renting using airbnb

[David9412]

hi  is it a reasonable request to ask for one months rent and a deposit to view the flat before renting???????

[Helen744]

@David9412 that is not how Airbnb works.It is not a long term rental agency ,where you view houses for yearly rent in your area. It is short term generally holiday or short term work stays , anywhere from a day up to about a month. you choose from the airbnb app and must sign up on line with id but all 'viewing 'is done on line ,not in actuality and often the address is not shown exactly until a day or two before your travel dates.There is no lease and rarely a deposit and houses are furnished for short term travellers ,also it is generally a lot more costly and more like paying for a hotel room. Some hosts are on site and rent rooms ,wheras most rent whole apartments or houses. hosts are generally the owners also of the houses and not generally property managers. the booking agency does not host the home ,the owners do ,but yes, the payment is taken up front and held by Airbnb, until the guest arrives and begins their stay , there is no 'looking the place over' unless the home is wildy inaccurate in the description and written details then your stay begins when you arrive. hotels do not allow people to peek into their rooms before booking and private people in private homes use the online photos for you to make this decision up front. H

[Gwen386]

@David9412 I’m not sure if you’re asking about renting an apt for long term with a lease or seeking a short-term rental just to get away from the everyday grind. So I’ll answer your question in 2 parts:

1. Long term apt rental—No, it’s not ok to ask for one month rent and a security deposit to VIEW a space. As a matter of fact, airbnb does not collect security deposits. 

2. Short term rental—As a host, I would not allow viewing my property first under any circumstances. My photos are an accurate reflection of how my rental looks. Yes, I will entertain questions that are not obvious. Examples, are there any steps, can I charge my EV overnight, etc.

And nope, I’m not giving out my address to a stranger who has not booked my rental. That’s a no-no. 

[Sandra856]

@David9412 It is a classic scam if you found a place via Facebook Market Place or a similar page. They will tell you that they rent out via Airbnb to make it sound legit - but ask you to transpher money in order to be able to see the place. You will never see neither the money nor the apartment because it doesnt exist.

When you book the regular way finding a place on Airbnb you will pay with your credit card to Airbnb and Airbnb will keep your money safe until after you have checked in.