Lessons Learned from an Airbnb Bummer
 

I have been supportive of Airbnb on this Forum, partly because my wife and I are Airbnb hosts with our private guest room here in the States. In the three years we have been doing this we have had only lovely people stay with us and, with one exception in Amsterdam, had good experiences with Airbnb properties when we travel. In all fairness, however, I should tell you about the other side of the story so you can be intelligently cautious when booking with them, or other such sites.

My wife, Annette, a glass artist, recently took a week long class with Bullseye Glass in Portland, Oregon. Since she would be there alone for the week she explored the possibilities of rooms through Airbnb near the studio. There were none available for the entire time, so she booked one place for three nights and then a second for the remaining two nights. I looked at her choices, and commented that the first one looked good, but that the second one did not have many reviews. There were only two reviews for a room in a townhouse, one of which said only, Fernando (the host) “Was a nice man”.

I reminded her that it was a no-no to book places without a lot of positive reviews, but she said the profile of the host on Airbnb, Fernando, sounded OK. The profile mentioned that he rented rooms in his very nice townhouse as he was a student in an alternative medical school. It also said he was affiliated with “Christian Chiropractors for God”. Also, his email address included the words, “God Listens”. “A man like that can't be bad.”, she said.

Wrong! IME when someone makes that much of a show about his religion, one should check their wallet.

She made the five hour drive from Anacortes to Portland and found the first place to be just as advertized; clean, convenient, and with a friendly host. Just before she left home she got an email from Fernando, saying he would be traveling to Florida, but to call his cell phone when she knew when she would be arriving, and he would have the previous tenant let her in and show her around.

She made the call and arrived at the townhouse after class at 5:30, as arranged. Nobody answered the bell. There was a lock box on the door, but nobody home. She waited. She called Fernando. No answer, so she left a message. After about a half hour she called me. I said to call Airbnb. She said she would wait another hour before calling. She had a good book, and nice Fernando would come through.

After the hour was up she did call the Airbnb hotline, where she talked to a most sympathetic guy. He said the protocol was to wait for two hours from the time of the call before they would take action, and in the meantime he would try to contact the host.

After the two hours Annette called back and they said they had not been able to get hold of Fernando, so she should check into a hotel, for which Airbnb would pay the first night. She started calling hotels and motels, only to find all 15 she called in greater Portland were booked for the night.

It was now going on 9:00, and she was having visions of having to sleep in the car, when Fernando called. He was most apologetic. He said there was a mix up in communication with the person who was to let her in. He gave her the combination of the lock box, so she was able to let herself in. What she found inside was an unmade bed, filthy torn sheets, hairs on the sheets, hairs and dust in the uncleaned bathroom and shower, and general disorder.

Having little choice, she made the bed, planning on sleeping on top of the blanket, and to use the bathroom gingerly.

About this time, she heard the door open and another person come into the house. After an initial fright, Annette found out it was the actual owner of the townhouse. Fernando was merely renting a room. The owner had just found out that Fernando had registered with Airbnb as the owner of the property, and had been renting rooms without the owner's knowledge. The owner, Karen, was as horrified as was my wife at the situation, and quickly arranged with a friend for Annette to stay in a friend's spare bedroom for the night. In the end, they did not do that, but Karen brought clean sheets and helped clean the place well enough for habitation. Karen then took Annette out for a (much needed) drink (or two) that night, and to dinner and clubbing the next night. The two ended up becoming good friends.

Throughout the ordeal, the folks at Airbnb were as helpful as possible, under the circumstances. They offered to put Annette up in a hotel at their expense for the first night. They refunded the money she had paid for the two nights she ended up staying at the townhouse, and they gave her $100 credit toward future travel. They also canceled all future reservations for Fernando, They did NOT give Fernando the money, and have kicked him off the site. Karen is also going to kick him out of the townhouse!

Anyway, the lessons learned are ones we should all know and follow for not only Airbnb, but any rental site. Read the reviews carefully. Review the host's profile. If there are not a lot of positive reviews, hesitate before you book. Ask a lot of questions of the host, particularly if you have any doubts. Be suspicious if there are not a lot of clear photos of important things, like the bathroom, bed, kitchen, and living areas; pictures of flower arrangements on tables really tell you very little. Ask the host for additional pictures, and/or contact information for earlier renters if you still have qualms. If they are evasive or slow in answering – move on.

We had thought that the Airbnb practice of not handing over the money to the host for 24 hours after you check in would eliminate ugly surprises, and I'm sure it helps prevent outright scams. It is not an absolute guarantee you won't still encounter the occasional shady swine, however.

In the end things worked out, but it was an experience none of us wants to have.

OMG, that is downright scary! Thank goodness it worked out for Annette in the end.

Hotels for me!

AWFUL. And it could have worse. Yikes.

Thanks for sharing your experience in a non hysterical way. When I travel solo I only book AirBNB with women -managed properties. Not that men are worse necessarily but the possibilities for problems seem greater.
Glad it worked out as well as it did!

At least it ended somewhat ok, even though not what you expected. I do use and buy things online and have been burned a few times. My neighbor was telling me a story about how he rented on VRBO. He got there and the bank had foreclosed on it. I've been burned a couple of times on ebay. It's just hard to know.

Sounds like it turned out OK - but what an ordeal.

But - and I mean this nicely - honest . . . BUT whenever we get a thread about airbnb and anyone dares to say 'it isn't a way I'd travel' or 'be careful, there can be problems', some of the Fodorite airbnb 'fans' will jump all over us saying "Oh don't be silly" Airbnb is perfectly safe - they don't forward the $$ til you check in", etc etc.

Well - you are as experienced airbnb users as exist and look at what happened to your DW . . .

So maybe next time (and you know who you are) don't be so quick to jump on those who say be cautious/re-think it.

just sayin'

"I only book AirBNB with women -managed properties."

Sorry, I don't see that this is any kind of comfort. How do you know that a woman REALLY owns the place? And I have seen plenty of women who would give you pause....

You are right, janisj, the Airbnb policy of not turning over the money until the next day is no guarantee. It is a factor to consider, however, and it does incentify hosts like myself to make sure our place is spick and span when our guests arrive. It would kill us to have someone walk into our room and say, "I can't live in this pigsty!" We take pride in our home and we never fail to get a lift when they walk in and say, "Wow!"

Anyway, as I have seen, one can still get stung. It is comforting that there is an Airbnb hotline one can turn to when things go south, though. Just try to get a sympathetic voice on the phone in the middle of the night from VRBO, Homeaway, or most listing agencies, much less get your money back without purchasing their extra rental protection products.

nukesafe: Several of the Fodorite airbnb 'acolytes' aren't as gracious as you. They slam anyone who dares to voice concern/skepticism.

You wouldn't have thought me "gracious" if you could have heard my language when I thought Annette was going to have to sleep in her car that night! My blood pressure is down now, and I would never slam anyone who advocates caution in making travel decisions. Caveat Emptor has been the mantra for us vagabonds since the phrase was coined by the Romans.

Re woman-managed properties - as I said it's when I travel solo. And that's not by far the only criterion i use. As nuksesafe describes, I look for reviews. etc. Look to see if the place is listed anywhere else - you can't be sure bu sometimes you can google the description and see if it's a legit rental. I also do sleuthing to see if I can figure out the person's name. Sometimes it's surprisingly easy.

Oh, please. As if we've never heard disastrous accounts of hotel stays gone wrong. When people are unscrupulous, bad things happen to those who trust them. This is no more an indictment of Airbnb than the latest account of an overbooked hotel, or flight, or restaurant, is an indictment of those industries.

Thank you for your honest, non-hysterical description of the issues and outcomes.

Not doubting your story, but I'm wondering how Fernando was able to carry out his little scheme.

Was Annette an absentee landlady?

Sorry -- Karen, not Annette.

Longer story, panecott, and not really relevant, but I'll explain anyway. Karen (the owner) rented Fernando a room in her townhouse. That went on for a several months. When Karen got an attractive offer to live on a farm in the area, she moved there for awhile. Shortly after she made the move Fernando started listing rooms in "his" townhouse on Airbnb, as if he was the owner.

Actually, Karen had found out just a few days before about the scheme, and contacted Airbnb to cancel a number of future reservations that Fernando had made. She left Annette's reservation in place because it was only two days out, and she felt it would be unkind to Annette to leave her in the lurch. In fact, Karen showed up that night to see if things had gone well, and to explain to Annette what had happened. Karen felt dreadful about the whole thing, of course, but all's well, etc.

One other little tidbit that gives us some satisfaction. Karen called Annette today to say that Fernando called her to complain that someone had moved his car. (He had been saying he was either in Miami, or Nicaragua only two days ago) Turns out his car had been repossessed because he had stopped making payments. He also told Karen he can't pay her his share of the utility bills for the last several months, but he will be by to pick up his things.

Fat chance! They will either be on the front lawn or, if they have any value, belong to Karen.

"Time wounds all heels!", as the old saying goes.

Glad your wife was able to resolve the problem. But this just reinforces why I would never consider doing this - or even renting a villa except through an established agency that takes CCs and has only professionally managed properties.

Full service hotels for me. (Yes, things can go wrong - but much easier to track potential issues - and easier to resolve things - they can always put you in another room.

Thanks for sharing your lesson learned, Nukesafe. I have had two wonderful Airbnb experiences this year relatively close to home, so I plan to book 3 in Europe for this Spring. Your story will remind me not to be lax in choosing properties. (Any specific property suggestions for Prague, Budapest or Vienna, anyone?)

GinnyJo: If you want recommendations re Prague, Budapest and Vienna you'll do better to start a new thread of your own on the Europe forum instead of piggy backing on an 18 mo old thread on the US board . . .

Oh the adventures of travel! Glad things worked out. Goes to show you it pays to follow your gut feelings, though.

What a nightmare for you and Annette. I'm glad it ended well, at least. Thanks for sharing.

Great, cautionary tale. It makes me happy to know that there are good people in the world too, and misfortune can turn into a positive. Also pleased that Air bnb came through.

I think this is one of the most positive reviews for Airbnb I've ever seen. Sure it was a nightmare, but your account of everything Airbnb did to make it work couldn't be better.

But I was near the end of the thread before I realized this was such an old post.

We've used VRBO, Homeaway, Owners Direct etc. a LOT for house and apartment rentals. And, I've used Air B&B a couple times. For the most part, we have always been pleased, BUT I always do my due diligence (and it takes time) to make sure what is being represented is what it truly is. If possible, when renting in the US anyway, I also much prefer to have a phone conversation with the person because I think I can get a much better feel for the situation that way. That is one of the things I don't like about Air B&B and Flipkey; you don't get a phone number for a contact unless you've actually already booked.

In Airbnb, as in life, as julies says, "due diligence". We're responsible for ourselves and as a "fan" of the site (host & guest), I'm careful to look hard before saying yes to guests or clicking the "book" button. But even so, even the most experienced of us can be tricked on occasion.

I, too, am glad to hear a real-life experience and that there is help to be had beyond our computer screens. I use a combination of commercial and Airbnb accommodations when I travel and nothing I've read will change that. A belated thanks, Nukesafe.

I had to go back and reread my OP as I had almost forgotten I had posted it. I'm glad some folks have still found it helpful. We have used Airbnb several times since and, except for an "iffy" rental in Paris last May when I forgot my own advice, we have been pleased.

We have close to 250 different renters in our own rental room and have not had a bad review yet. I think that is in large part due to the verification that we have Airbnb do of our prospective guests, so we can screen for legitimate renters, and also the fact that we do reviews on each renter, and they on us, with no possibility of either being able to censor or change those reviews.

That makes it tough on people just starting out as Airbnb hosts because renters are rightfully dubious about any property that does not have a lot of positive reviews. It also makes it easier for prospective guests to have some assurance if there are a lot of glowing reviews of the place. The host simply cannot afford to let his standards slip if he/she wants to keep the place rented.

The lessons of asking lots of questions before you book, and reading the reviews carefully still hold true.

"...reading the reviews carefully..."

AND paying close attention to the star ratings for various criteria. Reviewers tend to be kind in the reviews with their name attached, but display more honest assessments in the anonymous star ratings.

Point taken, Mme.

One thing to ask when booking on AirBnB is their policy about giving you house keys. If you are renting a room, not all places will, and will do various workarounds like leaving the property unlocked. After having this happen a few times, I'll be sure to ask. The other thing that could be a problem (although it hasn't been for me) is the other guests. Basically you are being room-mates with unknown people.

But there are two reasons that I appreciate AirBnB regardless. 1) Cost - no way would I have paid $200+/night for a 6-night stay or whatever, and 2) neighborhoods that you can't get with a hotel, but only through AirBnB.

I read that Philadelphia is asking people to open up their homes and rent rooms for the Pope's visit.
Using AirBnB this summer for a whole house rental for a week. We know someone else that rented same house and all went well. It is gorgeous and very well equipped. I am just a bit iffy with Paris now.

My mistake with our Paris rental last May was that I did not pick up on the fact that I was dealing with an absentee landlord. That need not be a problem if the owner is still reachable if one has problems with the "manager". In our case numerous problems had developed over the rental season that the young chap who gave us our keys did not address; TV would not work, burned out lightbulbs, bed not made when we checked in and no clean towels or linen, etc. The "greeter promised to fix all of them and did not over the next two weeks. The place was livable, but the details made the stay annoying.

I should have picked up on this when the owner stopped answering my emails as soon as the booking was made.

The other problem one might watch out for, IME, is that the owner's representative may not be in communication with the management of the apartment complex/condo association as a nearby owner might be. In our case we had no hot water one day. This was a planned maintenance outage and all the resident owners had been notified, but our first awareness was when we stepped into a cold shower! Also, we were not notified that the elevator would be out of service, so we did a lot of stair climbing for our last week.

On the other hand -- it was in Paris, in a neat location, it was inexpensive, we weren't in the apartment much --- and it was in PARIS!

Reading these stories as well as all the "concerns" (from some) that seem to go with this way of doing business I suspect hotels need not worry much.

Can there be unreliable reviews about hotels? Sure. And let's face it, when has there ever been a murder, a kidnapping, a bank robbery, an arson, when <B>somebody</B> who supposedly "knew" the perpetrator didn't say to the news media, "S/he was such a nice wo/man?"

The guy sounded like a whackadoodle to me from the start.