"Entire Place" does not gauruntee the place will not be shared

[Brett392]

I quickly booked an airbnb for a last minute trip, filtering only by the place type - "entire place". Assuming this meant I would not have to share any common areas, as per Airbnbs own definition: https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/5/types-of-places-to-stay

I found a place that was marked as "entire home" and booked it, not thinking much about about the details. When I arrived I had discovered that there was 2 other suites. The kitchen, bathroom and entrance are all common space. The only private space I had was my own bedroom. Reading the details of the bookings description, it does state that the bathroom and kitchen are shared. But this does not change the fact that the listing is categorized and findable as an "entire place". Is this not considered to be apart of the "private room" category? I can't help but feel mislead.

I contacted airbnb support and was told that because the listing mentioned shared space in the place's description, it was not considered inaccurate to be covered by AirCover and that a listing in the "entire place" category does not guaruntee it will not be a shared space. This seems totally unfair and creates an environment where hosts are rewarded for making misleading listings with the bookings of travelers in a rush who trust Airbnb's platform to deliver honest and accurate information about a place. Thoughts?

[Emiel1]

@Brett392 

Based on your description the listing should be advertized as a room with shared facilities.

So the listing is misleading and should be reported ("report" link on the listing).

[Huma0]

@Brett392 

I agree. I host private rooms in my house with shared common areas. I would never dream of listing them as an entire space and there is no reason for a host to do so as there are clear categories they can pick to more accurately describe the space.

Unfortunately, not that many Airbnb CS reps seem that well trained/informed anymore, so I would try again if I was you. The categorisation is misleading regardless of whether or not it was mentioned elsewhere in the listing as this is contradictory.

However, I would say that even if you are in a rush, it's always worth reading over the rest of the listing details. While you might not always find those kind of inconsistencies, there are many important points that might only be mentioned in the listing details as there is no other place for a host to put them. There might be other things that you are not comfortable with, so you really should take a few minutes to read it.

[Brett392]

I agree with you, I've definitely learned from this situation and will longer be putting as much trust into what that can be seen at a glance. Definitely reading and rereading every section now. But I don't know if I'll be using Airbnb anymore at this point since the support team has closed my issue after I implored them to reconsider their decision. It's disappointing to seem them take the side of inaccurate information.

[Huma0]

@Brett392 

Dealing with CS can be really frustrating at times. It's sad that you don't want to use Airbnb anymore. I can understand your hesitation. However, there are many amazing listings out there where hosts go out of their way to offer a good experience and hospitality.

Unfortunately, Airbnb does not always make it easy for us to highlight important aspects of our listings. I am not saying that is what happened in your circumstance as the host should have listed it as a private room in a shared space, not an entire space. However, there is often other important information that we are not given the option to highlight. We have to include it in slightly hidden sections (guest has to click on links to see it) which is why I really make a point to my guests to make sure they have read everything. I don't want guests to book if it's not going to be suitable for them. That doesn't help anybody.

So, again, it's really important to read the full listing in order to avoid disappointment. If there is anything you are unsure of, contact the host and ask questions. If they are unresponsive or vague, then that's usually a sign that you shouldn't book their place.

[Debra300]

@Brett392,

A more accurate categorization of the space would be Private Room, but I have seen a lot of previous posts from hosts who are confused about which category to assign their place, or it's difficult for them to find on their host dashboard where to modify information. Please share the link of the space with us.

[Brett392]

Normally I would be understanding of this, but when I later checked the hosts profile, I found the other two suites and they are listed with the correct place type of "private room". I can't help but feel this was done deliberately. It doesn't help that the place photos seemed to be taken at awkward angles to hide the doors to the other suites

[Debra300]

@Brett392,

Okay, since you've said the other listings have the correct property type I am more inclined to believe that the host doesn't know how to correct or doesn't realize the error.  What did the host say when you mentioned that the listing says entire place?  Are there any reviews that mention the misclassification?

I can tell you from my own experience when I first set up my listings it was done over a period of days, and I know that I forgot to include and check the same boxes on all of them.  Plus, it took me a while to figure out how to list my apartment either as 1 bedroom or 2 bedrooms, and properly link their respective calendars together.  Since I was a new user it was difficult for me to locate where to update the property information, and I am not alone.  In fact, if you were to do a search on this forum, you will see many posts asking for help to revise a listing, because either the poster is a new/infrequent user or the dashboard has been changed, and they don't know how to navigate it yet. 

[Fred13]

If that host already has corrected their listing, then it is probably an honest mistake. If not, it is a hustle, since didn't make the same mistake with the other two, then you are 100% correct in your reaction. For starters 'entire place' denotes a level of privacy, which sharing doesn't allow.

[Suzanne302]

@Brett392 

Entire place should mean "Entire Place" and I'm sorry this happened to you. Even if this was an honest mistake, Airbnb CS should have refunded you or relocated you. That is unacceptable.

As a host I believe guests should really read the ENTIRE description, but in this case, the category was simply completely wrong. I would escalate this with CS and try to get a refund.

I don't think that the wrong categorization is a widespread problem, but the fact that CS is notorious for being misinformed and untrained is the real problem.

[Brett392]

Update: I've contacted yet another customer service agent in a last ditch attempt at reconsideration, but they remained firm on their decision of closing my issue after I begged them to look at the facts again. They said the choice came from a high level ambassador who has final say on these matters. I would like to remind everyone that the initial specialist I talked with that decided the result of this case has stated that the "entire place" category does not guaruntee that a place will not be shared. A statement that in itself seems to be contradictory. Airbnb is deliberately siding with hosts that are using misleading and/or contradictory information. 

Thank you to everyone that offered their insight and encouragment. I hope the right person from airbnb support sees this thread to take corrective action to prevent future issues and for all future guests to be aware of this issue.

[Robin4]

@Brett392 

Brett I would regard that listing as deceptive and should be followed up further with CS. As @Fred13  has said, 'entire space' indicates a certain level of privacy, and sharing of kitchen, bathroom does not satisfy that level of privacy to be classified in that way. Airbnb need to sort this out or they are going to have a surge in shared facility listings being falsely described because of one statement buried somewhere in the description. It is misleading and I am sorry you have experienced this.

Having said that, guests have different perspectives as what constitutes and 'entire space' and perhaps that defining line gets blurred at times.

I have come across this issue with some guests at times.

My listing cottage is listed as an Entire Guesthouse, it is self contained with it's own bathroom and kitchenette, and shares nothing with our main residence. The problem is, it is on the same plot of land and shares the same garden area, same outdoor seating areas.

Every now and then I will get a review like this........

Because the word 'entire' appears in the listing title the guest is of the opinion they are going to be the only ones on the property! Still, we live with it!

Cheers........Rob