After 13 years of amazing experiences I’m done and I think Airbnb has taken a turn
Let me preface this by saying I have been an enthusiastic Airbnb guest for 13 years and have had wonderful experiences with hosts and have never complained a single time. That said, I had such a bad experience this weekend that I’m going to take it that Airbnb is finally taking a turn for the worst. I will not be using Airbnb again unless it’s an absolute emergency, which I can’t imagine so plan not to use it at all. A host I rented from completely misrepresented their rental as a “chic studio” in Edinburgh. The pictures showed various beautifully decorated studios that did indeed look quite “chic” but when I arrived the room was both baren and rundown. The walls were a mess and looked like someone had recently moved out. I assume they were trying to make some extra money during the fringe festival by just renting it as is. Normally, I could just deal with this, but this room shared a wall with a heavy automatic motorized gate that was the main point of entry for the courtyard of the building. This means it was opening and closing sometimes every 15 min and at least 2 times per hour. This made it impossible to sleep and I draw the line when I rent a place to sleep and am completely unable to. And I am not a light sleeper, that’s how loud it was. When I reached out I politely asked if they could move me so I would be able to sleep the remaining two night. They said they did have another room but I would have to pay an addition $100 to be moved. I reached out to Airbnb with documentation of the state of the room and they were willing to reduce the reservation to a single night but when they did that, the original nightly cost increased, the original cost was $597 for three nights which came to about $199 per night but they only refunded me $356 which is $241 per night and honestly after searching last minute for replacement accommodations on booking.com in order to escape that was the same price as a 4-5 star hotel! They said their hands were tied and that was the best that could be offered. If this gets the attention of anyone at Airbnb. I highly recommend you rent the room I rented so you understand the deception you allowed on the part of the host/guest interaction.
Show more
Very disappointed with Airbnb’s support for hosts
My experience as a host has made me lose a great deal of trust in Airbnb. When an issue arises with a guest and you use the tools Airbnb itself provides to submit a legitimate claim, you would expect fair support and an impartial review of the situation. Unfortunately, my experience has been the opposite.
It often feels as though Airbnb prioritises keeping guests satisfied, even when there is clear evidence supporting the host. What I find particularly frustrating is the apparent difference in the standard of evidence expected from each side. In my case, we provided photos and evidence un the condition of the property before and after the guest’s stay, yet the guest’s complaints were apparently accepted without Airbnb requesting equivalent photographic evidence or proof to verify those claims.
As a host, it is extremely discouraging to provide documentation and evidence and still feel that unsupported allegations from a guest are simply taken at face value. If Airbnb expects hosts to provide evidence when making a claim, the same standard should apply to guests when making serious complaints about a property.
Their policies can also feel very contradictory: they provide hosts with systems to report damage and request reimbursement, yet when you actually use those systems and later face consequences for making a legitimate claim, the protection offered to hosts seems extremely limited.
This creates a serious concern because hosts may start wondering whether it is even worth reporting legitimate issues or whether it is safer to stay silent out of fear of receiving a negative review without meaningful support from Airbnb.
Hosts are customers of this platform too. We take risks, maintain our properties, provide the accommodation that Airbnb’s business depends on, and pay fees for using the platform. There should be a genuine balance between protecting guests and protecting hosts.
After this experience, I no longer have the same confidence in Airbnb or in its dispute-resolution processes. A company of this size should apply its policies consistently, fairly and impartially, require appropriate evidence from both sides, and properly consider the documentation provided before making a decision.
It often feels as though Airbnb prioritises keeping guests satisfied, even when there is clear evidence supporting the host. What I find particularly frustrating is the apparent difference in the standard of evidence expected from each side. In my case, we provided photos and evidence un the condition of the property before and after the guest’s stay, yet the guest’s complaints were apparently accepted without Airbnb requesting equivalent photographic evidence or proof to verify those claims.
As a host, it is extremely discouraging to provide documentation and evidence and still feel that unsupported allegations from a guest are simply taken at face value. If Airbnb expects hosts to provide evidence when making a claim, the same standard should apply to guests when making serious complaints about a property.
Their policies can also feel very contradictory: they provide hosts with systems to report damage and request reimbursement, yet when you actually use those systems and later face consequences for making a legitimate claim, the protection offered to hosts seems extremely limited.
This creates a serious concern because hosts may start wondering whether it is even worth reporting legitimate issues or whether it is safer to stay silent out of fear of receiving a negative review without meaningful support from Airbnb.
Hosts are customers of this platform too. We take risks, maintain our properties, provide the accommodation that Airbnb’s business depends on, and pay fees for using the platform. There should be a genuine balance between protecting guests and protecting hosts.
After this experience, I no longer have the same confidence in Airbnb or in its dispute-resolution processes. A company of this size should apply its policies consistently, fairly and impartially, require appropriate evidence from both sides, and properly consider the documentation provided before making a decision.
Show more
Caloundra's Golden Beach Retreat Entire rental unit in Golden Beach, Australia: hosts Leisa & Greg
HIGHLY RECOMMEND! ❤️
We had such a wonderful stay with Leisa and Greg. Their place was clean, comfortable and peaceful, with the added bonus of being so close to the beach. We loved the pool, the thoughtful little treats, and the games and toys for the children.
Leisa and Greg were warm and welcoming—the perfect hosts—while still giving us our privacy. The late checkout was such a thoughtful gesture and very much appreciated. We also loved meeting their gentle dog, Ben, and their two friendly cats, Frank and Lucky, who popped by to say hello.
Thank you for having us—we truly enjoyed our stay and would happily come back. *Highly recommend! ❤️
We had such a wonderful stay with Leisa and Greg. Their place was clean, comfortable and peaceful, with the added bonus of being so close to the beach. We loved the pool, the thoughtful little treats, and the games and toys for the children.
Leisa and Greg were warm and welcoming—the perfect hosts—while still giving us our privacy. The late checkout was such a thoughtful gesture and very much appreciated. We also loved meeting their gentle dog, Ben, and their two friendly cats, Frank and Lucky, who popped by to say hello.
Thank you for having us—we truly enjoyed our stay and would happily come back. *Highly recommend! ❤️
Show more
Absolute Robbery
I had my flight canceled due to weather. I contacted Airbnb immediately to inform them I could not make it to my reservation, which happened to be the Liberty View Hotel in Brooklyn. Both attempted to blame the other party for my lack of refund. Ultimately, I’m out $400 of my $550 rental. Terrible. Will never use either AGAIN.
Show more
Inconvenient
Might as well book a hotel. I’ve had someone cancel my stay hours prior to my stay and I was scrambling trying to find somewhere else. I wanted to leave a review on their profile, but airbnb policy doesn’t allow anyone to review if you didn’t check in. I understand I didn’t stay, but Ive had this place booked for weeks and was talking to the owner for that amount of time. Does that not mean anything?
Show more
