No facilities / no hot water but extra fees - what do I do?

[Marta1135]

I have a few issues with my AirBnB accommodation in Sassari, Sardinia. I booked 2 nights for 3 people.

1. There was no hot water for the first 24 hours. There was also no microwave or basic kitchen utensils: oil, salt and pepper, although they were mentioned on the offer. I wonder - what amount can we expect for the first night? I'm thinking 30% (So 15% of the total price of stay)

2. There were additional fees in the description - my fault that I did not notice them earlier, but the description was in Italian and these are fees that are not in the summary of the price I pay to AirBnB - i.e. 6 euros of city tax that the owner wants to get in cash and 5.5 euros for third set of bedding. It is logical to me that if I am booking for 3 people then 3 sets of bedding are included. My question: are the additional fees mentioned in the description (but not in the payment summary) applicable?

3. In the price summary and in the fee we paid, there was only the total price and the service fee. The owner wants us to clean up the kitchen after ourselves. Don't get me wrong - I ALWAYS clean up after myself and collect used sheets in one place to facilitate the cleaners' work, but I find his demands brazen - cleaning up after the guests should be his responsibility, it's not a CouchSurfing. Am I right?

I don't want a conflict with the host, but I find his demands brazen, especially in the face of water problems and the generally imperfect condition of the apartment (e.g. a lot of blown light bulbs). What can I do in this situation?

[Helen350]

@Marta1135 

It is stated in the Airbnb Terms of Service  paragraph (11.1)  that guests "are responsible for leaving the Accommodation in the condition it was in when you arrived."

- That means guests are to tidy up & remove their own mess, wash the dishes, and wipe up crumbs & spills! (Just like Couch Surfing!!!)

https://airbnb.co.pl/terms#eusec201910_8 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

6 euros of city tax that the owner wants to get in cash

as far as I know this is allowed and common

and 5.5 euros for third set of bedding. It is logical to me that if I am booking for 3 people then 3 sets of bedding are included.

 It may be that your host expected that 2 of you would use 1 double bed but you requested to sleep separately using three beds or a sofa. But  in this case, it should be written somewhere on their description or house rules. Usually, the bedding is in the price.

[Marta1135]

Thank you for your reply. We actually used a double bed and sofa - i don't mind sleeping in one bed with my sister. 

[Sarah977]

As far as the missing amenities, if they were listed in the property description, you have a case for a partial refund. 

As for the cleaning, no, it isn't the host's job to clean up guests' personal messes. And especially if there was no cleaning fee. Airbnb guests should make sure they've washed their dishes, wiped down the kitchen counters and a greasy stovetop, that all the garbage is in the designated containers, and whatever other before check-out procedures the host has mentioned.  Some hosts ask guests to strip the beds, but many hosts prefer that the guests leave the used bedding on the bed, so you can't just assume which it is.

What is the host's responsibility as far as cleaning is concerned is the heavy duty cleaning and sterilizing, laundry, etc. to be done between guests. It isn't reasonable for a host to expect a guest to clean the place well enough for a new guest to move in,  just not leave a mess behind you. And for a guest, taking 15-20 minutes to make sure you've left the place clean and tidy just shows respect and can make the difference between you getting a stellar review and a so-so one.

@Marta1135 

[Anonymous]

@Sarah977  OMG we just wrote virtually the same thing at once. Twinsies!

[Anonymous]

@Marta1135 

1. If you arrive at a property and find that key amenities are either missing or non-functional, what you're supposed to do is report it to the host right away. If you do so, and no suitable resolution is reached, you may contact Airbnb within 24 hours to cancel your booking. As long as you vacate the property, you'll then be entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your stay. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/544/

If you choose to complete your stay despite the problems, you're not entitled by policy to compensation - it's entirely at the host's discretion. I do think it would be good customer service on their part to offer you some kind of discount for the night you went without hot water etc, so while you're idea is reasonable, you're in no position to dictate the terms there. In short, if the state of the property is unacceptable, you have no leverage unless you leave.

2. Yes, hosts can charge fees that aren't assessed in Airbnb's initial statement, as long as they are disclosed in the listing. Airbnb does embed an auto-translate feature for those who choose to use it, but mistranslations do happen sometimes. If you aren't able to understand the text you're agreeing to because of language issues, it's important to inquire before you book. 

3.  It's completely standard in Airbnb that guests are expected to clean the items they use in the kitchen - wash dishes, countertops, stove, remove your rubbish, and take your food out of the fridge. Just the same as you'd be expected to flush the toilet after you poo. But it would be brazen to ask guests to completely prepare the property for the next guests - for example, washing the linens or deep-cleaning the floors. You have every right to ask the host for clarity about which tasks are expected of you, and you can choose to adapt your use of the kitchen to the amount of cleaning you're willing to do. If you choose to leave a dirty kitchen behind, you probably won't get penalized by Airbnb, but the host might leave comments in your public review that will make other hosts hesitant to accept you. I see that's already happened to you once...

[Sarah977]

While I know the protocol is to contact the host first to give them an opportunity to correct any issues,  if it's something like a missing appliance, I'm not sure what the point would be of contacting the host (other than following protocol and having a documented message trail that you complained about it to the host). It's not like he's going to run out and buy a microwave and install it- one would assume he knew he had it listed, but wasn't providing one.  

For something like finding that there are hardly any cooking or eating utensils, when the listing said they were provided, that would seem worth notifying the host about- maybe the previous guests made off with a bunch of them and the host or the cleaner didn't notice and would bring more over. 

 @Anonymous

[Anonymous]

@Sarah977  It's hard to say exactly where to draw the line, but some amenities are fairly interchangeable. If there's no microwave but some other cooking implement such as a stove or toaster oven, it's a matter that bears correction but doesn't really justify compensation. 

What's most shocking to me - and presumably, anyone else who's ever been to Sardinia - is that someone who has only 2 nights in Sassari would even consider passing up all of the gastronomic delights at every turn to microwave a meal in their Airbnb. Some Italian friends would just faint at the mention of this.

[Sarah977]

Well, it's quite possible that the OP had no intention of microwaving or cooking anything, but saw a missing amenity as grounds for a refund, even if it wouldn't affect her stay, which of course would be nasty. And, as we know, there are some travelers who are quite unadaptable- if they're used to heating up a cup of coffee in a microwave, and there isn't one, they'd decide that was cause for complaint and a refund, even though they could easily heat up the coffee in a pot on the stove.

Yeah, I'd be eating out, too, if I were somewhere that had not-to-be-missed cuisine.

I've never been an Airbnb guest, but I can imagine that there might be several amenities in a listing that I would never have occasion to use. So I might not even realize that some things that were advertised were missing, and even if something were missing that I would use, but could deal with the lack of in another way,  I wouldn't bother making a big deal of it, I'd just mention it in the review or private feedback to the host. Even if I had to have one cold shower because there was something wrong with the water heater, I wouldn't consider it some terrible hardship. Expecting life to be perfect is a good way to ensure being constantly disappointed.

@Anonymous

[Anonymous]

@Sarah977 Notably, Airbnb's guest refund policy is far more generous than those of even many higher-end resorts and tourist traps. There's no guarantee that you're going to get a discount when you arrive at the resort and find the pool is closed for maintenance. Disneyland doesn't give you a refund if you get through the gates and find your favorite rides are out of service. 

I know what it's like to be on the other end of the line at the help desk when an angry tourist is demanding compensation over some little disappointment and thinking, "my god do you have any idea how incredibly lucky you are to be able to have a holiday at all?"  And sure, much of the time their complaints were not technically wrong, but I wished I could have taken all the potential joy that they squandered and donated it to someone who can only dream of visiting Italy for the weekend because they're, I dunno, hooked up to a ventilator because of that darn virus that tourists keep bringing home.

[Heidi588]

You speak in the present tense, the owner wants us to clean up the kitchen after ourselves.

Sounds like you're still there and trying to figure out how to get money back afterward. I'd suggest you talk to the host about your issues first, and not try to pile on little nitpicky things to strengthen your case -- either it's strong or it's not. It's sounds like you're being opportunistic at worst, entitled at best. 

I know I myself sound like I'm on a moral high horse and it's probably not very persuasive. I'm human, and when I've acted the same way in the past as you're considering now, I look back and I'm not impressed with myself. It felt powerful at the time, but now, I realize I was taking illegitimate advantage of the power I had in such situations. You're not dealing with a cold, faceless corporation here, but a human. If there's a fight to be had, you can fight clean and not try to stack things in your favor, it actually weakens your position. If you fight clean and lose, you can know you were worthy of winning and have won your own self-respect. 

[Marta1135]

Oh, sorry, I thought its a place where you get support, not a hosts' circlejerk.

This trip was a gift for my mom's 60th birthday. Prepared by my sister and myself, long awaited and not a cheap one - but my mom totally deserves it as she was denying herself trips and holidays abroad to make sure we have everything.

This was the most expensive of all our accomodations, but it was a "designer apartment", so I thought it would be worth it. We arrived on Sunday and spent the first evening looking for a grocery shop, (because the offer said that there would be oil and salt) and fixing the hot water issue. Not really a fun things to do on holidays. The owner was not sure how to make it work, but he wrote that I "must understand that he manages 8 other apartments". Poor thing.

The designer apartment had designer lamps, but no lightbulbs. It had a gas stove but no matches or lighter. It had a dishwasher but not a dishwasher liquid. It also had a broken shower (all three parts: nozzle, hose and holder - one of previous guests reported it in a review. The review was written in early September) and a broken bed. What it didn't have, was a microwave (and really, Im not going to go into details on why I needed it), an instruction on how to use facilities or, frankly any intention to make the guests' stay comfortable. The most expensive and the worst stay in Sardinia.

As for the other issues that have been raised here:

1. My stay in Italy is not a matter of luck but a matter of hard work - I work hard all year long to show my mom things that she dreamt about. And when I spend my hard earned money, it's a transaction not the favor given by the owner. I delivered everything on my end, the flat owner didnt, @Sarah997.

2. @Heidi588: our host manages 8 properties. You still think it's a small family business? The biggest host in London rents 881 properties and makes 11.9 million pounds per year. Three biggest owners in Warsaw have 90% of properties. It is a big business. And honestly I don't care who is on the other side, perhaps if it was an old lady with one room to rent, I wouldn't bat an eye. But it's an Italian businessman who just doesn't give a flying *** about his guests.

3. @Anonymous, nice that you are rising the issue of my previous stay in Palestine where we thought we would spend our money in the refugee camp to suport financially Palestinian civilians who suffer hardships. Little did we know. The owner was a cafe owner and the kitchen and common space was constantly full of used, dirty baking utensils and drying sheets from other rooms. But a mug I left was a problem. I wish I took a picture of that kitchen, but I had no idea the owner could be so entitled.

PS. Three other stays so far were lovely and we didn't hesitate to give the owners well earned 10/10.

[Anonymous]

@Marta1135  All your questions were thoroughly and truthfully answered by unpaid volunteers; if you still don't feel "supported" enough, you can try your luck with the people who are actually paid to receive your complaints.

I don't think anyone here would defend the host for failing to maintain his property, and it's very understandable that you were disappointed that the amenities didn't live up to what was advertised. The host could offer you some of your money back, but would that somehow lessen your disappointment?

I see you were also disappointed that your living conditions were not up to your standards during your visit to a Palestinian refugee camp. Now just think about that for a minute.

[Marta1135]

It would be really great if you learned more about things you decide to talk about. Aida Refugee Camp was founded 70 years ago and now it's a small town with streets, shops, cafes, multi-storey brick houses, Internet, TV and a bus system. It's not a village made of UNHCR white tarp. Still poorer than areas behind the wall, but by all means it's a regular city. Educate yourself.

What I complained about: double cleanling standards for guests and owners.

What I didn't complain about: electricity shortages, an effin huge wall separting us from Jerusalem and the smell of tear gas every second day.