Hello Brian and Carrie! Thank you for sharing your experiences and giving suggestions and tips for alternatives. I also had a similar situation in Athens when the host tried to get more money out of me by filling dubious claim using my pictures that I took during my stay of all the issues I encountered. What a nightmare! I declined, of course, and she didn't get anything. But that was extremely stressful and it went on for months. It left a bad taste in my mouth and I stopped trusting Airbnb. As a guest I try to be respectful and when I don't have a good stay, I don't leave a review at all instead of trying to make my negative review sound positive.
We actually contemplated filing a claim against the host. We lost a few hundred dollars in finding new accommodations and staying extra nights in hotels. We were even going to include our time and energy dealing with everything, not to mention mental anguish. We decided that it would be a waste of time and moved on. Exactly what they hope you will do. Thank you for adding to the conversation! ❤️
Also, just in case you don’t know, when you go on TrustedHousesitters in the search area, you can just hit the filters for a month or longer without even putting in a location. And then you can use the map feature to see if anything at all is anywhere near where you’re wanting to be. I always thought that was a super cool feature. Also, I am hearing more and more negative things about Airbnb myself. Not sure if you watch grounded finance, but they have some alternatives that they use with hotels and reward programs and coming with the free lounge/food options. I had no idea that you could actually end up eating anything more than breakfast and a hotel. I just got an IHG credit card for this particular reason. The point redemptions on hotels really kind of stink in the US but when you’re looking at other places in the country, you can definitely get some nice cheap point stays in hotels. We actually just went to go visit our son in Atlanta and stayed at a Hyatt place by the hotel the night before and it was absolutely gorgeous and it was only 5000 points! We were not there long enough to eat breakfast or anything, but it was an option for free breakfast at least. I’m right with you in the fact that I like a kitchen because I don’t like to eat out three times a day. There are a lot of these hotels that have at least a microwave and fridge and there are several that actually have kitchens.
This content is spot on!!!!! Our personalities with travel seem to match. You have said so many things that should have been said 7 years ago. My AMeX problem with the bad Airbnb with John in MD ended in court.
I am a 7 YEAR Super Host. 5.0 star immpecable record. I also travel. In January 2024 Paris, rented a lovely flat. In March. The host said I broke blinds in bedroom and wanted $ 1000. (I never touched that window or blinds) i pushed back hard and after 2 months of me NOT letting this go, AirBNB finally reversed the claim. As a 60 plus year old with immpecvable record, I was surprised by this especially since that host was on AirBnB for just 3 months with a few reviews after me calling them liars. This is alarming. Whatever is going at AirBnB, they need to address frivoulous hosts and scammers
The frustrating part about the whole thing is there are really great hosts that work hard to make sure their place is perfect. The bad hosts and Airbnb's business model have made it difficult to have trust. Thank you for watching and commenting!! 😊
This happened to me. Rented a home and of course bought damage insurance. Never used the closets because the doors didn't work. After we left, the hosts made a claim against the insurance to "repair" the closet doors. I realized immediately that the hosts were upgrading their property using the insurance coverage that their customers buy.
@@SISI-q1l Luck? Hum? I knew this would be a he-said-she-said thing. So I intentionally used the maximum HARD-EARNED leverage I could muster when communicating with AirBnB to get them to see that I was, in fact, telling them the truth and coming from a place of integrity. I knew the host was only online for 3 months and already had a complaint. With over 7 years of positive super host history and no complaints, I leaned in to use that earned leverage. To be more clear, I was quite angry at being used like this by that unscrupulous host. And if AirBnB did NOT see fit to extend us the respect we have earned over 7 years, I was prepared to walk away 100% and not use AirBnB ever again! So yeah, I was upset but stayed calm throughout the 2-month process. In the end, it worked out and we are still Super Hosts on AirBnB and I will use AirBnb for our personal stays in the future. But this time, I will be more careful and take VIDEOS of everything with timestamps and, upon exiting, I will do a full video showing everything intact and will keep it on file for at least 6 months just in case we run into this situation again! I REFUSED to be used by terrible ugly people who game the system. Come visit us at Hacienda Eco-Domes in Mexico anytime. www.haciendaecodomes.com
We own two airB&B’s and we expect small damages that we don’t charge the renters, we also have renters who take a video when they leave to protect them
Maybe Airbnb should post some stats for each host like how many times they have made claims on guests and how many reviews they have had removed. It would give us guests more information on whether we roll the dice on particular stays.
agreed, but then they would have to inform how many claims were successful, how many were voided, average amount per claims, average claims per year, reason for deleting the comments, etc etc etc we will need a PhD in data analysis and statistics to do the bookings....
@@Larry_Kabberga Not really. You just need a quick way of marking a place off the list because you don't want to chance it. If a host has several claims then they have every right to put a notation in their listing and explaining why. But it is information I should have as a person looking to book.
Yes, Airbnb can remove the review for any reason, and they do all the time. It is good to see that you are reading the comments and still commenting. Thank you!!
My daughter and I spent 10 days in London and did not want to use VRBO/ABB because of a previous (really) bad experience, nor did we want a standard hotel because of the price and we also like to eat at home. We found Aparthotels where they are more like studios or apartments that work like a hotel, I would say they are definitely less than a hotel but they are a little outside of the city center. This was a great option for us and we were able to make our own breakfast, coffee, wine and beer, appetizers, etc. basically buy groceries. Our studio also included laundry which was really important. If given this option anywhere else, we would consider it again:)
Absolutely! I have often thought that the hotel industry's mismatch with traveler needs has contributed to the rise in AirBnB (in our case, the desire for laundry machines, for a front desk, and for three beds in one living space). Aparthotels seem ideal--though I wonder if that's also taking away from local housing stock too (but it might not more than a hotel would).
@@marysjourney2 Hi, we stayed at Wilde Aparthotel, however if given the chance we would try to get just a little bit closer to the Marylebone area next time. We spent a lot of time there near Regents Garden, the Wallace Collection, the fabulous high street with all of the boutiques, restaurants and pubs, and the easy transportation options. I would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone needing the facilities, it is not “fancy” but it was clean and fairly convenient:) Enjoy your stay, we love visiting London for all of the free sights after you have seen all of the top sights so to speak. I highly recommend Regent’s Park because of the amenities like lawn chairs in the shade, snack bar with food, beverages, beer and wine, the gorgeous gardens and the people watching. Enjoy!
We just stayed in 5 different Airbnb’s on our trip to Italy. What I noticed was the ones that had “hosts” vs the ones run by a hosting company made all the difference. I think the latter is becoming more of the norm. The single host were much more personal and helpful.
As a single unit host trying to hang on to our little summer boathouse in Maine I concur! My guests, who arrived this evening pulled up to the wrong house and tried to use my lockbox code in someone elses lockbox and because it is always just me on the other end of the phone i was able to walk and talk them through it and they got into my place just fine. We all had a laugh about it and i hope they have a blast this week and they've already made their first funny little memory before the week even begins. I do love being a host. ❤
I had mostly given up on Airbnb, but during my 2021 trip to Italy I booked a 2-night stay in Bologna at an apartment with a washer and dryer, since I needed to do laundry after almost 3 weeks without. The host and apartment were great to deal with. In pre-Covid times I frequently used Airbnb, and always with hosted stays. I had only a single bad rental, and that because the listing neglected to mention a freight train passing every two hours of the night 100m away. I might well try non-hotel stays in the future, but I have a lot of Wyndham points and would look at Vacasa over Airbnb.
You are wrong on so many things. A host's rankings DO go down if they cancel on guests. I have never cancelled a guest in five years of operation. There have always been fees to the guest AND the host. The fees were not "passed on to the guests." A big part of why the prices have increased is general inflation on all costs of operation. Restaurant prices have increased dramatically as well. Just because you got rentals for $1200 in the past, why would you expect the same price now when everything else has gone up? Why would you no longer be able to trust the reviews? Only verified guests can write reviews. What do you mean the negative reviews may not exist? Negative reviews cannot be taken down. I have been an Airbnb guest for 12 years and no one has ever charged me any kind of damage. I have been a superhost for 5 years and I have never charged a guest for any damage, even though I have replaced water heaters, damaged screen doors, stained linens, broken dishes, etc. The host CANNOT make a damage claim 60 days after departure. The claim must be initiated WITHIN 24 HOURS and before a subsequent guest arrives. Hotels range in quality just like Airbnbs can range in quality. The difference is that hotels have means of getting fake reviews posted while Airbnb does not allow it. Anyway, I am not worried about my place because it is busy, well priced, and I have repeat guests. But I object to this much false information.
Canceling on a guest carries huge repercussions for the host. I canceled once years ago. And guests had plenty of time to find another place. Never again.
the biggest negative about Airbnb is that they don't require the host do a walkthrough at checkout and file any issues right there in your Prescence. That would alleviate a lot of the issues. After you have left, it's simply your word against theirs and 60 days is a ridiculous timeframe to allow a host to file anything, it should've been more like 24 hours. It almost seems like Airbnb is anti customer and all about taking care of the host and it is exactly the opposite of how it should be.
Seems like AirBNB would do a check in and a check out walk through.... even if it is an online format for when you get there. A checklist for the renter to go through with the ability to take photos and paste. Make it a requirement within a specified timeframe. Have the exit checklist also be within a specified amount of time before checkout time.
@@LauraSmith-rs8yq Makes sense to treat it like a rental car. A thorough pre-use inspection with pics taken of the entire vehicle. Then also do the same upon return. Note that European rental car agencies can charge exhorbitant costs for their perceived issues (like damage to tires)
I am an Airbnb Superhost for only 1 yr now, but have used them for several years.. I have seen both good & bad, but I do still choose Airbnb over hotels, or anything else! I have had guests stay with me that were awful....but they are the exception. Most every guest that stays is so lovely & from all over the world! It is a choice. I can't say enough about the personal friendships and kindness that I have found in Airbnb. If you LOVE to travel...then everything is an experience. So sorry for your bad experience...we all have them & yes Airbnb DOES have too many hidden charges!
@@markolmstead4709 Mark, I am so sorry to hear that. The hotels are 3x what most airbnbs are. So again, don't give up, look and then choose. It is different every where you go.
I’m so impressed by you guys mentioning the negative impact of short term rentals. It’s a huge problem that doesn’t get discussed enough and has a massive impact on the cost of living in many communities - like the one I’m in right now. Kudos to you for highlighting it. 👏
Do you have any sort of scientific paper or evidence or are you just repeating something you heard? I don't see why short term renters should have lesser right to accommodation options. Local people also need short term rentals on occasion like perhaps they are getting divorced after an abusive relationship or there is no water in their existing home or they are new to a town etc. Short term rentals are very important to have available for everyone's benefit. Nobody would suggest students should stay in hotels or universities should be shut down because they are taking housing away from locals.
First, there is no science involved here; second, you are missing the point entirely. Apartments meant for living are being turned into short-term vacation rentals, thus, leaving less housing for locals. Countries like Turkiye are starting to ban rentals under 100 days.
@@BrianandCarrie What I am trying to convey is whether there has been a detailed analysis into the pros and cons. Whether other factors are being looked at or whether short term rental are unfairly being blamed for a whole variety of other factors. There are politicians who have been known to say similar things about migrants taking away jobs. However if there is more people there will be more jobs to do so the argument is not really valid. There might be other issues they do not want to go into. There may be ulterior motives and a desire for a simple political statement. I am not defending Airbnb. Indeed I think it is strange they have done little to counter these arguments like maybe they are willing pawns. Is there for example any evidence of improved availability in affordable housing where short term rentals have been withdrawn or have the prices continued to increase regardless? If it were a valid argument we could expect a dramatic drop in prices. Local people will themselves be restricted from travel if these arguments are used elsewhere to restrict their mobility.
Don't even get me started on reviews. I had a traveler give me a bad review over a bear in the smoky mountains knocking over a trashcan. The same travelers trashed my three bedroom cabin with beer cans and food scattered all over the home and hot tub with bathing towels in the trash covered with Motor oil. After looking at the security cameras to see what happened to the trashcan we realized they had 12 people in the unit and it was only for a six person stay to top it all off they brought in two dogs that were not mentioned in the booking. All this is part of the business and you deal with the good and bad apples. When it comes down to it we do our best to provide a quality vacation so you just have to take the good with the bad and keep moving forward.
Sorry you had that experience, how frustrating. Yes, taking the good with the bad has worked till now for us, but not anymore. As the renter we fortunately can move on to other options. Hope you have great renters from here forward 😊
@@BrianandCarrie Yes, my wife and I stay traveling as well. We do visit our own STR's in order to keep them up to the highest standards to offer the best vacations possible. We two are looking to get off of Airbnb to avoid renters who ask for discounts and then treat our properties like a jungle gym. So far we've used our "Guestbook" to lock down 85% of our dates booked with returning guests who loved their stay and it's working beautifully. Safe travels =)
@@kimberlyfamoly5863 I've raised our minimum age to rent our STR's to 25 years old due to the lack of respect the overwhelmingly amount of young travelers are displaying.
You are so spot on. As a 70 year old disabled lady, I do the best I can in life. One host published a long negative review about me, so embarrassing. Air B and B corporate was no help.
You guys are a class act. Honest, fair, thorough, smart, thoughtful…I have travelled far and wide and continue to find your videos informative and feel that I always learn something new. I stopped using Airbnb mainly because of huge increase in cost over the last little while and the fact that I don’t want to commit upfront to paying hundreds of $s when I can find beautiful accommodation on booking and Expedia and pay on arrival.
We agree, there are other ways you just need to look for them. Airbnb has made it easy for travelers to find accommodations, so we just gravitate in that direction. Thank you for watching and commenting!! Cheers!!🍻
When we use Airbnb I engage in a chatty conversation prior to booking- I can immediately tell if it’s a private family run Airbnb or a commercial investment Airbnb which we avoid like the plague.
I agree and all of my Airbnb stays have been with individual hosts (families) who own the properties and not investment companies. My Milan host went above and beyond when the airline lost all of my luggage and he tracked it down, delivered it to my door himself, and even ordered a taxi for me upon check out to make sure that I got back to the airport. Plus, the apartment next door was his law office. So, he was on the premises. Greetings from Los Angeles
@@susanaescriba977 I see it that it's allowing the family economically. Not every host has hundreds of bookings each year either and for some it just gives them a little economical boost
@@susanaescriba977the investment companies don’t care about the community - they are like parasites - collecting fees without heart for the residence or its neighbors.
Bravo for having the courage to produce such an honest and helpful video. Aussie couple here, retired early 3 years ago to travel the world. In the post-Covid era, travel has certainly become a lot more expensive and difficult. Your poor experiences with Air BnB are reflective of this, and we appreciate you sharing them. In our experience, there are no accomodation alternatives without their own sets of issues, but please don't give up on your travel dreams yet. We are big fans of what you do, and particularly appreciate your considered, balanced and honest reviews. Most travel reviews these days are so gushingly positive and unbalanced to the point that they are misleading. From individual Air BnB reviews to destination travel videos, negative reviews are a rarity these days. There is so much spin, puffery and lies by omission. You guys are a beacon of light in an ocean of misinformation. So keep up the great work, ignore the haters, and keep on keeping it real!
Thank you so much for the kind words and support! We have no plans of ending our travels anytime soon, we promise you that. We've always aimed to be balanced and fair in our opinions, even though it sometimes opens us up to ridicule. We're no different from you and the rest of our community-we believe we're all in this together. We'll never recommend a product or destination that we didn't truly enjoy ourselves. Cheers to keeping it real!!! 😁🍻
I've stopped looking at all positive reviews. I think the era of relentless positivity has made reviews largely useless. Millions of people bought short term rentals they cannot afford or manage sustainably based on marketing during the free money years and will be selling them soon because they cannot charge sky high rates now that there is so much competition.
@@BrianandCarrie; Always Take an Electrical Burner in your luggage and an Electricity Converter for the different countries You Visit; and make yourselves a Nice Spaghetti Meal or Easy meals inside the hotel Rooms when you have to Stay in One. The Other Options Are Buying FOOD at the local Supermarkets and making Sandwiches and Juice & Beers inside the Hotel Rooms.
I had a cancellation 2 hours before check in time in Sienna,Italy. Airbnb did not help at all. No apologies from the host and airbnb. Told us that there was another booking for that day. I felt so helpless that day, scrambling to find another accommodation on a last minute booking.
@GardnerI I've heard horror stories of being unable to enter at midnight in a foreign country etc.... makes me think hotel is far safer option. These stories can be traumatic!
File a complaint to airbnb when the host cancels last minute like that. Most times, they find you another place even better and no price difference. Show a trail of facts and it's pretty simple bit annoying nonetheless.
We refuse to use AirBnb. If it's a new place we've never been to, we either stay in a known hotel or we ask around for local recommendations. As a real estate broker, my network is very large so I typically reach out to a local agent, both national and international, and have ask them for a recommendation. For example, we are headed to Belize early next year so I reached out to a local agent for recommendations for a place to stay. In return, we usually take them out for dinner one of the nights when we are there. Every agent/broker loves to talk local real estate!
@@eileenwatt8283 yep, lots of advantages and conveniences to hotels, but their costs are all factored into the price you pay. Airbnbs are still a lot cheaper for long stays. And I never clean an airbnb before leaving it if a cleaning fee is included in the price I pay (as it always has been in the places I've stayed). I tidy up a bit as I would in a hotel, and the only thing I do that I wouldn't do in a hotel is take the garbage out. Any expectation that guests should clean the place despite paying for cleaning is ridiculous, but luckily I've never had a host who has left me any complaints.
@JRspeaking hotels offer rewards and outstanding service. And no worries for a charge for damages later that you did not create. Also they have pools and breakfast and matinance staff 😊 another perk points for a new cc for several free nights.
We had an Airbnb… I worked hard to keep my SuperHost status. We didn't have time anymore, so we only have long-term guests for two months or longer. We get referrals from real estate agents or home builders.
We did one Airbnb, at the request of a family member we were traveling with who wanted the benefit of a full kitchen. The property was not as advertised in a multitude of ways, including a dangerous empty concrete basin (old hot tub or pool or something), a filthy bbq, a “bed” that was an air mattress on a cot, no cribs or playpens as advertised, broken dishwasher that couldn’t be used for seven people, a door lock that didn’t work, no extra bedding, etc., etc., etc. We had stayed in a nice hotel until the relatives arrived, and we immediately regretted agreeing to split the cost of the Airbnb for those four days rather than staying at the hotel. No pool, no spa, no restaurant, no room service, no coffee…and over double the price plus a $300 cleaning fee and the place wasn’t even clean! I cleaned it before we left because I couldn’t stand to leave it that way, and we didn’t get back a dime. Total waste of over $1000 (just our half); I will never, ever do that again.
When I’m on vacation, the last thing I want to deal with is worrying about whether something is broken or leaving it spotless - that throws the R&R right out the window!
RE: Pay on arrival. I totally get it. For repeat guests direct booking I offer that. Air bnb does not allow me to do that. I do have the least restrictive the option for cancelations, which has bit me in the butt occasionally. Mérida Mexico is very seasonal. December is an important month for me and last December a guest canceled last minute. She got a refund and I was not able to book that week. I'd still rather be a generous host but sometimes it hurts a bit. A lot of my business is moving to direct booking for repeat guests and because we trust each other, they pay at the start of their trip. (Some pay ahead because they want to, but for the trusted repeats, it is up to them).
very useful information. I recently had a bad experience with a place in Brussels that had a great review. I left a pretty balanced review, but not 5 star. I just went and checked and my review isn't showing... now I don't trust Airbnb. Thanks for pointing this out.
I don't like that the host can review You so many people fear leaving a bad review; subsequent guests might not get a true review of the place What hotel can review a guest? What hotel charges a cleaning fee and has you do chores like take out the trash and strip the bedding and put it in the washer before you leave....on and on when you're paying a cleaning fee. Lots of rules at this strange place in Vail last summer; they said no shoes in the place at all you must wear a pair of our croc shoes and no food or drink in your. room not even water.... No Thanks bye bye air bnb
Stayed in an airbnb, and the placed was broken into while I was away. It was an absolute nightmare dealing with the host (who blamed me) and poor airbnb service. I try to avoid airbnb as much as possible. As you said, zero trust with them
Are you sure it wasn't the owner, and with a hidden camera or alert system, knowing all your movement? I've been hearing more about hidden tiny cameras !
You guys seem like respectful guests and this comment is not directed at you. As a permanent resident that lives in the USA next to an Airbnb...hosts need to be clear their guests respect the neighbors - keep the noise down. You don't have the right to make as much noise as you want...the police will be called. Be a respectful human when you are visiting. It just takes a couple "bad apples." This has been my experience with very badly behaved "guests" towards the neighbors disrupting an otherwise quiet neighborhood. 😮
This is becoming a big problem! Guests are a big part of this as well. I don't know how Airbnb can solve the issues but if they don't others will. Some countries have already ban short term rentals. Thank you, Karen for adding to the conversation!
I can tell this is a terribly emotional issue, and I don’t blame you! You were treated abysmally, and now I’m positive I no longer want to use Airbnb. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. Blessings!
We did AirBnB a few years ago on a trip to London. NEVER again! I don't even bother looking at options when traveling. We are now dedicated IHG, Marriott, or Hilton stayers. We have Diamond status on IHG and Hilton which, overseas, almost guarantees suite upgrades and numerous other perks...breakfast, maid service, gym, you name it. Then there's the free stays we get using points. We traveled back to the UK and stayed free for a month with the exception of one location with none of the major brands. Our upcoming trip to SE Asia for a month is also all free thanks to points!
Do you use the Hilton, Marriott Credit Card? We use Chase and have Chase Points, but the hotels say we can't get Marriot points as well. How did you get so many points?
@@njoynature123 we use the hotel cards. Our primary card is chase IHG. We find you get more value with IHG. We easily spend over $40k a year and get automatic diamond status. We use the Hilton and Marriott cards only when booking at those hotels.
Thank you for this informative video. It reflects our experience with Airbnb and our decision to no longer use them. They clearly do not vet their locations or hosts and the reviews are often unreliable.
I admit I had a terrible experience in January and was afraid to leave a bad review because the host was very aggressive toward me during the whole ordeal. I didn't want them to retaliate, and I was just so over the situation. My recent experiences, plus your story and others I've heard recently, have made me decide Airbnb is not for me anymore. It is sad because it used to be a great option for a frequent traveler.
Why would you not leave an honest review to warn other guests? I would also engage Airbnb support. No host should act aggressively toward you and especially if you're being respectful toward them.
@@jackbaldwin3649 I ended up in the hospital near the end of my stay (out of town) and just decided the extra stress of dealing with Airbnb and possible host retaliation wasn't worth it.
As both an Airbnb host and guest, I e always had great experiences as a guest and bad experiences as a host. Guests leave a place in a disgusting state, break things, violate rules, then make false claims to get a refund. I've had people check in and leave after one hour because they wanted a quickie (underwear under the coffee table is a bit of a giveaway) or to use all the showers and towels and fill up trash cans with bags of dirty diapers and days of personal garbage...just to clean up and leave it all at my home and get back on the road with a refund request. The charges people see that have increased are entirely airbnbs fault, as hosts get a much smaller percentage than you think of the total. I've always charged exactly what the cleaning fee costs me, but even the cleaners ask exorbitant prices. The only way to protect yourself on either side is take lots of photos. Those who are scamming (guests or hosts) rarely have pictures to back up their claims. Another aspect is rental arbitrage and corporate ownership hosting dozens or even hundreds of properties...making a bad name for actual home owners who provide good service.
We are certain that it goes both ways, Lily. We can assure you that we are not those guests. There are amazing owners and hosts but there are others who ruin the platform for the rest of you. This host in Chania, Greece had several rentals he managed but didn't own any of them. Thank you for watching and adding your perspective. You sound like one of the many good ones. ❤️
I concur with this! I experience this allllll the time. People forget they are staying in someone’s home. So things might not be absolutely perfect. And then they complain about it to try to get a free stay. Or they trash the house and when you call them on it you get a one star review and a chargeback. So frustrating. And forget the cleaners. They all want $50 an hour to clean. It’s wild.
We had a similar situation in Praia da Luz Portugal. He lied repeatedly to Airbnb but thankfully we had pictures. The stress was off the charts for me. I know what you are talking about Carrie!
I think taking pictures of any and all damage upon entering the property, then sending them as attachments via platform messaging is the best way to protect yourself. Send them to the host and tell them that you observed the following damage and want to bring it to their attention, that way Airbnb has a record as well. This will probably prevent most misunderstandings later and also discourage the host from trying to pull off any scams.
Good that you're considering the impact ABB has had on the locals. Just like hedge fund types buying up housing to rent out, the effect on communities has only been negative.
Yes, that's definitely happened and I personally know families that AirBnb a section of their home or an on-site apt that helps them economically so there's that side as well
Thanks for this! You made some really valid points. I will say that I cleaned an Airbnb for seven years and couldn’t believe how discussing people could be. Sometimes the cleaning fee wasn’t enough.
Every reason you brought up, is the reason I have avoided Airbnb for the last 10 years. I personally put my effort into maximizing my hotel reward points, in both collecting and using those points. I realize I might be able to save some money, but it only takes one bad stay to wipeout all that savings.
Same for me. With all the fees, paying up front with risk of cancellation not worth it . I like a hotel with points where I know what I’m getting and able to pay upon checkout.
@@travelingthediaspora7996 They touched on it late in the video, but I do look for hotels that have a free breakfast or other meals /snacks. There are also certain chains that have suites with kitchens, that we try to take advantage of, along with just making a sandwich for some meals here and there. So, we have a budget we try to stick to and I agree, if you eat out every meal it can get expensive. If we are traveling for an extended time, we definitely don't eat out every meal and we take advantage of what the hotel is offering and our decision on where we stay, is based on the extended costs as well as the cost of the hotel.
This is so scary to hear. My husband, of 34 years and myself are renting 2 air b & b’s for the entire Winter in Southern Florida for the small price of $8,000 a month, for a double wide trailer on stilts, with a dock (no pool). We had a 40’ diesel pusher RV, my husband was diagnosed with incurable cancer in May 2022 and the RV was getting to be too much. Safe travels.
We had two nightmare Airbnb stays and haven’t used it since. We had used it for years but finding out how Airbnb doesn’t help and you feel totally at risk is just too scary. We had a very similar experience to you guys and so I know just how awful it can be dealing with it. Excited to watch the video because for now we are just using hotels that way if something breaks, it’s dirty and is reliable then they are right there to address it. Bummer that Airbnb doesn’t seem to care about guests any longer.
Had BS claim against us for a broken bathroom cabinet. Complete replacement for $400. Air BnB's response was "do you have any proof it WASN'T broken? Absent that, they charged our card for the owner's home improvement. Now I take 20 pictures upon leaving. Cleaning fees in US are a joke.
We made reservations through AirBnB for my husband and I to attend (just us 2) our daughter's graduation at her university in May 2023. Then, less than a week prior to graduation ceremonies, AirBnB allowed not just the first host but the second host to cancel our reservations for that weekend. We were literally left with one decent option after scrambling to re-book. It was a family hosted AirBnB suite that turned out to be lovely, but NO THANKS to AirBnB or their policy that allows hosts to cancel reservations without a good reason.
It is amazing to me the number of hosts that have commentated on this video that say cancelations rarely happen. It undaughterly happens more than you may think!! Sorry for your unfortunate experience. 😔
My husband sat on one of the only dining room chairs available in an Airbnb, to eat breakfast. The chairs were a cheap spindly, ultramodern kind. My husband put his hand on the back of the chair when he stood up and it cracked in two. To us, this was a structural and wear and tear issue. My husband used the chair for its intended use. He didn't abuse the chair and only sat on it once for about 20 minutes. Airbnb completely sided with the host, and didn't listen to us, at all. They required us to pay to fix the chair. In this case, it was not a large amount but it woke us up, big time, about the risks of staying in an airbnb. Now we know that we can be held responsible for cumulative wear and tear damage on items that happen to break when we use them, when there could have been 50 or 100 people using it before one of us. We realize that next time it could be a very expensive item like a recliner, or a dryer or refrigerator or pricey window blinds. Since then we have stayed in motels and hotels, where you are never charged for wear and tear breakage.
@@RootBeerGMT What an odd response. The experiences that the original poster had,and that we had, have nothing to do with being immature or not being grown up. We had used airbnb many times and never had this happen before. We wrongly assumed that hosts would be responsible for normal cumulative wear and tear breakage. When things have infrequently come off or broken at other airbnb's, the hosts never expected us to pay for that. Now we know that if a host does want to blame that kind of breakage on us, that airbnb will back the host, not the guest. Since we do not want to assume the risk of a very expensive repair that we were not responsible for, we are staying at motels and hotels now, which I already stated in my original post. I'm baffled at why your response was so rude. People who choose to stay in airbnb's need to be aware of this considerable risk, which is why I shared it. Obviously the original poster's had the same experience, with a very expensive item. I believe that if airbnb continues to treat guests like this, they are actually hurting their own business model, and ultimately their hosts, because people will stop staying at airbnb's.
I would just like to say first that I LOVE chocolate covered cherries!😊 But in all seriousness, you two are the third UA-cam travel couple that I watch religiously that have left ABB due to problems with just these issues. After watching the first two couples leave I started doubting whether or not I ever wanted to book with ABB and looked into different options. I have used real estate agents for my past two long term stays and have loved the experience. Both agents took me on a virtual tour of the potential properties, listed the pros and cons, gave me street views of the properties and one even went so far as to take me virtual grocery shopping with her so that I could see what was available there. Now that you two have left, and with good reason, I will never book through ABB. I hope ABB realizes the power, for lack of a better word, that influencers such as yourselves have and do something to rectify a very broken system. Great video and thank you for such a candid open and honest review! Cheers!
Would love to see Air bnb introducing a "pay the difference " when a host cancels. They need to be transparent also, with hosts trying to charge guests for items.
My husband I used to have Airbnb’s and also utilize them. We found the fees to be really excessive and I entirely agree with you on the review systems. We stopped using Airbnb’s two years ago and stopped renting at the same time. We rented a place in Oregon that had 3 pages of required steps for the clean up before leaving and we paid a $250 cleaning fee! The claim process of Airbnb is just a joke!
So, you go on vacation and still have to worry about cleaning something that you paid to have cleaned. We get that the cleaning service needs to come in and clean, but shouldn't that come from the owner? And why $250? If a cleaning service comes in and cleans up after you already have how long could it take?
I couldn't stop laughing at repeated Airbnb ads in my viewing of your video.😂😂😂 We had a bad experience in Barcelona, no internet, then no power, and we got scolded by reaching out to Airbnb, instead of continuing our contact on Whatsapp. We learned why not to use the hosts personal contact for anything. We had to pay in full for Airbnb stays 7-8 months out. Very frustrating. Fingers crossed 🤞, that the stays are good. We are now building points on numerous cards for both flights and hotels, from our everyday purchases. I play credit card shuffle for each purchase. I keep a cheat sheet on who gives me the most points for that category and I have a base card that gives me 2% back on everything. But this only works if you pay off you balance each month.
My wife and I once spent a week at a VRBO condo that was right under the descent path of airplanes approaching the airport in Phoenix. I mean, I could read the alphanumeric identifier on the planes as they went overhead! The satellite TV would frizzle. The host's way of welcoming us was to text us where he'd stuck the lockbox with the key in it (we got there about 10 minutes before dark). Yet all his reviews were positive. Such bullshytt.
Over the last 5 years I have used AirBnB for most of my stays. I average 1-3 months a year. I have had great experiences in all cases. This has been in SE Asia, Belize, New Orleans, Maui etc. I’m sure there are the issues you’ve stated with unscrupulous owners but my experience to date has been overwhelmingly positive. I did notice, on a recent trip to Dumaguete in the Philippines, that the airbnb price that was $74 a night for a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo on the beach could have been had for less on another platform.
Without anyone saying anything to me. I Did exactly that. I took pictures along with a quick video. I would show them as well, exactly where the keys are on the kitchen table. I would even speak in the video. I just felt you never know. Doing a video makes me feel better, that I saw everything and didn’t leave anything behind!!
I haven't seen this mentioned, but I'd like to offer up Hostels as an option. Many people cringe about the idea of staying in a hostel, but my husband and I (now in our 50s) continue to look for hostel options when we're traveling. You typically have access to a kitchen and supplies... and sometimes the hostels offer great amenities like access to cheap or free tours or other activities going on around the area. They can often arrange transportation for you. I also learned that making a little extra food and feeding the kid at the front desk a home made meal would often go a long way as well! When we were younger (in our 30-40s) we often stayed in dorm rooms and found that most places have pretty nice options for securing your luggage and valuables (lockers etc). As we've gotten older, we now most often look to book a private room in a hostel. We're still open to dorms now and ten, especially for just a night or two here and there, but we have also found private rooms in a hostel to be very good options. Plus, you get to meet other travelers and sometimes make great connections and friendships. We still keep in touch with people we met years ago in hostels and have net up with hostel friends at different points in our travels when we see that we're all going to be someplace at the same time. Or we stop and visit hostel friends when they are sitting still and we're passing through. An added bonus to getting a little older and still staying in hostels, and this has happened to us more than a couple of times. We book a couple of beds in a smaller dorm, show up, they look at us.... and they don't put anyone else in the room with us. That happened in Macedonia, Ecuador... and I'm certain at least a couple of other places. It made us feel weird at first but then we just accepted it as a kind of respectful thing being done for us. We typically do a combination of hostels, and 1 - 2 star hotels and more recently AirbNb. Depending on where you are traveling, one may be more available or more affordable. For instance, back many years ago, we found little 1 star hotels in France to be a better option, cost-wise, and stayed in various towns and cities that way. The downside was not having a kitchen. However, in Paris... we actually asked the patron if we could use the kitchen a couple of times and they were gracious and let us do minor things like heating things up or boiling water. We've also been known to travel with backpacking stove and pot set. This saved us so much money in places like Switzerland. It let us stay in accomodations without kitchens and still cook for ourselves. We carried a small set up when walking El Camino in Spain as well because oddly enough, not all of the kitchens in the Albergues (Pilgrim hostels) had pots, pans & utensils. The down side to this approach is that anytime you get on a plane, you have to ditch the fuel... and if you're going to a country with a different fuel type, you may have to get a different stove set up. There are some backpacking stoves that are multi-fuel. Although we now prefer the simplistic canister set up. Anyway, we are definitely shoestring budget travelers so our style may not be for everyone.... but I would encourage consider adding hostels to your options, especially for shorter term stays. One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE perks of staying in a hostel is that you often get access to the FREE WALKING TOURS that many cities host (a tip-based pay system). If there is a free walking tour when we get somewhere, we try to go on that the 1st day or two that we are there. The guides are usually very knowledgable about the history and culture and it often lets us know the things we want to go back and see more of on our own. I'm sad about your AirBnB experience. Maybe you and others starting to speak up with make some change for the better. We've had some great stays but I can also see the potential for it being a horrible experience as well.
Many hostels have individual rooms you can rent. You don't have to stay with others. I've stayed at some good hostels, and I've stayed at some pretty dingy ones so it could be a crap shoot, just like Airbnb.
Yes! Hostels can be a very affordable option over short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, etc). We recently spent a month travelling around Europe with our teenage daughter (we are in our 50’s), and found some great hostels with family rooms, so we had the room to ourselves and our own bathroom. They offered breakfast too, and some had a bar onsite - a nice option if hubby and I wanted some time to ourselves and enjoy a drink without having to leave the premises. We have also started pet sitting with THS, and our experience as hosts as well as sitters has been very good, so we look forward to doing more of this type of travel. Homes are well equipped and comfortable, and you get that personal touch from the host, sharing all the special things about their location, especially when they are expats living abroad. Great video Brian and Carrie, thank you for raising this important topic!
Yes, hostel is great for long term stay. Plus, if you book it on credit card travel portal, you can get up to 10x points multiplier per dollar spend. Perfect to rack up points for future free stays or flights
@@Mr.DJones that's where you have to research reviews. We typically use hostel world or hostel bookers. In the past this has served us well. We usually stick to the higher rated places.
I LOVE meeting the host! In my experience, those are the best places because they're committed to one or a few rentals, and want to give you information about the place, the town, etc. I used aparthotels for years before Airbnb for the same reason - I want to make my own food in my own kitchen and wash my clothes at "home." My issue with them is that they're sterile and all the same. All the people who live in them are fellow short-term stays and know little to nothing about the town. I've also had issues with Airbnb, but they're usually unique to each place. In my summer travels, I usually rotate among a number of cities, but when I KNOW I like a city, I rotate between Airbnbs. For example, since you're in Budapest, I will get a place by Margarite Island, then one by the Opera house, then a place in Pest by the park for two weeks each. You can live anywhere for that time, and you learn who to trust, what you like, etc. So when you return, you stay with those hosts in those neighborhoods. I've found that the hosts like that too, because they know you're not going to wreck their place, and they're happy to have the repeat/return business. As a repeat customer, I get invited to stuff all the time too - "We're going to the country to pick cherries!" "Come to our concert!" - it's a wonderful way to meet people. One last shout out to Brian for wearing a Lacoste shirt - the international logo of quiet wealth - the service improves wherever you wear it, and you don't stand out as an American.
You can’t trust Airbnb reviews. Hosts can ask Airbnb to delete negative reviews and Airbnb will do it. So, only the positive reviews stay up. Unless you know the place, just stay in a hotel.
Try it as a host… unless the guest explicitly threatens retaliation Airbnb always chooses to back the guest, even if they’re just rage 1 starring your home bc they broke rules and you enforced them.
My family spent 1 night in North Carolina hotel during family road-trip, arriving late and departing early. Month later had $900 charge on credit card; hotel claimed we “broke the tv” we never used or even noticed. Took months of fighting with hotel and credit card before charge was dropped. That can happen anywhere.
Awesome stuff thanks guys. After years of using Air B&B we blew them away a couple of years back after the pricing became uncompetitive and it was turning out to be too much of a headache.
It’s easier to get to be a superhost than you might think. One of the criteria is the # of bookings in a certain period. It’s easy to get friends to make a booking, pay & leave a review then refund the $. How do I know? I have a relative who is an ABnB superhost.
I don't think that's true, and the host would still be losing money as they'd have to refund the AirBnB fee that the renters pay, plus they have a pay a fee to AirBnB out of the money they get, too.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve heard similar experiences from others, and this video tipped the scale and I will no longer use short-term rentals. FWIW, I was an Airbnb just prior to COVID, and stopped due to all the damage caused by renters…and there was A LOT. I see both perspectives, and suspect this is a business best left to hotels, etc.
Airbnb is the only 'afforable' way we can travel with our grown children because we need a bit more space and a kitchen. You are right though, the prices are definitely increasing!
@@jackbaldwin3649 Never ask a host for a discount. It flags you as a "high maintenance" guest who is likely to complain, dispute, or give a bad review. Most hosts block anyone asking for a discount from ever renting, even at full price. I do.
I have used airbnb numerous times over many years, and I agree that the quality of the product has gone down considerably in recent years . I used to feel that the places offered pride of ownership and a personal touch, but now they are very corporate and very sterile, and very uninteresting. Covid probably had something to do with this. I recently stayed at a so-called high-end, apartment in Warsaw, Poland, where there was no water in the bathroom! The corporate owners had to call the plumber and he still couldn’t fix it! He told us that the corporation owned many, many apartments like this around the city. so there goes your personal touch and pride of ownership. It’s all corporate business. We had to do battle with Airbnb, but we did get a partial refund. The popularity of the service has brought in allcomers on the supply side, and this has completely brought down the quality of the experience overall. Such a shame.
You said it perfectly!! Airbnb today is not what it used to be and I'm sure not what it was intended to be in the biggening. It's become an easy way for landlords to make money.
OK,guys, I really appreciate this video. I did see the one regarding your previous issues with this host, so I appreciate your doing a follow-up. I'm very sorry you're having so much trouble when you did everything in good faith. I did a positive review of my Airbnb in Marseille in March because it was a good property but also because I realised the host wouldn't review ME until I gave him a positive review. It's a system I'm losing faith in. Hotels, while they can be expensive, are more accountable and do mostly have facilities like bars and restaurants in-house. I've never done house-sitting. I can imagine there must be a million pitfalls, especially pets and plants!!! Wishing you all the best in all your travel plans. From Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪. 😊
There should be a rebutal system available. If you give a good review and then a host blasts you for bogus things, you should be able to reply and refute falsities. :(
As a host, I can't see a my guest's review until I post mine. I have recently stayed in a terrible Airbnb in Italy and the host appears to be able to remove every single bad review. The system is not working
I feel for you guys. Hang in there. My husband & I were early adopters of AirBnB. We have booked stays in numerous countries around the world. All the issues you shared, we have also experienced (except having a claim filed against us). The standards have dropped over time (IMO). We are also looking for alternatives for our long term travels.
We have been using Airbnb for over ten years now all over the world and it has definitely changed for the worst. Meeting the host (now more than not a rental agency) is now the norm. Asking for various issues to be fixed usually now is answered with a “it was fine before you arrived” type response - this to a leaking sink that had clearly been fixed over and over. The platform is now way more expensive and far less personal. And ppl are too scared to leave negative reviews these days.
So happy you are realizing all the negative causes. There's plenty of boutique hotels and condos to rent. Yes, doing the right thing cost a little more. Being grateful for the ability just to travel at all, is to be considered.
Love your content! I own two airbnb's in Mérida Mexico and I have just started a direct booking website for the benefit of the guest. Once I really understood the extra costs to the guests I decided to offer direct booking. It is unfortunate how many people jumped on the bandwagon of short term rentals that are basically slum lords. Like you said there are so many great hosts (like me:) out there. I love hosting and drilling down on my guests desires out of their experience. For me it is such a pleasure. Let me know if Mérida is on your list. My houses are in the historic centro.
And unfortunately, the bad hosts are going to greatly affect the good/great hosts. I am so sorry. What type of platform do you use for your direct booking service?
@@LauraSmith-rs8yq Hi Laura, I was going to use one of the big direct booking sites but those are really built for people with tons of properties. I am a small operation so I decided to start my own website called amyscasa . The ability to direct book will be up and running in August. it is still a work in progress. I am super happy with the site. Creating my own site was spendy but I'd rater support my IT friend than pay the big boys. :)
@@susanaescriba977 I am a US citizen born and raised in Oregon. I spent 3 years in Mexico in the early 90's and it was life changing for me. I developed a deep love of the country. I speak Spanish and I will be immigrating to MX very soon!!!
It depends on the pet. Some people just want you home in the evenings. Cats are often easy. Dogs can need you to walk them up to 4times per day; and also check none have health issues you have to be there to care for them, and/or are comfortable giving strange dogs tablets etc
Your assessment of Airbnb mirrors my experience in Paris a few weeks ago. Fraudulent host who listed a studio as a one bedroom, advertised a closet only to discover his clothes in it and the offer of putting our clothes under the bed. One coffee cup, dirty pillows, the list goes on and on. Marcel is the host and got 5 stars for this place. You’re right about not trusting reviews since our very balanced review was taken down. We complained to Airbnb about the listing and they refused to take action against him. When we asked why our review was taken down their response was that we were retaliating against him. For what, we still don’t know since he reviewed us before he saw our review. His review about us was positive, so there was nothing to retaliate against. Like you, we’ve lost trust in Airbnb and will never use them again.
Frustrating! Yes, they told me retaliating as well. My response was the same I hadn't seen his review? Plus, my review also pointed out the positives as far as location. They just use that as a easy out.
We have heard your complaints from several travelers. We had our own bad experience that ended our use of ABB. If you are up for longer stays in one place, you can start at a hotel, then talk with a realtor to find a flat for a 2-3 month stay. That may be too long for what you're looking for though. I love the house sitting idea!
We were new to Airbnb and had travelled from Canada to London UK. The condo we rented was misrepresented. There was black mold in the washroom and to make matters worse we got a message from the host on the first day asking us to tell the concierge downstairs (that we had to pass by to get in or out) that we were his "friends" because he wasn't allowed via condo rules to run an Airbnb. The ad stated we would have the entire "unit" which we didn't because it wasn't a one bedroom, it was a two bedroom. All of their toiletries were in the bathroom and food in the refrigerator. We were afraid to contact Airbnb because we were overseas. We left, cleaned the unit, and the host left us a good review. We tried to get a portion of the Airbnb refunded. Airbnb told me initially "he's a Super Host"! They weren't helpful at all. It was our first Airbnb and it will be our last. Very unhelpful.
My husband & I have been watching your videos, so thank you. We have been members of Trusted Housesitters for 3 years and have done sits in the US and Portugal (Algarves) and have had people sit for us. We had a bad experience with housesitting in Portugal despite the fact we had done Zoom calls. Having said that, we have had great experiences and we enjoy animals. We are not full-time travelers, so we are also able to use Home Exchange as another option because THS is not present in South America. We have not done AirBNB for a long time, but we found this video useful as we plan future trips where THS or Home Exchange is not available.
We are sure that whatever platform we use there will be issues. There is no perfect solution, but we do know that Airbnb isn't what it used to be. Thank you for watching and commenting!! We appreciate the support and safe travels! 😊
We're full time airbnb. Couldn't be happier. It's just like any other option. Some are great. Some not so great. Read the reviews. The ones we were disappointed with had a few bad reviews. The past few have been fantastic. Haven't had a cancellation in years
Being a single traveler I wouldn’t use Airbnb and I don’t eat much so I get the best reviews for what I don’t mind spending. I’ve been watching all your reviews, love them.
I am a full time international traveler for four years. I swore off AirBnb about a year ago for many of the same things you are talking about. The trouble is, other platforms, like Agoda, are using the Air model and I've started seeing some of the same things because they are the same owners. Fees, terrible properties, and a completely useless review system make this my last choice when I am staying. Huge opening for someone that wants to operate a similar concept but do it right,
Just a note on reviews, it's also a problem for hosts when guests will demand refunds (over bogus/untrue claims) and threaten bad reviews. You can be removed off the platform if your rental drops below a certain rating, and sometimes this is due to guests being vindictive because they didn't get a refund they demand. Guests will bring in dead bugs and make up lies, too. It goes both ways. It's a difficult issue to solve, but I hope someone comes up with a solution to protect both the hosts (who have their properties that they've put a lot of money into) and the guests (who are paying a lot of a good holiday) from the lying and scammers out there. It's frustrating, 100%.
i did hear there was these roof tents you could put on top of a car. not for me since i don't drive but if it increases capacity it is good for everyone.
We took a year off to travel the world as a family of four.. we absolutely loved trusted house sitter.. I also found it kind of hard to get into some places with children.. but every time we did get into a house and we did do trusted houses or we had the most special amazing experience
I made one reservation with them about a decade ago. We had a reservation in a major metro in the US near a conference center. The host canceled on us within 48 hours of travel due to ongoing construction. After many emails, the host manager finally returned our cleaning fee but we never received our deposit back from AirB despite the other party canceling. Due to the conference a member of our party was attending, we ultimately had to pay 300% more for two rooms and had to book those rooms at two separate locations. It was a one and done for us. NEVER again
It only takes one bad experience. We have stayed in over 40 in the last three years and many have been good, some just ok. The last few have been bad and seems to be getting worse when you figure in how much we are now paying. Thank you for watching and adding to the conversation, Jenn! ❤️
I've been a SuperHost for the past 11 years. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that it's a bit concerning to leave a review for a bad guest, because they KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE! So, I usually end up not leaving any review on them at all. I don't want to deal with any retaliation!
Last year, my airbnb in Madrid claimed to have AC. Came to find out that AC was only in the bedroom/loft. The remainder of the house was HOT (100°F in July in Madrid). There were no pictures of the kitchen and bathroom. Turned out, the areas were a little gross. I tried to work with the owner/host but she didnt want to. So I resolved it with airbnb with pictures and video. They refunded 100%. I picked up and left the place within a few hours of being there. Going back to Europe for 16 nights this summer and none of my reservations is via airbnb.
I used to stay in Airbnb’s a lot on travels in Europe. When they started adding on so many fees, I just didn’t think it was worth it anymore. The last couple of trips have been in hotels or bed and breakfasts. With what you are going through, I think I made the right decision.
Singapore, where I stay, has essentially banned AirBnb. There is a minimum rental period of three months which effectively acts like a ban. I primarily use hotels and guest-houses when I travel. I have used AirBnb as well, but not often.
Like others have said, concentrating on one hotel brand's loyalty program can really pay off - valuable room upgrades, free breakfast, lounge, happy hour, dinner, really adds up...certain places in Europe its like being at an all inclusive resort!
I guess we’ve been lucky because my wife and I have been using AirBnb for many trips over the past 8 years with no bad experiences at all. In fact, we’ve had a lot of great experiences. The only downside has been the significant increase in prices during the last couple years, but hotel prices have also increased dramatically. However, your experience is giving me pause. I’m going to have to think about our next trip.
I NEVER leave negative reviews because that will start a conversation for the world to see. There's nothing in it for me to leave a negative review, so I don't. Consequently now I know not to trust other reviews. Sad to say, but that is the reality we live in. You are so on point with all your comments. I would rather stay in a hotel now. I don't have to take out the garbage or clean it. Because I'M ON VACATION! And also, why am I paying that cleaning fee if I have to clean it?
I’ve rented four airbnb units on my current trip and of those only one was good. My latest one has been a huge disappointment. I’m over airbnb rentals.
In our county, 10% of all homes are now short-term rentals. Rents have skyrocketed. And the smallest most affordable units are simply not available to purchase any more because it's a strong short-term rental model for return on investment.
My wife and I travel and stay in hotels full time. Marriott Towneplace Suites Hyatt House Are just examples of hotels with kitchens. They are A LOT of options CALL AHEAD Rates are negotiable, believe it or not, for longer term stays. ALWAYS reach out to the hotel directly about your plans, etc. AND - check each state as you might be able to recoup the taxes for your long term stay. NC is 90 days. IL is 30 days. That can pay for a week or more!
@@BrianandCarrie I was on the Marriott website when I read this comment. You can search with a filter of "Kitchen." To give it a try I searched Europe for September and the search came up with 93 Marriott hotels. I was curious there was so many so I opened a few to check the details. It looked like a few had most of a kitchen...but no stove or hot plate to cook with. However, another filter you can search with is to scroll down under Brands, to the bottom where it will list Longer Stay Brands, select all that aren't greyed out (it greys out hotels not in that area). These hotels are generally the type you would be able to cook in. Also, check the "Hotel Details" and "Hotel Information," some hotels have a "Non-refundable fee: XX USD per Stay" (I've seen as much as $150). Not all Marriotts have this and I've only seen this outside the US. They also say "Contact hotel for details" so maybe it can waved too. To check one out, I went through the motions of booking, w/o my credit card, and it did not add this fee to the bill...so are they looking to surprise you at check-in? Again, best to call.
@@BrianandCarrie Suggest you check out the Using Hyatt In Retirement Travel | How We Are Earning Globalist Status In Japan video on the Grounded Life Finances channel. And if you want a more in depth tour switch over to their sister channel Travel Asia with Allie and look for the Hyatt House Kanazawa Kitchen Studio video. If you're not already familiar with the Grounded Life Finances channel, you may want to check them out. They also got disillusioned with AirBnB and decided to try a hotel strategy about six months ago. One of their latest videos discusses how it's going six months in. Don't quote me on this, but I think they mentioned CC referral bonuses helped. Hope this helps as one more potential alternative.
@@BrianandCarrie In my experience, these US chains are not widely available in other countries, and when they are available overseas they do not have a central location and/or are overpriced.
Your most consequential video so far. Brave and very fair. When fellow UA-camrs “retirement travelers” quit Airbnb I was like, well Brian and Carrie still like it. You guys are so fair and budget conscious (like me) that this video really has moved the needle for me. Airbnb no longer figures prominently in my future travels. Also I’ve been thinking about simple meal prep without a kitchen. Maybe a smallish hotpot and flat pack light weight camp dishes. Daily vs weekly shopping. Maybe. Anyway my hubby commented on how rapt I was watching this video and I was like “you have no idea how consequential this is” 🤓🧐🤨
As full-time slow travelers, and at majority ABBs - we've had a few disappointments, but no nightmare scenarios as of yet. We've generally had very supportive and friendly hosts. Those are real issues you brought up. Travel itself can be stressful, without the possibility of last minute cancellations, or unexpected and unwarranted charges. Hopefully ABB will improve on these situations. ABB will continue to be in the mix for us, as well as the other platforms mentioned.
Hi Carrie n Brian. Agree with your points. One of the reason is Airbnb has grown too big ! Hence they are not bothered with a few comments bad reviews or dissatisfied customers. Totally in agreement with you on the upfront payment part and the hidden taxes which is shown later while booking, it off putting. For hardcore Airbnb customers its time to visit other options available. Thanks for the inputs and information. Happy Travels !
I couldn't agree more. Went to Cuba spent a week in Havana and a week in Trinidad with 2 "super hosts" . The super host in Havana was right on. Place was nice, guy spoke English and eventually out of his way to accommodate us. Went to Trinidad the place was a dump, the guy didn't speak English, charged us for multiple things like laundry, water, breakgast,etc that said we're included and then even asked us for donations when we left. Was a nightmare so I no longer consider reviews of super hosts either
The unfortunate part of your experience is the first host is greatly effected by the second hosts actions. We have received negitive comments from hosts on this video. If all the hosts were like host 1 than Airbnb would still be the most desirable option for vacation or long term rentals. Airbnb has lost it's way and it's because of bad hosts and poor customer service.
Great video. Sorry about the negative AirBnB experience. I've been doing Trusted Housesitters for the past year and can't say enough good things about it. It's a win-win situation for the sitter and pet owner. Best of luck with it!
DO you have much success getting international sits? Several years ago, my husband and I tried to get international sits with ZERO luck. We had one sit within the USA and it was a great experience, but we got total crickets trying to get a sit internationally.
@@LauraSmith-rs8yqyou need to build a string of 5* reviews from doing local sits before applying for international sits. You also need a top notch profile to compete with other sitters.
We do house/pet sitting every summer in Uk. It’s absolutely fantastic! We have 5* reviews as we look after the pets very well and keep the home clean for them coming back. They always leave us a bottle of wine, and we often prepare a meal for their homecoming. Best thing we’ve done in our retirement!
Thanks for honest feedback on your Airbnb experience. We have been FT traveling for 5 years and I can say that all travel costs have been increasing rapidly in the past year. Maybe you have already planned your Mexico trip but here are the stops during our 6 month stay... Merida San Cristobal Puebla Guanajuato San miguel de allende Mexico City We started in December in Merida and then worked our way to Mexico City traveling from city to city by bus. Don't be afraid of the first class buses, they are great and affordable. I highly recommend visiting San Cristobal - take the local tours to beautiful scenery and culture. We also were surprised by how much we enjoyed Mexico City. If you want any further assistance, feel free to let me know. Safe travels!
Thank you for your recommendations. I've just finished my second visit into Mexico. First visit was to Tampico and Veracruz last November-December. And to Merida this past May-June to experience the heat in Merida, Yucatan. 🥵😂
Crap shoot is right. This was such an informative and accurate discussion about AirBnB. Many points felt like you were reading my mind. 2 things I will add. #1 Many listings will say that you can cancel but the first 30 days are non-refundable. That is frightening. #2 Why do hosts only very rarely have mattress pads/covers under the sheets ? Eek, I have seen more than a few quality yet disgusting mattresses. If I were a host, hygiene would be important but also preserving my investment.
Thank you this is such an informative video. I'm definitely contemplating the use of AirBnb now. However, I've been on Trusted Housesitters for a year. My first experience was a disaster. I knew the area, the home was an $800k home, but when I arrived no one had cleaned for months (years?), the interior of the house was not represented in the pics, and it went downhill from there. Please be sure to read the reviews before applying for sits (there wasn't a negative one for this home).
Sorry to hear about the claims that have been lodged against you. My wife and I traveled in Europe for 4 months this year and stayed in 5 different Airbnbs. 2 were fabulous, 1 above average, 1 poor and 1 awful. We researched them all and "you never know what you are gonna get" We left honest feedback onall of them to help anyone following us.
Thank you so much for sharing. There are too many loose ends it appears. I don't want to come back home and find out later that there is a claim against me. It makes me feel uneasy just with the idea not having any type of control and being so vulnerable. I don't trust the review system either because if you leave a negative one so will they. They often ask you to let them know a different way if there was something bad which makes the review process pointless.
It really should be a "Blind" system for reviewing.... with a possible rebutal process. Getting a good review shouldn't REQUIRE you to expose your constructive criticism of your experience prior to being reviewed as a renter.
Thank you! We have had only success with Airbnb: from Asia, to Europe, to an upcoming Argentina trip next January. I find this discussion to be so important! I scrutinize everything about a booking before we actually book it. If I can’t figure the location out on Google maps, we look for another property. We have also learned we get what we pay for. We don’t look for the cheapest apt/home, and usually book at least 1 more bedroom than we need (for long term stays). We always inquire with the host before booking and ask a lot of questions: Wi-Fi speed, distance to groceries, is the building secure (doorman), etc… There is always some risk though. We usually save our wishlists to include properties in case everything falls apart. Traveling on shoulder seasons is our usual mode, so finding another booking if needed won’t be as difficult if it was high season (though Argentina in the summer is an exception to this). We also don’t book if there a ridiculous 58 hour cancellation policy. We just booked for next January but the cancellation is December. Other really wonderful looking places had 48 hours and we skipped them.
Yep! I have followed you guys since Portugal! I even went to Portugal to check it out after watching your videos! I have used Airbnb all over the world! I also had some of the same experiences as you. After watching your video I will also stop using Airbnb. They sometimes protect the host instead of a loyal user who never caused a problem. Also, I definitely agree that short term rentals are removing affordable rentals for locals. I wish there was more local oversight to protect the local people.
We travel for months with our grown kids and have never had a big issue with airbnb. I am very picky about beds and cleanliness too. Thank you for yr honesty, you definitely bring up some good points. We haven't traveled in a year, sounds like things have gone downhill. Dissapointing!
We had a host cancelling about a week before arrival. This was for our first week in a two week trip. Flights and other accomodations were already arranged and payed. The help Airbnb provided was a laugh. Completely ignorant off-shore staff that just forwarded whatever their search engine came up with, without consideration for our requirements as 3 couples travelling together. Complaining didn't help. Airbnb basically couldn't care less about us as their customers.
I live in Brasil for more than 15 years and I rent my apartments via Airbnb and booking to tourists. I never canceled a reservation because I respect my guests. But if I would cancel a reservation I would have to pay a fine to Airbnb and I would also become red flaged risking to be kicked out from the rental sistem. So, it is not true that there are no consequences canceling a reservation, on the contrary, the consequences are pretty harsh!!
You guys are so fun to watch, what a terrible situation with that air b n b. I met a house sitter in Venice and used to joke that would be my retirement plan but now I'm getting serious 😊 I used to love VRBO before air b n b became so big. We love pay on arrival. We prefer to meet the host and we do walk around. They see us really looking at things like lights, pillows, kitchen items, washer, hot water, etc. It also gives both parties a chance to ask questions. YES we all need honest review, great comments!
I found out early on that AirBnB was NOT looking out for guests, when something goes wrong they play the middle man and your on your own. For the fees, the ruining of city centers for locals, etc its just a service that needs to go away.
I’m looking forward to watching your video on house sitting. What I would have done to get good, responsible, people to take care of my pets years ago would have been wonderful. I had some bad experiences with people who partied and house sat for me. My sister travels all the time for work and she currently has a great girl who house sits for her 3 dogs and 2 cats, but finding trustworthy people is hard. What type of things do you provide as a housesitter? Cleaning, pet care, yard maintenance? Your videos are so helpful!
We use Trustedhousesitter and they have a process for both the owner and the guest to qualify. House sits usually just require pet care. The site that we use also has insurance for both parties.
I love Trusted House Sitters and I have been a member for more than a decade and have had wonderful experiences with it. However, there are negative experiences that can come with it too. Levels of cleanliness vary and houses are often not as clean as an Airbnb. Sitters are sometimes treated as "the help" and expected to do things that they aren't comfortable with. Nothing is perfect.
So very true, nothing is perfect . We've arrived to a house sit where I went through and did a cleaning so I'd be more comfortable. I think the difference is, I didn't pay a fortune to stay, so I don't mind so much 😊.
I'm with Housesitters America and I've had good experiences. I think the posts make it easy to read between the lines (like, nah to the sit that tells you there is a ride-on mower and they're going to be gone for 2 weeks. Mow your own lawn before you leave and as soon as you get back! I'm already taking care of your dog and plants.)
On the host side, our last house-sitters seemed very nice but they broke our shower so the “free” house-sit will now cost us a plumber. Also left gouges in the wood floor, no idea how. We’ve mostly had good experiences, but have had some so-so. Have also found plants dead or dying. The cats have always been fine which was the main thing for me.
Browse housesits for FREE here: trustedhousesitters.pxf.io/c/3563316/1555723/18144.
Hello Brian and Carrie! Thank you for sharing your experiences and giving suggestions and tips for alternatives. I also had a similar situation in Athens when the host tried to get more money out of me by filling dubious claim using my pictures that I took during my stay of all the issues I encountered. What a nightmare! I declined, of course, and she didn't get anything. But that was extremely stressful and it went on for months. It left a bad taste in my mouth and I stopped trusting Airbnb. As a guest I try to be respectful and when I don't have a good stay, I don't leave a review at all instead of trying to make my negative review sound positive.
We actually contemplated filing a claim against the host. We lost a few hundred dollars in finding new accommodations and staying extra nights in hotels. We were even going to include our time and energy dealing with everything, not to mention mental anguish. We decided that it would be a waste of time and moved on. Exactly what they hope you will do. Thank you for adding to the conversation! ❤️
@@BrianandCarrie I hope things turn out for the best for you. ❤️
Also, just in case you don’t know, when you go on TrustedHousesitters in the search area, you can just hit the filters for a month or longer without even putting in a location. And then you can use the map feature to see if anything at all is anywhere near where you’re wanting to be. I always thought that was a super cool feature.
Also, I am hearing more and more negative things about Airbnb myself. Not sure if you watch grounded finance, but they have some alternatives that they use with hotels and reward programs and coming with the free lounge/food options. I had no idea that you could actually end up eating anything more than breakfast and a hotel. I just got an IHG credit card for this particular reason. The point redemptions on hotels really kind of stink in the US but when you’re looking at other places in the country, you can definitely get some nice cheap point stays in hotels. We actually just went to go visit our son in Atlanta and stayed at a Hyatt place by the hotel the night before and it was absolutely gorgeous and it was only 5000 points! We were not there long enough to eat breakfast or anything, but it was an option for free breakfast at least.
I’m right with you in the fact that I like a kitchen because I don’t like to eat out three times a day. There are a lot of these hotels that have at least a microwave and fridge and there are several that actually have kitchens.
This content is spot on!!!!! Our personalities with travel seem to match. You have said so many things that should have been said 7 years ago. My AMeX problem with the bad Airbnb with John in MD ended in court.
I am a 7 YEAR Super Host. 5.0 star immpecable record. I also travel. In January 2024 Paris, rented a lovely flat. In March. The host said I broke blinds in bedroom and wanted $ 1000. (I never touched that window or blinds) i pushed back hard and after 2 months of me NOT letting this go, AirBNB finally reversed the claim.
As a 60 plus year old with immpecvable record, I was surprised by this especially since that host was on AirBnB for just 3 months with a few reviews after me calling them liars.
This is alarming. Whatever is going at AirBnB, they need to address frivoulous hosts and scammers
The frustrating part about the whole thing is there are really great hosts that work hard to make sure their place is perfect. The bad hosts and Airbnb's business model have made it difficult to have trust. Thank you for watching and commenting!! 😊
This happened to me. Rented a home and of course bought damage insurance. Never used the closets because the doors didn't work. After we left, the hosts made a claim against the insurance to "repair" the closet doors. I realized immediately that the hosts were upgrading their property using the insurance coverage that their customers buy.
You are lucky that airbnb actually intervened on your behalf.
@@SISI-q1l Luck? Hum? I knew this would be a he-said-she-said thing. So I intentionally used the maximum HARD-EARNED leverage I could muster when communicating with AirBnB to get them to see that I was, in fact, telling them the truth and coming from a place of integrity. I knew the host was only online for 3 months and already had a complaint. With over 7 years of positive super host history and no complaints, I leaned in to use that earned leverage. To be more clear, I was quite angry at being used like this by that unscrupulous host. And if AirBnB did NOT see fit to extend us the respect we have earned over 7 years, I was prepared to walk away 100% and not use AirBnB ever again! So yeah, I was upset but stayed calm throughout the 2-month process. In the end, it worked out and we are still Super Hosts on AirBnB and I will use AirBnb for our personal stays in the future. But this time, I will be more careful and take VIDEOS of everything with timestamps and, upon exiting, I will do a full video showing everything intact and will keep it on file for at least 6 months just in case we run into this situation again! I REFUSED to be used by terrible ugly people who game the system. Come visit us at Hacienda Eco-Domes in Mexico anytime. www.haciendaecodomes.com
We own two airB&B’s and we expect small damages that we don’t charge the renters, we also have renters who take a video when they leave to protect them
Maybe Airbnb should post some stats for each host like how many times they have made claims on guests and how many reviews they have had removed. It would give us guests more information on whether we roll the dice on particular stays.
agreed, but then they would have to inform how many claims were successful, how many were voided, average amount per claims, average claims per year, reason for deleting the comments, etc etc etc we will need a PhD in data analysis and statistics to do the bookings....
Love this idea!!
@@Larry_Kabberga Not really. You just need a quick way of marking a place off the list because you don't want to chance it. If a host has several claims then they have every right to put a notation in their listing and explaining why. But it is information I should have as a person looking to book.
@@rubbertoad3681 Yeah, absolutely--for doctors, you can look up the number of malpractice claims and the status.
Yes, Airbnb can remove the review for any reason, and they do all the time. It is good to see that you are reading the comments and still commenting. Thank you!!
My daughter and I spent 10 days in London and did not want to use VRBO/ABB because of a previous (really) bad experience, nor did we want a standard hotel because of the price and we also like to eat at home. We found Aparthotels where they are more like studios or apartments that work like a hotel, I would say they are definitely less than a hotel but they are a little outside of the city center. This was a great option for us and we were able to make our own breakfast, coffee, wine and beer, appetizers, etc. basically buy groceries. Our studio also included laundry which was really important. If given this option anywhere else, we would consider it again:)
We love the aparthotels❤️.... They are the best option when available.
Absolutely! I have often thought that the hotel industry's mismatch with traveler needs has contributed to the rise in AirBnB (in our case, the desire for laundry machines, for a front desk, and for three beds in one living space). Aparthotels seem ideal--though I wonder if that's also taking away from local housing stock too (but it might not more than a hotel would).
We are planning a trip to London. Which one did you stay at and would you do it again?
@@marysjourney2 Hi, we stayed at Wilde Aparthotel, however if given the chance we would try to get just a little bit closer to the Marylebone area next time. We spent a lot of time there near Regents Garden, the Wallace Collection, the fabulous high street with all of the boutiques, restaurants and pubs, and the easy transportation options. I would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone needing the facilities, it is not “fancy” but it was clean and fairly convenient:) Enjoy your stay, we love visiting London for all of the free sights after you have seen all of the top sights so to speak. I highly recommend Regent’s Park because of the amenities like lawn chairs in the shade, snack bar with food, beverages, beer and wine, the gorgeous gardens and the people watching. Enjoy!
I got stuck in a situation where my amex gas been sent to court!!!!!!! Over a nasty Airbnb condo!!!!
We just stayed in 5 different Airbnb’s on our trip to Italy. What I noticed was the ones that had “hosts” vs the ones run by a hosting company made all the difference. I think the latter is becoming more of the norm. The single host were much more personal and helpful.
As a single unit host trying to hang on to our little summer boathouse in Maine I concur! My guests, who arrived this evening pulled up to the wrong house and tried to use my lockbox code in someone elses lockbox and because it is always just me on the other end of the phone i was able to walk and talk them through it and they got into my place just fine. We all had a laugh about it and i hope they have a blast this week and they've already made their first funny little memory before the week even begins. I do love being a host. ❤
I agree with you.
I had mostly given up on Airbnb, but during my 2021 trip to Italy I booked a 2-night stay in Bologna at an apartment with a washer and dryer, since I needed to do laundry after almost 3 weeks without. The host and apartment were great to deal with. In pre-Covid times I frequently used Airbnb, and always with hosted stays. I had only a single bad rental, and that because the listing neglected to mention a freight train passing every two hours of the night 100m away.
I might well try non-hotel stays in the future, but I have a lot of Wyndham points and would look at Vacasa over Airbnb.
You are wrong on so many things.
A host's rankings DO go down if they cancel on guests.
I have never cancelled a guest in five years of operation.
There have always been fees to the guest AND the host. The fees were not "passed on to the guests."
A big part of why the prices have increased is general inflation on all costs of operation. Restaurant prices have increased dramatically as well. Just because you got rentals for $1200 in the past, why would you expect the same price now when everything else has gone up?
Why would you no longer be able to trust the reviews?
Only verified guests can write reviews.
What do you mean the negative reviews may not exist? Negative reviews cannot be taken down.
I have been an Airbnb guest for 12 years and no one has ever charged me any kind of damage. I have been a superhost for 5 years and I have never charged a guest for any damage, even though I have replaced water heaters, damaged screen doors, stained linens, broken dishes, etc.
The host CANNOT make a damage claim 60 days after departure. The claim must be initiated WITHIN 24 HOURS and before a subsequent guest arrives.
Hotels range in quality just like Airbnbs can range in quality.
The difference is that hotels have means of getting fake reviews posted while Airbnb does not allow it.
Anyway, I am not worried about my place because it is busy, well priced, and I have repeat guests. But I object to this much false information.
Canceling on a guest carries huge repercussions for the host. I canceled once years ago. And guests had plenty of time to find another place. Never again.
the biggest negative about Airbnb is that they don't require the host do a walkthrough at checkout and file any issues right there in your Prescence. That would alleviate a lot of the issues. After you have left, it's simply your word against theirs and 60 days is a ridiculous timeframe to allow a host to file anything, it should've been more like 24 hours. It almost seems like Airbnb is anti customer and all about taking care of the host and it is exactly the opposite of how it should be.
Exactly!
Seems like AirBNB would do a check in and a check out walk through.... even if it is an online format for when you get there. A checklist for the renter to go through with the ability to take photos and paste. Make it a requirement within a specified timeframe. Have the exit checklist also be within a specified amount of time before checkout time.
Airbn has no costumer service.. they are representative reading a manuscript over and over without actually listen to the caller..
@@LauraSmith-rs8yq Makes sense to treat it like a rental car. A thorough pre-use inspection with pics taken of the entire vehicle. Then also do the same upon return. Note that European rental car agencies can charge exhorbitant costs for their perceived issues (like damage to tires)
@@robertmcfarlane4151this is what I always do with rental cars. I will now start doing it with my occasional AirBnB stays.
I am an Airbnb Superhost for only 1 yr now, but have used them for several years.. I have seen both good & bad, but I do still choose Airbnb over hotels, or anything else! I have had guests stay with me that were awful....but they are the exception. Most every guest that stays is so lovely & from all over the world! It is a choice. I can't say enough about the personal friendships and kindness that I have found in Airbnb. If you LOVE to travel...then everything is an experience. So sorry for your bad experience...we all have them & yes Airbnb DOES have too many hidden charges!
Airbnb pricing has gotten ridiculous. We don't even consider it anymore when traveling.
@@markolmstead4709 Mark, I am so sorry to hear that. The hotels are 3x what most airbnbs are. So again, don't give up, look and then choose. It is different every where you go.
I’m so impressed by you guys mentioning the negative impact of short term rentals. It’s a huge problem that doesn’t get discussed enough and has a massive impact on the cost of living in many communities - like the one I’m in right now. Kudos to you for highlighting it. 👏
Thank you! It's a real issue and something we've heard from locals about. Thankfully more countries are putting restrictions on short term rentals
Do you have any sort of scientific paper or evidence or are you just repeating something you heard? I don't see why short term renters should have lesser right to accommodation options. Local people also need short term rentals on occasion like perhaps they are getting divorced after an abusive relationship or there is no water in their existing home or they are new to a town etc. Short term rentals are very important to have available for everyone's benefit. Nobody would suggest students should stay in hotels or universities should be shut down because they are taking housing away from locals.
First, there is no science involved here; second, you are missing the point entirely. Apartments meant for living are being turned into short-term vacation rentals, thus, leaving less housing for locals. Countries like Turkiye are starting to ban rentals under 100 days.
@@BrianandCarrie What I am trying to convey is whether there has been a detailed analysis into the pros and cons. Whether other factors are being looked at or whether short term rental are unfairly being blamed for a whole variety of other factors. There are politicians who have been known to say similar things about migrants taking away jobs. However if there is more people there will be more jobs to do so the argument is not really valid. There might be other issues they do not want to go into. There may be ulterior motives and a desire for a simple political statement. I am not defending Airbnb. Indeed I think it is strange they have done little to counter these arguments like maybe they are willing pawns. Is there for example any evidence of improved availability in affordable housing where short term rentals have been withdrawn or have the prices continued to increase regardless? If it were a valid argument we could expect a dramatic drop in prices. Local people will themselves be restricted from travel if these arguments are used elsewhere to restrict their mobility.
Don't even get me started on reviews. I had a traveler give me a bad review over a bear in the smoky mountains knocking over a trashcan. The same travelers trashed my three bedroom cabin with beer cans and food scattered all over the home and hot tub with bathing towels in the trash covered with Motor oil. After looking at the security cameras to see what happened to the trashcan we realized they had 12 people in the unit and it was only for a six person stay to top it all off they brought in two dogs that were not mentioned in the booking. All this is part of the business and you deal with the good and bad apples. When it comes down to it we do our best to provide a quality vacation so you just have to take the good with the bad and keep moving forward.
YES, people don't talk enough about the AirBnB renters and the Host experience.
Not every owner try to do good by the customer, it has lost it personal touch.
Sorry you had that experience, how frustrating. Yes, taking the good with the bad has worked till now for us, but not anymore. As the renter we fortunately can move on to other options. Hope you have great renters from here forward 😊
@@BrianandCarrie Yes, my wife and I stay traveling as well. We do visit our own STR's in order to keep them up to the highest standards to offer the best vacations possible. We two are looking to get off of Airbnb to avoid renters who ask for discounts and then treat our properties like a jungle gym. So far we've used our "Guestbook" to lock down 85% of our dates booked with returning guests who loved their stay and it's working beautifully. Safe travels =)
@@kimberlyfamoly5863 I've raised our minimum age to rent our STR's to 25 years old due to the lack of respect the overwhelmingly amount of young travelers are displaying.
You are so spot on. As a 70 year old disabled lady, I do the best I can in life. One host published a long negative review about me, so embarrassing. Air B and B corporate was no help.
You guys are a class act. Honest, fair, thorough, smart, thoughtful…I have travelled far and wide and continue to find your videos informative and feel that I always learn something new. I stopped using Airbnb mainly because of huge increase in cost over the last little while and the fact that I don’t want to commit upfront to paying hundreds of $s when I can find beautiful accommodation on booking and Expedia and pay on arrival.
We agree, there are other ways you just need to look for them. Airbnb has made it easy for travelers to find accommodations, so we just gravitate in that direction. Thank you for watching and commenting!!
Cheers!!🍻
When we use Airbnb I engage in a chatty conversation prior to booking- I can immediately tell if it’s a private family run Airbnb or a commercial investment Airbnb which we avoid like the plague.
I agree and all of my Airbnb stays have been with individual hosts (families) who own the properties and not investment companies. My Milan host went above and beyond when the airline lost all of my luggage and he tracked it down, delivered it to my door himself, and even ordered a taxi for me upon check out to make sure that I got back to the airport. Plus, the apartment next door was his law office. So, he was on the premises.
Greetings from Los Angeles
@@susanaescriba977if it’s a family they’re already part of the community and maybe makes a really difference to the local economy.
@@susanaescriba977 I see it that it's allowing the family economically. Not every host has hundreds of bookings each year either and for some it just gives them a little economical boost
@@susanaescriba977the investment companies don’t care about the community - they are like parasites - collecting fees without heart for the residence or its neighbors.
Bravo for having the courage to produce such an honest and helpful video. Aussie couple here, retired early 3 years ago to travel the world. In the post-Covid era, travel has certainly become a lot more expensive and difficult. Your poor experiences with Air BnB are reflective of this, and we appreciate you sharing them. In our experience, there are no accomodation alternatives without their own sets of issues, but please don't give up on your travel dreams yet. We are big fans of what you do, and particularly appreciate your considered, balanced and honest reviews. Most travel reviews these days are so gushingly positive and unbalanced to the point that they are misleading. From individual Air BnB reviews to destination travel videos, negative reviews are a rarity these days. There is so much spin, puffery and lies by omission. You guys are a beacon of light in an ocean of misinformation. So keep up the great work, ignore the haters, and keep on keeping it real!
Thank you so much for the kind words and support! We have no plans of ending our travels anytime soon, we promise you that. We've always aimed to be balanced and fair in our opinions, even though it sometimes opens us up to ridicule. We're no different from you and the rest of our community-we believe we're all in this together. We'll never recommend a product or destination that we didn't truly enjoy ourselves.
Cheers to keeping it real!!! 😁🍻
I've stopped looking at all positive reviews. I think the era of relentless positivity has made reviews largely useless. Millions of people bought short term rentals they cannot afford or manage sustainably based on marketing during the free money years and will be selling them soon because they cannot charge sky high rates now that there is so much competition.
@@lakelvp i think there is some secret network like they get discounts or maybe help out a friend by putting all these good reviews up.
@@BrianandCarrie; Always Take an Electrical Burner in your luggage and an Electricity Converter for the different countries You Visit; and make yourselves a Nice Spaghetti Meal or Easy meals inside the hotel Rooms when you have to Stay in One. The Other Options Are Buying FOOD at the local Supermarkets and making Sandwiches and Juice & Beers inside the Hotel Rooms.
They cancel at the last minute because they rented to another tenant at a higher price on another site - like VRBO.
Omg that's horrible and probably true 😮
I had a cancellation 2 hours before check in time in Sienna,Italy. Airbnb did not help at all. No apologies from the host and airbnb. Told us that there was another booking for that day. I felt so helpless that day, scrambling to find another accommodation on a last minute booking.
@GardnerI I've heard horror stories of being unable to enter at midnight in a foreign country etc.... makes me think hotel is far safer option. These stories can be traumatic!
This has happened to me before. Just terrible.
File a complaint to airbnb when the host cancels last minute like that. Most times, they find you another place even better and no price difference. Show a trail of facts and it's pretty simple bit annoying nonetheless.
We refuse to use AirBnb. If it's a new place we've never been to, we either stay in a known hotel or we ask around for local recommendations. As a real estate broker, my network is very large so I typically reach out to a local agent, both national and international, and have ask them for a recommendation. For example, we are headed to Belize early next year so I reached out to a local agent for recommendations for a place to stay. In return, we usually take them out for dinner one of the nights when we are there. Every agent/broker loves to talk local real estate!
I totally agree with you on all of these issues. Greed ruins everything! We’ve gone back to hotels.
Thank you!!
Yeah, because big hotel chains aren't in it for the money. Oh, please.
@@JRspeaking you don't have to do house keeping. They aren't grading their clients. They have room services. They serve breakfast.
@@eileenwatt8283 yep, lots of advantages and conveniences to hotels, but their costs are all factored into the price you pay. Airbnbs are still a lot cheaper for long stays. And I never clean an airbnb before leaving it if a cleaning fee is included in the price I pay (as it always has been in the places I've stayed). I tidy up a bit as I would in a hotel, and the only thing I do that I wouldn't do in a hotel is take the garbage out. Any expectation that guests should clean the place despite paying for cleaning is ridiculous, but luckily I've never had a host who has left me any complaints.
@JRspeaking hotels offer rewards and outstanding service. And no worries for a charge for damages later that you did not create. Also they have pools and breakfast and matinance staff 😊 another perk points for a new cc for several free nights.
We had an Airbnb… I worked hard to keep my SuperHost status. We didn't have time anymore, so we only have long-term guests for two months or longer. We get referrals from real estate agents or home builders.
We did one Airbnb, at the request of a family member we were traveling with who wanted the benefit of a full kitchen. The property was not as advertised in a multitude of ways, including a dangerous empty concrete basin (old hot tub or pool or something), a filthy bbq, a “bed” that was an air mattress on a cot, no cribs or playpens as advertised, broken dishwasher that couldn’t be used for seven people, a door lock that didn’t work, no extra bedding, etc., etc., etc. We had stayed in a nice hotel until the relatives arrived, and we immediately regretted agreeing to split the cost of the Airbnb for those four days rather than staying at the hotel. No pool, no spa, no restaurant, no room service, no coffee…and over double the price plus a $300 cleaning fee and the place wasn’t even clean! I cleaned it before we left because I couldn’t stand to leave it that way, and we didn’t get back a dime. Total waste of over $1000 (just our half); I will never, ever do that again.
What a horrible experience 😞
You know what, Just take An electrical Burner in your luggage and Some Bread, Pasta, and Ramen with You, and use it at a hotel Room.
When I’m on vacation, the last thing I want to deal with is worrying about whether something is broken or leaving it spotless - that throws the R&R right out the window!
RE: Pay on arrival. I totally get it. For repeat guests direct booking I offer that. Air bnb does not allow me to do that. I do have the least restrictive the option for cancelations, which has bit me in the butt occasionally. Mérida Mexico is very seasonal. December is an important month for me and last December a guest canceled last minute. She got a refund and I was not able to book that week. I'd still rather be a generous host but sometimes it hurts a bit. A lot of my business is moving to direct booking for repeat guests and because we trust each other, they pay at the start of their trip. (Some pay ahead because they want to, but for the trusted repeats, it is up to them).
Sounds like you have great place! Having return guests speaks volumes on your place as well as you as a host ❤️
very useful information. I recently had a bad experience with a place in Brussels that had a great review. I left a pretty balanced review, but not 5 star. I just went and checked and my review isn't showing... now I don't trust Airbnb. Thanks for pointing this out.
That's so frustrating and makes it very hard to trust their listings.
I don't like that the host can review You so many people fear leaving a bad review; subsequent guests might not get a true review of the place What hotel can review a guest? What hotel charges a cleaning fee and has you do chores like take out the trash and strip the bedding and put it in the washer before you leave....on and on when you're paying a cleaning fee. Lots of rules at this strange place in Vail last summer; they said no shoes in the place at all you must wear a pair of our croc shoes and no food or drink in your. room not even water.... No Thanks bye bye air bnb
Thank you for this information! I am a woman alone and I never stayed with airbnb and I never will after this information.
Agreed! I have thought about it, but now will never do it.
As a solo traveler I would not be able to take all this stress.
@@reginaobrien8983 Same
Thank you Carrie for relating your experiences. I won't be staying in airbnb either.
I looked at solo prices and stayed in hostel dorm rooms after reading some scary stories
I have stayed in over 39 and never had a problem. It’s a fantastic option over hotels. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water
Stayed in an airbnb, and the placed was broken into while I was away. It was an absolute nightmare dealing with the host (who blamed me) and poor airbnb service. I try to avoid airbnb as much as possible. As you said, zero trust with them
So frustrating, and what a way to ruin your time.
Same thing happened to my daughter. Her Airbnb was broken into and everything was stolen. The host and Airbnb could have cared less.
Are you sure it wasn't the owner, and with a hidden camera or alert system, knowing all your movement?
I've been hearing more about hidden tiny cameras !
You guys seem like respectful guests and this comment is not directed at you. As a permanent resident that lives in the USA next to an Airbnb...hosts need to be clear their guests respect the neighbors - keep the noise down. You don't have the right to make as much noise as you want...the police will be called. Be a respectful human when you are visiting. It just takes a couple "bad apples." This has been my experience with very badly behaved "guests" towards the neighbors disrupting an otherwise quiet neighborhood. 😮
This is becoming a big problem! Guests are a big part of this as well. I don't know how Airbnb can solve the issues but if they don't others will. Some countries have already ban short term rentals. Thank you, Karen for adding to the conversation!
What makes me uncomfortable with Airbnb is the complaints about discovering inside the the space
I can tell this is a terribly emotional issue, and I don’t blame you! You were treated abysmally, and now I’m positive I no longer want to use Airbnb. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. Blessings!
Thank you, Patti. ❤️
We did AirBnB a few years ago on a trip to London. NEVER again! I don't even bother looking at options when traveling. We are now dedicated IHG, Marriott, or Hilton stayers. We have Diamond status on IHG and Hilton which, overseas, almost guarantees suite upgrades and numerous other perks...breakfast, maid service, gym, you name it. Then there's the free stays we get using points. We traveled back to the UK and stayed free for a month with the exception of one location with none of the major brands. Our upcoming trip to SE Asia for a month is also all free thanks to points!
Do you use the Hilton, Marriott Credit Card? We use Chase and have Chase Points, but the hotels say we can't get Marriot points as well. How did you get so many points?
@@njoynature123 we use the hotel cards. Our primary card is chase IHG. We find you get more value with IHG. We easily spend over $40k a year and get automatic diamond status. We use the Hilton and Marriott cards only when booking at those hotels.
Thank you for this informative video. It reflects our experience with Airbnb and our decision to no longer use them. They clearly do not vet their locations or hosts and the reviews are often unreliable.
Glad it was helpful. Thanks so much for watching 😊
I admit I had a terrible experience in January and was afraid to leave a bad review because the host was very aggressive toward me during the whole ordeal. I didn't want them to retaliate, and I was just so over the situation. My recent experiences, plus your story and others I've heard recently, have made me decide Airbnb is not for me anymore. It is sad because it used to be a great option for a frequent traveler.
It is sad, it has been our go to. But there should never be a fear of leaving a truthful review.
Why would you not leave an honest review to warn other guests? I would also engage Airbnb support. No host should act aggressively toward you and especially if you're being respectful toward them.
You should name the place. Other guests could be at risk.
Ours was in Chania, Greece. For potential legal reason we won't disclose the exact location or the host.
@@jackbaldwin3649 I ended up in the hospital near the end of my stay (out of town) and just decided the extra stress of dealing with Airbnb and possible host retaliation wasn't worth it.
As both an Airbnb host and guest, I e always had great experiences as a guest and bad experiences as a host. Guests leave a place in a disgusting state, break things, violate rules, then make false claims to get a refund.
I've had people check in and leave after one hour because they wanted a quickie (underwear under the coffee table is a bit of a giveaway) or to use all the showers and towels and fill up trash cans with bags of dirty diapers and days of personal garbage...just to clean up and leave it all at my home and get back on the road with a refund request.
The charges people see that have increased are entirely airbnbs fault, as hosts get a much smaller percentage than you think of the total. I've always charged exactly what the cleaning fee costs me, but even the cleaners ask exorbitant prices.
The only way to protect yourself on either side is take lots of photos. Those who are scamming (guests or hosts) rarely have pictures to back up their claims.
Another aspect is rental arbitrage and corporate ownership hosting dozens or even hundreds of properties...making a bad name for actual home owners who provide good service.
We are certain that it goes both ways, Lily. We can assure you that we are not those guests. There are amazing owners and hosts but there are others who ruin the platform for the rest of you. This host in Chania, Greece had several rentals he managed but didn't own any of them. Thank you for watching and adding your perspective. You sound like one of the many good ones. ❤️
I concur with this! I experience this allllll the time. People forget they are staying in someone’s home. So things might not be absolutely perfect. And then they complain about it to try to get a free stay. Or they trash the house and when you call them on it you get a one star review and a chargeback. So frustrating. And forget the cleaners. They all want $50 an hour to clean. It’s wild.
We had a similar situation in Praia da Luz Portugal. He lied repeatedly to Airbnb but thankfully we had pictures. The stress was off the charts for me. I know what you are talking about Carrie!
I think taking pictures of any and all damage upon entering the property, then sending them as attachments via platform messaging is the best way to protect yourself. Send them to the host and tell them that you observed the following damage and want to bring it to their attention, that way Airbnb has a record as well. This will probably prevent most misunderstandings later and also discourage the host from trying to pull off any scams.
Sorry you had a bad experience as well. The stress and anxiety aren't worth it for me.
I lived in Portugal for 6 years. I found the Portuguese to be a bit dishonest in general.
name the place.
@@rosemaryfreitas7656 He wasn't Portuguese, he is German
Good that you're considering the impact ABB has had on the locals. Just like hedge fund types buying up housing to rent out, the effect on communities has only been negative.
Yes, that's definitely happened and I personally know families that AirBnb a section of their home or an on-site apt that helps them economically so there's that side as well
Thanks for this! You made some really valid points. I will say that I cleaned an Airbnb for seven years and couldn’t believe how discussing people could be. Sometimes the cleaning fee wasn’t enough.
Every reason you brought up, is the reason I have avoided Airbnb for the last 10 years. I personally put my effort into maximizing my hotel reward points, in both collecting and using those points. I realize I might be able to save some money, but it only takes one bad stay to wipeout all that savings.
Same for me. With all the fees, paying up front with risk of cancellation not worth it . I like a hotel with points where I know what I’m getting and able to pay upon checkout.
Can’t cook in a hotel unless you have a suite. Eating every meal out is expensive and unhealthy.
@@travelingthediaspora7996 They touched on it late in the video, but I do look for hotels that have a free breakfast or other meals /snacks. There are also certain chains that have suites with kitchens, that we try to take advantage of, along with just making a sandwich for some meals here and there. So, we have a budget we try to stick to and I agree, if you eat out every meal it can get expensive. If we are traveling for an extended time, we definitely don't eat out every meal and we take advantage of what the hotel is offering and our decision on where we stay, is based on the extended costs as well as the cost of the hotel.
Hotels- don’t have hidden fees- it’s transparent - AirbnB is a huge rip-off
Extended stay hotels are perfect for long term stays. Got a place to cook, too
This is so scary to hear. My husband, of 34 years and myself are renting 2 air b & b’s for the entire Winter in Southern Florida for the small price of $8,000 a month, for a double wide trailer on stilts, with a dock (no pool). We had a 40’ diesel pusher RV, my husband was diagnosed with incurable cancer in May 2022 and the RV was getting to be too much. Safe travels.
We had two nightmare Airbnb stays and haven’t used it since. We had used it for years but finding out how Airbnb doesn’t help and you feel totally at risk is just too scary. We had a very similar experience to you guys and so I know just how awful it can be dealing with it. Excited to watch the video because for now we are just using hotels that way if something breaks, it’s dirty and is reliable then they are right there to address it. Bummer that Airbnb doesn’t seem to care about guests any longer.
Had BS claim against us for a broken bathroom cabinet. Complete replacement for $400.
Air BnB's response was "do you have any proof it WASN'T broken? Absent that, they charged our card for the owner's home improvement.
Now I take 20 pictures upon leaving. Cleaning fees in US are a joke.
Did you challenge the charge with your credit card company?
How angering....sad we have to document everything to protect ourselves.
I had a claim against me saying I broke a large glass bowl that was a part of a set. We didn’t even use the kitchen! I had to pay $40. Karma lady
It is usually cheaper and cleaner in the US to rent a hotel.
Thank you for sharing, it is very good to know!
We made reservations through AirBnB for my husband and I to attend (just us 2) our daughter's graduation at her university in May 2023. Then, less than a week prior to graduation ceremonies, AirBnB allowed not just the first host but the second host to cancel our reservations for that weekend. We were literally left with one decent option after scrambling to re-book. It was a family hosted AirBnB suite that turned out to be lovely, but NO THANKS to AirBnB or their policy that allows hosts to cancel reservations without a good reason.
It is amazing to me the number of hosts that have commentated on this video that say cancelations rarely happen. It undaughterly happens more than you may think!! Sorry for your unfortunate experience. 😔
My husband sat on one of the only dining room chairs available in an Airbnb, to eat breakfast. The chairs were a cheap spindly, ultramodern kind. My husband put his hand on the back of the chair when he stood up and it cracked in two. To us, this was a structural and wear and tear issue. My husband used the chair for its intended use. He didn't abuse the chair and only sat on it once for about 20 minutes. Airbnb completely sided with the host, and didn't listen to us, at all. They required us to pay to fix the chair. In this case, it was not a large amount but it woke us up, big time, about the risks of staying in an airbnb. Now we know that we can be held responsible for cumulative wear and tear damage on items that happen to break when we use them, when there could have been 50 or 100 people using it before one of us. We realize that next time it could be a very expensive item like a recliner, or a dryer or refrigerator or pricey window blinds. Since then we have stayed in motels and hotels, where you are never charged for wear and tear breakage.
Grow up. You could have stayed at an established hotel with none of the grief or hassle.
@@RootBeerGMT What an odd response. The experiences that the original poster had,and that we had, have nothing to do with being immature or not being grown up. We had used airbnb many times and never had this happen before. We wrongly assumed that hosts would be responsible for normal cumulative wear and tear breakage. When things have infrequently come off or broken at other airbnb's, the hosts never expected us to pay for that. Now we know that if a host does want to blame that kind of breakage on us, that airbnb will back the host, not the guest. Since we do not want to assume the risk of a very expensive repair that we were not responsible for, we are staying at motels and hotels now, which I already stated in my original post. I'm baffled at why your response was so rude. People who choose to stay in airbnb's need to be aware of this considerable risk, which is why I shared it. Obviously the original poster's had the same experience, with a very expensive item. I believe that if airbnb continues to treat guests like this, they are actually hurting their own business model, and ultimately their hosts, because people will stop staying at airbnb's.
I would just like to say first that I LOVE chocolate covered cherries!😊 But in all seriousness, you two are the third UA-cam travel couple that I watch religiously that have left ABB due to problems with just these issues. After watching the first two couples leave I started doubting whether or not I ever wanted to book with ABB and looked into different options. I have used real estate agents for my past two long term stays and have loved the experience. Both agents took me on a virtual tour of the potential properties, listed the pros and cons, gave me street views of the properties and one even went so far as to take me virtual grocery shopping with her so that I could see what was available there. Now that you two have left, and with good reason, I will never book through ABB. I hope ABB realizes the power, for lack of a better word, that influencers such as yourselves have and do something to rectify a very broken system. Great video and thank you for such a candid open and honest review! Cheers!
Would love to see Air bnb introducing a "pay the difference " when a host cancels. They need to be transparent also, with hosts trying to charge guests for items.
My husband I used to have Airbnb’s and also utilize them. We found the fees to be really excessive and I entirely agree with you on the review systems. We stopped using Airbnb’s two years ago and stopped renting at the same time. We rented a place in Oregon that had 3 pages of required steps for the clean up before leaving and we paid a $250 cleaning fee! The claim process of Airbnb is just a joke!
So, you go on vacation and still have to worry about cleaning something that you paid to have cleaned. We get that the cleaning service needs to come in and clean, but shouldn't that come from the owner? And why $250? If a cleaning service comes in and cleans up after you already have how long could it take?
I wouldn't stay at a place where I have to clean, and pay a cleaning fee.....especially on vacation!
I couldn't stop laughing at repeated Airbnb ads in my viewing of your video.😂😂😂 We had a bad experience in Barcelona, no internet, then no power, and we got scolded by reaching out to Airbnb, instead of continuing our contact on Whatsapp. We learned why not to use the hosts personal contact for anything. We had to pay in full for Airbnb stays 7-8 months out. Very frustrating. Fingers crossed 🤞, that the stays are good. We are now building points on numerous cards for both flights and hotels, from our everyday purchases. I play credit card shuffle for each purchase. I keep a cheat sheet on who gives me the most points for that category and I have a base card that gives me 2% back on everything. But this only works if you pay off you balance each month.
Haha that's funny 🤣. Yes, the points are a bonus, and paying off monthly is key!
My wife and I once spent a week at a VRBO condo that was right under the descent path of airplanes approaching the airport in Phoenix. I mean, I could read the alphanumeric identifier on the planes as they went overhead! The satellite TV would frizzle. The host's way of welcoming us was to text us where he'd stuck the lockbox with the key in it (we got there about 10 minutes before dark). Yet all his reviews were positive. Such bullshytt.
Over the last 5 years I have used AirBnB for most of my stays. I average 1-3 months a year. I have had great experiences in all cases. This has been in SE Asia, Belize, New Orleans, Maui etc. I’m sure there are the issues you’ve stated with unscrupulous owners but my experience to date has been overwhelmingly positive. I did notice, on a recent trip to Dumaguete in the Philippines, that the airbnb price that was $74 a night for a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo on the beach could have been had for less on another platform.
IMO, it is a regional problem. In some regions of the world, more people are dishonest and only think about money.
Fortunately I have had the same experiences as you and have established ongoing relationships with hosts in many states and countries.
Without anyone saying anything to me. I Did exactly that. I took pictures along with a quick video. I would show them as well, exactly where the keys are on the kitchen table. I would even speak in the video. I just felt you never know. Doing a video makes me feel better, that I saw everything and didn’t leave anything behind!!
I haven't seen this mentioned, but I'd like to offer up Hostels as an option. Many people cringe about the idea of staying in a hostel, but my husband and I (now in our 50s) continue to look for hostel options when we're traveling. You typically have access to a kitchen and supplies... and sometimes the hostels offer great amenities like access to cheap or free tours or other activities going on around the area. They can often arrange transportation for you. I also learned that making a little extra food and feeding the kid at the front desk a home made meal would often go a long way as well!
When we were younger (in our 30-40s) we often stayed in dorm rooms and found that most places have pretty nice options for securing your luggage and valuables (lockers etc). As we've gotten older, we now most often look to book a private room in a hostel. We're still open to dorms now and ten, especially for just a night or two here and there, but we have also found private rooms in a hostel to be very good options. Plus, you get to meet other travelers and sometimes make great connections and friendships. We still keep in touch with people we met years ago in hostels and have net up with hostel friends at different points in our travels when we see that we're all going to be someplace at the same time. Or we stop and visit hostel friends when they are sitting still and we're passing through.
An added bonus to getting a little older and still staying in hostels, and this has happened to us more than a couple of times. We book a couple of beds in a smaller dorm, show up, they look at us.... and they don't put anyone else in the room with us. That happened in Macedonia, Ecuador... and I'm certain at least a couple of other places. It made us feel weird at first but then we just accepted it as a kind of respectful thing being done for us.
We typically do a combination of hostels, and 1 - 2 star hotels and more recently AirbNb. Depending on where you are traveling, one may be more available or more affordable. For instance, back many years ago, we found little 1 star hotels in France to be a better option, cost-wise, and stayed in various towns and cities that way. The downside was not having a kitchen. However, in Paris... we actually asked the patron if we could use the kitchen a couple of times and they were gracious and let us do minor things like heating things up or boiling water.
We've also been known to travel with backpacking stove and pot set. This saved us so much money in places like Switzerland. It let us stay in accomodations without kitchens and still cook for ourselves. We carried a small set up when walking El Camino in Spain as well because oddly enough, not all of the kitchens in the Albergues (Pilgrim hostels) had pots, pans & utensils. The down side to this approach is that anytime you get on a plane, you have to ditch the fuel... and if you're going to a country with a different fuel type, you may have to get a different stove set up. There are some backpacking stoves that are multi-fuel. Although we now prefer the simplistic canister set up.
Anyway, we are definitely shoestring budget travelers so our style may not be for everyone.... but I would encourage consider adding hostels to your options, especially for shorter term stays. One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE perks of staying in a hostel is that you often get access to the FREE WALKING TOURS that many cities host (a tip-based pay system). If there is a free walking tour when we get somewhere, we try to go on that the 1st day or two that we are there. The guides are usually very knowledgable about the history and culture and it often lets us know the things we want to go back and see more of on our own.
I'm sad about your AirBnB experience. Maybe you and others starting to speak up with make some change for the better. We've had some great stays but I can also see the potential for it being a horrible experience as well.
Thanks for sharing the great tip... That is another option for sure. Cheers!!
Many hostels have individual rooms you can rent. You don't have to stay with others. I've stayed at some good hostels, and I've stayed at some pretty dingy ones so it could be a crap shoot, just like Airbnb.
Yes! Hostels can be a very affordable option over short-term rentals (Airbnb, VRBO, etc). We recently spent a month travelling around Europe with our teenage daughter (we are in our 50’s), and found some great hostels with family rooms, so we had the room to ourselves and our own bathroom. They offered breakfast too, and some had a bar onsite - a nice option if hubby and I wanted some time to ourselves and enjoy a drink without having to leave the premises. We have also started pet sitting with THS, and our experience as hosts as well as sitters has been very good, so we look forward to doing more of this type of travel. Homes are well equipped and comfortable, and you get that personal touch from the host, sharing all the special things about their location, especially when they are expats living abroad. Great video Brian and Carrie, thank you for raising this important topic!
Yes, hostel is great for long term stay. Plus, if you book it on credit card travel portal, you can get up to 10x points multiplier per dollar spend. Perfect to rack up points for future free stays or flights
@@Mr.DJones that's where you have to research reviews. We typically use hostel world or hostel bookers. In the past this has served us well. We usually stick to the higher rated places.
I LOVE meeting the host! In my experience, those are the best places because they're committed to one or a few rentals, and want to give you information about the place, the town, etc.
I used aparthotels for years before Airbnb for the same reason - I want to make my own food in my own kitchen and wash my clothes at "home." My issue with them is that they're sterile and all the same. All the people who live in them are fellow short-term stays and know little to nothing about the town.
I've also had issues with Airbnb, but they're usually unique to each place. In my summer travels, I usually rotate among a number of cities, but when I KNOW I like a city, I rotate between Airbnbs. For example, since you're in Budapest, I will get a place by Margarite Island, then one by the Opera house, then a place in Pest by the park for two weeks each. You can live anywhere for that time, and you learn who to trust, what you like, etc. So when you return, you stay with those hosts in those neighborhoods. I've found that the hosts like that too, because they know you're not going to wreck their place, and they're happy to have the repeat/return business. As a repeat customer, I get invited to stuff all the time too - "We're going to the country to pick cherries!" "Come to our concert!" - it's a wonderful way to meet people.
One last shout out to Brian for wearing a Lacoste shirt - the international logo of quiet wealth - the service improves wherever you wear it, and you don't stand out as an American.
Great post!!
We are staying between the Opera House and the park in Pest. Amazing city!!
Thank you for noticing my new shirt!!! 😁
Cheers!!🍻
You can’t trust Airbnb reviews. Hosts can ask Airbnb to delete negative reviews and Airbnb will do it. So, only the positive reviews stay up. Unless you know the place, just stay in a hotel.
Totally agree.!!!
Try it as a host… unless the guest explicitly threatens retaliation Airbnb always chooses to back the guest, even if they’re just rage 1 starring your home bc they broke rules and you enforced them.
My family spent 1 night in North Carolina hotel during family road-trip, arriving late and departing early. Month later had $900 charge on credit card; hotel claimed we “broke the tv” we never used or even noticed. Took months of fighting with hotel and credit card before charge was dropped. That can happen anywhere.
Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. That's so frustrating to hear.
they should do a walk thru to see any damage
Thank you very much for sharing!
Awesome stuff thanks guys. After years of using Air B&B we blew them away a couple of years back after the pricing became uncompetitive and it was turning out to be too much of a headache.
Thanks so much for watching 😊
It’s easier to get to be a superhost than you might think.
One of the criteria is the # of bookings in a certain period. It’s easy to get friends to make a booking, pay & leave a review then refund the $.
How do I know? I have a relative who is an ABnB superhost.
Not true: for me very hard work.
I don't think that's true, and the host would still be losing money as they'd have to refund the AirBnB fee that the renters pay, plus they have a pay a fee to AirBnB out of the money they get, too.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve heard similar experiences from others, and this video tipped the scale and I will no longer use short-term rentals. FWIW, I was an Airbnb just prior to COVID, and stopped due to all the damage caused by renters…and there was A LOT. I see both perspectives, and suspect this is a business best left to hotels, etc.
Yes, negatives for both sides for sure. I'm sure there are plenty of bad renters out there as well 😞.
Airbnb is the only 'afforable' way we can travel with our grown children because we need a bit more space and a kitchen. You are right though, the prices are definitely increasing!
There used to be many other vacation flat-websites before Airbnb.
@@lilg2300yes!
Don't be afraid to ask the host for a better deal! What's the worst that can happen..they say no and you move on.
@@jackbaldwin3649 Never ask a host for a discount. It flags you as a "high maintenance" guest who is likely to complain, dispute, or give a bad review. Most hosts block anyone asking for a discount from ever renting, even at full price. I do.
We've had the same thing (with our son and daughter, both in their early 20s)--we're trying an Aparthotel-type place.
Another option is to check out local real estate agents rental listings. These can sometimes be cheaper then Airbnb because of less service fees.
Great to know, thanks for the tip 😊
I have used airbnb numerous times over many years, and I agree that the quality of the product has gone down considerably in recent years . I used to feel that the places offered pride of ownership and a personal touch, but now they are very corporate and very sterile, and very uninteresting. Covid probably had something to do with this. I recently stayed at a so-called high-end, apartment in Warsaw, Poland, where there was no water in the bathroom! The corporate owners had to call the plumber and he still couldn’t fix it! He told us that the corporation owned many, many apartments like this around the city. so there goes your personal touch and pride of ownership. It’s all corporate business. We had to do battle with Airbnb, but we did get a partial refund. The popularity of the service has brought in allcomers on the supply side, and this has completely brought down the quality of the experience overall. Such a shame.
You said it perfectly!! Airbnb today is not what it used to be and I'm sure not what it was intended to be in the biggening. It's become an easy way for landlords to make money.
OK,guys, I really appreciate this video. I did see the one regarding your previous issues with this host, so I appreciate your doing a follow-up. I'm very sorry you're having so much trouble when you did everything in good faith. I did a positive review of my Airbnb in Marseille in March because it was a good property but also because I realised the host wouldn't review ME until I gave him a positive review. It's a system I'm losing faith in. Hotels, while they can be expensive, are more accountable and do mostly have facilities like bars and restaurants in-house. I've never done house-sitting. I can imagine there must be a million pitfalls, especially pets and plants!!! Wishing you all the best in all your travel plans. From Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪. 😊
There should be a rebutal system available. If you give a good review and then a host blasts you for bogus things, you should be able to reply and refute falsities. :(
Excellent follow up and information. Thank you!
Thank you, we appreciate you watching 😊
As a host, I can't see a my guest's review until I post mine. I have recently stayed in a terrible Airbnb in Italy and the host appears to be able to remove every single bad review. The system is not working
The Host cannot see your review until they are both completed. So, there is ZERO possibility of them only reviewing you if yours was positive.
I feel for you guys. Hang in there. My husband & I were early adopters of AirBnB. We have booked stays in numerous countries around the world. All the issues you shared, we have also experienced (except having a claim filed against us). The standards have dropped over time (IMO). We are also looking for alternatives for our long term travels.
Thank you, Helen! ❤️
We have been using Airbnb for over ten years now all over the world and it has definitely changed for the worst. Meeting the host (now more than not a rental agency) is now the norm. Asking for various issues to be fixed usually now is answered with a “it was fine before you arrived” type response - this to a leaking sink that had clearly been fixed over and over. The platform is now way more expensive and far less personal. And ppl are too scared to leave negative reviews these days.
So happy you are realizing all the negative causes. There's plenty of boutique hotels and condos to rent. Yes, doing the right thing cost a little more. Being grateful for the ability just to travel at all, is to be considered.
Love your content! I own two airbnb's in Mérida Mexico and I have just started a direct booking website for the benefit of the guest. Once I really understood the extra costs to the guests I decided to offer direct booking. It is unfortunate how many people jumped on the bandwagon of short term rentals that are basically slum lords. Like you said there are so many great hosts (like me:) out there. I love hosting and drilling down on my guests desires out of their experience. For me it is such a pleasure. Let me know if Mérida is on your list. My houses are in the historic centro.
And unfortunately, the bad hosts are going to greatly affect the good/great hosts. I am so sorry. What type of platform do you use for your direct booking service?
Love Merida! Can I get your contact info?
We will absolutely be heading that way late 2025 😊
@@LauraSmith-rs8yq Hi Laura, I was going to use one of the big direct booking sites but those are really built for people with tons of properties. I am a small operation so I decided to start my own website called amyscasa . The ability to direct book will be up and running in August. it is still a work in progress. I am super happy with the site. Creating my own site was spendy but I'd rater support my IT friend than pay the big boys. :)
@@susanaescriba977 I am a US citizen born and raised in Oregon. I spent 3 years in Mexico in the early 90's and it was life changing for me. I developed a deep love of the country. I speak Spanish and I will be immigrating to MX very soon!!!
I guess the biggest question on house sitting is how long can you leave house and pets to go sight seeing, etc
Each place is different and most list that in their expectations. We find it is plenty of time to site see during.
It depends on the pet. Some people just want you home in the evenings. Cats are often easy. Dogs can need you to walk them up to 4times per day; and also check none have health issues you have to be there to care for them, and/or are comfortable giving strange dogs tablets etc
Your assessment of Airbnb mirrors my experience in Paris a few weeks ago. Fraudulent host who listed a studio as a one bedroom, advertised a closet only to discover his clothes in it and the offer of putting our clothes under the bed. One coffee cup, dirty pillows, the list goes on and on. Marcel is the host and got 5 stars for this place. You’re right about not trusting reviews since our very balanced review was taken down. We complained to Airbnb about the listing and they refused to take action against him. When we asked why our review was taken down their response was that we were retaliating against him. For what, we still don’t know since he reviewed us before he saw our review. His review about us was positive, so there was nothing to retaliate against. Like you, we’ve lost trust in Airbnb and will never use them again.
Frustrating! Yes, they told me retaliating as well. My response was the same I hadn't seen his review? Plus, my review also pointed out the positives as far as location. They just use that as a easy out.
We have heard your complaints from several travelers. We had our own bad experience that ended our use of ABB. If you are up for longer stays in one place, you can start at a hotel, then talk with a realtor to find a flat for a 2-3 month stay. That may be too long for what you're looking for though. I love the house sitting idea!
We were new to Airbnb and had travelled from Canada to London UK. The condo we rented was misrepresented. There was black mold in the washroom and to make matters worse we got a message from the host on the first day asking us to tell the concierge downstairs (that we had to pass by to get in or out) that we were his "friends" because he wasn't allowed via condo rules to run an Airbnb. The ad stated we would have the entire "unit" which we didn't because it wasn't a one bedroom, it was a two bedroom. All of their toiletries were in the bathroom and food in the refrigerator. We were afraid to contact Airbnb because we were overseas. We left, cleaned the unit, and the host left us a good review. We tried to get a portion of the Airbnb refunded. Airbnb told me initially "he's a Super Host"! They weren't helpful at all. It was our first Airbnb and it will be our last. Very unhelpful.
Youmshould.have told.the concierge on the way out. They're cheating on taxes, let alone whst their neighborsnpit up with.
My husband & I have been watching your videos, so thank you. We have been members of Trusted Housesitters for 3 years and have done sits in the US and Portugal (Algarves) and have had people sit for us. We had a bad experience with housesitting in Portugal despite the fact we had done Zoom calls. Having said that, we have had great experiences and we enjoy animals. We are not full-time travelers, so we are also able to use Home Exchange as another option because THS is not present in South America. We have not done AirBNB for a long time, but we found this video useful as we plan future trips where THS or Home Exchange is not available.
We are sure that whatever platform we use there will be issues. There is no perfect solution, but we do know that Airbnb isn't what it used to be. Thank you for watching and commenting!! We appreciate the support and safe travels! 😊
We're full time airbnb. Couldn't be happier. It's just like any other option. Some are great. Some not so great. Read the reviews. The ones we were disappointed with had a few bad reviews. The past few have been fantastic. Haven't had a cancellation in years
Being a single traveler I wouldn’t use Airbnb and I don’t eat much so I get the best reviews for what I don’t mind spending. I’ve been watching all your reviews, love them.
Thank you, Leslie! We appreciate you watching and commenting. Good to know about the car rental as well. Thank you! 😊
I am a full time international traveler for four years. I swore off AirBnb about a year ago for many of the same things you are talking about. The trouble is, other platforms, like Agoda, are using the Air model and I've started seeing some of the same things because they are the same owners. Fees, terrible properties, and a completely useless review system make this my last choice when I am staying. Huge opening for someone that wants to operate a similar concept but do it right,
Just a note on reviews, it's also a problem for hosts when guests will demand refunds (over bogus/untrue claims) and threaten bad reviews. You can be removed off the platform if your rental drops below a certain rating, and sometimes this is due to guests being vindictive because they didn't get a refund they demand. Guests will bring in dead bugs and make up lies, too. It goes both ways. It's a difficult issue to solve, but I hope someone comes up with a solution to protect both the hosts (who have their properties that they've put a lot of money into) and the guests (who are paying a lot of a good holiday) from the lying and scammers out there. It's frustrating, 100%.
i did hear there was these roof tents you could put on top of a car. not for me since i don't drive but if it increases capacity it is good for everyone.
We took a year off to travel the world as a family of four.. we absolutely loved trusted house sitter.. I also found it kind of hard to get into some places with children.. but every time we did get into a house and we did do trusted houses or we had the most special amazing experience
We have done a few in the States and we are look forward to doing more internationally. Thank you for watching and safe travels!!
Cheers!!🍻
I had a very bad experience as the homeowner with TH. Crazy woman sitter. TH did not help at all and I left the platform.
Wow! You're the 3rd! Travel youtube channel that stopped airbnb
NYC changed the airbnb rules that forced a decreased of legal places. Hosts are canceling last minute very often per a local area travel group.
Please name the others that have stopped? Thanks
@@JP7onEarth Retirement Travellers stopped using AirBnb 1 year ago.
@@JP7onEarth Retirement Travelers did a no more AirBnB video a few months ago.
I've seen a few anti-AirBnb videos by slow travelers, too...can't remember the channel names
I made one reservation with them about a decade ago. We had a reservation in a major metro in the US near a conference center. The host canceled on us within 48 hours of travel due to ongoing construction. After many emails, the host manager finally returned our cleaning fee but we never received our deposit back from AirB despite the other party canceling. Due to the conference a member of our party was attending, we ultimately had to pay 300% more for two rooms and had to book those rooms at two separate locations. It was a one and done for us. NEVER again
It only takes one bad experience. We have stayed in over 40 in the last three years and many have been good, some just ok. The last few have been bad and seems to be getting worse when you figure in how much we are now paying. Thank you for watching and adding to the conversation, Jenn! ❤️
I can’t believe your deposit wasn’t refunded! Awful
I've been a SuperHost for the past 11 years. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that it's a bit concerning to leave a review for a bad guest, because they KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE! So, I usually end up not leaving any review on them at all. I don't want to deal with any retaliation!
Last year, my airbnb in Madrid claimed to have AC. Came to find out that AC was only in the bedroom/loft. The remainder of the house was HOT (100°F in July in Madrid). There were no pictures of the kitchen and bathroom. Turned out, the areas were a little gross. I tried to work with the owner/host but she didnt want to. So I resolved it with airbnb with pictures and video. They refunded 100%. I picked up and left the place within a few hours of being there. Going back to Europe for 16 nights this summer and none of my reservations is via airbnb.
I used to stay in Airbnb’s a lot on travels in Europe. When they started adding on so many fees, I just didn’t think it was worth it anymore. The last couple of trips have been in hotels or bed and breakfasts. With what you are going through, I think I made the right decision.
Singapore, where I stay, has essentially banned AirBnb. There is a minimum rental period of three months which effectively acts like a ban. I primarily use hotels and guest-houses when I travel. I have used AirBnb as well, but not often.
Yes, many areas are starting to go to this. Turkiye just started this as well.
Like others have said, concentrating on one hotel brand's loyalty program can really pay off - valuable room upgrades, free breakfast, lounge, happy hour, dinner, really adds up...certain places in Europe its like being at an all inclusive resort!
I guess we’ve been lucky because my wife and I have been using AirBnb for many trips over the past 8 years with no bad experiences at all. In fact, we’ve had a lot of great experiences. The only downside has been the significant increase in prices during the last couple years, but hotel prices have also increased dramatically. However, your experience is giving me pause. I’m going to have to think about our next trip.
I NEVER leave negative reviews because that will start a conversation for the world to see. There's nothing in it for me to leave a negative review, so I don't. Consequently now I know not to trust other reviews. Sad to say, but that is the reality we live in. You are so on point with all your comments. I would rather stay in a hotel now. I don't have to take out the garbage or clean it. Because I'M ON VACATION! And also, why am I paying that cleaning fee if I have to clean it?
I’ve rented four airbnb units on my current trip and of those only one was good. My latest one has been a huge disappointment. I’m over airbnb rentals.
In our county, 10% of all homes are now short-term rentals. Rents have skyrocketed. And the smallest most affordable units are simply not available to purchase any more because it's a strong short-term rental model for return on investment.
My wife and I travel and stay in hotels full time.
Marriott Towneplace Suites
Hyatt House
Are just examples of hotels with kitchens.
They are A LOT of options
CALL AHEAD
Rates are negotiable, believe it or not, for longer term stays.
ALWAYS reach out to the hotel directly about your plans, etc.
AND - check each state as you might be able to recoup the taxes for your long term stay. NC is 90 days. IL is 30 days. That can pay for a week or more!
We travel full time internationally. Are these options available worldwide?
I've stayed at Hyatt House a few times and loved it.
@@BrianandCarrie I was on the Marriott website when I read this comment. You can search with a filter of "Kitchen." To give it a try I searched Europe for September and the search came up with 93 Marriott hotels. I was curious there was so many so I opened a few to check the details. It looked like a few had most of a kitchen...but no stove or hot plate to cook with. However, another filter you can search with is to scroll down under Brands, to the bottom where it will list Longer Stay Brands, select all that aren't greyed out (it greys out hotels not in that area). These hotels are generally the type you would be able to cook in. Also, check the "Hotel Details" and "Hotel Information," some hotels have a "Non-refundable fee: XX USD per Stay" (I've seen as much as $150). Not all Marriotts have this and I've only seen this outside the US. They also say "Contact hotel for details" so maybe it can waved too. To check one out, I went through the motions of booking, w/o my credit card, and it did not add this fee to the bill...so are they looking to surprise you at check-in? Again, best to call.
@@BrianandCarrie Suggest you check out the Using Hyatt In Retirement Travel | How We Are Earning Globalist Status In Japan video on the Grounded Life Finances channel. And if you want a more in depth tour switch over to their sister channel Travel Asia with Allie and look for the Hyatt House Kanazawa Kitchen Studio video. If you're not already familiar with the Grounded Life Finances channel, you may want to check them out. They also got disillusioned with AirBnB and decided to try a hotel strategy about six months ago. One of their latest videos discusses how it's going six months in. Don't quote me on this, but I think they mentioned CC referral bonuses helped. Hope this helps as one more potential alternative.
@@BrianandCarrie
In my experience, these US chains are not widely available in other countries, and when they are available overseas they do not have a central location and/or are overpriced.
Your most consequential video so far. Brave and very fair.
When fellow UA-camrs “retirement travelers” quit Airbnb I was like, well Brian and Carrie still like it.
You guys are so fair and budget conscious (like me) that this video really has moved the needle for me.
Airbnb no longer figures prominently in my future travels.
Also I’ve been thinking about simple meal prep without a kitchen. Maybe a smallish hotpot and flat pack light weight camp dishes. Daily vs weekly shopping. Maybe.
Anyway my hubby commented on how rapt I was watching this video and I was like “you have no idea how consequential this is” 🤓🧐🤨
Thank you ❤️. Thankfully there are other options, it just will take some new planning techniques. Cheers!!
As full-time slow travelers, and at majority ABBs - we've had a few disappointments, but no nightmare scenarios as of yet. We've generally had very supportive and friendly hosts. Those are real issues you brought up. Travel itself can be stressful, without the possibility of last minute cancellations, or unexpected and unwarranted charges. Hopefully ABB will improve on these situations. ABB will continue to be in the mix for us, as well as the other platforms mentioned.
Hi Carrie n Brian. Agree with your points. One of the reason is Airbnb has grown too big ! Hence they are not bothered with a few comments bad reviews or dissatisfied customers. Totally in agreement with you on the upfront payment part and the hidden taxes which is shown later while booking, it off putting. For hardcore Airbnb customers its time to visit other options available. Thanks for the inputs and information. Happy Travels !
Absolutely agree, they've just gotten to big to care or notice. Off to better alternatives!
I couldn't agree more. Went to Cuba spent a week in Havana and a week in Trinidad with 2 "super hosts" . The super host in Havana was right on. Place was nice, guy spoke English and eventually out of his way to accommodate us. Went to Trinidad the place was a dump, the guy didn't speak English, charged us for multiple things like laundry, water, breakgast,etc that said we're included and then even asked us for donations when we left. Was a nightmare so I no longer consider reviews of super hosts either
The unfortunate part of your experience is the first host is greatly effected by the second hosts actions. We have received negitive comments from hosts on this video. If all the hosts were like host 1 than Airbnb would still be the most desirable option for vacation or long term rentals. Airbnb has lost it's way and it's because of bad hosts and poor customer service.
I agree. I'm pretty much over Airbnb. I've been canceled as well recently. And the service fees and cleaning fees are ridiculous.
Great video. Sorry about the negative AirBnB experience. I've been doing Trusted Housesitters for the past year and can't say enough good things about it. It's a win-win situation for the sitter and pet owner. Best of luck with it!
DO you have much success getting international sits? Several years ago, my husband and I tried to get international sits with ZERO luck. We had one sit within the USA and it was a great experience, but we got total crickets trying to get a sit internationally.
@@LauraSmith-rs8yqyou need to build a string of 5* reviews from doing local sits before applying for international sits. You also need a top notch profile to compete with other sitters.
Thank you so much. We've had great experience as well. We look forward to looking for more sits around the world.
We do house/pet sitting every summer in Uk. It’s absolutely fantastic! We have 5* reviews as we look after the pets very well and keep the home clean for them coming back. They always leave us a bottle of wine, and we often prepare a meal for their homecoming. Best thing we’ve done in our retirement!
Thanks for honest feedback on your Airbnb experience. We have been FT traveling for 5 years and I can say that all travel costs have been increasing rapidly in the past year.
Maybe you have already planned your Mexico trip but here are the stops during our 6 month stay...
Merida
San Cristobal
Puebla
Guanajuato
San miguel de allende
Mexico City
We started in December in Merida and then worked our way to Mexico City traveling from city to city by bus. Don't be afraid of the first class buses, they are great and affordable. I highly recommend visiting San Cristobal - take the local tours to beautiful scenery and culture. We also were surprised by how much we enjoyed Mexico City.
If you want any further assistance, feel free to let me know.
Safe travels!
Thank you! We will be in Oaxaca, Mexico City, Guanajuato, and San Miguel for sure but will be filling a gap or two along the way. Thanks again!!!
Thank you for your recommendations. I've just finished my second visit into Mexico. First visit was to Tampico and Veracruz last November-December.
And to Merida this past May-June to experience the heat in Merida, Yucatan. 🥵😂
Luckily we did Merida in December. We spent two months in Merida and loved exploring the Yucatan especially all the ruins and cenotes.
Crap shoot is right. This was such an informative and accurate discussion about AirBnB. Many points felt like you were reading my mind. 2 things I will add. #1 Many listings will say that you can cancel but the first 30 days are non-refundable. That is frightening. #2 Why do hosts only very rarely have mattress pads/covers under the sheets ? Eek, I have seen more than a few quality yet disgusting mattresses. If I were a host, hygiene would be important but also preserving my investment.
Great points and thank you for adding to the channel!! ❤️
Thank you this is such an informative video. I'm definitely contemplating the use of AirBnb now. However, I've been on Trusted Housesitters for a year. My first experience was a disaster. I knew the area, the home was an $800k home, but when I arrived no one had cleaned for months (years?), the interior of the house was not represented in the pics, and it went downhill from there. Please be sure to read the reviews before applying for sits (there wasn't a negative one for this home).
That's so sad. Reviews are key, but just like many sites I question trusting them now. Seems to be a risk with everything anymore.
Sorry to hear about the claims that have been lodged against you. My wife and I traveled in Europe for 4 months this year and stayed in 5 different Airbnbs. 2 were fabulous, 1 above average, 1 poor and 1 awful. We researched them all and "you never know what you are gonna get" We left honest feedback onall of them to help anyone following us.
Thank you so much! This is unexpected and very much appreciated!! ❤️We will continue to do our very best!! 😁
Thank you so much for sharing. There are too many loose ends it appears. I don't want to come back home and find out later that there is a claim against me. It makes me feel uneasy just with the idea not having any type of control and being so vulnerable. I don't trust the review system either because if you leave a negative one so will they. They often ask you to let them know a different way if there was something bad which makes the review process pointless.
It really should be a "Blind" system for reviewing.... with a possible rebutal process. Getting a good review shouldn't REQUIRE you to expose your constructive criticism of your experience prior to being reviewed as a renter.
Yeah that's crazy that the review process isn't "blind." That's just common sense
Thank you! We have had only success with Airbnb: from Asia, to Europe, to an upcoming Argentina trip next January.
I find this discussion to be so important!
I scrutinize everything about a booking before we actually book it. If I can’t figure the location out on Google maps, we look for another property. We have also learned we get what we pay for. We don’t look for the cheapest apt/home, and usually book at least 1 more bedroom than we need (for long term stays). We always inquire with the host before booking and ask a lot of questions: Wi-Fi speed, distance to groceries, is the building secure (doorman), etc…
There is always some risk though. We usually save our wishlists to include properties in case everything falls apart. Traveling on shoulder seasons is our usual mode, so finding another booking if needed won’t be as difficult if it was high season (though Argentina in the summer is an exception to this).
We also don’t book if there a ridiculous 58 hour cancellation policy. We just booked for next January but the cancellation is December. Other really wonderful looking places had 48 hours and we skipped them.
Great advice, Dak!! We will be in Argentina next January!! We will buy you a beer!!! 🍻
@@BrianandCarrie We'd love to meet up!
Yep! I have followed you guys since Portugal! I even went to Portugal to check it out after watching your videos! I have used Airbnb all over the world! I also had some of the same experiences as you. After watching your video I will also stop using Airbnb. They sometimes protect the host instead of a loyal user who never caused a problem. Also, I definitely agree that short term rentals are removing affordable rentals for locals. I wish there was more local oversight to protect the local people.
Thanks so much for watching and following along 😊
We travel for months with our grown kids and have never had a big issue with airbnb. I am very picky about beds and cleanliness too. Thank you for yr honesty, you definitely bring up some good points. We haven't traveled in a year, sounds like things have gone downhill. Dissapointing!
We had a host cancelling about a week before arrival. This was for our first week in a two week trip. Flights and other accomodations were already arranged and payed.
The help Airbnb provided was a laugh. Completely ignorant off-shore staff that just forwarded whatever their search engine came up with, without consideration for our requirements as 3 couples travelling together. Complaining didn't help.
Airbnb basically couldn't care less about us as their customers.
We agree. We have stayed in over 40 and didn't get any special treatment we can assure you of that.
I live in Brasil for more than 15 years and I rent my apartments via Airbnb and booking to tourists. I never canceled a reservation because I respect my guests. But if I would cancel a reservation I would have to pay a fine to Airbnb and I would also become red flaged risking to be kicked out from the rental sistem. So, it is not true that there are no consequences canceling a reservation, on the contrary, the consequences are pretty harsh!!
If you read the many comments below you will find that cancelations happen all the time. Apparently, the consequences are not harsh enough.
Thank you for this - we’ve only been traveling a few months, and we’ve been nervous about trying Airbnb. The liability issue settles it for me!
You're welcome. Ya, that's a tough one to get past.
You guys are so fun to watch, what a terrible situation with that air b n b. I met a house sitter in Venice and used to joke that would be my retirement plan but now I'm getting serious 😊 I used to love VRBO before air b n b became so big. We love pay on arrival. We prefer to meet the host and we do walk around. They see us really looking at things like lights, pillows, kitchen items, washer, hot water, etc. It also gives both parties a chance to ask questions.
YES we all need honest review, great comments!
Thank you, we appreciate you watching and following along 😊
I found out early on that AirBnB was NOT looking out for guests, when something goes wrong they play the middle man and your on your own. For the fees, the ruining of city centers for locals, etc its just a service that needs to go away.
Why wouldn't they "play the middleman"? They make just as much money off Hosts as Guests.
I’m looking forward to watching your video on house sitting. What I would have done to get good, responsible, people to take care of my pets years ago would have been wonderful. I had some bad experiences with people who partied and house sat for me.
My sister travels all the time for work and she currently has a great girl who house sits for her 3 dogs and 2 cats, but finding trustworthy people is hard. What type of things do you provide as a housesitter? Cleaning, pet care, yard maintenance?
Your videos are so helpful!
We use Trustedhousesitter and they have a process for both the owner and the guest to qualify. House sits usually just require pet care. The site that we use also has insurance for both parties.
I love Trusted House Sitters and I have been a member for more than a decade and have had wonderful experiences with it. However, there are negative experiences that can come with it too. Levels of cleanliness vary and houses are often not as clean as an Airbnb. Sitters are sometimes treated as "the help" and expected to do things that they aren't comfortable with. Nothing is perfect.
So very true, nothing is perfect . We've arrived to a house sit where I went through and did a cleaning so I'd be more comfortable. I think the difference is, I didn't pay a fortune to stay, so I don't mind so much 😊.
I'm with Housesitters America and I've had good experiences. I think the posts make it easy to read between the lines (like, nah to the sit that tells you there is a ride-on mower and they're going to be gone for 2 weeks. Mow your own lawn before you leave and as soon as you get back! I'm already taking care of your dog and plants.)
On the host side, our last house-sitters seemed very nice but they broke our shower so the “free” house-sit will now cost us a plumber. Also left gouges in the wood floor, no idea how. We’ve mostly had good experiences, but have had some so-so. Have also found plants dead or dying. The cats have always been fine which was the main thing for me.