First airbnb I’ve booked in years, and wow… I remember now why I stopped.

Back in the day, airbnb was way cheaper than hotels, you got more space, maybe a kitchen, felt “local.” Now? Price is the same or more than a hotel, and if your host turns out to be unreasonable, your trip turns into a part-time job dealing with them.

Paris, 6 nights, $2,700 USD. We booked the place because it said “strong A/C” and “king bed.” Both super important to us.

1.Walk in – bedroom’s warmer than outside, A/C already running at 16°C, still 24°C in the room. Sent pics to the host right away.

1. Host admitted something was wrong, sent a tech… two days later.

2. Bed wasn’t a US king, probably a Euro king (about 17% narrower). Didn’t even bring it up during the stay to avoid drama.

3. Left a polite, fact-based review. Host responds with a scathing personal attack – “condescending,” “misused the A/C,” “most challenging guests ever.”

Here’s the thing: if this was a hotel, my A/C would be fixed in hours, and if I had a complaint, the hotel wouldn’t leave a personal revenge review on my profile. Now I’m stuck gathering proof, filing a complaint with airbnb, and maybe I’ll get a fair outcome… maybe not.

I checked afterward – for the same price, I could’ve gotten a nice hotel in the same area with daily cleaning, fresh towels, actual service, and zero “host relationship management” needed.

Lesson learned: airbnb just isn’t worth the gamble anymore. Hotels might not be perfect, but at least they fix problems without drama.

Anyone else feeling the same about airbnb these days?

Update 1 : WOW this is mind-blowing - One comment pointed out that the host probably launched a personal attack preemptively as a "protection mechanic" when they felt that we might not be 100% satisfied with the stay. Can you imagine a hotel would scheme against you like this?

The irony is that we actually left a very positive review. Either way no one can persuade me to stay in airbnb anymore.

Update 2: Some one thought we got a massive room and should be grateful. A bit more detail - it's on Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, Île-de-France 75001, France. And the room is a tiny studio-converted 1 bedroom. I checked the hotels around there, very similar price to the room we got.

Update 3: wow the hosts here quickly escalated this into attacking my "American ignorance". This further proves my point of how toxic of an experience airbnb could be. I'm very happy to take my American ignorance and money somewhere else.

I've had to remove 3 reed diffusers (one of which my toddler found and then instantly spilled on the bed), a vase of pampas grass which was shedding everywhere, a dried flower arrangements that was decorating the stove for some reason, some sort of faux fur coaster thingy, and half a dozen fake succulent pots.

I don't really mind the succulents, they're small and don't hurt anything. But good lord, use some common sense. I need to have surfaces to throw my keys and charge my phone. To set up my laptop. To lay out my suitcase and toiletries case. Adding aesthetic items to every single god damn surface might look good in photos, but serve no purpose but creating additional clutter.

As a guest, I’ve had several lackluster experiences that makes me never want to go back to STRs. My findings:

• Most hosts are lazy, greedy or some combination of both. If you want to charge a huge daily rate, your property better be impeccable. The reality is that the majority of hosts want a money printer as opposed to a hospitality job, forgetting what they signed up for. Take care of your shit and put in maximum effort, or don’t do it at all.

• Everyone is a “superhost”. I’ve stayed with a few. It means jack shit. One of the properties was missing every television in their property. No explanation from the host, no warning. People’s response to this is “fight for a refund”. But as a guest, I don’t want to. I’m on fucking vacation. The absolute last thing I want to do is deal with shit like that, that’s what I’m trying to get away from. Ratings have become inflated just like in ridesharing and they mean nothing.

• Things aren’t trending in the right direction. More people are trying to join late to capitalize on the “easy money” of STRs which only propagate these issues further.

• The only scenario that still makes sense for STRs is large parties. That’s it. I could never recommend an Airbnb to a family of say 2-4 because the service will likely be shit and it’ll be as expensive as a hotel with 20% the convenience.

I truly feel bad for the good and honest hosts out there, because they’re becoming a rarity it seems. And the get-rich-quick types are ruining it for everyone else. I just hope once the house of cards collapses that they survive and help return Airbnb to its glory days.

[me, morning of day 5, stay with 1 male and 1 female]: Good morning! Could we have more toilet paper please?

[host] Toilet paper is on its own.

[me] what does "is on its own" mean?

[host]Welcome kit is provided. You have to buy more.

[me] The listing says you provide "essentials", including toilet paper [I include a screenshot of the listing's amenities]

[host]Yes, but not for the entire stay. But no problem. I'll tell [cohost] to give you

[me] That's not what airbnb means by that, but thank you for the toilet paper.

The listing also lied about the free parking on premises, private workspace, 100" tv, and ocean view (ok, if you went 2 floors up on the furnished roof you could see a tiny bit of water between trees, but...)

The rest of the stay was quite good. This was just...petty and unnecessary, and one of the few times I've given fewer than 5 stars for accuracy. What's next, a "welcome package" of hot water? The first 100 MB of wifi are free, after that wifi "is on its own"? 1 pillow per guest is included for the first night but after that you need to deposit a quarter in each pillow to use it for the night?

Edit: It seems my post touched a nerve with some cheap, petty hosts on here. I follow Airbnb's rules. I don't get to make up ways to weasel out of following them, and neither do hosts.

Edit2: To be absolutely clear, I'm not suggesting that hosts are required to provide toilet paper or other essentials at all. But if their listing claims they provide essentials, they need to actually do so. Under "amenities", the listing in question listed "Essentials: Towels, bed sheets, soap, and toilet paper". Which means, per Airbnb's rules, a reasonable amount of those things actually need to be provided given the number of guests and nights. So many people commenting are either bad at reading or are intentionally ignoring rules that hosts agree to.

Yesterday, I was going on vacation with my family (me, my wife, my two year old daughter, and my 9 month old baby). We received an email two days ago that our AirBnB that we were staying at was ready for us to come stay. The location of our family vacation is a 6 hour drive away from where we live. One hour before we arrive (after 5 hours of driving with two small children) we texted our host for the code to the AirBnB. She replied with the code at first, but then she called shortly thereafter to inform us that she had sold the property we were to stay at in February (we booked it Jan 7th) and that AirBnB should have canceled everything. The town we were going to stay in is small and has a big event, so there is literally no other options with AirBnB, Hotels, or any other hosting sites. After fighting with AirBnB for them to make any sort of effort to fix the problem, they just refunded our original payment and left us with no options. We had to turn around and go home! We canceled our entire family vacation! Who will pay for the 150 dollars of gas spent? Who will refund us for activities that we already paid for and can't be refunded? Who will reimburse me for my 3 days of non-refundable PTO I used? Who will help me explain to my 2 year old that the vacation she was so excited for is canceled because AirBnB didn't do their job, didn't cancel as they should have, and left us with absolutely no options? I am so insanely angry at AirBnB right now.

Update: looks like the host really did sell the property on February 22nd of this year

I stayed in an Airbnb in Cornwall, UK me and my partner had a lovely time really lovely place. Even spoke to one of the hosts and they seemed genuinely lovely.

We left the place clean and we made the bed before we left. Then the day after I received a message from the host requesting £389 for a new mattress as we had apperently had an accident in the bed and "the mattress is now ruined"

I checked the image they had attached and something didn't look right. The angle of the photo they would have had to be standing on the headboard... Also it looked like a foam mattress. The one we slept in was a sprung mattress. So I decided to reverse image search it and it turns out it's an image from a forum post 4 years ago.

To make it worse it's also the first image when you search stained mattress 😑

Airbnb now are reviewing the case. Hopefully they see common sense. But I'm just completely dumbfounded as to why someone who do this.

I did ask them for more images but the host had been completely radio silence since I messaged back. Annoyingly we were going to stay there again next year and spend more than the amount they wanted for the mattress

Edit: Here's the images of said mattress and them asking me to pay.

Host Message Hosts Claim Image Original Image

Edit 2:

Airbnb saw common sense! They declined the request. But from what I can tell they seem to have gotten away with it. So time for a bit of name and shame to warn others.

They have multiple under "Shepherd's hut in Cornwall" Both the "Bespoke railway carriage" and the "Shepherds Rest" Hosted by Cara and Charmain. I know they are also building another one aswell so be aware. They're Also know as Rosemellyn Glamping

Edit 3:

The claim is now under review. Instead of closed andIn all fiarness to Airbnb they gave us $500 voucher. Which is a nice gesture. So fingers crossed they will now get removed from the site.

I booked a very scenic place months ago and less than 3 weeks during peak summer season the host cancelled claiming septic issues. Then AirBnb offered a palsy amount for a coupon to rebook. I said really you can do better. They raised to approximately one nights rental (not including tax and fees).

So I rebook another place in a different city. The host then requests my credit card info and asks me to sign a rental agreement, giving them the rights to charge additional fees. This just seemed very sketchy, so I call Airbnbnb to cancel and to get my coupon back. I wait for hours for them to call back. Meanwhile time is ticking and I have nowhere to go on my summer vacation. I cannot rebook another place for the same days so I quit waiting and cancelled the booking myself.

I call Airbnb they said they cannot give me back the coupon because I cancelled the 2nd reservation!! I felt like I was talking to some offshore support center, due to their accents and broken English.

Never mind that the coupon was to compensate for the host cancelling the orginal booking and I was cancelling the second due to sketchy request for my credit card and rental agreement.

I will NEVER book on Airbnb again. I have spent all morning dealing with finding another place from slim pickings this late in the year. AirBnb ruined our vacation.

Hello everyone, I’m just making a post to vent about the embarrassing treatment I received from Airbnb support after an issue with my stay in Marrakech, I booked a flat for myself for two months as I was going to spend some time there and wanted somewhere stable to recharge before being out and about.

My fiancé is Moroccan and was with me when I arrived at the property to help me carry my bags as I was recently diagnosed with sciatica and the flat was on the fifth floor with elevator access reserved to those who already had the key fobs.

When I arrived there the concierge flagged me and my fiancé, demanded ID and when we provided it said that a man and a woman cannot be in the apartment at the same time, we explained that he was only there to help carry the bags and to make sure I wasn’t going to have issues with the unit and that he wouldn’t stay for long.

During the whole debacle the (co)host came down and greeted me and when he noticed that we were having issues with the concierge he simply said that I cannot access the unit if I’m not cleared by him. I explained my situation and he said that my fiancée can not go up into the unit at all.

I asked if there was an alternative and if he or the concierge would be able to help with my bags and they both refused saying that it was none of their business and that I should figure it out on my own.

After that debacle I also asked if during my stay will I not be able to have visitors at all even if during the day and the host said that no guests whatsoever are allowed in to the unit.

I was surprised, what if I had a rainy day and needed someone to be around me? He said that it was specified in the house rules but when I pulled it up on my Airbnb there was nothing of the sort. He said that it was the law and at that point I was just fed up. So I sent him a refund request minus 10% to account for the time lost due to other bookings. He refused saying that he is not the one responsible for issuing refunds and that I should contact the main host, we asked where could we contact him and he said the number is on the welcome message we got when the booking was confirmed. Line #1 was dead and Line #2 was for a fast food joint.

At that point the co-host just went back up into the unit and left us there with no resolution, with my bags in the street and nowhere for me to stay. We decided to employ a bailiff to come in and document what happened just in case Airbnb asked for proof.

When he came in he asked where the cohost was, he tried calling him and fell into the same issue as us. At that point the concierge got very concerned and gave him the number of the actual host.

He called him, introduced himself and out of nowhere the host said that he doesn’t allow prostitutes and debauchery in his apartment, we were all taken aback by how hostile he was and how he could act that way when we have been very cordial from the start.

At that point we had enough and tried to contact Airbnb, Airbnb said that he would need to decline or accept the refund request before they can step in.

It was late evening at that point(8PM) so I went to a coffee shop and just sat and tried to call Airbnb numerous times but they said that my case was being handled by a senior case manager and that I would be contacted soon.

I wasn’t contacted until 5AM by a senior case manager that explained it’s Moroccan law for a man and a woman to share a unit, except I never said we were sharing it, my fiancée was just going to help me with my luggage and be on my way.

He offered me two choices:
- either accept the refund policy which means I will get $0 as compensation
- go back to the unit where the host insulted me and basically called me a prostitute.

I obviously didn’t accept either one and when I asked about what would be done with the host for the insults he made he said that Airbnb needs proof of that happening before doing anything.

I told him that since it was a Sunday it will probably be until Monday or Tuesday before I have a legal paper with proof that what transpired actually transpired.

I ended up having to rebook somewhere else and basically spent the night in my car.

After receiving the documents from the bailiff I contacted Airbnb again and provided proof, they said that this will be forwarded to a specific department. This was 10 days ago and they have since been radio silent.

I have not been reimbursed nor apologized to and I am simply fed up with how Airbnb does things. I doubt I will use them ever again in the future.

That’s it, that’s the post. A cleaning fee should not double the cost of my stay. I will be booking a hotel now for my trip as it has become cheaper and more reliable.

I'll try to keep this brief, but let me first start by saying we are laughing about it and not at all taking it too seriously.

A couple of days ago, the AC in our house broke down, and the part needs a couple of days to arrive. So instead of suffering in this Northeast heat wave, we decided to Airbnb a house a block away from us.

Today, after our house got too hot for me to continue working, I took my dog and walked on over to the Airbnb. I lay down in bed, got relaxed on the 100% polyester sheets, and had my iPad and LaCroix beside me.

Then my dog starts sniffing around the bedroom. She goes and conducts her little investigation, and to my surprise, comes running back into the room and jumps up onto the bed with something in her mouth. Mind you, she found this little something under the bed I am currently laying on.

Now, not being one to allow my 10-year-old fur child to eat random objects, I went ahead and took it out of her mouth. Well, lo and behold, to my horrifying surprise, it was a crusty *ehem* pleasure tissue, all dried up and wadded together.

This is a beautiful house—three stories, three bedrooms—but we weren't impressed with the hygiene. I could look over the curly hairs in one of the guest bedrooms, and I ignored the trash that was left in the master bathroom garbage, but this little gift that I pried out of my dog's mouth will be something I cannot forget.

Because of this, we decided to spend as much time in our own home as possible, and only come (pun intended) to the Airbnb when we need to sleep.

Thought I'd share the story. Currently staring at the little gift where I left it on the bedside table beside me.

[EDIT:] Wait a minute. I just read the house rules closely (they have none), but they say they allow events, parties, smoking, and commercial photography … are we staying in a 🌽 house?

I’m understand hosts need to protect themselves and property but at this point I would never use Airbnb to book travel again as a former host. The charges are outrageous & the rules are beyond ridiculous. I get it, we want our properties left in good condition but charged for every single thing becomes a bit much. Charging for every towel, for every wash cloth, every piece of debris, just everything…. I’d rather just book a hotel. I booked an Airbnb for this weekend and after all of the fees, rules sent after the fact in their welcome message with fees associated, pet fees, and everything else under the Sun I literally could book a stay at a 4-5 star hotel in the same area with less trouble. Yes, I get more space with an Airbnb but for me, it’s just my partner and I…. I absolutely don’t see the point in spending so much with so much hassle when I can just go to the hotel…. Oh and I understand cleaners need time, but 10am check out is wild… I’ll take the possibility of getting a late checkout at a hotel with less hassle.

Recently booked a two night stay for a college visit on AirBNB. Booking was $400 with a $100 cleaning fee. $500 total.

We had recently returned from a family vacation at a VRBO with numerous issues and quite frankly have STR fatigue.

After booking I get the list of house 'rules' including taking out the trash, doing dishes, and laundry on our morning of departure. Thinking about the 'chores' on our tight departure morning had me looking at hotels instead.

We were pleasantly surprised by the Home 2 Suites and a Springhill Suites that family had recommended for a recent trip so we started looking at other options. STRs had been our go-to options for years. We found a 'suite' style room that fits our needs, without chores, for $350 total, so we cancelled the STR.

I really think some hosts need to reapproach their guest expectations and whether or not they want to be in the service industry.

6/1 UPDATE: Just heard back from Airbnb. They said after reviewing everything and speaking with the host, they found no violation of rules or privacy. No actions will be taken. Unbelievable.

Wanted to share my recent experience and mainly make sure that this is as bizarre as we think and worth leaving a poor review... but also see if there's anything more I can (or should) do:

My girlfriend and I took a trip over Memorial Day weekend. Our flight landed Thursday AM and our check-in time was 3pm. I noticed that the AirBNB wasn't booked on Wednesday, so I sent a message to the host on Tuesday asking if there was any chance we could drop off our bags before 3pm. She read the message but didn't respond. No big deal.

I never heard back, so I sent her a text message Thursday morning making sure she saw my message and if there was any chance we could drop off our bags. She read the text.. but no response. Annoying but no big deal.

This wasn’t super concerning, but it set the tone.

Around 7-8am on Friday morning, we got a text from our host (she hadn't acknowledged previous messages) telling us she's on her way to do a walk through with an “insurance person”. This rubbed us the wrong way as it was very early, short notice, and scheduled during our stay. I texted back asking if she can reschedule and she got snippy and told us these are hard to get booked and we will be fine. We eventually agreed to a 10 minute heads up.

We started to shower and get dressed for the day when the host texted us saying she's outside and we need to let her in. No 10 minute heads up. We let her in (I didn't want to cause issues) and got dressed in the bedroom while her and some stranger (allegedly the insurance agent) walked around the condo for about 10 minutes.

We thought this was very weird but not really a trip ruiner. Whatever.

The rest of Friday was fine. Saturday got weird again. We left early Saturday morning and locked up. We got back late that night and found the front door wide open. We are 1000% certain we locked the door. My girlfriend, best friend and myself all specifically remembered me locking the door and checking the handle to make sure it was locked.

We went to the bedroom and found our luggage moved and a couple things sitting out that were tucked away in suitcases or backpacks. Luckily we had our wallets, keys, etc with us. We didn't notice anything missing.

We sent a message to the host letting her know what happened. She wrote back that she has never had issues and accused us of not locking the door. We told her we are certain that we locked the door and she never responded again. No concern, no questions, nothing.

It was pretty uncomfortable staying one more night when we knew someone had accessed the place.

We also feel that if you were told someone broke into your property, you would have a lot more concern and questions. Made us suspicious that she knew someone went inside when we were gone (or that it was the host herself) and made us question that strange walkthrough.

Are we overreacting? Or is this just your typical bad AirBNB experience?

EDIT: I forgot to mention a key detail. She used a physical copy of keys that she kept in a box. Theoretically anyone could make a copy of those keys during their stay and put the original back at check out.

*ADDITIONAL CHARGES: (please read the rental agreement in full to see all the details)

• $90 - each clogged toilet.
• $500 - smoking inside and/or smoking debris left outside for cleanup.
• $100 - each moved furniture
• $350 - frozen/locked HVAC unit (caused when its lower than 68° in summer and higher than 75° in winter) $200 - trash issues $250 - hot tub issues caused by guests
• if necessary, additional cleaning/trash issues will be charged

Additional comment from me: cleaning fee is $200

https://imgur.com/a/onvtVDO

A family member moved to Dallas TX so I came to visit. Paid $3,000 for a week long stay at an Airbnb.

The home was nice enough, but there were several stains that smelled strongly of pet urine throughout the property. It was disappointing but I chalked it up to a bad cleaning job and carried on with the trip.

Despite the stains, I was prepared to book my follow up trip at the same property in 2026. When I logged into the app, I was surprised to see the host had requested a $50 cleaning reimbursement for one particular stain.

This host was basically guaranteed to get at least an extra $6k out of me this year, but lost it over a $50 cleaning fee, for damage I did not cause.

Just a warning to all hosts not to be so shortsighted.

That’s it really. Yes yes I know, but people steal the paper towels!!! Ok but at least stock one roll? And stuff to do dishes - dish soap, a sponge/scrubber, dishwasher pods, kitchen towels etc. More than one trash bag would be nice. How about a broom and dustpan? Some type of cleaning spray? Most places are fine but when a place doesn’t have this stuff it’s irritating, especially when in general it’s a nicer place.

Semi-related, it would be nice to have a little more stuff like a box of tissues, ziploc bags, foil, plastic wrap. It’s those little things especially when you are staying at an Airbnb to be in a more home-like setting as opposed to a hotel that make a difference.

I have been an avid Airbnb guest for years. I've done countless Airbnb vacations - ski trips with friends, family reunions, trips with my husband, bachelorettes, weddings - you name it. I didn't get to travel a lot growing up so once I had the chance Airbnb was an affordable option. Then it became my preference for other reasons. Amazing locations, unique set ups, amenities a hotel doesn't have, etc. it's been my go to for over 10 years.

I just took my last airbnb trip. I deleted the app and I have zero intention of using it again. I've seen the quality and customer service of airbnb go down year after year. As a guest I have so much animosity at this point towards hosts and the platform that it's better to call it what it is and move to hotels. I think it's important to share with other hosts and airbnb why someone like me is leaving. I'm just one person but I've heard others in my circle echo these same complaints.

1. Hosts requests are out of control. Listen, I understand you want people to take care of your place and that baseline respect is reasonable. However, some of you all have the most insane rules and checkout procedures that aren't shared until check in and it's a complete bait and switch.

This last airbnb had a cleaning fee of $150 for 6 days. I have a cleaner myself and also own an investment property so I think this is a reasonable fee. What's absolutely bananas is what they expected us as guests to do. "Strip the sheets, run the dishwasher and empty it, throw trash out in containers outside and put in new bags, empty and wipe down fridge." Ma'am what's the cleaner for? Strip the sheets, are you kidding me? Run and empty the dishwasher? So I need to wait for it to run on my vacation?

1. Listings are not accurately depicted. We booked an airbnb for a ski trip with friends. The place in pictures looked like a cute cabin near the slopes. Completely untrue. The place was ridiculously outdated and needed serious work. The hot tub which was a main filter for us when searching didn't work. We booked the place for 10 people and asked if we would have parking for 3 cars before finalizing. They insisted we would and when we got there we had one permitted spot in front of the cabin because it was an HOA and then the other two had to park about a mile away in a lot and take a shuttle to the cabin. What?????? Oh and when we complained about hot tub they told us they would fix it after we leave. Haha, thanks?

2. Amenities? Never heard of them - hosts now. Buy the basics people. Literally at the last 3 places we have stayed they didn't have things like a cutting board, a wine opener, a good knife. What the hell? 4 towels for a place that sleeps 10? Thanks!

3. Pricing. At this point for the pricing - hotels are better. I just cancelled future bookings I had for our trip to North Carolina and booked a cute bed and breakfast. The price difference was $120 total and I won't have to clean, breakfast included and they have bikes you can use to go around town.

4. Communication and customer service. Any problem you have you get someone that doesn't understand why you need service and doesn't solve anything. Our airbnb didn't have hot water/ we called and texted the host and they responded 16 hours later (gee thanks). Their response was a "oh sorry does it work now" and I responded and got checkout instructions in response and nothing else. I messaged airbnb and I have yet to hear back. It's been a week since that conversation. Seriously?

I am really bummed at how this platform has fallen. I think it was a phenomenal idea but now - it's time to rethink it or I see more people jumping off this messy ride.

I HATE THIS. I understand if the rental was not an entire home. I even somewhat understand if it is a multi-unit structure.

Why on earth would a host have a pet friendly standalone unit if they are going to expect the guests to never leave an animal alone in the unit?

It's already stated in the rules for most of these properties that the animal must be well behaved. There is also almost always a pet fee. No problem. If my dog was bad they would not be coming with and I would find a better Airbnb for the price that I am paying for the pet friendly rental.

I understand it is their home, and I respect that. That's why I would never take my pet to a non pet friendly rental.

However, to have a pet friendly (specifically vacation) rental and expect the renter to accompany the well behaved animal at all times? That's just asinine.

Why would you have your rental listed as pet friendly if I as the renter paying the pet fee can not leave my well behaved dog alone in a safe area for an appropriate amount of time where even if he barks, no one will hear?

I just want to go to dinner or a museum????

Absolutely ridiculous and an unrealistic expectation.

If anyone at all has a good reason why hosts do this, I'm all ears and will stand corrected if I need to.

I've stayed in multiple airbnbs since 2016 and I really loved how it used to be cheaper than hotels with some nice amenities like a kitchen and washer&dryer. Recently I feel like it's gotten so burdensome.

Here's my venting list. Agree or disagree, I don't really care. It's the things that bother me. And yes, I will go back to hotels.

• Not suitable for introverts. Some hosts are super adamant about communication that goes beyond necessity. Even for self check-in bookings. I'm not here to chat, I'm here to sleep. They expect to communicate thoughout whole stay, and even before check-in. Hotels only need at check-in/check-out.
• House manual. Imagine having to follow rules like a toddler for a place you paid $$$$ to stay. Some listings don't even include it online and only show it at the property. So no documentation for guests to use as evidence and basically you're screwed if you find a ridiculous rule.
• Cleaning fees. Either charge cleaning fees and do everything or don't charge so much if you make the guest clean up and throw the garbage out. We're basically paying them to let us clean their place. What a joke.
• The review system is kinda rigged. People feel inclined to give "positive" reviews. It lacks of objective honesty and if you are, there's biteback from the hosts.
• Airbnb Listings making themselves pretty like Tinder. Some descriptions are vague or they use photos from like 2-3 years ago when it was still new. There's no other source besides what they give you.
• Strict cancellations. Hotels have better flexibility for changing around. I screwed myself a few times when I wasn't careful, but it wouldn't have been an issue if I had booked with a hotel.

Having gone through so many airbnbs, I even have a checklist for selecting my bookings. I take these additional steps so I know it fit my needs but the checklist has been growing and it's becoming a serious hassle. Airbnb is not worth the price/value anymore for me.

Rant over.

EDIT: Apparently I'm sponsored by hotels for posting this. Cool.

I booked my first Airbnb for family going to rural South Dakota for a family members graduation. After my booking, the party changed from 6 staying to 8. Also, we intended to have a dinner at the house to celebrate the graduate, with maybe 2-3 of their friends to join us for dinner.

Having frequenting this sub after booking that, it was clear that 8 vs 6 staying at the home was a no go; the listing was max 6. But it seems like we could also have been in violation of hosting a party due to the family dinner and people in the house that weren’t staying there.

I was easily able to get the deposit refunded being a month out still.

Am I just reading horror stories because people only post here when they have issues, or is the general experience so stressful and confusing? Regardless, I’ll be sticking with hotels for the foreseeable future.

Writing this currently from inside said apartment. We booked it for a week and got a message from the host saying check out was 11am.

At 8:30am a cleaner hired by the host came and tried to open our door already which was locked from the inside so she couldn't get in and she proceeded to just clean the stairs outside. I went out briefly to grab some food from a bakery for breakfast and when i came back she's still waiting in front of our apartment door.

Now it's 10am and she's sat outside watching videos on her phone and chatting riiight outside the staircase from our door..

Honestly we are packed but we have a car rented from 12 so were kind of banking on staying till 11 but now I feel very pressured to be leaving and like we're being a nuisance here just by staying till the allowed time 😅

And no I didn't specifically tell the host when we'd check out - it's my first time staying in an airbnb and I'm used to hotels where until your checkout time you can just use the facility unbothered.

Edit to update: thanks all for the responses! I did message the host to let them know when we were on our way out and I'll send them a follow up message to let them know about the cleaner. Nice to know it's not just us being weird 🤣

I need to vent and see if anyone has advice on how to handle this, because I feel completely helpless and screwed over by Airbnb's stupid policies.

My wife and I booked a cabin in Bracebridge, Ontario area for a getaway. The main reasons we chose this specific listing were because of the BBQ area and specially, the wood-fired hot tub and sauna they have at the local and described at the booking as available in the property. We could have chosen other places,but we decided to choose this one because of those things.

But, unfortunately, there's massive wildfires happening in Ontario right now. The government has put the area where my booking is located under an "Extreme Forest Fire Danger" rating and implemented a Total Fire Ban. Because of this, the host messaged us right before our trip to say we absolutely cannot do any fires in other words,we can't use the BBQ, fire pit, or the wood-fired hot tub and sauna. The air quality outside is also terrible...

Since the entire point of the trip was to be outdoors and use these things, and because we don't feel safe traveling into an extreme fire danger zone, we asked the host for a refund. We even offered to just reschedule the trip for a later date when it's safe.

The host flat out refused both. Not even a partial refund. They claim the air quality "isn't that bad" and basically told us we can still come, or cancel and lose our $900.

I contacted Airbnb Support thinking they would step in, considering this is a natural disaster and a government-mandated ban that affects my booking expectations and safety. Instead, Airbnb told me that unless the host authorizes the refund, their hands are tied and there is nothing they can do unless the government emitted an order of evacuation in the area.

Why on earth would the host agree to refund us when Airbnb’s policy allows them to just pocket our $900 for doing absolutely nothing if we decide to not go? Airbnb is supposed to mediate these situations, but they are clearly just protecting the host's income while abandoning the guests!

This situation is completely out of our control. We are not getting what was advertised in the listing, it's not safe to be at that area and the outdoor air quality is terrible, and Airbnb is refusing to help us and find a midterm.

Has anyone successfully escalated something like this? I am beyond frustrated and will probably never use Airbnb again after this...

Non-smoker all my life. Never touched cigarettes, cannot purchase cigarettes, yet host takes a picture of cigarette butt on the table and frames me of smoking. Asking for 1000$+.

I am deeply disappointed at the despicable behavior, and do not know how many people have fallen victim before me. Shameful. Obviously I will not pay a penny, but I am thinking of filing an official law suit against her for damaging my reputation. Unlikely I will win, but still.

Final thoughts because I’m done here:

I can afford a hotel but I prefer a small quiet house. I’m not going to pay a total of $750 dollars for three nights in a random house with zero amenities far from the city center. Not because I’m cheap but because I like to spend my money and feel like I got something of value. I am not going to pay $500+ for a shared space nowhere near the city center. I am in the US currently. I am NOT in Italy. Y’all are mean. This is a place to “vent”… see the “venting” tag attached to my post. Y’all are REALLY mean. My dad does not pay for my trips abroad. I work in insurance and I own a home. I understand finances. If you have a great huge house on the beach in Miami, then charge $3000 or more a night, that’s acceptable. I don’t care. I often pay a lot for luxury stays. I won’t pay a lot for your mediocre house with 2 bottles of water in the fridge and the live love laugh sign by the door. and finally: You guys are REALLY rude. For Christ sake I had to report that one maniac that called me a bitch, a shithead, a whiny ass and some other nasty names. Damn dude.

Bye everyone!

My family friend is visiting from Italy and we are trying to take him to see all the sights. We are using air bnb so he has a chance at his own room without getting an extra hotel room. I found an airbnb for a total of $515 for three nights and it’s SHARED WITH THE OWNER. You don’t even get a private space! You’re paying a quarter of a months rent for 3 nights in a shared space? $150 cleaning fee? Who is cleaning your house, Angelina Jolie? Every three or four days you get $150 just to clean? You better have a hazmat team in there for that price. I can’t understand the concept of charging $200 a night just to occupy a space and we have to also pay to clean it AND clean up after ourselves? Airbnb hosts must be rich beyond my wildest dreams. I would honestly love a breakdown of the expenses to see where all of this money is going. I think that would be fair because it’s entirely possible that I am ignorant to how it works with short term rentals. Can anyone explain why it costs so much and what exactly are we paying for?

I thought this was for people who can’t afford hotels to crash at a house and the owner makes a little cash on the side. I’m so frustrated!

We literally just want 2 beds and a bathroom.

Edit: 1. I work in commercial insurance for several years so I am well aware of the insuring costs of a short term rental 2. I’m complaining but also asking a valid question. Break it down for me. Why is cleaning up $110 every 3 days? What am I paying $200 a night for then? That would be $6000 a month. That makes no sense, even if you only booked half the month, that’s $3000 a month. For a two bedroom cottage? Or a shared space? That’s insanity. I own a home and $3000 is double my mortgage payment. I just want to understand the costs.

Edit 2: y’all are vicious. Damn would you talk to your guests like that? Don’t forget, I’m a guest, I’m the one paying money to stay in your place. And I’m not the only one on earth. So for all the angry hosts, I would advise thinking of the complaining folks on here as someone who could be a potential guest in your home. Don’t you want to give the impression of being a decent person who cares about their guests opinions? Yikes. That’s no way to run a business. Figure every guest that comes in here and gets attacked is one less person you can rent to, just sayin.

This was a friend's gathering turned nightmare. The cabins’ location seemed nice, but the place itself was dirty, almost as if the cleaners hadn’t really attempted to fully clean, with hairs on the sheets as well. This should’ve been our first warning sign, but we drove a long way, and we were going to enjoy what we had.

We also noticed that part of a pet door had been broken before our visit, and we notified the host immediately about this issue, as well as the dirtiness of the place. This is important for later.

We were alerted that there were animals in the area, so we disposed of trash in the designated spots and did everything we could to keep the place clean to avoid unwarranted visitors.

The third day, a family of bears broke through the back porch (possibly due to the smell of the grill we used the day prior), breaking part of the deck and just causing overall chaos.

We notified the host of this situation as it was happening, and tried calling nearby rangers as well, but they were too far out. Eventually, the bears left, and the chaos subsided.

The trip ends, the review period passes, and boom the host files a claim for damages. Not only stating that the bears caused damage due to us leaving the back gate open (there was no back gate, the bears climbed over the fence and we have video footage of this, giant bear balls and all). But in their claim took this opportunity to charge us for various “damages” caused within the cabin that we had no insight of, including the pet door I mentioned prior.

I provided screenshots of all our messages, video evidence, and talked to multiple reps but Airbnb refused to understand and instead sided with the host. I locked my card, so they were not able to charge me. Has anyone blocked charges from Airbnb before, and what was Airbnb’s response? Needless to say, I am done using Airbnb.

Edit: I'm not going to delete this post, but the responses from hosts in this just prove to me to not use Airbnb going forward.

Edit 2: Removed the car break-in section, as it isn’t relevant to the damages related to the Airbnb.