5 Bad Experiences from Airbnb and Hosts
Airbnb is a wonderful way to churn off your overall travel expenses by staying in someone else's home. But how do you find the perfect host or management company that can host? Lookout for the mom and pop hosts and then the profesional companies. You can tell by reading the bio, seeing how many listings they manage and sometimes even by their photo or use of logo. An Airbnb will be managed differently by a mom and pop versus a property manager- there are pros and cons to both. Let’s dive into the top 5 things that have made us cringe and see if any of these thing a bell!
Whether you have had terrible experiences with Airbnb hosts or want to learn from others' mistakes, this article is your perfect guide to watch out for bad Airbnb hosts.
5 Signs Of Bad Airbnb Hosts
Rude Or Disrespectful
If you come across hosts who are disrespectful to you, consider this as a red sign and step back. Hosts who are rude to you, disrespectful of their space and needs, unhygienic, and unreasonable should be crossed off the list. Many time the smaller hosts that are not hospitality or customer service trained can operate this way.
2. Pet peeve.
Pets are a common pet peeve for many Airbnb hosts who want to have their homes clean and hygienic. This is also one of the many reasons hosts are unhappy when guests leave a mess behind or don't take off their pets enough.
3. Cleaning issues
If you're concerned about cleaning, make sure to check if your Airbnb host keeps the home clean and disinfected. However, you can also clean up your Airbnb before leaving to avoid problems. The larger the management firm, chances are they have things like cleaning checklists, a linen program, hotel toiletries and more.
4. Stealing
I’ve heard of arranged theft in other countries or where hosts to steal their guest's belongings if they are not kept safe. This is hard to believe but you never know! If you feel your things are missing, ditch your intuition and raise your voice to beware of the consequences.
Avoid the 5 Airbnb mistakes guests make
Don't damage the property or disrespect the host's pets (like dogs).
Treat other guests with respect—even if they don't treat you well at the start.
Communicate your allergies and pet peeves, as many Airbnb hosts are afraid to share their homes with pets. If you have allergies or are afraid of animals, this can be a problem; it's best to be straightforward about it.
Be polite in case of a conflict. The Airbnb community is small, and it's easy to offend someone if you're not careful.
It's also important to respect their privacy and time. If they have other guests coming over, don't interrupt conversations between hosts and guests unless explicitly asked for by those two parties themselves!
Checklist to choose the best host. Ask yourself: who is a mom and pop and who is a professional host.
Avoid hosts with low ratings or who have received bad reviews in the past, as this indicates that they're generally not good at hosting.
Don't book a host if they've only been booked once or twice. This clearly shows they aren't experienced enough to be trusted with your travel plans.
Look for Hosts with many listings that may do this as a profession, like Host and Keep. Chances are they have cleaning, inspection and operation standards in place
Don't book an Airbnb which is too far from where you want to be. This can cause you to stay in less desirable areas wich could be questionable.
It's important to know whether the location of your Airbnb is close enough to the city center and tourist attractions. If it's not, then you might have a difficult time getting around. Also, make sure that public transport is available, so you don't have trouble getting from one place to another.
Try to choose hosts who have uploaded photos of both the inside and outside of their house. The purpose is to see the location of the house on a map, which will help you get around easily.
If possible, ask questions about what sort of facilities are available at the property before booking so that you can make the most of your stay.
Verify check in and check out times, also any check out “chores” that some hosts require of their guests. This is usually requested from mom and pop hosts.
Can you request a refund because of a bad host?
If you have a bad experience due to the host not meeting your expectations, you can request a refund. You must contact Airbnb within 180 days of check-in and provide them with evidence that the host violated Airbnb's policies. After this time frame has passed, it's very unlikely that your instance will be addressed by Airbnb staff or resolved in your favor.
If there are any problems with your stay, such as broken furniture or late arrival, the best thing to do is leave quickly and try again somewhere else. However, you should never pay more than 50% of what they ask for as a security deposit.
Conclusion
We hope you've enjoyed reading this article. If you have any questions, feel free to ask your host, so you both find a middle ground.
