With nearly 150 million users and listings available in more than 100,000 cities, Airbnb has secured a profitable share of the travel industry. When you rent a place to stay with Airbnb rather than a hotel room, you often get more space at a reduced cost, especially when you’re travelling with a larger group in need of multiple bedrooms. Further, you can find listings in neighbourhoods, tucked away from the tourist areas, which is not always an option with hotels.
You can rent sumptuous places and split the cost with your friends.
As with any holiday rental, you might be disappointed if things aren’t what you expect. Or worse, you end up paying extra fees if the host accuses you of damaging their space.
Below, we’ll explore three Airbnb best practices to help you avoid unpleasant surprises and prepare you for dealing with issues that might come up during your stay.
1. Pay attention to all the details when you’re booking
Use the selection filters
Save yourself time at the beginning of your search by selecting all the applicable filters, and not just the dates and number of guests. The “type of place” filter can be especially important.
If you don’t want to share an apartment with the owner or other travellers, select “entire place.” This will eliminate a fair amount of irrelevant results from the get-go. You should also adjust the maximum price, the number of beds, bedrooms, the neighbourhood you want to stay in, and the amenities you wish to have.
Look at all the photos
Make sure you thoroughly review all the photos to ensure the description of the place is accurate. Sometimes a convertible sofa will be listed as a bedroom, or a TV will be listed under the amenities but won’t appear in the photos. When in doubt, message the host for confirmation. Usually, I’ll skip listings with no pictures and move straight to the next one.
Look at the map
See the listing’s location on the map at the bottom of the description page. Although the host won’t communicate the exact address until your booking is confirmed, you’ll get an idea of the area in which it’s located. Take a closer look of the area on Google Maps to see the actual distance between the rental place and other neighbourhoods or attractions. It’s also worth checking online if there are lots of bars, clubs or late-night attractions nearby. If you’re excited to explore the nightlife, great! However, if you’d rather go to bed early, it might be best to choose a different neighbourhood to stay in.
Read the reviews
Reviews of Airbnb properties are left by fellow travellers, just like you. Reviews are a helpful source of insight about a host or the rental itself. Reading them in detail will help you get the full picture of what others’ stays were like. Sometimes a listing will have an aggregate score of five stars, but the most recent reviews hint that things have gone downhill.
Also, it’s not uncommon for reviewers to leave great scores but voice suggestions in a detailed review (e.x., mattress was too firm, woke up early every morning because there are no blinds on the windows, etc.). These are the sorts of things you’ll want to know to ensure that you book a place that matches your budget, travel style and comfort levels.
Finally, avoid places with no reviews. Every host needs to start somewhere, but do you really want to take a chance with your vacation? You can also filter your search to only show superhosts, who are experienced hosts with excellent reviews, even so you should still read their reviews in detail.
Look at the rules
Check the housing rules (can you bring a pet, have friends over, etc.) and the cancellation rules (flexible, moderate, strict). Picking hosts that have flexible cancellation rules makes it easy to cancel and get most of your money back in case something comes up.
An example of cancellation rules. You can find them at the end of the listing page.
You should also look at how often the host has cancelled bookings in the past to gauge their reliability. This information is displayed with the reviews.
Check-in time
Pay attention to the check-in and check-out times. Waking up extra early on the last day of your vacation to check out on time is never a pleasant experience. Also, if you expect to arrive before your check-in time, message your host as soon as possible. They’ll likely be willing to accommodate, but sometimes a fee will be charged if it disrupts the schedule to prepare your suite before you arrive.
Maximize your budget
The service and cleaning fees will vary from place to place. Consider stretching your budget by increasing your price range just a little. Nicer places will come up in your search, and you may notice that some have lower cleaning fees than others. You might spend a little bit more than you originally intended, but you’ll end up staying somewhere you love, and avoid wasting money on higher service fees for an average Airbnb.
Many listings also offer weekly discounts for extended stays. If you originally planned to stay in one place for six nights, adding an extra night to your itinerary could save you up to 20% of the total price.
If you’re willing to sacrifice a bit of space and privacy, another way to save money is to make good use of your Airbnb’s sofa bed. Rather than choosing a rental with separate bedrooms for everyone in your group, you could stay in at a more affordable listing if someone doesn’t mind sleeping in the same room.
Lastly, if one of the amenities isn’t working at the place you’re staying in, tell your host right away. They may offer you a discount for your next stay. I once stayed in a place in the winter where the heated floor tiles weren’t working. To apologize, the host gave us a 25% discount for our next stay at their place.
Book early
This rule applies to all areas of travel. The longer you wait, the fewer listings will be available. If you wait too long, you may be left with places that no one wants to rent or that are outside of your budget.
If you’re planning on bringing a pet, make sure you check the rules on the listing page and notify your host. Some places will ask for a deposit or only allow a certain size, type or number of pets.
2. What to do if the host cancels
Airbnb has put measures in place to discourage hosts from cancelling your reservation. They have to pay penalty fees based on how long in advance they cancel, and the cancellation is shown in their reviews, potentially dissuading future travellers from renting from them.
Even though it’s in the hosts’ best interest to keep their reservations, sometimes unexpected things come up.
If the cancellation is close to your travel dates, you’ll receive a full refund and may even be eligible for an upgrade. This happened to us twice. On our last trip to Japan, our host had to cancel eight weeks before our trip. We got a full refund plus a credit worth 20% of the cost of the initial booking. This really helped since the listings that were available were more expensive. Extra compensation isn’t guaranteed so make sure you ask for it; you’ve got nothing to lose!
A bit of pre-emptive planning is a good way to keep your cool in case something goes wrong with your booking. Consider creating a wish list when you start your search on Airbnb (click the save button with a heart logo). Having a list of alternatives may come in handy in the event of a cancellation. A thoroughly vetted list gives you a way to quickly choose from listings you already loved when time is of the essence. On short notice, a lot of your favorites may be booked, but all you need is one.
3. What to do if the host accuses you of damages
A few years ago, we rented a house in Mexico with our friends. During our stay, one of us accidentally broke a glass pitcher. We told the host – who was from Canada as well – right away and offered to pay for it. This should have been the end of the story. However, one week later, we were notified that a claim on our security deposit had been made.
Our host claimed that we damaged the carpet, the marble counter, and a speaker. None of it was true. After working with Airbnb’s Resolution Centre and despite our perfect five-star record, we lost the battle. Since we didn’t have proof that we didn’t damage any of these things, we had to pay the $600 USD fine. Fortunately, there were seven of us to split the bill, making it easier to swallow.
Unfortunately, my experience isn’t unique. There are lots of stories like this online where guests were wrongly accused of breaking windows or damaging furniture. It’s hard to prove who’s right in a situation like this. Based on what I’ve read online, Airbnb is more likely to side with the host, after all you are guests in their home. Following your stay, the host has 14 days to submit a claim, that’s why it’s particularly important to take a good look at the rental when you first check in.
Since the incident in Mexico, we’ve documented everything upon check-in, phone in hand. It’s not the most fun way to start a trip, but it only takes a few minutes and could potentially save you hundreds or thousands of dollars later. While you can’t possibly document every single piece of silverware or each knick-knack, it’s worth taking note of things like electronics, appliances, furniture, and rugs. If you notice any major damage, take a photo and send it to the host immediately. This will make it harder for them to accuse you later. On our last trip to Italy, we noticed that a chair on the balcony was already broken when we arrived. We reported it right away, so our host knew it wasn’t us.
If you are wrongfully accused of causing damage, be sure to follow all the guidelines of the Resolution Centre and communicate rationally and politely. It’s also helpful to do some research online to see how other people dealt with it, and what came out of it.
Accidents happen. Make sure to keep the communication open and be honest with your host.
Have tips or vacation rental stories to share with us? Let us know in the comments below.
Enjoy your stay!
Thomas
