minimum of 90 days total over a 1 year period. Of course, Airbnb isn’t helping to enforce these regulations and more than 85% of the inventory in Paris alone is illegal.
Spain has recently followed France’s actions because the same problems are occurring in major cities like Barcelona. Even in the US, this is a problem in places like NYC.
So while it seems like you’re pouring money into the local economy, that often isn’t the case. Aside from the safety reasons I’ve talked about, it isn’t always an ethical choice for accommodation either. It’s really worth researching and ensuring that you’re not doing more harm than good, especially here in Europe where this is becoming a big problem for locals.
Sandrine says
The person from france is spot on! Highly unethical, immoral, and total american/usa hustling/huckstering/hyper-capitalism. Sickos. What can one really expect from a failed empire which represented nothing other than: “get money”. France needs to kick out that usa hu$tling shyster corporation–make them all ILLEGAL, just like those other us hu$tlers driving strangers in their cars!!, and taking jobs away from taxis who are licensed, insured, plaques, etc…
Had many issues (parties, raised rents for locals,, loud/rude imbeciles etc…) with these home sharing/room sharing etc…american-style hustles/hucksters that have contaminated the world also with this nonsense. Not to mention taking valuable real estate for long term locals off the market b/c the hu$tle is to get as much $ as possible–very american…..Pollution on the world.
Paul says
AIRBNB is now doing experiences and are not asking for any official paperwork and are allowing many illegal operators to open shop.
This has drastically affected many companies who have worked so hard to set them selves up legally and correctly.
But really what can you do against a shaddy company that is worth $28 Billion?
J.Montrice says
I’m typically a luxury traveler and I love hotels, I’ve stayed at places like The Plaza & a few St.Regis Properties etc. but I thought I’d see what the big hype was about with Airbnb so I’ve tried it a few times & honestly I’ve probably saved thousands of dollars in hotel charges but I ask myself is it really worth it to be cheap. The answer is NO. Save yourself the headache and spend the money to stay in a high quality hotel. Airbnb is a relatively new company and all their kinks haven’t been worked out yet. I’ve had really nasty mean hosts(I have nothing against Asians & I know beautiful asian people, but all the mean nasty ones have been asian for some reason) but at the same time I’ve had really really nice hosts with beautiful rooms and extremely comfortable beds. So it’s truly hit or miss with Airbnb it’s a gamble every place you stay regardless of the reviews because one persons palace is another persons shed. Thank you for writing this article I agree with every word and is the reason I avoided Airbnb all these years. Airbnb can be really Awful or it can be amazing but if you have the money just stay in a hotel. If you don’t have the money but still want to travel make sure you focus more on the photos and the negative reviews cause those people are probably telling the truth and trust your gut. Reading everyone’s bad experiences has made me feel better like I’m not the only one. Sorry to anyone who’s had a bad experience too.
ugo says
Guys,
as guest I was satisfied with the experience with airbnb.
As Super-host I was completely fed up because they decided to not refund me with 250 USD because my guest clogged the sink, left a mess and did not refurbuish anything before leaving my flat…not even toilet paper…he had found 12 rolls at the arrival. It was violation of the house rules…Got in argument with my neighbors because the guest were fighting at 3 am…Plus the resolution centre ( funny name because they work badly…) are ver very snobby: they make money because we rent out but they don’t support us in case of risk of bad situation? For that little money (250 USD) is nothing for them they could have refunded me. Nothing. I’m with their competitors now since February, I don’t use airbnb as guest either and nobody in my family/friends (certified 900 people) do not use airbnb anymore. Also: how happy would you be with a missing customer service? no phone number, no email…nothing…it’s impossible to touch base with… Worst company ever!!
Simon says
I agree with all of the above and would add a few things. The last airbnb I stayed at had such convoluted access instructions including walking x number of paces into an alleyway to find a hidden lock box, very difficult to do in the dark. Also differing rules given by the owner as to what was stated om the site. The site said latest checkout was 11am yet the owner said latest was 7am!? Also they charged a cleaning fee yet requested that I clean everything as found including the towels/sheets and take out the rubbish.
The other thing is that unfortunately because people are dealing with owners directly they are less likely to leave truly honest reviews for fear of offending them, meaning the owners may be unaware of problems with their properties they need to fix.
The list goes on.
Trudie says
I suppose there are risks in anything one undertakes in this life. However our experience with airbnb has been wonderful. We have been using this site since it was established and have travelled throughout the world using airbnb accomodation. We are in our seventies and have never felt unsafe in any of our stays. I cant say this about all of our hotel stays. Sure we have had a few dramas with collecting keys etc but they have only been minor. I can only remember one stay which was really unsatisfactory and given the number of our stays this is minimal. Air bnb opened up places like switzerland for us when we could not afford the exorbitant hotel fees. Dont knock airbnb for a few problems as any organisation has these. My friend is a superhost and has worked very hard for this status.I also like airbnbs policy of non discrimination
Garry says
Could not agree more. The only time that a privately owned residence made sense for me was when I used to fish every summer in northern WI. We would rent cabins or upscale log homes right on the lake. Those experiences were wonderful, but, then again, they were private listings on a fishing oriented website, you could call and speak with the owner, the pictures were voluminous, the surrounding homes were very nice usually, and the prices … well … not to sound like a snob … but they kept the riff raff to a minimum.
That said, I have had one too many bad airbnb experiences and will never, ever do that again for a trip to a metropolitan area or any foreign destination when the purpose is sighseeing or general vacation. That\’s just a very bad decision for countless reasons,.
Tim Balu says
You\’re all right, I have a friend that loves AirbNB because is cheat and he can get \”great\” deals. For me, good luck with that dear friend. I prefer to pay 20 bucks more and sleep in nobody\’s house.
Grace says
I completely agree that ABB sucks rotten bananas! I’ve both used and hosted for more than a decade. It was a worthy proposition in the early years, but experiences on both sides have increasingly disappoint.
It goes to reason that with the increase of stays and hosting, something will eventually go wrong… However what differentiates a good “broker” is how are these mishaps handled.
ABB is bad “broker” they provide increasingly poor vetting in each traveler-hosting contract that goes through their platform, incompetent problem resolution when a problem arise and bombard you with none-specific marketing advice when your booking lulls.
I have recouped some rent along the way, but the experience has taught me to streamline my life, to not include ABB going forth.
Gokul Raj says
Agree. I dont get all this hype for AirBnb. I prefer staying in hotels, especially on short vacations like 4 days. I find airbnbs hit or miss and just not worth all the hassle. Yes, things can go wrong in hotels too, but for the most part, what you see is what you get.
I see places in Los angeles advertised on airbnb for 1 bedroom, that are more expensive than staying in hotels, with cleaning fees etc. Why would i pay more to stay in a room in some stranger’s house where i dont get the privacy and always have to worry about if i do something wrong against the rules of the host.
I was recently traveling with a friend in India, who prefers staying in Airbnb apartment rentals. While the apartment in Mumabi was nice and luxurious in a high rise condominium building, it was in a neighborhood far from the sightseeing places. An hour long cab ride back and forth was a major inconvenience.
Georgia says
AirBnB is a shyster broker that assumes no responsibility once their broker fee is collected. They take much more than reasonable for the usage of their SW platform and then it\’s \”let them in cake\” as the host and the community are sucked dry.
AirBnB murky standard operating procedures and young-understaffed customer service, is incapable of providing consistent and dependable conflict resolution to both host and guest. I\’ve used AirBnB more than a dozen times and hosted for 3+ years in the capital region as a super host – and I can\’t be happier that I have chose to never use AirBnB again.
Typically, the longer you carry on a relationship with a party, business or personal, a rapport is established and the spirit of mutual cooperation is deepened. Never with AirBnB, their only concern is that they NEVER part with the dollars that they collected from both the host and the guest.
The experience was not a net-positive and I will never repeat it again… Why?
1. AirBnB has let a registered sex-offender slip through to instant book, and upon my declining (3rd) my superhost status was removed and I received a admonishing email – I was never told that I could only decline 3 times when on instant-booking mode.
2. AirBnB\’s none-existent resolution process caused me $300+ as they never got back to me despite repeated phone calls and emails.
It goes on and on… Just no, don\’t give AirBnB your money either as host or guest. They are little more than a fancy gumball machine.
Roger says
It’s a racket that will likely soon be outlawed. They basically rent out assets people bought with real jobs or inherited and take a fee from it. There is very little risk to them because they only invested in the software, building they rent and staff costs. You have a house or car that you get some money for renting. Is it really worth it to deal with maintenance costs for some idiot who causes a lot of damage? That and the time devoted to dealing with it.
I would be fine with it if they operated like a real company with support staff on the ground, cleaning, maintenance staff and everything. As of right now, it’s so janky that there’s no way it won’t be outlawed in the future. The sorts of people who think it’s revolutionary are not the brightest cats.
Roger says
I cannot understand what company would force their employees to stay in an AirBNB. There are a lot of younger people who think they’re hip for doing stupid stuff like this. The smug, intolerant thick-rimmed black glasses millennial type has gotten so prevalent it’s scary. They think they’re never wrong even though they don’t really think much about anything, they just look over their shoulder.
I recently found an excuse to get out of a trip with a friend because he insisted on using AirBNB and Turo. He’s a smart guy but man, I just don’t want to roll the dice on my once a year vacation because you are broke and you are in some competition to be the cheapest person alive. I can figure out how reliable a hotel chain is, I cannot figure out how reliable a random person using some gig economy website is. I will use Uber, I don’t touch AirBNB and Turo and wouldn’t unless I was going to some small town where my options are limited or literally had no choice because everything is booked up.
april hubal says
I’m so confused, I’m an AirBnB Superhost and we have a keypad entry for guests to check in and checkout. I saw that as a complaint multiple times in your post. I purchased my property in the Caribbean, Bahamas to be specific as a goal I advertised it on Airbnb just to help subsidize the costs and never dreamed I would get booked so quickly or how profitable it actually would be so I’m purchasing my next property as we speak within a year. Our property has an easy check in is pristine restaurants within walking distance to gym and grocery store we can give a localized island experience that is better then any resort you can stay at. Before my Airbnb I was spoiled I own a magazine and all of my travel was comped so after my Airbnb took off I started to experiment staying at other places and was never disspointed but I also made sure I was getting everything I wanted like a Keypad entry I wouldn’t want to pick up keys either. So not sure if your skimping out on your Airbnb’s or what your criteria is on choosing a place to stay but I will never stay in a Four Seasons again!
Jennifer Dombrowski says
You’ll find it nearly impossible to find a keypad entry for most Airbnbs in Europe, which is the primary region of the world we travel in.
Not only that, as residents of France, Airbnb is often an unethical choice of accommodation in many places in Europe. In France, most Airbnbs are illegal listings – over 90%, in fact, with hosts not registering or paying taxes. This is a similar problem in Spain. Portugal is also experiencing the problem. People buying up apartments to rent on Airbnb is causing housing crises in various cities. Here in Bordeaux, where we live, it is such a huge problem that students can’t even find places to live.
Also, we have an Airbnb across the street. Sadly, the guests are more often disrespectful to the residents than they are well-behaved.
So while in the US or even the Bahamas, Airbnb might be an okay alternative to resorts and hotels, it is not everywhere in the world. Quite the opposite as it can be an unethical choice.
Gail says
I have had almost entirely positive experiences with Airbnb and I have used the service about fifteen times. That said, I am seeing the impact the service has on so many cities and I do think it is very problematic and am concerned about my own contribution to that problem as a guest. However, my partner has very specific dietary needs due to Type 1 diabetes and so we must have at least a small kitchen wherever we go. Not many hotels offer that. Is VRBO a better option in terms of impact on the locals? Is choosing a place that has a registration number (in Paris, for example) a way of limiting one’s impact?
Lynora says
I’ve found that Airbnb in London is sketchy. A lot of people take government housing apartments and rent them out as airbnb. Zoning can be an issue so you could end up in a really dodgy part of town in a building with bars on the windows and groups of men getting drunk at 2 in the afternoon. Happened to me ! I was afraid to stay there. I immediately canceled and got only part of my money back. Not all of it.
Some people claim you should check out the area ahead of time on google, but how? Before you book you only get a general area inside a green circle. You don’t get a specific address. Within a block or two, you could be in a bad area that is not safe at night. Airbnb owners use photos to make the place bigger or brighter than it is. They often don’t show the actual view you have, especially if it is near a tube station, or a bad neighborhood.. Noise can be an issue as well since London is a big city. You may not want to be next to a major thoroughfare and you won’t know until you get there. If you book for a long period of time, you could loose your money despite cancelling well in advance. Airbnb seems to favor the hosts which I feel is poor customer service. Obviously they make their money off of the hosts, so that makes sense monetarily, but in the long run it is a poor marketing strategy.
Ironically, I used to be a big fan of airbnb. Now I am too nervous to do any more stays.. There is too much false advertising, scammers and obvious favoritism toward the hosts. If guests left an accurate review it might change, but we often don’t. Why? Because we fear the host will leave a bad review about us preventing us from renting again. We lie or just leave a terse comment like “had a nice stay”.
No longer. fan.
Anna-Stacy says
Airbnb is VERY dangerous service. I had foolishly believed it to be safe until I got into a horrendous accommodation from which I had to escape in the dark, in the remote place with not cell service, to protect my safety (I’m a solo female traveler). After that, Airbnb was not helpful, wouldn’t remove that host (their cash cow), and after I had published detailed account of what happened Airbnb had viciously retaliated against me, throwing me out of the next rental (booked in advance iwth no cancellation option, otherwise I’d have cancelled it) and blocking my account. They offered to reopen my account if I remove what I published about the incident, however I will not do that because I must notify the public about danger before the next unsuspecting person dies in Airbnb, They cover-up dangerous hosts and properties. They don’t care if person gets killed there or suffers damage or just stress and ruined trip. The do NOT care about you in the least big, this vicious, greedy corporation that destroys neighborhoods. Lookup airbnbdangeroushosts blo gsp ot c o m (can’t post a li nk because there’re probably filters).
Terry says
We tried Airbnb with our daughter and her family. We arrived at the property and the gate to get into the property would not open despite having been provided the code. My son in law called the host and was told to climb over the fence and pretend that he was a car exiting the road to force the gate to open. That worked, however once we arrived at the house the door lock would not work despite having the code. Another call to the host, who said that he would send over a locksmith. At that point we decided to check into the nearest luxury hotel and had a great time. We will NEVER try Airbnb again. We had apprehensions about staying in someone’s home without knowing how clean they are, and concerned for our safety. The lack of proper check in/out procedures in these places is a major problem. the fact that you don’t know who may walk in at any time during your stay is a major issues. I would not recommend Airbnb to anyone. Stay at a hotel and take advantage of their amenities, security and proven cleanliness.
Melissa says
I’ve had nothing but incredibly positive experiences with Air BnB. There’s a review system that easily weeds out bad situations and people. If you rent from a host with 30+ positive reviews, it’s very unlikely you’ll have a bad situation. A good host doesn’t want you to have an unsafe or negative experience…they are invested in quite the opposite.
Hosts often act like an informal concierges offering up great suggestions for restaurants, transportation and historical visits. Many times I’ve shared a meal or wine with my hosts. In regards to check out times, I’ve always been able to negotiate something with my hosts if our departure or arrival dissent align with their stated policy.
I’ve experienced both short and long term stays through Air BnB and they’ve always been great. Are there occasionally some unavoidable issues? Sure. But I’ve had just s many of those with hotels as well.
Issues in cities regarding housing being eaten up by Air BnB is a whole other issue. The original Air BnB was people hosting you in their homes while they were living there. That has changed in a lot. I’m not sure what should happen with laws surrounding this issue but Air BnB is here to stay and a great way to see the world and meet people. And remember…Air BnBs are not hotels. That’s the best part.
Denis says
I cannot be agreed more!!! Here is my story:
We’ve been using Airbnbn service for 2 years and rented around 15 places around the world. The big issue came on our last reservation in Hawaii that we booked 7 months ahead.
We made a booking on July 30th 2019 for our stay for January 17-24 2020. On August 1st 2019, state of Hawaii had a bill 108 to came alive, that prevents short term rentals to rent with no license for less than 30 days. It’s becoming a common practice around the US and the world. However, our host waiting last minute to cancel on us and advised that their listing on Airbnb got cough by local authorities and advised them if they keep renting illegally they will get fined a lot of money. While I appreciate the host honesty, I don’t appreciate that host was well informed about upcoming laws and technically were running its own business illegally while Airbnb were paid, -also illegally! So the host cancelling 4 weeks before our check in. I’m reaching out to Airbnb and they advising us that they dont carry any responsibilities at all regarding local regulations its up to the host to decide if they want to do business legal or illegal. So we decide to re-book on the similar place but much more costly since we only have 4 weeks left before check in. According to the bill 108 in State of Hawaii, any short rental agent must provide license id or advise the customer if they property listed on legal terms. When I asked this question to my new host, the host ignored the question and kept it silent. I followed up on the next day asking same question, then host reach out saying that they wont rent this place to us and wished me good luck with extremely strip policy of no refund and refuses cancelling his place telling me that i have to cancel. Well, this was sound like a scam to us! We reach out to Airbnb with this situation and Airbnb also refusing to do anything on their part. After multiple hours of calling to them and asking fro manger they rudely advising us that they denying my request to talk to the manager and we on our own. My first though was, wow, just got scammed by Airbnb in real life. In 20 minutes of this disaster, manager calling me. I explained the situation to him, then he is telling me that he will reach out the host for clarifications and 10 minutes later reservation is cancelled with a full refund that we still have not received. We quiet shocked what actually happened and we probably would never use Airbnb anymore. We actually did some research and ended up booking a better option with a hotel. It also looks like that price-wise airbnb and hotel not that far apart, but if something goes wrong with Airbnb, you will regret any business with them in the past as well. Its actually a disaster dealing with Airbnb customer service.
FreezingInLondon says
I have stayed at an air BnB twice. Both times with superhosts. I’m staying at one now. I don’t know what makes someone qualify for superhost status but the standard is really low. I’m currently freezing in London because a superhost has a dodgy thermostat and broken radiators which they failed to tell me about until I mentioned it. It’s still winter. I have lost all enthusiasm and I want to go home. I’m spending my whole time under the duvet to keep warm. This is also during the time of COVID and despite their COVID commitment it looks as if none of the surfaces have been wiped down with anything antibacterial. I had to do that myself. The dirt that was on my wipes proved it hadn’t been cleaned in a normal situation let alone for COVID. I’m scared to touch anything.
The first superhost I had made it sound as if late check in was no problem. I let her know what time I would be coming. I got there and she was in a serious mood. She told me the other guest was still in the room so I had to sleep on the couch. I told her I needed the bathroom she said the other one was in the guest room so I couldn’t use it. She angrily said she had one in her bedroom then CLOSED HER BEDROOM DOOR so I didn’t get to use the toilet all night.
These are SUPERHOSTS. Awful. Yet I feel pressure to write a good review because they do the same and because I might want to believe it or not give it another shot (this time I will try those who are not superhosts) but if I leave bad reviews then hosts will think twice.
I think superhosts are only super at playing the marketing game.
NA Gruchow says
Dear Jennifer –
How apropos that I read your article today. You have made some fine points. I have been with Airbnb since 2016 and I also use VRBO. Most all of our rentals have been fine until this very last one in Montana. No one sets standards for Airbnb and that is the biggest drawback. Yes, there are good super hosts and then there are regular stingy hosts. The stingy hosts elevate their property like it’s this fabulous slice of heaven. Reader beware.
I am typically gracious because one person’s fabulous is another person’s bland or substandard. Clean is also an issue. Some people just don’t understand the meaning of clean. Sparkling, no mildew, no funky odors, no grease on the windows or any surface on the kitchen and the appliances, no dirty grout, no fuzz coming out of air vents, etc. I could go on. Yes, many people cheat because they are fearful of repercussions if they write something contrary to what has been written before on a review(s).
I understand clean. I was raised in a military/Catholic background. My parents expected high standards from their children. I have seen some really bad housekeeping. Sure, on the receipt the host can indicate the cleaning fee but do some pocket the money? Oh, you bet they do.
So this last host should have had a long list of what all renters should adher to – ie., do not violate my private space. It should have been written in 25 pt. bold font. She would be more successful if she printed the list and plaster it on the back of the front door. Picture a chaulk outline of where I should walk or how many towels I could use to bath with. The house was totally unwelcoming. The place was stifling hot and dark.
I guess part of it was my fault. I was in such a rush to line lodging up especially since it was our last evening. All we needed was a safe place to rest our heads and shower, and to eat our dinner. Never ever, ever, rent just a room. We have done this before but typically it’s been quite pleasant. In Bozeman in the summer all hotels jack up their room rates so high that it is virtually like gouging. I don’t even want to start discussing taxi fare although the independents are fair in pricing. So when I booked this space, I discovered it was so close to the airport that I didn’t give it another thought. WRONG!
The word stingy comes to mind. How dare I walk into the kitchen. How dare I have the audacity to eat fried chicken at the dinner table when I should have been eating it in my little hovel of a space. How dare I use a dish towel to wipe off anything that may have spilled on the table. Can you imagine the smell that would linger in a tiny space?
This person was so unhinged. I have always gotten good reviews from my hosts. This last one will go down as the worst host ever. I think she is just interested in collecting $. No Wi-fi which I didn’t expect, no tv. I’m surprised she didn’t tape off other parts of her home. I read her description again on her site and nowhere does it indicate – do not open the blinds – or curtains. Do not walk into my kitchen. It’s not like I unlocked all the windows and doors to let anyone in.
Anyway, I copied the alternatives list. I may be using more alternatives to Airbnb. I am disappointed because I have had many lovely hosts but this last one goes down as the worst.
Anyway, thank you for the list.
Alice Ekans says
I am a host with Airbnb. I haven’t had any issues with hosting however……
My first experience renting an Airbnb in Portland was a nightmare.
Dirty, no shower curtain and the bathroom light came on automatically so I’m sure they were filming.
I put a towel over the eye so light would not come on.
A guy walked into my room the day I was leaving! Thought it was the offiice.
Too many horrible things to mention.
This guy had at least 300 ratings and he had a 4.5 score.
Never rated him, even tho he kept bugging me after I left.
My second experience was outside of Santa Fe..
At least 500 reviews. Place was a dump, Had to put toilet paper in trash can, tons of rules, place was like
a yard sale. Every thing in the room was for sale. Property was pathetic,
Guests wrote Magical, wonderful etc. Not one guest mentioned the toilet issue or the blow up bed or
the location. I wrote the host my thoughs as I didn’t want to leave a bad review.
Her reply was scary.
I can’t tell you all the people I know that have stayed in Airbnbs that had 5 star reviews and left the day they checked in.
This in my opinion is a huge red flag that never seems to be addressed.
Michael Hamilton says
Well, it looks like the other comments are pretty old now, but this is still relevant. I have recently become convinced the Airbnb is a scam. I had never stayed in one or even really understood what it was until about 2 weeks ago. I have been planning for a vacation this October, and one of the places I really wanted to stay was a really neat looking yurt in southwest Texas. The only way to book it was through Airbnb, so I followed the links and set up an account and made the reservations. The next day, I received an email that my reservation had been accepted and my card was charged. Two more days went by, then I received another email from Airbnb saying they were canceling my reservation, refunding my money, and closing my account due to a “terms of service” violation. I couldn’t possibly understand what I had supposedly violated, if I was supposed to communicate somehow with the property manager or what. When I reached out to Airbnb to ask, they responded very vaguely, stating that my account is very closely associated with someone who is not allowed to stay with Airbnb, and that their decision was final. I pressed further, because why would a new customer not be allowed to stay with Airbnb. They said I should respond to their other emails about damages. Well, first, I have never received any other emails, because why should I have? I had, at that point, literally opened the account about 5 days prior or so. I have been back and forth with them in emails several times, and I even found a phone number to call them once (at which point they just said they would have the appropriate person be in contact with me through email to resolve the situation). Well, every singe email, every time, has just reiterated the same vague language about someone not allowed to stay with Airbnb, until damages are paid. I have since submitted a report through the BBB about them (and the company’s response–that I should continue to work with their agents). I am beyond working with these scam artists, and my only purpose for doing so at this point is to try and get some sense of justice about it all. I highly recommend everyone stay as far away from Airbnb as possible, unless you also want to be accused of damage at a place you’ve never even heard of, let alone, stayed at. They will treat you like a criminal and they have absolutely no interest in resolving issues. It is clear they have milked their business model for all they could get out of it, and at this point they have absolutely no interest in customer service or the future of even having any customers at all.
Sheryn says
I agree with you 100%. I tried two Airbnbs, one in Cairo and another in Provence. Both had great reviews and the photos look really appealing. However, they were both not what I expected and I was so disappointed that I had to leave the following day. Airbnbs vs hotels are like night and day. I definitely prefer hotels and will strive to choose hotels whenever I travel.