writing a review of a property with bugs

[Sally522]

I stayed this weekend in the walk-out basement apartment of a very nice older couple's home. The unit had an infestation of millipedes. By infestation, I mean that upon arrival, there were several dead ones along each wall of the unit (1 bedroom, living room, laundry/bathroom), a dead one in the tub, as well as a few live ones crawling across the carpet. We opened the sofa bed to find countless dead insects on the floor inside the sofa bed and a live one crawling in it. We left for a few hours and when we came back there were 3 or 4 in each room crawling across the carpet and within an hour they all curled up and died.  I noticed a bottle of Raid in the waist basket. I went to bed wondering if any would make it up to the bed during the night and wondering what I should do. When I woke up the next morning, there were 4-5 more crawling in each room. I messaged the host and she came right down and picked most of them up and offered to spray more Raid. I asked for a dustbuster, which she did not have, and said I wasn't sure which I'd rather sleep with, the bugs or the chemicals, so she just sprayed the outside. More millipedes kept coming and dying during our stay. This morning, more millipedes and a cockroach.  I would overlook a few dead bugs along baseboards, but the live ones that kept coming was unpleasant...what would I step on in the night on the way to the bathroom? I don't have bugs like this in my home and would rather they had not been in this one. Still, the property itself was great, great host, the rest fo the place was clean, and I would stay there again provided that the bugs had been dealt with.  I don't want to leave a bad review, in part because I don't want to hurt this older couples' source of income, or their feelings, and in part because we may visit that area again and would want to be welcomed back (if they've taken care of the bugs). On the flip side, I know many of my friends would not have stayed the night there and in writing a review, I feel obligated to be honest for the sake of future guests. I could leave no review at all.  If I do write one, what is the best way to word it to not hurt the host or burn the bridge?  And while I'm posting...this property was listed as having two bedrooms, but it was actually one bedroom, and a living room/kitchen combo with an unmade sofa bed. Should the listing be more accurate?   There were multiple photos of the outside of the home, with one picture each of the rooms I mentioned. So...obviously no second bedroom pictured, so I suppose it was implied. Do I spell it out in my review for future guests, or suggest more accuracy in a private message to the host?

[Mike1034]

@Sally522  When I read your post, you apparently are a very considerate person. Have you ever talked to the hosts about the bug issue? And did you ask them if they could hire professional exterminator to eliminate the bug issue?

If I were you, I would honestly write the issue of bugs, and what the hosts had done to resolve the issue.

For the listing issue, was the listing for an entire place to rent out or for a private room to rent out. If it is advertised as an entire place to rent out, the description of two bedroom would be misleading. 

Just wonder if the hosts have any previous reviews. If there are, how other guests reviews were written. Have you noticed the issues you mentioned in any of previous reviews?

[Sally522]

Yes, I messaged the host and she came right down and picked most of them up and offered to spray more Raid. I asked for a dustbuster, which she did not have. I told her I wasn't sure which I'd rather sleep with, the bugs or the chemicals, so she just sprayed the outside. 

The other reviews were glowing, one mentioned the host's excellent housekeeping.

The listing was for the entire basement apartment. Under "Sleeping Arrangements" it lists "Bedroom 1, One Queen Bed, One Sofa Bed" and  "Bedroom 2, One Queen Bed, One Sofa bed" and "Common Space, One Sofa Bed".  However, in her overview it reads "The apartment has it own private entrance at ground level, with kitchen living room and private bedroom. The living room has a queen size hide a bed and a lockable door between living room, and bedroom."

I was ok either way, with 2 bedrooms or with a living room sofa bed and the second room. But her next tenant could probably give her a hard time about it.

[Susan17]

@Sally522 

Just to let you know, a recent Airbnb "update" caused a glitch, which led to the number of beds/rooms in thousands of listingss, being erroneously advertised. Countless hosts are, undoubtedly, blissfully unaware of the changes to their listings, because Airbnb - as always - failed to notify hosts about the glitch. 

As for the bugs - yes, it will hurt your hosts (and the income they rely on) badly, if you put this in the public review. From what you've already written - host did try to deal with the problem immediately, glowing reviews, past praise for excellent housekeeping, lovely couple - the current bug problem sounds very much like an unfortunate, unusual aberration, as opposed to a case of ongoing, willful neglect by your hosts. 

I'm sure they're already stressed to bits about the sudden bug influx anyway. Much kinder to have a quiet word with them face to face, than potentially torpedo their little business by mentioning a (fixable and clearly uncharacteristic) issue in their public review, that absolutely will drive many guests away from booking with them in the future, and possibly deprive them of much-needed income.  (In many markets, competition for bookings is so fierce now, that just one off-putting recent review, can be enough to destroy a listing)

If you broach the subject personally with them, with a little care and compassion, it gives your hosts a chance to rectify the situation, and it allows you both to leave things on good terms, rather than ending your stay with bad feelings on either side. 

[Emilia42]

@Sally522, you obviously seem like a very understanding and flexible person, which is good for this situation and for this host.  A lot of people would have left within minutes. If I were you I would not put anything in the public review. Focus on the positives but take off a star if you feel you need to. But in the private feedback I would give this host a STRONG warning that other guest will probably not be a flexible as you and that you would recommend that she get a better hold of this problem before other guests arrive. 

[Ana1136]

@Sally522 your approach is very relaxed. I wouldn't stay there under any circumstances. They obviously knew they had a problem with it, hence the Raid spray. They should have stopped hosting until it is fixed. I am willing to overlook any kind of problem as long as the place is clean, that is all I need and expect. If not, I would honestly review it.

[Mark116]

@Sally522  Jesus.  I probably would have left as well.  But, if you mention the bugs in a public review it will probably really harm their airbnb reservations.  So, you could mention it to them directly in the private feedback, that while you were able to deal with it, a lot of people would have seriously complained/freaked out.  

My rule of thumb, is that if the host is nice and seems to be doing their best but for whatever reasons I feel I cannot give a 5 star review, I leave no review at all; only in an instance where the host was truly a jerk, did I leave a 4 star review.  So, you could leave no review and still give them the feedback on the bugs.  As far as the bedroom issue, that is an accuracy thing and so I would think it's fine and not that damaging to mention it in the review. 

[Brittani7]

I agree with what most people are saying.  If you don't want to hurt the host, don't leave that info in your public response. When you review a host, you rate then in different categories and then an over all rating.  Rate each category appropriately for example maybe a four star in cleanliness and accuracy of description.  I feel it would be miss leading to leave the host a five star over all as there were clearly some draw backs (i.e. bug problem). But I would definitely let the guests know all your complaints about the bugs and accuracy of description.

If the host doesn't change something, then they are bound to rent to a guest that won't be as forgiving as you.

[Brittani7]

It's important to leave a review through because a guest who doesn't leave a review can hurt a host just as much

[Susan17]

It's a few harmless bugs, guys - not a swarm of deadly locusts. 

[Mark116]

@Susan17  Live and dead bugs crawling around and an empty can of Raid is gross, and I say this as someone who doesn't kill spiders in the house!  The Raid alone would have probably caused me to try and cancel the reservation, because the smell is nauseating, but dead bugs AND live bugs, who are dying from the chemicals?  No thanks.  That's more than a couple of ants on the floor or a dead gnat that was missed on the corner of the window.  

[Susan17]

@Mark116 

I hear you, but for once, have to disagree 😉. I honestly just can't fathom the reaction to this at all. There's a good chance the bugs had only just appeared, and the poor hosts panicked and resorted to the quickest fix they could think of - running round with a can of Raid, desperately trying to annihilate the pesky little fellas before @Sally522 pitched up 🙂

If it were me, and the smell of Raid was so offensive to me, I'd have opened the windows and asked the host to please not spray any more  (which I believe did happen in this instance). Then I'd have simply picked the other guys up (dead or alive!) and brought them outside, and got on with enjoying my visit at their otherwise perfectly lovely home. 

Under no circumstances imaginable, would I be depriving any fellow hosts of the income they deserved for my stay, simply because a few little insects decided to put in a sudden appearance. Life's too short. 

[Sally522]

If it were a few little insects, I would totally agree with you. I would have noticed, but would not have been bothered or considered mentioning it in a review. However, this was dozens and dozens that just kept coming. At any given time, there were 3-4 live ones in each room, and another several dead ones in each room. When those died and were cleaned up, more would come.  

[Brittani7]

@Susan17 I literally just had a guest make up a story about how she found a dead big under her towels and left me a three stars.  There was no dead bug, I know because I folded the towels and set them on the bed only hours before their arrival

The point is that yes it could be worse but there are guest out there who freak out even over a dead bug in the corner.  

For all we know the bug problem could have just shown up for the host and if so, the host is lucky her guest is so forgiving.

However if it is a continuing problem then the host needs to fix it or she will end up hosting someone who isn't as forgiving.

You can't go and compare situations saying well it could be worse, it's not like it's this or that because a guest will rate you on their situation and their situation alone.

If someone pays good money to stay at a rental, they are probably not going to want to share it with bugs no matter what kind 

I even had a lady complain how their were a few lady bugs crawling around my camper during lady bug season.

But let's face it, if you had a bug problem like hers, would you just tell your guest "It's a few harmless bugs, guys - not a swarm of deadly locusts."

[Linda108]

@Sally522  I believe in honest reviews by both the host and the guest.  You could state there was a problem that the host endeavored to correct promptly in your public review and then privately make it clear that the presence of the millipedes and toxic bug spray was off-putting.  I am not put off by milipedes, but had the bug been cockroaches, I would have been out of there in minutes 😛

As to the description, I agree it is misleading or at least it is confusing.  

Kudos to you for being such a wonderful, considerate member of the Air BNB guest community!