There’s no denying that Airbnb has changed the way that many people (myself included) travel. I have stayed in several Airbnbs throughout the world (including an amazing one in Athens, Greece) and have had good experiences for the most part. That’s not to say my Airbnb and vacation rental stays have been without problems, and I’ve certainly had mixed results dealing with the Airbnb resolution center. I’m also an Airbnb host and while I’ve had mostly good luck there as well, there have been a few issues there. I’m starting to wonder if it’s even worth considering Airbnbs. And I’m not the only one who’s starting to come to this realization.
Problems With Airbnb
Awhile ago, I read one of the recap articles from View from the Wing talking about problems with Airbnb. He shared an article from Nomadic Matt who says “It’s Time to Break Up with Airbnb“. He shares a few stories from his traveling history where he has had some pretty major problems. One involved Airbnb freezing his account but not telling him anything other than he had to leave the place he was staying in, and another where Airbnb refused to issue a refund. Because he’s famous :-), he has the cell phone number of Airbnb’s CEO so he was able to get things resolved, but he decided that he is “breaking up” with Airbnb.
My Experiences With the Airbnb Resolution Center
I’m not sure I’m ready to break up with Airbnb completely, but it can definitely come with hassles. If it all works fine, it’s great, but if there are problems, then you’re kind of on your own to work things out with your host. Here are a few of the issues I’ve had with Airbnb:
- Trying to book a house in Barcelona, the host tried to charge me $410 more after I booked. I was able to work it out to just cancel the stay.
- Then at the Barcelona Airbnb we actually stayed at, the host tried to say we broke things and left his place a mess and wanted thousands of dollars.
But as I mentioned, I’m also a host on Airbnb and I’ve had my own share of problems:
- Guy threw a party in my unit, smoked inside and broke things. I had to pay someone more than $1,300 to repair and clean it and after going through their host resolution center, they sent me $87. (Yes, literally.)
- Had a guest stay for the weekend and then didn’t leave. After talking with her, she agreed to stay for the extra day. Because it was already past the check-out time, I couldn’t extend her stay through Airbnb. Airbnb host support suggested I just request money for the extra night. But when I did, she didn’t accept. When Airbnb tried to charge her card, it was declined so they sent me nothing, even though it was THEM who told me to do it this way.
Like Matt suggests in his article, it would seem reasonable to me that Airbnb customer service have the ability to just take care of minor issues. Matt suggests that Airbnb sides completely with hosts, but my experience is more that Airbnb tends to go for the side of doing nothing. If the host wants money but the guest doesn’t want to give it, Airbnb will do nothing. If the guest wants a refund but the host doesn’t want to do it, Airbnb will do nothing. It seems like they want to continue the charade that they are just “connecting hosts with guests” when we all know that they are really a lodging company. It’s like Uber and Lyft saying “we’re just technology companies…”
Hotel vs Airbnb – Pros and Cons
There are pros and cons for staying in hotels vs staying at an Airbnb or another vacation rental. Some things about Airbnb that I like are:
- Location: Sometimes there just aren’t hotels where you want to go. I stayed in an Airbnb in Billund, Denmark, to go to Legoland with my son. There weren’t any hotels (or at least any points hotels) in the whole city.
- Having a (larger) place to yourself: We are a family of 8, so being able to spread out and not have to worry about disturbing the neighbors is a nice feature.
- A full kitchen: Being able to cook our own meals can drastically cut down on our total food budget.
On the other hand, hotels offer:
- Hotel points! This is a miles and points blog, after all, and getting “free” stays is a big reason I prefer hotels. With Airbnb, there aren’t really very many good ways to use points to pay for Airbnb stays. You can get $35 off if you create a new Airbnb account, or use purchase-erasing points like Capital One Venture miles, but that’s about it. Some cards like the new Capital One Venture X offer credits toward vacation rentals.
- “Free” breakfast and/or dinner: With a family of 8, staying in a hotel that offers “free” breakfast or dinner can also be good value.
- Consistency of experience: This goes back to the original point. When I stay at a Hampton Inn or a Holiday Inn Express or a Hyatt Place, I know what I’m going to expect. While there are a few brands (Choice for one) where you have to be a bit careful about that, knowing what to expect is a huge benefit.
The Bottom Line
I’ve had mostly positive experiences with Airbnb both on the guest and host side, but there’s no denying that they have some issues that they take a pretty hands-off approach to resolving problems. Contrast that to our stay with Vacasa in the Smoky Mountains. The customer service there was much better, including sending someone out twice to try and fix the Internet. I get the feeling that Airbnb would have just been like “too bad, so sad.”
What’s your take on Airbnb? Have you had any negative experiences with them? Leave them in the comments.
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Dan Miller travels with his wife and 6 (SIX!) children. He loves to help families travel for free / cheap, especially larger families. If you are looking for help, drop him an email at 
Rent only from people who have the highest possible reputation ratings. In this case, that means a Superhost with a 4.9 or higher rating. And make sure you have a backup plan.
We’re renting an AirBnB in Branson, MO this summer. We chose a superhost with a 4.9+ rating. And if it falls apart, there are several hotels where we could stay instead, albeit at a much higher price for a multi-room suite. It’d be a real drag, but it beats sleeping in our car.
That said, after reading so many horror stories, I would never again stay at an AirBnB without a backup plan. Which is sad.
I extended my stay an additional few days. AirBNB knew and the host knew- the Condo management did not. So, when I went to walk my dog at 11pm, my key had been disabled and I could not get back in. I had no phone and no wallet, which meant no cash credit cards or identification. I tried the building locksmith, but they would not do anything without the approval of the the host. Unfortunately, the host was not answering the phone. Airbnb offered to send me to a nearby hotel….but I had no ID or credit card, so the hotel would not allow me to check in. So, I was locked out until 5 am the next morning. It wasn’t easy, but eventually, I was able to get that one night refunded.
Ugh – that sounds like an awful experience. I’m glad that you were able to get it refunded eventually but that’s not something I would want to deal with.
Happened to me once – I broke the window to get in and then reported credit card as lost so I could not be charged for it.
When we visit Europe we usually use Booking .com. Many of their properties are also found on Airbnb (often at a higher price).
Also, Booking.com frequently offers 4 points per $ on the AA shopping portal. A heads-up, plan on having to send receipts to AA’s portals customer service.
I do NOT do Airbnb any more for all of the reasons and more noted above……
I have had almost entirely good experiences with Airbnb as a guest, though I agree with the advice to go with experienced hosts who have very high ratings. (Having said that, though, the ratings system is inflated on both sides. Hosts “rate” guests right after we check out, often having never met us. They almost always say “great guests!”)
I love having a kitchen, which helps me save money and feel more at home. Especially in Europe, it can be taboo to eat anything in a hotel room or even in the hotel lobby. We tried to do that once in Rome and were told to take it outside, so we ate dinner on the sidewalk. 🙂
I enjoy small apartments when I am staying somewhere for a week or two. Typically, these are well-kept apartments or condos in ideally-situated buildings. In all but one case, my hosts have been very vigilant and responsive and I have had a better overall experience than I would have in a motel/hotel. But I can see how AirBnB has very little control over my actual experience at the property. Thank you for reminding your readers of some of the hazards of AirBnB.
As a guest in Italy, England and Florida I really can’t complain.
But as a host, correct, Air B&B sides with doing nothing.
I don’t see them in my future.
I NEVER use AirBnB. I found the platform and the company to be shady the way they handle the “extra” fees, complaints and refunds. I mostly use Booking.com, Agoda.com if not the Hotels directly etc. who seems more honest.
It’s the consistency of the chain hotels that makes me shy away from AirBnB. I would only use them if there is no alternative, and that has only happened in Cuba.
I’m going to put it out into the universe, “Yes, for me, anyway, the it’s time to throw in the towel and give up on Airbnb.”
Recently I had the worst experience ever with my stay at an Airbnb. Got to the place, unlocked the door, carried in 1/2 of my things and immediately got the feeling that I can only imagine the 3 bears in Goldielocks felt. I called my best friend and asked her to stay on the phone with me while I took pictures and made sure noone was hiding behind a door. Butt print on the bed, shampoo, conditioner and soap that was recently used and had been there for quite some time. A dirty wash cloth 1/2 way folded on top of a clean cloth, coffee grounds in the sink and cantaloupe in the fridge….. I am pretty sure someone had been using this space when its empty.
Hadn’t been there 45 minutes and someone stole my car from the parking lot! I was too preoccupied taking photos of the space. Didn’t even stay in the space a full hour and what did the host do?
Absolutely NOTHING.
What has Airbnb done?
Absolutely NOTHING.
Called police ✅
Filed police report ✅
Contacted host. Then resolution center. ✅
Filed claim with AirCover ✅
What’s it gotten me?
Absolutely NOTHING
I would love to break up with AirBnB but as a host I can’t. They, and VRBO who are nearly as bad, have knocked out all the traditional vacation rental companies and have an essential monopoly in most major regions. I hate them with a passion but I have to continue using them.
And, @Jana, as a host you are required to rate your guests if you want to keep your superhost status – it’s difficult to say anything meaningful about them when you’ve never met them.
I won’t use Airbnb except in the most dire of circumstances. Their level of service for hosts with a problem is laughable, surpassed in misery only by their customer service for guests. What good is a business arrangement if the company you’re dealing with is completely indifferent to seeing that you get what they promised you? And that doesn’t even begin to touch on the damage Airbnb has done to regular people trying to rent in their home city but can’t because so many units are in a (frequently) unregulated daily rental marketplace instead of the traditional monthly rentals.
Ultimately you have to do you. I just can’t hand my money to Airbnb.
Yes – when both guests AND hosts are annoyed with Airbnb (see the comments here as just one example), you know there’s got to be something really wrong 🙂
Never could bring myself to stay at an Airbnb because a lot of these people feel they have such power to do what they want and makeup rules as they go along. Especially perhaps depending on who the guests are.
Australia is no exception for Airbnb.
They are about to be fined $15m – $30m for charging Aussies in USD for a looong time.