bedbugs

[Jai1]

What happens when you get bedbugs from staying at a home?  What is the process to take to be compensated and move to another property?

[Meaghan22]

Bed bugs are that pest, which can go out of control. Sometimes, it becomes very difficult to handle the infestation on your own. The best solution to get rid of them is to hire professional pest control services like, City Pest Control, bed bug exterminator NJ ( http://www.eg-exterminatorsnj.com/Bed-Bug-Pest-Control.html ), etc., who have lots of experience in eliminating pests.

[Christopher738]

The WORST experience EVER!!!! My 10 year old daughter received 200 plus bed bug bites !some even on her genitalia area!  Thank goodness my 9 month old had her own crib and didn’t get any bites . Air bnb has been the RUDEST and least helpful! Not to mention all of the belongings we have lost . Stay clear from these companies who do not require/ follow certain compliance regulations! I will spread the word about this disgusting misleading company !! 

[Elizabeth2740]

Yep. Just stayed at an air BNB in Clermont, FL and woke up on the last day being COVERED in huge bites. Turned the flashlight on on my phone and saw a bedbug crawling right next to me. Found 4 more while searching the bed. 3 I was able to capture in a Ziploc bag. Since we discovered the bugs on our last day, they said they cannot refund us. I am going to try disputing the charges with my credit card company. I've also contacted the BBB and Lake County, FL health department. And I am considering contacting a lawyer because this is insane how many customers airBNB hasn't protected. 

[Pam315]

They don’t refund the stay.  I spent 470 and I’m covered in bites.  Airbnb needed 2 forms of evidence: pictures of the bites and a doctors note (if I couldn’t provide a pic of the bugs... I was already home at this point).  I went to the doctor, got the evidence which cost 240 in ficit fee and medicine.  I assumed I was going to at least be refunded my whole 470 for the stay.   But no... they gave me 200, didn’t even cover my medical bills.  So I actually ended up paying them to give me bugs.  Let alone that my body is covered and I have to work like this because I don’t have a job where I can call in.   Their policy is bull**bleep**.  

[Elizabeth2740]

Dispute the charges with your credit card company. Even with pictures to prove you have bedbugs and the bites and blood stains on sheets, they refuse to refund me. 

[V-Ctor-A0]

Airbnb appears to have a different "policy" depending on the circumstance.  My horrible experience with the dubious Airbnb bed bug "policy" began when my companion and I stayed in what was advertised as a "Rustic SW style, Pet Friendly, 1 bedroom Apartment" in Silver City, NM. To our dismay, what we discovered when we arrived was a dusty, musty-smelling, cobweb-covered basement in the Airbnb owner's home.  After less than 35 hours there, when we vacated the premises, it was not yet obvious that bed bugs had bitten me. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), “most people do not realize they have been bitten until bite marks appear anywhere from one to several days after the initial bite.” In my case, the bed bug bites began to reveal themselves three days after we vacated the premises. After being diagnosed with bed bug bites, I submitted a detailed refund request to the Airbnb host and included photographs of the bed bug bites. The host angrily refused my refund request, responding in a hostile email peppered with retaliatory, deny-and-deflect statements; clearly, a thinly veiled attempt to discredit me and my complaint about bed bugs. After she ignored my second request to reconsider the evidence and do the right thing for me and future guests, I provided all information via the Airbnb Resolution portal. When I spoke with Airbnb by phone regarding this issue, the Airbnb Support rep specifically stated that Airbnb would immediately take action to prevent these hosts from renting their property to other Airbnb guests until after the bedbug issue was investigated and resolved. Regardless, Airbnb did NOT do what this Airbnb rep said Airbnb would do. What actually happened was that Airbnb Support made a strategic, dubious decision to refrain from responding at all to my detailed dispute resolution documentation — comprising 30+ pages along with several clear photographs of my bedbug bites — which I provided in writing, via the Airbnb Resolution portal, on the same day I had spoken by phone with the Airbnb Support rep. In fact, that Airbnb Support rep delayed her response until AFTER the 14-day guest review period had expired.  (Airbnb seems to make this a practice, as reported in the 8/13/19 CNET article entitled "Bedbugs are giving Airbnb users headaches… and itchy bites.")  Seems to be a surreptitious Airbnb practice to prevent guests from leaving an honest review to warn others about bedbug bites incurred at Airbnb properties. These duplicitous actions on the part of Airbnb Support are consistent with what numerous other bedbug-bitten Airbnb guests have posted on this and other forums about these ongoing bedbug issues. Even though I submitted all documentation as described Airbnb's refund policy and met the legal burden of proof to validate my complaint, Airbnb Support chose to disregard /ignore my response. I ended up having to dispute the charge via Visa. In stark contrast to how Airbnb handled my complaint, Visa took the time and care to review all the documentation I provided — and Visa stood behind me. It took almost three months to resolve this issue via Visa, but I finally won the dispute against Airbnb, and Visa charged the full amount of this stay back to Airbnb. In retrospect, it's despicable that Airbnb chose to pursue the path of corporate greed, rather than doing the right thing for longtime Airbnb guests. But take heart: If Airbnb won’t do the right thing, you do have the option of asking your credit card company to stand behind you.

[Elizabeth2740]

Thank you, I will be going the credit card dispute route. I was covered head to toe in bites my last day at the air BNB, before check out. And they still refuse to refund me because I stayed all week. I'm considering hiring a lawyer bc this is insane. I even showed them photos of three bed bugs I had captured and the blood stained sheets from them biting me in the middle of the night. I cannot believe air BNB doesn't protect their customers. I am a long time air BNB customer and I will never be using an air BNB after this. They just lost a valuable customer. 

[Katie551]

I'm currently at an Airbnb in Hawaii. We've been itching for a couple days. Called the host, they sent someone to look, and they said there were no bedbugs. We were stupid and believed them. Just turned the mattress over and its infested. Called Airbnb and they wanted photo proof. We sent proof of the bugs and bites. It's been over two hours and they aren't returning our call. It's past midnight, raining, nothing is open. Truly wishing we'd stayed in a hotel because they would be able to solve issues fast. Instead, we are trapped in bed bug hell.

[Chris497]

Please be very careful when you go home. NO bags in your own bedroom ; leave them outside or seperate.. Wash your clothes on min 60 degrees in the machine. 

i was a host for 5 years and stopped because of this problem.

Travelers take them everywhere around, the bed bugs.

[Katie551]

 Thanks for the message. Yes it's so terrible. We've already washed and dried our clothes and thrown away everything else. Now it's 3AM and no hotel will take us because it's past the booking time. This has really been the worst Airbnb experience. Oh and we're still itching.

[Nafisa1]

What ended up happening? How did you contact air bnb? 

[Mandi-S-Just-Business-Ro0]

The sanest way to manage bed bugs as a Host is to convince yourself that you have them.

Bed bugs are epidemic in many North American cities. You can pick them up just about anywhere there is tufted furniture, carpet, and/or people: doctor's offices, at a concert or restaurant, etc. Your kid can pick them up at school.  And your guests may accidentally bring them in on their luggage. You may never know for sure, because it can take an egg 6-8 weeks to reach adulthood. It's possible that the Guest who finds them may have, in fact, brought them with them. And it's hell on earth getting rid of them - at least, for now.

Until technology catches up, the best method is the defensive one.

The best method of eradication is by a professional. The most effective, non toxic professional method is superheating your home. This will not only kill bed bugs and their eggs, but also flies, silverfish, etc. and even mice. Depending on how many people are in your home, you may need to do this as a preventative measure a couple of times a year. 

To reduce the incidence:

Mattresses and pillows should have authentic bedbug proof covers.

Steel framed beds are an advantage over wooden ones.

Keep all rooms free of clutter. The more that's stored, the harder it is for them to get to.

All linens, towels, bedding, curtains, etc. should be machine washed on hot and machine dried on hot for at least 30 minutes. Where possible, use bleach or unbleachables bleach.

Store linens separately and in plastic when not in use.  

Remove any extraneous plush toys, padded furnishings, and carpets.

Caulk loose windows, and where floor meets wall. 

Steaming furniture and walls is also said to be effective.

Do all of the above, and then spray with an accredited bed bug spray* in each room with every changeout. I also wash floors with a strong bleach or alcohol formula then.

*I found that the local professional cleaning supply house offers the most up to date preparations.

This is by no means a complete list, and it's not a guarantee. But it will go a long way to offsetting them.

Set water or adhesive traps under bed posts and check regularly to monitor for bed bugs.

[Liz-and-Earl0]

We just read the review of the last guest for a place we are renting starting tomorrow night.  The guest reported bed bugs.  How do we ensure that there are not bed bugs.  This host has a strict cancellation policy, but I don't want to expose my family if the situation has not been properly remediated.  Can we get relocated or refunded now?

[Xin2]

ew!!! did you take pictures? post them!

[link removed]

[Sabine42]

you contact Airbnb and have them refund you for your stay, they can also help you find another place to stay. if you're certain that you 'contracted' bedbugs from this particular place, inform the host (i assume you did) so they can take the necessary steps to deal with it. bedbugs are a hosts worst nightmare, i wouldn't necessarily write a devastating review unless the place was dirty and uncared for all around. 

BUT: the problem is that you'll be taking them with you unless you take the necessary steps to make sure you're not infesting somebody elses place. This is a tricky one, enter 'bedbugs' in the search box, there are lots of recommendations as to how to get rid of them. 

+1-855-424-7262 (toll-free) or @Airbnbhelp

good luck!

[Damir0]

How is it possible to "contract" bed bugs? How do they even get in a home? 

How to prevent getting bed bugs in my own home? (I host on Airbnb)

[Kannan0]

Damir:

Bedbugs travel on people's clothes and can be in their luggage. Some of your tenants can bring them to you, and some can take a few away to their own homes from staying at your place after that. As a host, what you need to do is check often like I am sure the big hotels do. Generally in colder climates, they are less of a problem, but someone can come from a warmer climate with some in their belongings, and they can spread.

[Cristina1214]

actually the bug is more frequent in The United States and Canada. In warmer climates they don't survive and spread as much.

[William205]

There is actually something you can do.  There is a new technology that was rolled out to hotels last year and made available to consumers/hosts just last week.  The technology helps solve the problem with bed bugs.

You can learn more about it (video) and get pricing and order here:

www.nomorebedbugcomplaints.com

And more info on the company here:

www.deltafive.com

[Chris497]

I have the same problem in my air b&b room. Doing this already 4 years and since january I found the bug. Took the action ! The Rentokill company came over for 4 sessions in the months of jan feb march. 

The problem is that I had some guest reservations on my calendar. I let it go on and now, it is May.

The infection with bed bugs is again began. 

Rentokill came for the second treatmant, again 3 sessions of desinfecting the room.

The 'problem' costed me so far 820 €

this is much more than the renting has gave me.

I think I have to stop ....

Anybody has any suggestions or tips ?