Should We Use Airbnb? 8 Troubling Problems You Didn’t Know
What are the troubling, lesser-known problems with Airbnb and similar platforms? Here on my blog I always say, “As Invisible Tourists, we want to support locals of the places we visit, not make their lives more difficult.”
In recent years, the use of home-stay accommodation has exploded internationally. Sitting on the sidelines with one watchful eye monitoring this trend, as usual I decided to be a bit of a skeptic before jumping on the bandwagon and investigate the little-known facts about using a service like Airbnb for myself.
Despite its growing popularity there are some pretty troubling issues with Airbnb and their similar counterparts, leading many to ask if there are any ethical alternatives to Airbnb? Here I’ll reveal what it’s like to lift the lid on the hidden Pandora’s box of this craze – the results may surprise you, as they did me!
Yes, loads of people use Airbnb all the time without issues and that’s fine. Different people prioritise different things because there are different types of travellers. Many of my fellow travel bloggers could get you discounts on your first Airbnb booking and that’s fine, too.
In saying that, there is a time and a place for these services so I’d rather speak about the unpopular truths buried under the discount codes that are worth considering before booking a stay with a homestyle accommodation service like Airbnb.
NOTE: I first published this article in March 2018 and have updated it since to reflect more recent events. It was regarded as an unpopular opinion at the time. Be sure to read my concluding comments for my overall thoughts on short-term homestay services.
Airbnb problems: Important reasons to reconsider using these services
I can totally hear people questioning my logic… They’re thinking, “But, aren’t you all about travelling like a local and helping people learn how to not look like a tourist? Then what’s wrong with renting a local’s place on Airbnb? It’s harmless and it’s cheaper than hotels, right?”
Ermm, not exactly.
There’s a saying, “Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it” so truth be told, I have stayed in an Airbnb before. I was with a group for a girls’ getaway and my friend had booked the accommodation on our group’s behalf.
The place was fine (although I prefer to have my own bed rather than share with a friend!) However due to the facts I discuss below, it just wasn’t for me and may not be for others as well.
Let’s start with a few questions:
- Do you value your precious travel time, hate inconveniences and prefer to play it safe with accommodation rather than put yourself in a position that could have been avoided when you travel?
- Do you also prefer to enjoying everything a city has to offer without feeling like you’re getting in the way of locals going about their daily lives?
If you answered yes to these questions, you’re likely to prefer hotels and other forms of traditional accommodation. If you answered no, the below facts may give you reason to reconsider using homestay accommodation services like Airbnb for your next trip.
While Airbnb’s slogan is “travel like a local,” there are some dark truths that actually make life more difficult for the locals they claim to support.
Let’s get into it!
1. Airbnb could be illegal in the city you’re visiting
This is a pretty surprising and very important point. Just because there are listings for a destination doesn’t mean the host and Airbnb are abiding by the local laws. For instance, here are some facts that might make us think twice about using Airbnb and similar services in the below major cities.
These are just a few examples and definitely not the only places where Airbnb is problematic. I highly advise doing some research into the destination if considering using Airbnb for accommodation:
Airbnb problems in New York City, United States
Did you know in 2014 that 72% of reservations made in New York City were illegal?
The New York state attorney general’s office released a report on Airbnb listings that revealed this unfortunate fact. Local laws in New York make it illegal to rent an entire apartment on Airbnb for less than 30 days, as this helps to keep the long-term supply of property available to locals. Despite this, New York City is one of Airbnb’s biggest markets where listings under 30 days are available to tourists.
“Airbnb consistently undermines the City’s efforts to preserve affordable housing, and regularly attempts to thwart regulations put in place to protect New York City residents.” ~ statement from NYC Council members Helen Rosenthal and Jumaane Williams.
Airbnb problems in Barcelona, Spain
What are the Airbnb in Spain problems? Almost half of holiday rentals in the country’s second-largest city of Barcelona are unlicensed according to the council, which makes them illegal.
In 2016 Barcelona fined Airbnb €600,000 for refusing to adhere to local laws by continuing to advertise unlicensed properties. As a result, Catalonia’s capital has a team of inspectors who wander the streets sniffing out illegal rentals using designated apps that cross-reference licences with advertised properties. This helps to identify illegal properties and gives authorities the power close down the premises, boot out occupants and fine the owner €60,000.
“Barcelona exists for its people. The priority is it’s a place to live.” ~ Janet Sanz, Barcelona Housing Councillor.
TIP: Read my crucial Barcelona travel tips to not look like a tourist when visiting.
Airbnb problems in Paris, France
In 2015, 44% of advertised properties on Airbnb were permanently available for rental, despite laws in France’s capital stating that holiday rentals are capped at only being available for 120 days of the year.
The survey that revealed this disturbing fact triggered raids across Paris and fines of up to €25,000 for hosts. However, the authorities are now looking to increase this fine to €100,000 like Berlin (see below). It is now necessary for hosts to obtain a registration number from the Town Hall so authorities can monitor the 120 day cap is not exceeded and so hosts cannot avoid paying taxes.
Airbnb problems in Mexico City, Mexico
Due to Mexico’s lax travel regulations during the pandemic, Mexico City saw an influx of remote workers (known as “digital nomads”) in addition to tourists.
This surge in visitor numbers in need of accommodation caused a 40% increase in rent prices in popular neighbourhoods, pushing out long-term locals and small businesses in favour of more profitable short-term Airbnb rentals.
It also caused a change in the social fabric of some communities, where trendy coffee shops popped up to cater to their new American or European guests.
Additionally, the local local government has recently signed an initiative with Airbnb to continue to boost remote worker numbers in the city, which in turn will add to the housing crisis.
Airbnb problems in Japan
The recent explosion of visitors to Japan looking to travel on the cheap meant Airbnb’s started popping up in unzoned areas to capitalise on the new demand.
Being an ultra-conservative country, locals filed an overwhelming number of “tourist pollution” complaints: unruly tourists coming and going at all hours, hosting noisy parties in otherwise quiet neighbourhoods and disrespecting local customs.
In June 2018 the Japanese government resorted to tackling illegal Airbnb and similar homestay accommodations across the country (known as “minpaku”) by requiring hosts in legally zoned areas to obtain a minpaku license, placing 180-day quotas on when properties can be available to rent and shutting down those who did not comply. This crackdown is said to have cost Airbnb $10 million.
READ MORE:
Crucial Paris Travel tips to Not look Like a Tourist
4 Days in Paris Itinerary: Complete Guide for First-Timers
Issues with Airbnb in Berlin, Germany
Germany’s capital got so tired of Airbnb creating a rental property shortage for locals they created a law entitled “Zweckentfremdungsverbot”…
A bit of a tongue-twister, right? Roughly translating to “Anti-Airbnb” this law bans short-term leasing of properties to tourists without a city permit. Hosts in Berlin can be fined up to €100,000 for disobeying this law and you could be left without accommodation if your host is busted.
Airbnb issues throughout Europe
In 2019, ten European cities banded together and sent a joint letter to the European Commission highlighting the flaws of services like Airbnb. Cities who suffered from “explosive growth” of short-term Airbnb listings – Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Bordeaux, Brussels, Krakow, Munich, Paris, Valencia and Vienna – demanded the Commission address this issue during their next agenda.
Many Other Destinations: Illegal Subletting
Another disturbing trend with unregulated accommodation is illegal subletting. Did you know recent statistics in Australia revealed that 35% of Airbnb listings are by people who don’t even own the property, and do so without the knowledge of their landlord?
“Think of what you’d say to a neighbour if they were to ask who you are and why you’re staying there… Awkward.” ~ Alyse.
While tenants may not see an issue with secretly renting out their spare room on Airbnb for extra cash, there are risks involved for both the tenant and property owner. What the tenant fails realise is they could actually be in breach of their leasing agreement by having additional people reside in the property.
This leads to exceeding the number of people residing on the premises, handing out security keys without authorisation, no applicable insurance for issues related to subleasing, more issues regarding illegal subletting here. A tenant subletting without the permission of the property owner can result in eviction.
2. Airbnb can have negative impacts on locals’ quality of life
This is one of the lesser-known Airbnb problems. Tourists hiring a place on Airbnb to enjoy a “cheaper” holiday actually pushes rent prices up for locals who need to live in the city. Tourists are visitors competing with locals for accommodation. The only difference is locals need it long-term, but hosts can charge tourists more for short-term stays so this is way more appealing to some.
For instance in 2018 on the Spanish island of Palma de Mallorca, tourist lets sharply increased by 50% due to demand, which in turn lead to residential rents rising by 40%. This made housing unaffordable for most local residents and pushed them out. As a result the island voted to ban Airbnb listings to make housing affordable for residents who needed to live and work.
Making the conscious decision to save a few bucks on a trip should not come at the expense of an actual local’s way of life. As invisible tourists we want to support locals of the places we visit, not make their lives more difficult!
Residents are also concerned raised Airbnb complaints about the constant stream of different tourists bumping their luggage up and down stairs in apartment blocks as well as coming and going at all hours. For long-term residents it’s easy to empathise that all the thumping and noise is bound to get annoying.
As someone who lives in a city where over 200,000 properties sit vacant due to landlords not renting them to locals (or anyone at all), I’ve seen first-hand how this has negatively impacted the rental market by causing prices to skyrocket as long-term rentals for locals become scarce. It isn’t really fair (or arguably ethical) on the local population trying to get by.
It’s also becoming known that some Airbnb hosts are treating their rentals as businesses. Padlocks or combination touchpads on doors rather than keys, instructions stuck around the property and “No Smoking” signs are dead giveaways that the Airbnb is being treated as a permanent holiday rental, which I mentioned previously under point #1 is probably an illegal listing. What happened to just renting out a spare room?
3. Privacy is never guaranteed
So, your host has also allowed friends to crash at their place during a stay and failed to mention it at any point. This may put a damper on the romantic weekend away planned with a partner, as the intimate moments they were hoping for may not be so intimate after all!
Recently, some stories have emerged about Airbnb hosts using sneaky hidden cameras in the bedrooms of their rentals. If that oddly-placed object or random smoke alarm appears to have a little webcam lens on closer inspection, that thing could be hooked up to the internet and the host is watching guests’ every move.
This became such a huge problem for guests, in March 2024 it led Airbnb to announce the ban of indoor security cameras for properties listed on their platform. Airbnb hosts found violating this policy would be permanently removed.
Alternatively, in a hotel we aren’t going to be left surprised with an unexpected stranger when returning to our room after a long day of sight-seeing. The likelihood of being spied on in a hotel room is much less of a risk. A hotel doesn’t need to spy on guests because they have insurance cover. It’s never ok to film someone without their consent.
4. You’re at the complete mercy of the host
One of the common Airbnb host problems? Even if a room is showing available, the host has the right to change their mind and cancel a booking at a moment’s notice. Personally, I prefer to be prepared and organised, and being left in limbo a few days before a trip – with all other accommodation in the area being sold out – literally sounds like my idea of a nightmare.
In another example, imagine arriving at an Airbnb only to find two people already there hanging curtains, a TV left face-down on the lounge and a strong dog odour throughout. Animal fur, hair and dust were all over the house, it clearly hadn’t been cleaned in very long time, mouse droppings were in the kitchen and other accommodation options nearby were all sold out. Here’s how Airbnb treated these guests in this actual situation.
Airbnb have thousands of complaints about how they can’t really do anything to assist guests who are left stranded. In contrast, hotels have a lot to lose from this and will find guests a room or compensate somehow if they’ve taken their money.
Let’s not forget the potential issue of a host running late to meet a guest to exchange keys. This unaccounted-for delay could seriously affect the guest’s travel plans and may lead to missing a crucial flight or train to their next destination. With a hotel, checking in and out times are made clear. During that period there is always someone at the front desk when we need to leave, so it’s simple to plan our journeys.
There isn’t always time to wait around for someone to race from one side of the city to the other to collect keys!
With many Airbnbs, hosts require guests to do the washing up, take out the rubbish and may leave them with other obligations they need to fulfil before checking out. We do all that at home, sometimes it’s nice to forget about that during a holiday.
READ MORE:
How to NOT Look Like a Tourist in New York City
7 Completely Annoying Reasons Why Mykonos is Overrated
Tourist vs Traveller: Why Invisible Tourist (Not Invisible Traveller?)
5. Lack of safety and security regulations
Consistent standards and regulations are lacking across Airbnb rentals as they are basically private properties. Due to this hosts don’t have to follow the same strict regulations that hotels do like fire, security and safety. What fire and other types of hazards are there in a rental? Can we tell from the photos?
As mentioned earlier, illegal subletting sees a tenant distribute unauthorised copied keys to short-term visitors, resulting in unknown people in a residential block having access to building amenities. This can be a major security concern for other residents in the building who are there legally.
People who list on Airbnb also don’t have to pay for the same insurances that hotels do, therefore if anything were to happen Airbnb may not cover guests at all. This also includes theft of cash/valuables from the property, whether it was from the host, other guests or as a result of a break-in. Is there even a safe or secure place to store our valuables during your stay?
Additionally, some of the properties may not be very child friendly which is sometimes only possible to be discovered on arrival.
6. Bait and switch
This is one of the most annoying Airbnb problems. If you’re not familiar with this sneaky tactic, bait and switch refers to the generally illegal act of “baiting” a guest into paying for a rental that is substituted for an inferior one later down the track. The intent is never to provide the rental in the great location with amazing photos the guest paid for.
If a host is being a bit shady, they may contact the guest close to their arrival date to inform them of the change. As it’s so late-minute, the guest may be left with no other option but to accept the sub-standard accommodation they offer instead, sometimes even for more money! Know your rights if this happens to you.
You’re not obligated to accept their new offer. If your host is asking you to switch without officially changing the reservation on Airbnb, you’ll need to ask the host to cancel your reservation so you can get a full refund. If you have further issues, you’ll need to immediately call Airbnb so they can resolve the problem for you or find another place to stay, which may prove difficult if all other accommodation in the area is sold out at the time.
This fraudulent trend is becoming more and more common with Airbnb. Sure it’s also possible this can happen with smaller hotels as well, but is less likely as hotels have much more to lose by participating in this dirty practice.
You can read some Airbnb bait and switch stories here and here to give you an idea of what could happen.
7. There’s no reception, housekeeping or room service
While this may not be a deal-breaker for some, there are unseen benefits. Hotels employ dozens of locals to take care of things like housekeeping, reception, concierge services, kitchenhands and the like to keep the place running smoothly. To me, providing locals with jobs is quite important and staying in a hotel supports this cause.
Additionally, the lack of a reception area with an Airbnb means checking in and out with a host may not be flexible enough to suit a guest’s travel plans. I was unbelievably annoyed when arriving at what was listed as a hotel in Onomichi Japan with rooms only to discover it was an Airbnb…
There was nowhere to leave luggage, no one to help in an emergency (the phone number provided had no English speakers — which is fine, if I was expecting it), a combination lock on the door that other people could know…
This was several years after I had first written this article and I reserved it through booking.com. The listing was so deceptive it even fooled me, it never mentioned any of these things. I would never have booked it otherwise.
8. Do tourists really need an entire kitchen (and house)?
A lot of the time tourists don’t really need an entire house or apartment with a kitchen when they’re travelling short-term. Isn’t visiting a new place all about getting out there and experiencing local, authentic food? In turn this helps to support local jobs and businesses.
If not supporting locals in other ways through cultural experiences and spending, cooking some noodles in an Airbnb in an effort to save money doesn’t really help anyone. Hotels, aparthotels and other traditional forms of accommodation can also provide the basic amenities needed for a stay.
Additionally, booking an entire apartment or house on Airbnb means tourists could be inadvertently taking away long-term accommodation from a local. If the rental is being run as a business by a company who has multiple property listings, it’s usually wise to steer away from it as it goes against the original idea that Airbnb was founded on — a property owner renting out a spare room.
What a lack of tourism does to neighbourhoods overrun with Airbnb listings
Now for the hidden Airbnb controversy. As we all know, in 2020 tourism completely ground to a halt due to a global event that shall not be named. This helped to starkly amplify the issues caused by short-term rentals for even the most stubborn of deniers.
When it comes to the often unseen disadvantages of Airbnb, let’s examine the knock-on effects caused by the absence of tourism in destinations that had high percentages of unregulated accommodation listings.
Airbnb issues in Lisbon, Portugal
In the early months of 2020, there were 22,000 Airbnb listings in Lisbon. A sudden lack of tourists meant the majority of these sat empty for months.
Urban geographer Luís Mendes from Living in Lisbon stated, “[2020] has helped expose the negative aspects of Portugal’s recovery from the financial crisis, which was driven by real estate and tourism rather than a focus on the basic needs of local people.”
This excellent article about overtourism in Lisbon, Portugal highlights the need and urgency for sustainable cultural tourism if you’re interested in learning more about the topic. Unfortunately, this issue is not unique to Lisbon and is further proof of why being an invisible tourist whilst travelling is win-win for everyone.
Airbnb issues in Barcelona, Spain
Local authorities are seeking to repossess empty short-terms rentals. If vacant properties don’t re-enter the long-term rental market for local residents, new legislation allows authorities to purchase them outright at 50% of the market value.
The plan for seized properties is to be rented by the city as public and subsidised housing, while potentially fining the owners from €90,000- €900,000 for properties left vacant for 2 years.
Airbnb issues in Athens, Greece
According to local residents in Kaisariani, Athens, their neighbourhood actually became a “tourist hotbed” full of Airbnbs rather than a residential area.
Airbnb issues in Paris, France
As one of Airbnb’s top destinations globally, tourism to Paris took a huge hit. According to the Deputy Mayor of Paris, the city “needs to use the pandemic to address affordable housing and supply.
In the four central arrondissements of Paris, a quarter of all properties are now no longer homes but purely short-term rentals for tourists. As a result the city is planning to hold a referendum on the future of Airbnb listings.
Airbnb issues in Dublin, Ireland
One of my Ireland travel tips for tourists is to avoid unregulated accommodation such as Airbnb. Due to increased demand in short-term listings from tourists and limited supply, Dublin saw rents for local residents skyrocket and more than double from 2011 – 2019.
The sudden lack of tourists in 2020 meant 64% of short-term Airbnb listings in Dublin rushed to enter the long-term rental market instead. Great news for locals, at least!
Concluding why we should reconsider services like Airbnb
Sure, there certainly are benefits of using Airbnb if it’s done in an ethical and legal manner.
Thousands of travellers use the platform without ever having an issue. I’m not here to dispute that and I’m certainly not saying ALL hosts are bad – it’s neither fair nor accurate to paint everyone with the same brush. Besides, this opinion piece is not about that. It’s about questioning whether a service like this should be allowed to continue unregulated.
There is a time and a place for homestay accommodation. For instance, in rural areas where accommodation choices are slim services like Airbnb can actually help locals. In major cities where there already is plenty of regulated accommodation, whole property rentals by hosts listing multiple properties should be avoided in order to help preserve local life and their culture.
If short-term rentals have taught us anything, it’s now very clear that they create the likes of a horizontal hotel that spans the breadth of a city, pushing out local residents.
I do think that initially the idea of Airbnb was fantastic a few years ago, where hosts would share a room of their home with a visitor who wished to experience the city like a local. Unfortunately, there are always people looking to make a quick buck, exploit the system and ruin the experience for everyone.
On an interesting (and maybe ironic) note, in the summer of 2023 Airbnb launched a new “Airbnb Rooms” initiative. Deciding to get back to their founding roots, this service allows travellers to rent out spare rooms rather than whole properties to save money. Do you agree with their reasoning?
As someone who values time more than anything else when travelling, the explosion of illegal listings, risks and ethical issues associated with Airbnb and the like do not outweigh the benefits of staying in a hotel for me personally. Considering that a pair of YouTubers also pranked Airbnb by listing a dollhouse and made $3,000 worth of bookings, it really begs the question of how much listings are actually checked.
By ignoring local laws, causing negative impacts on locals’ quality of life and lack of consistent standards, I believe unregulated homestay accommodation is unethical and I’m sorry to say for these reasons cannot support it.
What are your thoughts on these Airbnb problems? Do you feel the same? Let me know in the comments below! If you found this article helpful or you learnt something new, please share it or take a look at my popular travel guides and itineraries and my book for more ways to help you NOT look like a tourist on your next trip.
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Until next time,
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Featured image & New York pin image credit: Unsplash
Paris pin image credit: Chris Karidis
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Thank you for this article. I can testify firsthand to the destruction that Airbnb has wrought on my town. Thanks to a state law, towns cannot regulate short term rentals. As a result, nearly every home that is sold is for Airbnb, and places for long term rental are getting increasingly harder to find (and more expensive). Many businesses have trouble finding employees because no one can find a place to live here. A school superintendent quit before he even started because he was outbid on four houses. Young families are not moving here and as a result, one elementary school was shut down due to lack of enrollment.
Oh gosh Sedonan, I am so sorry to learn what’s been happening in your town. That’s so awful for the entire community! So many people don’t realise the generational impacts unregulated short-term accommodation can have on local populations trying to live there and get by. Without housing, jobs, or even a local school, the future doesn’t look very bright (and I say that with a heavy heart).
Visitors need to need to me made aware of these issues, they run so much deeper than first thought. What happens to a community when the very reasons it’s desirable to live are taken away? Thank you so much for sharing your insight and best of luck to your community – I hope you can band together and demand action!
Oh wow, this is almost exactly what our town is going through! The county has the pen on writing any regulations in for us since we are an unincorporated town and they absolutely refuse to do anything about it because they get the profits from the tax. Every single week more locals are posting desperate plea’s for anyone to rent them their home because the place they were in just gave them eviction notice to sell and/or turn into an airbnb. Buying is not an option for anyone living here because the investors will outbid you on any offer – often giving cash offers well over asking, which asking is outside of what anyone can get approved for here. The school attendance is dropping drastically. In the last house we lived in, as far as I could see up the street each direction was Airbnbs. We were the only resident on that stretch of road. It should NOT be allowed to turn residential homes into full-time hotels – THAT is a commercial business and if I can’t turn my home into a restaurant or a grocery store, then why can someone turn their home into a hotel? I seriously hope this gets dealt with at the top and people stop getting booted from their homes and are able to buy in their town again.
Awesome ! Very useful thank you so much. Also i really like the pictures for your website 🙂
Glad you found this helpful! Thank you, I’m an old-school graphic designer 😊
Honestly, overall I did not like your article. To give you constructive criticism, I suggest you write about both sides and be more objective. This way people would hear you out more, and not hate as much. You’re making a great point, and I am very glad that I had the chance to read your article, it changed my perspective. However, you’re also writing from a very biased and ignorant view at the same time. It’s very obvious. Write about the whole truth of Airbnb not just one side, and people will be more open to considering and hearing your voice and advocacy for locals.
Good luck,
Thanks for reading, Sophie! You don’t have to like the article and that’s completely okay. The purpose of it is to start a discussion about issues folks may not have been aware of and whether services such as these should be allowed to continue unregulated.
I welcome objective and constructive criticism such as yours. In my concluding comments, I have mentioned instances where Airbnb can be beneficial, however I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the “whole truth” of Airbnb, as you say? Thanks for commenting!
As a long-term traveler and fellow travel blogger, can I just say thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this. I have had a few experiences with Airbnb, which I have used in the past when I stayed for a full month in a city (like I always do when I go to Israel). Some experiences were ok. Most were beyond bad – horrible places, and little protection from Airbnb which always suggested I’d deal with the host before going to them. I have had disgustingly dirty places (which appeared perfectly fine and nicely reviewed); run down places (which appeared charming in photos) and the like. Now, with the latest ordeal of Airbnb unilaterally cutting the associates program, I do not intend to ever stay at an Airbnb again.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Claudia! I greatly appreciate you taking the time to comment, your thoughts really mean a lot coming from a fellow travel blogger 😊
I’m sorry to hear you also had some terrible experiences with Airbnb. Something I am noticing lately in the comments is people saying photos didn’t match the reality of the property, and high reviews for such properties. It seems untrustworthy.
Yes, I heard about the closure of the associates program. Thankfully I was never an associate for reasons in this article, but I can empathise why it’s unfortunate for so many travel bloggers. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts!
I am currently having the exact issue you discussed in which my tenant is illegally subletting my house on airbnb against the terms of our lease and airbnb has refused to do anything about it. This is such a terrible company with a p*ss poor customer service team. Currently in the process of evicting them for breach of lease contract but while we wait on the slow court system, there’s not much else we can do.
Oh no, Brad! I’m terribly sorry to hear that, how awfully frustrating for you. It’s a shame Airbnb won’t do anything about it and you need to go through lengthy legal proceedings. Wishing you the best with the outcome!
You forgot to mention the complete hell they cause to once perfect neighborhoods. We lived peacefully, in our nice, crime-free, quiet neighborhood, for 26 years, until the houses on each side of us became Airbnb’s. Loud parties during the week, that go all night. Drunk tenants trying to get into our front door. Obnoxious drunks throwing up on our driveway. Abusive men beating their significant other. Mentally unstable people flashing weapons to families strolling by. We had 10 police cars show up because tenants in one Airbnb was threatening to shoot their friend. Tenants have tried breaking into our garage. Tenants that have caused property damage to homes in area. The homeowners just don’t care and reaching out to Airbnb has done absolutely nothing.
I’m so sorry, Norma 😔 It must be truly awful to live there now, especially since you have lived there so long. Such a shame. I hope things improve for you somehow, thank you for voicing your concerns.
Pay attention to item 4.
I had repeated case of cancellation, just a few hours before the check-in.
I had a repeated case that all hosts in a given area first accepted and then cancelled a few hours prior to check in.
What are you going to do?
You already have travel plans and now your accommodation is gone!
Yes, exactly! This would be so inconvenient and stressful. Sorry to hear of all your last-minute cancellations, I hope you were able to find alternate accommodation that didn’t cost you an arm and a leg!
Hi,
I had to stay three months in one town in Switzerland. It’s too short for permanent rental.
I’ve booked three apartment, one for each month.
They all cancelled on me or rejected the booking. Once the refusal came 48 hours prior to check in.
When I look for an urgent substitute, all places in town are gone and I need to book a place far away.
Worse thing: one host requested a meeting with me, talked to me as if I was a criminal or this was a job interview. Then he waited a whole week and then cancelled.
Thank God I’ve got friends and family who can lend me their sofa for the night!
Oh goodness, that’s quite awful! Very odd all three cancelled or rejected you. Cancelling on guests 48 hours beforehand definitely doesn’t leave you with many options, I’m glad you were lucky to have friends nearby to help you out in this tough situation! Thanks for sharing your story, it’s becoming a common occurrence unfortunately.
Yes, it’s so odd that I assume there’s a WhatsApp group of all hosts in the area, and the first host talked thrash about me in front of the others.
By the way, he talked to me as if I was going to perform some kind of immigration crime, he asked if I plan to register his airbnb as my permanent address, and I strongly denied and then he asked if I’m an illegal alien, and I proposed to show my permanent residency ID, and he “politely” didn’t want to.
I wonder how many people rent a hotel room, check in and then say “Darling, shall we go to ski?” “oh no, let’s enter the city hall with our birth and marriage certificates and register room 210 as our permanent address”
He cancelled due to “public health concerns”-
These days, it seems sufficient to just say “well, we cancel due to public health concerns” without actually bothering to state what these concerns are.
A host should’ve dealt with public health fears in advance and either deactivate the opening or be brave and keep his/her part of the deal.
First time Airbnb user just two weeks ago. The ad and the 3 pics were misleading, house was a total dump. Had 4 full time unemployed tenants that had no food in the fridge or cupboards living there including the hosts father. Bathroom was suppose to be shared with one other guest but the whole place used it. Hairs and urine all over the toilet, inch of mold on the bottom of the shower curtain. No covers on the electrical sockets. Stunk like mold. The kitchen was disgusting. I was working a 12hr night shift with a houseful of loud tenants that were there ALL DAY.
I had a 27 day booking & was refused a refund after being there the 4 days it took me find another place. Refund mediation was done through a text message and before I could respond the chat was closed, I was told it was no problem to edit my review until the Airbnb rep read it then he stated he couldn’t edit it because the “system” wouldn’t allow it. The rep elevated my inquiry which has been done a few times for a few different “inquiries” I’ve had and all with no response.
My review still hasn’t been posted and somehow this host has 57 reviews with an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars which blows my mind. I asked a different rep about how the health standards are regulated and I was told it was done through pictures! Pictures that the host sends in lol, WOW! Just remember you can’t smell a picture.
I ended up getting in touch with the city and within 2 minutes of being on the phone I was told it was an illegal business and they would shut it down. When I was leaving a review there was a question that asks if the address was complete. Every time I checked “no” the site dead ended me lol!!! no joke.
I can no longer access my receipt on the app and they’ve threatened to kick me out of the “community”. I’ve learned very quickly that the host is their revenue stream and you’re not so keep that in mind because “Support” won’t do anything for you. This article was a great read and I wish I came across it sooner.
Oh no, that sounds revolting, Jay!
I love that you say “you can’t smell a picture”, that’s so true (unfortunately).
Very interesting to see your host had an average of 4.7 star reviews, that doesn’t sound consistent with the standard you encountered.
I’m really sorry you had such an awful experience and hope you never have a repeat occurrence in future. Thank you for reading and for sharing your thoughts!
This is very helpful for me since I’m thinking of using Airbnb when I travel to my destination country this summer. Thank you very much for sharing!
I’m so glad you found it helpful and gave you some things to consider!
That writing is unfortunately is load of BS. I stayed at various AirBnBs around the world – probably 50 times ~last 10 years. At least 45 of them were amazing cultural experiences that would be otherwise impossible. Keep in mind that “wise” locals are much better off listing/hosting on airbnb than working at your dingy hotel for a minimal wage.
I beg to differ, Mike. My entire blog is based on creating authentic, more meaningful travel experiences (that have never included using Airbnb to do so). But thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Your entire blog is a beat up of airbnb i am an older dude that has just finished building his dream home for the family to come and visit on Xmas , Easter etc but the family are all to busy finding their ways to pay for there next holiday to somewhere else. You have a very broad brush to be able to say that all airbnb people are trying to take you for as much as they can without giving any compassion. Come stay with us . Our downfall is trying to please people who can’t be pleased. Some people find fault, some people find (what is the opposite of fault?)
Some people find it anyway
From your comments I don’t think you’ve read the entirety of my article (or blog), Gordon. Feel free to read over my concluding thoughts, because accusing me of saying “all airbnb people are trying to take you for as much as they can without giving any compassion” is simply not true 😉
I’ve read many of comments for both sides of the fence, let me say not once did this article (Alyse) say that ALL ABnB experiences or hosts are bad, it was about education and choices you can make. and She has has always said these are her own opinions and /or experiences. its strange how many of the negative replies include attacks, but Alyse has always been pleasant and accepting, of opposing opinions.
Come on guys chill.
on a side note i am from Australia, where ABnB has pushed the rental prices through the roof, beyond belief
My family owns 2 vacation rentals, and we have used Airbnb to help get our name out there. Your article is too long to hold my attention, I thought maybe I’d find something relating to what we are going through. We are planning on removing ourselves from Airbnb but first want to reach out to all our guests so they don’t have to miss out on their trip. From a hosts perspective, we have seen how corrupt Airbnb is. They allowed over $63,000 to be rerouted to suspicious accounts. After we noticed, they assured us it was being resolved. It was not resolved. We had to keep pestering them. We got a little over half of the money back after many phone calls with them (and telling the news about it). Then we file a subpoena a year later to get the account numbers of where our money was going and they locked us out of our account for over 4 weeks with no explanations. Our guests had to show up at our cabins in hopes of getting in. We had to put signs up to tell them to call us so that we could communicate with them. I saw how little they cared about our guests and us. We had someone leave early because they felt uncomfortable not being under the safety of Airbnb because of this. We were charged $550 for this situation and Airbnb lied and said we canceled their reservation. They are such a corrupt company. They really don’t care about the individual.
And people like you Mike are a bane of my existence. I have one airbnb(like) room right above my flat, and second one at the end of the corridor. Every single weekend I am forced to live someone’s else party, sometimes in workdays too. Yes I can call police and I often do, but it takes a while to convince them to come and doing that 1-2 per week? Infuriating.
Airbnb should be banned entirely in non-hotel buildings, sorry.
So sorry you have to deal with that, jrc! The level of frustration must be awful 😞 We can only hope more tourists start to realise their negative impacts on locals and think twice about renting in unregulated areas!
Hi Alyse,
Im sorry to hear all the negative experiences people have had using AirBnB. I know this was written a while ago, but I just wanted to share a couple thoughts and my experiences.
It sounds like most of the issues mentioned in this article are caused by inconsiderate guests and inconsiderate or law-breaking hosts, vs. the actual corporate company of AirBnB. I have many times have had absolutely horrible travel experiences due to inconsiderate hotel employees or inconsiderate hotel guests, but that is a reflection of the people, not necessarily the corporation.
I just this past year tried AirBnB for the first time, and currently staying somewhere for our second AirBnB stay. Both times, the hosts have gone above and beyond, and have shown much more hospitality than Ive experienced in any hotel. I will also say, we have done our best to be respectful of the home, neighbors, and rules.
In regards to the comments about just trying to get a cheap rate and why would you ever need a full kitchen while travelling?? As a family of 5, with twin special needs toddlers, I would say AirBnB has made travelling more accessible to those who dont fit the normal 4 person or less group. To stay in a hotel, we have to book 2 adjoining rooms or upgrade to a suite to fit my family. That itself gets expensive and hard to book, making the trip not possible. Also, have you ever travelled with multiple toddlers or infants? Storing milk, snacks, what they will eat for meals (not always available in a restaurant) bringing diaper changing pads, etc is not easy in a hotel room (which is barely doable with the tiny fridge and may or may not exist microwave), and definitely no sink for rinsing bottles. Also, to be prepared for the option that the hotel has no more pack n plays, you now need to pack and haul that 4ft, 20lb monstrosity with you. Time to eat? No high chair or table? Looks like the hotel bed sheets will have baby food on them before you even get to sleep on night one. All of that is not a worry in a family friendly airbnb. Also, the ability to have a bed in a room with a door on vacation with kids is worth its wright in gold. Autistic toddler #1 wont sleep until 9:30pm? Luckily autistic toddler #2 that fell asleep at 7pm is not disturbed in the bedroom with the door shut. Please take my kids on vacation in a hotel room for 5 days and see if you change your mind 😄. We actually have and are considering going on a vacation before they turn 10 and can expect to have a good time ourselves, too.
I just hope other families dont get turned off the hope that they might be able to use airbnb for a much more relaxing and less stressful vacation because of your article!
Hi Whit,
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
Yes, I have travelled with small toddlers/infants multiple times – domestically and internationally, short term and long term – and never used Airbnb. I understand the appeal of Airbnb to parents as a whole house with a sink, multiple bedrooms and fridge is convenient. That’s the reality of travelling with kids, they need so much stuff! However when I have required these things, I have stayed in multiple bedroom serviced apartments or regulated B&Bs. It can be difficult to discern whether an unhosted Airbnb stay is taking that property away from local residents, and to me that is not worth the risk.
The aim of my article is to make people aware of the ethical concerns regarding services such as Airbnb, and the negative impacts their choices can have on local residents. There are plenty of regulated options for families to consider, as I have written about in my guide to ethical alternatives to Airbnb. Thanks again for your comment!
Booking a room through Airbnb is the worst experience I had. Basically, Airbnb expands the number of hosts while the guests’ rights are not protected. Many issues would arise in such a place. For hosts, a place is their properties and they have all the rights to make rules. Of course, Airbnb has all policies to protect them. For guests, they look for affordable stays. When the payment is done, guests are stuck on its non-refundable return policy.
You might encounter privacy issues when the host jumps into your room and asks you to turn off the light on the bathroom. Your room might be invaded by their pets if the door is open. Especially during current times, it’s really undesired. You don’t want a host with no mask. You don’t want their sick daughter to stay next to you and be out sometimes. You don’t want a long-term staying tenant who surprises you because you are not informed by the host.
At the end of the day, you have nowhere to go to resolve these issues during your stay. Lucky for the hosts, they have non-refundable reservation policies. And they even can threaten you to call the police. As for Airbnb, it just a platform that seals the guests’ money. Any issues/tickets raised during guests’ stays are postponed and forced to close.
So sorry to hear about your bad experience, Sherry. We live and learn, these kind of risks are associated with services like Airbnb unfortunately. Here’s hoping you don’t have a similar experience in future!
Thank you for the wonderful article.
Airbnb is a stupid gimmick and I cannot understand why anyone would choose it over a hotel. To pay for a room or a house with absolutely no services is sheer stupidity.
Glad you enjoyed it, John!
it’s certainly a topic for discussion 😊
Just politely, as an airbnb host ( we also host bookings.com and Homeaway Stayz) ,most of your article is nonsense and not true. For example airbnb demand, rightly, very high standards. You cannot delete or change someones booking. If people were not staying at airbnb host it would just be another website. You dont actually stay at airbnb you stay at a mom and pop house or unit who needs the money.
Sorry but not buying the above at all!
Paddy
For reasons I’ve explained in the article and in many of these comments, not all Airbnbs are created equal, Paddy. You must have missed the part where large corporations were buying up entire residential blocks of apartments for the sole purpose of renting them out, unhosted, on Airbnb. Unfortunately, people are not always saying with “mom and pop”. It’s been proven that many Airbnb hosts own multiple properties, which takes residential leases off the long-term market.
And many don’t. Your article needs balance to write about people that are desperate in the economic climate and need Air b n b to feed their children and pay the mortgage.
I definitely agree with this article for the most part but i was curious if you had any thoughts about things like tiny house airbnbs. cause those types of places are the ones that i’m most interested in staying at. i guess it’s not quite related to the rest of your content as these types of places are usually out in rural areas mostly away from any “locals” that you may be trying to act like.
I think there is also a time and a place for TinyHouse accommodation. You can usually book through them directly without having to go through Airbnb or other platforms.
Provided the portable house doesn’t cause damage to the local environment and its temporary occupants “leave no trace” of their stay, they can be a great option for experiencing rural areas! Thanks for your comment, David 😊
I was all for air b n b until the house next door to me became one. Our neighbourhood is a quiet seaside community with lots of young families and retirees. It’s since become riddled with disruptive drunken parties every three days/weekends because of the rotation of air b n b guests in several houses in the street. This has negatively impacted the quality of life for the locals who have to put up with it.
I feel that the intention of using air b n b to experience the local lifestyle and people has totally shifted since it’s inception. In my experience people are using it because it’s cost effective and guests have more freedom to let loose and party with little consequence.
I agree that it should be regulated by local councils/prefectures in the way of zoning, additional rates or cap the amount of bookings per year.
Definitely, I think many people just don’t realise the inconveniences these types of issues can cause for local residents. I’m so sorry to hear your neighbourhood has had to deal with this, Jacs.
Completely agree that the use of Airbnb has changed over time and is now, for the most part, very far removed from its initial intention. Thanks for sharing your insights and I hope things improve for your neighbourhood soon!