Illegal rental

[Joshua804]

I was asked by my host to lie and tell anyone who asked that we were friends with the person who "lives" here. One of the showers are broken and there are not enough linens among other things. Host said this would be remedied but not happening. Also locals and uber drivers telling us this apt complex doesn't allow Airbnb's. Am I entitled to any type of refund?

[Kate867]

@Joshua804   Your agreement is with the Host and Airbnb.   You cannot be absolutely sure that what people are telling you is the ‘truth’ (although it does sound likely.. unfortunately). However, you do need to give your host a reasonable amount of time to rectify and resolve any issues before you can claim any refund.  Take photographs and keep ALL communication on the Airbnb Messenger App if you wish to make a claim.  What you cannot do, is stay and then make a claim for a full refund because you believe the Host rented the property out illegally.

[Anonymous]

@Joshua804  The basic premise of refunds is that if you're unable to complete your stay due to major issues like missing amenities, safety hazards, or lack of access to the property, your host should refund you for the unused nights so that you can relocate. Airbnb knows that a huge percentage of listings are illegal and doesn't get involved with the policies of apartment buildings, so unless someone at the door is physically preventing you from entering, that's probably not a factor. Definitely mention it in the review, if the listing isn't explicit about guests being expected to lie.

You can try and get customer service involved, but they're slow and unreliable, so the likeliest result is drama. If you'd like to get out of this unpleasant situation and stay elsewhere, you may send your host a change request explaining that you're uncomfortable with lying to the neighbors. Ask for an earlier checkout date in exchange for a refund for the unused nights.

If you're just mildly annoyed and don't want to move, there's no kind of refund you'd be entitled to.

[Gordon0]

Are you looking to move out, @Joshua804, or just after a refund/some compensation?

[Gordon0]

DUPLICATE