Air on the side of caution
MY first experiences with Airbnb were horrible. My husband once booked us a room in the south of France’s Loire Valley that was cheap and sounded charming. Turned out it had no lights, and there was a creepy clown puppet hanging above the bed. Our host also hadn’t mentioned that we’d be sharing a bathroom with her elderly parents.
Another place we rented in the city of Lyon had a fold-out sofa instead of a bed. Also: no sheets. The host had said the bathroom was across the hall. But two hours later, after a desperate search for it, I peed into a maintenance sink. I still hate Lyon. Yet we’ve stuck with Airbnb, booking dozens of stays over the years. Those first forays were back in 2010, before anyone really knew how to use the short-term rental site. And — though I love hotels — home shares are a fantastic option if you’re looking for space, privacy, value and the sense of what it’s like to live in a place. Most of our accommodations have been great, from the cozy, modern cottage in upstate NY to the sprawling palazzo in Venice.
But we still have occasional duds. A Hamptons house we nabbed for a weekend looked like it had been abandoned in the middle of the night. I spent months fighting Airbnb for a refund when a Washington, DC, townhouse turned out to be a step above a frat house.
Most of our problems were avoidable — and yours can be, too, if you follow this hard-earned advice. (These six tips can apply to other vacation rental sites, too.)
Ask ridiculous questions
Some things our hosts have “forgotten” to mention in their listings? The air conditioning only works in the bedrooms — even though St. Barts gets horribly hot in May. You have to climb four flights of stairs to reach the front door. Before booking, I now ask about anything that isn’t obvious from the photos, description or reviews.
Never choose the cheapest option
Some of our worst Airbnb experiences came about because we were bargainhunting. And by “we,” I mean “my husband.” Try not to get so excited about the price that you overlook the red flags.
Treat it like online dating
I’ve learned to apply some of the smarts I picked up when I was single. For starters: The worst photo is always more accurate than the best photo. Just like with dating profiles, be on the lookout for sneaky omissions. Earlier this summer, my family arrived at an Airbnb in Italy. “Where’s the living room?” I wondered. I soon realized there wasn’t one — the host had converted it into a bedroom so he could jack up the price. I’d made the reservation in a hurry and forgotten to scrutinize the listing pics. Also, be skeptical about any listing that’s loaded with photos of local tourist spots or closeups of glasses of wine — it’s the equivalent of padding your online dating profile with beach and skimountain shots.
Filter, filter, filter
Airbnb’s advanced filters can help you avoid bad bookings (and information overload). After your initial search results pop up, click “more filters” to specify the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as musthave amenities like Wi-Fi and air conditioning. It makes it less likely that you’ll end up with a place that claims to sleeps six . . . but only if five of them bed down on inflatable mattresses.
Read the reviews
Obvious, right? Read several of them — all the way through. Guests often save the worst for last in their written accounts.
Take pictures
If you have an issue after you check in, take photographs of the problem and contact Airbnb and the host immediately. Use only Airbnb’s messaging system to communicate with the host, and make sure any agreement you reach is crystal clear. One host who offered to let us cancel a bad booking later changed his mind and refused a refund. There’s a special place in vacation hell for him.