Extra charges demanded on site

[David7156]

I have just made a booking and received an email from the host (an agent) which says:

"Mandatory costs (paid on-site):
- Final cleaning 8 EUR per. pers. per. stay, minimum 35 EUR
- Other consumption costs excl.

Optional costs:
- Bedlinen incl towels 10 EUR per. pers. per. stay"

This is - I think - expected to be paid in cash when we arrive. It was not stated in the price breakdown but I have now found a reference to it in the listing if you click "show all" on the house rules (i.e. not on the main page of the listing). I have used Airbnb a dozen or so times and have never seen anything like this - just cleaning fees that are clearly stated in the price breakdown. I also - perhaps wrongly - imagined that a house would come with sheets and I am completely unsure what "other consumption costs" we will be expected to pay.

Is there anything I can do - or do I just swallow the extra cost?

[David7156]

An update: I raised the issue with AirBnB support as suggested.

They checked the listing and told me that it includes "charges [that] are prohibited by Airbnb — where, all extra cost for maintenance of the property should be declared in the listing's pricing."

I asked what I should do and they told me that if I made the payment I would not be covered by their terms of service and I should "remind them that this isn’t how Airbnb works."

So I have done as they asked and await a response from the host.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@David7156 

"charges [that] are prohibited by Airbnb — where, all extra cost for maintenance of the property should be declared in the listing's pricing."

Which maintenance?

Did you ascertain what "- Other consumption costs excl." meant? 

[David7156]

I messaged the host as AirBnB asked but have not had a response. My pessimistic expectation is that we will not hear anything and will then have to argue it out when we arrive.

I don't know what the consumption costs will be - water, electricity I guess, but who knows. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@David7156 

Considering you don’t know the terms of your contract and are expecting to turn up and argue details, you must have obtained a bargain priced booking.

With the option of a free 48 hour cancellation, which would now have been missed and AirBnb pretty much avoiding any responsibility, does this booking have a flexible cancellation policy, almost like a “get out of jail free” card? Because I don’t think I’d like to be going to stay at any place where the booking information is so vague. If the Agent or host has a booking site, what does that say about those unknown fees?

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

I just had a notification of a reply 3/9/2020 which says this post 28/8/2020 was a new reply 'yesterday'.. obviously mustn't be as those posts are duplicated.

It would still be useful to know the booking details regarding cancellation policy, those elusive "maintenance charges" and whether you still intend staying there. @David7156