Lost keys - from a guest

[Alan211]

Hello there,

I need a bit of advice what and how to solve things with my host. I'm staying in Köln at the moment, but saturday evening at 8pm I realized i lost my keys. I started to make phonecalls to the caretaker, the property manager and the agency advertising on airbnb. None of these was reachable. Obviously tried to send them sms messages, but no reply either. I called the locksmith, charging 90 euros already just to tell me replacing the lock would cost me approx. 600 euros. I could not do else than send him away again as I never could realize it would be that expensive.

That was me wandering into a long saturday night spending at the Köln Hauptbahnhof with little cash left with my bankcard left in the appartment I was staying. I can tell you one thing, nights can be long and dark, oh, and cold in January. Now coincidence wants the next day was a sunday, ofcourse trying to reach one of them for a whole day, ofcourse no answers either on calls or messages. Obviously tried airbnb help too, but they managed to decently reply to me on Monday after I sent them saturday evening a panic message. Just to check if i had access to the appartment now. Just wow. I did obviously, spending the night in a cheap hostel with the little money i had left: 16,70 euros. Now my host thinks they do me a big favour with compensating me the 1 night at the hostel, the wonderul sum of €16,70, costs for the replacement of a new lock are for me: 170 euros. I'm living in a place where it's 66 euros for 1 night, 1150 for a month.

Do you think I've been treated well? Obviously I take the blame for losing the key, but in one way or another I feel a bit hard done by. 

[Emiel1]

Hi,

I think there is some lack of responsibility from the side of the host (or representives) if they can not be contacted during such a long period. I assume Airbnb also tried to contact them after you notified them of your problem ? Maybe bring the case, including the compensation of the host, again at the table at Airbnb.

In my opinion host should compensate/refund you (full or partially) for the 2 nights you could not stay in his appartment.

Best regards, Emiel

[Alan211]

I sent Airbnb a message on saturday evening 10pm. Airbnb replied to me on sunday afternoon that they would look into it by a person more capable of the matter. They called me back on monday noon to check if i was back. I asked them the same as I did here, and all they said was: you could ask for a compensation, but don't forget you and you only are responsible for the key laying pretty much all the blame with me. 

My host, an agency who only is reachable during office hours I guess, apologized, but they said they are not a 24/7 host and that they would compensate me the night at the hostel only (i rather not accept it to make a point to them to be fair, 16,70 euros is a joke imho) . I asked them for a compensation for 1 night at te place i'm renting from them, but even that seems too much. I'm not a troublemaker, so I didn't go further on it and asked your advice first. Thank you for that.

[Emiel1]

Hi,

If the host is an agency, it is probably a commercial activity. If so, the listing must be clear about that. Or are the co-hosting the host ?

Best regards,Emiel

[Jovo2]

Hi, the host should be reachable no question(not quiet this is not a  hotel with porter-true).

Perhaps swinging around opening door for guest , but more than certain next day changing locks at exspence of guest for sure.

[Matthew285]

@Alan211, you sound like a very reasonable and patient person.

In my opinion, if a listing relies on having a physical key, I would expect the host to have an easily accessible second copy available somewhere nearby. This is not just for the guest. What if a guest, upon check out, forgets to return the key? The host needs to have a backup plan for any newly arriving guests.

Critically, an AirBnB guest should at least be able to contact the host any time of the day or night. The host may or may not be able to help at any given moment, but they should at least be reachable.

It is not clear in your story when you were finally able to reach someone. It sort of sounds like Monday morning, but it also sort of sounds like you were back in the AirBnB listing by Sunday evening?

I think you have the right to be disappointed by the lack of support from the host.

I don't know what is fair compensation, but certainly the host should improve their ability to help the guests in emergency situations like this.

[Alan211]

Hey Matthew, thanks for replying. They sent me a airbnb message at monday 8.10am, I guess when office hours start again. In the end i had the key back at 10.00am at the monday after 2 miserable nights. I'm mostly disappointed in the caretaker, I didn't even see him yet and his hours that he is reachable on phone are beyond a joke. If I would have lost the key at Friday 5pm, I would have been 3 full nights and 2 full days without a stay. I'm 100% sure of that. Really devastated. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0 · Accepted solution]

@Alan211 as @Matthew285 said : an AirBnB guest should at least be able to contact the host any time of the day or night. The host may or may not be able to help at any given moment, but they should at least be reachable.

If your host was reachable he would give you another key and open the apartment for you and then next day he would call the locksmith, change the lock and give you the bill. You would pay a new lock but you would also stay at the place you paid for.

This way you were on the street for one night then in the hostel for another night and you have to pay for new lock and keys and you paid the locksmith.

My opinion is also that your host should compensate you for those 2 nights not spend at the apartment + for 1 night in the hostel + the locksmith you paid.  You should pay for instalation of the new lock and for new keys only.

[Marzena4]

Exactly like @Branka-and-Silvia0 pointed out, you're to blame, @Alan211, and the host as well.

[Alan211]

Thank you for replying, Branka é silvia, Marzena

Yeah, I perfectly understand that I have to take all the costs involving the key and the lock system. I have not objected against any of that either and I hate myself for losing it. Yet losing something is human I think, I feel very hard done by now and I lost the joy of my stay. I asked for a compensation for the night sunday-monday at the apartment only, but they don't take it. I can't afford they cancel me out either. I'm staying here for a month (4.Jan - 2.Feb), so finding another place now would be very very hard. If you could give me one advice, what would it be?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Alan211 you can contact Airbnb and ask them for their opinion. I don't think host will cancel your stay bc there are fines if they do (blocked dates, 100 $ fine , automated review.. ) If they do cancel you should get back your money for  future nights not spent.

Here is how you can contact Airbnb: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Contact-Airbnb-A-Community-Help-Guide/m-p/16165#M18763 

and the quickest way is through facebook, twitter or  https://www.airbnb.com/help/contact_us#/

@Sarah977 gave you a good advice to book directly with a host, not an agency. 

As @David126 said, we also have to sleep but my phone is always near my bed and in a case of emergency I answer in the middle of the night .  It happens very , very rare but we also had guests calling in 2 or 3 AM bc they've be drinking to much and forget the address or tried to unlock the wrong door etc... 😄

[Alan211]

Would it work against me if I try to resolve this after my trip is done? Agencies probably don't care much about a small fine for cancelling a guest. I rather not get in trouble because of it. But using the resolution centre 3 or 4 weeks after it happened might make airbnb wonder why I didn't put a file earlier and think I'm just trying to get cheap money. I guess it's not hard either for them to put a bad review about me on airbnb either, and say i'm a troublemaker would be enough for other hosts who don't know the story to reject me. I don't know if I want that.

[Sarah977]

Alan, I think this was a bad situation all around- you losing the keys was obviously your fault, the host and host's rep being not available to contact was very bad form on their part.

Given this experience, in the future, you might want to look at hostings where the owner lives on site, rather than the property being managed by a company. Be aware when looking at airbnb listings that you now only see the listings that are available by instant book, which is the default search. As a guest, turn the instant book filter off to see more- many of us hosts who live in the home where the listing is do not use the instant book feature, as we like to exchange a message or two with the guest to get a feel for who will be potentially staying in the home which we call ours, for safety and comfort reasons.

Sorry to hear of your miserable nights- no one needs this when on vacation. Hopefully your future travels are stress-free.

[David126]

I am not contactable 24/7, I have to sleep. But where an Agency is involved usually there is an Emergency Number. Or should be.

[JeanFrancois9]

Hi everyone,

My last week's guest forgot to give me the key to the entrance door, she is in South America now and left the key with the customs in the U.S.

What would be a reasonable compensation for the lost key ?

Thanks.

Jean-François