Bed bug infestation in Paris AirBNB

[Anna1482]

I recently rented a studio apartment for a fortnight to bridge the gap whilst moving from one apartment to another in Paris (I am a Headteacher of a Bilingual school there).  Unfortunately a week into my stay, I came out in bites all over my body - but in particular my back, arms and legs. My doctor confirmed that it was an infestation of bed bugs ( punaises de lit) and I asked to leave the apartment with immediate effect.  I (wrongly) assumed that AirBNB would take responsibility and re-house me. However, they refused saying they couldn't as I would potentially contaminate their other properties.

So I asked if they would reimburse me if I went to a hotel: they said they could make no guarantees but to keep the receipts. After my first night in a hotel at close to €200 for the night + a laundry bill (all my clothes had to be washed at the laundrette to eliminate the bugs) + a medical bill for cream, anti-histamine and spray to fumigate my clothes and luggage + taxi costs to move from the AirBNB to a hotel, I needed some reassurance that I would be recompensated for the extra costs (I had four more nights ahead of me too).  They gave no such reassurance. In fact, they continued telling me to save my receipts (as I spent my second night in a hotel at a similar price) and again said they'd 'see what they could do'. 

I showed the bed bugs at the AirBNB to my host as I leaving the apartment but she is now claiming she never saw any. In fact she had many theories about my spots. First she said, I had brought them with me from 'my own country' - I had already told her that I just lived up the road and was staying there as I was moving house and, for the record my apartment in the 16 arrondisment was happily free of bed bugs for the 3 years that I lived there. Then she said, it was my own fault as I'd slept with the window open. Then it was ticks.....anything other than what it actually was (and was positively identified by my doctor) - bed bugs.

AirBNB have reluctantly reimbursed me for some of my expenses but have refused to pay me back my first week at the apartment claiming that I had no bites the first week. The Centre for Disease Control clearly states that bites can take up to 14 days to appear. They have taken no notice of this fact. They have also charged me with the 'cleaning' of the property (something that I thought could only be a joke).

I would like a full reimbursement of my two week stay at this apartment to go some way towards the horror of my experience, the days I had to take off work (I work with small children and for health and safety reasons could not be in contact with them), my enormous expenses and because it is only right that if you are promoting properties to rent, that they abide by basic rules and standards of hygiene and cleanliness.

bed bug bites on my legs

bed bug bites on my arms

bed bug found on my clothing

[Ali40]

Based on you saying that the bites might not appear for 14 days, and you noticed them 1 week after check in - AIrbnb could argue that you were indeed bitten prior to checking in and that you brought bedbugs to the AIrbnb  

I would not want Airbnb to move a guest in to my listing in this circumstance either. They were right in not re-homing you in to another Airbnb. 

It’s an unfortunate situation, but unless you can prove that the bedbugs were in the listing prior to your arrival, (did the guest right before you suffer any bites?) you’re on the hook for your hotel, etc. 

[Anna1482]

Ali, 

It is an impossible situation to prove I agree. I moved from my own apartment in Paris where I have lived for the past 3 years with no bed bugs to an AirBNB apartment where, one week into my stay, had 200 bites. For me that is proof enough but I agree that for AIrBNB to take responsibility I need more! However, to be able to 'prove' that I didn't have them before would mean that I would need to be able to predict that I was going to get them in order to gather the proof before staying at the AirBNB ! So, there needs to be some human decency in this situation and, to a degree, trust.

Upon checking out of the apartment, the host saw the bed bugs. I gave her one in her hand. She is now claiming that no such thing happened. Again, I did not think to record our conversation.

Neither did I think she would be so dishonest when questioned by AirBNB.

Bed bugs do not travel on people but on clothes and in luggage. If I had brought them with me, I would have had an infestation at my own home - just a few kilometres away from the AirBNB. I did not. Neither did anyone in my family.

My bites were verified by the doctor as bed bugs with a written 'attestation' (sent to AirBNB).  Due to the 'age' of my bites, my contamination was within the timeframe of my stay at the AirBNB.  I cannot, once again, prove that I only slept in that bed (I did!) as I did not have the foresight to predict (and photograph myself asleep there each night) that I'd be sleeping with an infestation of bed bugs.

All I wanted was for somewhere to sleep for my remaining nights in Paris after exiting the place I believe to have bed bugs (I am in the process of moving cities): AirBNB failed on this front miserably. I was treated like a pariah and although they have since refunded some money towards the costs of hotels  (booked and organised myself), I am still out of pocket and they have reimbursed me only after dozens of letters (i.e. not willingly). I was charged for the cleaning of the apartment too which is a little ironic!

It is interesting that you believe I am 'on the hook' for my own hotel bill. I am relatively new to AirBNB and thought (wrongly) that since they boasted more rooms on their books than the biggest hotel chain, that they would take some responsibility (like one of the biggest hotel chains would) when something goes wrong. Not so. 

I believe I have proved that my bed bugs came from my AirBNB stay. I didn't have them before (and nor did anyone in my family) and I had them after staying at an AirBNB. I was greatly inconvenienced by the experience - having to move from the AirBNB and from hotel to hotel every night thereafter; time off work (I am a Head teacher of a bilingual school in Paris and missed my final days there due to the bites); all related expenses that I incurred; fumigating myself and my belongings in public places (I obviously had to use a public laundromat to clean my clothes; the streets of Paris to spray my cases and luggage) and most of all, being covered in festering bites....for all of these reasons, I think to ask to be compensated for my remaining nights (four) is little to ask.....especially from a company that claims it is the biggest hotel chain in the world.

[Ali40]

Airbnb has zero rooms. Airbnb is a booking platform that matches people looking for rooms with people offering rooms to rent. 

It would be irresponsible for Airbnb to ask another host to accept you in their listing, knowing your luggage/clothes are infested with bedbugs. 

Airbnb is smart to stand behind the host in this instance as there was no evidence of infestation prior to your arrival.  Exterminating bedbugs is expensive and cumbersome. 

You are fortunate that Airbnb offered any compensation at all. 

[Anna1482]

Thank you for your contribution. I was under the impression that your 'Level 10' badge referred to your level of expertise in answering/solving problems for people like me who have had poor experiences with AirBNB. I see now from my research, that it simply refers to the number of hours you spend/numbers of responses you post so my exchange with you is futile. 

[Helen3]

How rude @Anna1482

[Anna1482]

It was not meant to be rude in the slightest: merely a misunderstanding on my part. I thought I was being connected to someone who could genuinely help me with my plight - it turns out I was not. I was misled by her badge indicating an ability of 'level 10' and that simply equates to how many times she answers posts, comments on others' posts. It turns out she has no expertise at all on my problem.

[Gordon0]

@Anna1482 It would seem to me that you did indeed suffer at the hands of this host, otherwise it would be an incredible coincidence. Furthermore, I do not agree that you are 'fortunate that Airbnb offered any compensation at all'. 

If you still wish to fight the decision [not to compensate you any further] you may want to try tweeting Airbnb. 

[Anna1482]

Thanks for the advice Gordon. I am new to AirBNB and to social media so I will try to tweet them. The apartment that I stayed in is still available for rent I notice...

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Anna1482 Bloody hell! I am so sorry to read and see you in such a terrible situation you went through. I would advice you to contact a lawyer if ever you do not get fully refunded.Try to contact Airbnb via twitter @Airbnb2 and let them know that if you will not get any refund after such a situation you are going to take legal actions against them.Please share all updates concerning this case.Good luck!

[Anna1482]

Thanks for your support Oomesh! And yes I will be taking this further and will update on my progress. 

[Cormac0]

@Anna1482

This may seem like a curious question, Did you tell the management of the Hotel you stayed in that, you were potentially a vector for bed bugs? I presume not.

Here in lays the problem its essentially your word against the Host, but since both you and the Host are at a financial loss (fumigation cost are not cheap and takes days to resolve the problem), I think you should except Airbnb offer and move on.

I’m a super host like @Ali40  and we give our advice on a pro bono basis much to the delight of Airbnb (where else would you get people to work for nothing).

Super host status is awarded to Hosts by their Guest deeming that they have fulfilled the necessary requirements to receive this accolade.

On this point five stars for cleanliness would be very important, I notice the offending Host has received OUTSTANDING comment for cleanliness for all his/her listings.

Something does not add up.

[Anna1482]

You presumed wrong.  Having exited the infected AirBNB in question, I went to the doctor (to confirm the Pharmacist's diagnosis that it was bed bugs), bought the appropriate medication for myself (disinfectant soap, skins creams and anti-histamines), fumigation sprays for my luggage, bought new clothes to wear, went to the public laundromat to wash the clothes in my suitcase at 90° (as recommended by the doctor) and only then, did I check in to the hotel. Why would you presume that I didn't act responsibly....you don't even know me! 

By the way it doesn't take 'days to resolve' the fumigation process if, like me, you are just 'passing through' the infestation. It will, however, take the host days to resolve. Bed bugs do not travel on  people (like other insects such as lice, fleas etc) so, with newly bought clothes, fumigated and freshly laundered clothes and luggage, moving on for me, was relatively painless (well, with the exception of the 200 sores have on my body and the soaring costs that 'moving on' entailed).

The host's place was clean and spotless. But bed bugs are not visible, are nocturnal and don't make a big mess! The host, when faced with me leaving, was convinced  that it was the previous guest that had left them.  She was keen to tell me how disgusting he was as he had blocked her toilet and broken her shower door... So, it is quite possible for the host to have 5 stars for cleanliness - indeed I would have given her five myself - and for there still to be bed bugs.

It's a shame that your super-host skills don't stretch to you informing yourself before commenting on someone else's plight (it is easy enough to get some basic facts of how bed bugs are spread) or before assuming that others might behave as irresponsibly as my AirBNB host did.

[Cormac0]

You’re not the first guest that has been infected by bed bugs on these blogs, in fact we had a host on here that was accused of having bedbugs in her apartment, yet a trained fumigator could not find any evidence for such a claim.

I can only draw my conclusion on what you write, you've added additional information that you did not have in your original post. 

This information is somewhat conflicting, your host has stated that they were sure that the previous guest to you was the culprit surely you should have written that in your original post and you state that people can’t act as a vector while at the same time as going to the trouble of washing all your cloths at 90c.

Essentially your Host admitted culpability by suggesting that the previous guest to you was a dirty article and potentially the source of the infestation did you not think that this was germane to your original post.

I’m not a barrister but your posts seem to be a mass of contradictions.

What you write and the way you write it give clues to those not directly involved as to the veracity of your claims, additionally we have not heard the host side of the story!

[Helen3]

So you are confirming you told the hotel that you recently had been the subject of a bed bug infestation @Anna1482