So I have just had two guest's stay and to my mistake they p...
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So I have just had two guest's stay and to my mistake they person making the booking was booking on behalf of the guests So t...
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While staying at a Airbnb rental in Ithaca, NY from June 19th 2016 to July 5th 2016 I started developing a severe skin rush on my face, neck, back, arms and legs. As you have seen from the pictures, my body that day became quickly covered with about 100 to 200 red spots that were painful and itchy. The red spots on my skin soon became blisters, forming a red liquid inside.
That same day I had to seek urgent medical attention. The doctor told me it was probably due to bedbugs, so I decided to do a visual inspection of the bed in the room where I was staying. By just removing the sheets from the bed in the room I immediately noticed the presence of several dozens of live Bedbugs and (as you can see from the pictures I took that same day of these insects and which I submitted to Airbnb) many of them were fully grown and developed adults.
As soon as I realised that my room was infested by bedbugs, I informed the host, who called a pest control company and I then contacted also Airbnb to inform them of the situation. In the following days, Airbnb cancelled my reservation and provided me with a new accommodation in Ithaca for the rest of my stay. I also had to sanitise all my clothes and personal belonging and get rid of several of my items which could not be sanitised in this process or which were too severely damaged by the bedbug infestation because I feared to spread the insects somewhere else.
On the insurance policies page, Airbnb says that it does not provide insurance coverage neither compensation for damage or injuries for bedbug infestation. Also, since Airbnb simply canceled my reservation, I was not able to leave any comment on the host or the rental, and I know for a fact that he is still renting rooms in his apartment.
I think those policies are unfair, since I was not allowed to receive compensation and I was not even able to comment on the host to let other people know about the risk in booking at this place. I think Airbnb should change this policy.
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@Filippo12 You 100% have the right to leave a review since you stayed there. I would be talking to the higher ups at airbnb about that one.
I had a guest stay who airbnb cancelled their reservation for breaking a house rule and they were still able to leave a review.
Sounds like someone messed up and took that option away from you.
Good luck and hope your next airbnb experience is much better!
Filippo,
I am dealing with this case right now with Airbnb. I got bedbug bites during my stay in Manhattan, NY. My bites were not as bad as yours, but very uncomfortable and difficult to sleep at nights. I stayed for 4 nights and each night I got more. I contacted the host and he did his investigation of the room and said there were nothing visible. Gave me new sheets and sprayed down the room. It was nice enough that both the host and Airbnb reverse the charges in full, but what about the out of pocket fees: bed bug spray, my luggage I threw out, dry cleaning, and the topical cream that I bought. I am a fair person and understand both sides, neither do I want to hurt the livelihood of the host, but he made the comment, maybe I brought them in the suitcase. By the way, ever since I got home I washed everything in hot water and sprayed down my home. I got a total of 12 bites from staying at the Airbnb and not 1 from my house. Pretty ironic that the bedbug bites stopped. I explained my case to Airbnb and I got a $100.00 credit to my next stay, not even sure if I'm even going to ever use Airbnb again. I would like to post my photos, but don't know how to. I can see this being a huge problem with the fast turn around, but the way they handle this issue, it almost feels like they're protecting their host and the company by taking this issue very likely. Let's remember that everyone is booking the place by the high reviews, how clean the place is, how proactive the host is and the location. That is how I decided to book this place and look what happened to me.
I so agree. I am currently holed up in a hotel in Oaxaca Mexico because the host house has a bed bug problem. Yes the host has had the exterminator come into the house today but I have 23 more days on my contract and I really don't want to stay back at the house. I have bites. I saw more than one bedbug and took photos. If I cancel the rest of my stay with the host I have no opportunity to leave a review - and this is a super host where I am residing. Why shoud anyone else be subject to being bitten, infested and having contaminated clothes. Airbnb won't allow me to rebook somewhere else because I'm contaminated but it was fine for them to tell me to book a room for 4 days in a hotel. Great - then what do I do???
Hosts that are aware that they have the problem will alway say in their defense that the guest brought the bugs with them
@Mei6 wrote:Filippo,
I am dealing with this case right now with Airbnb. I got bedbug bites during my stay in Manhattan, NY. My bites were not as bad as yours, but very uncomfortable and difficult to sleep at nights. I stayed for 4 nights and each night I got more. I contacted the host and he did his investigation of the room and said there were nothing visible. Gave me new sheets and sprayed down the room. It was nice enough that both the host and Airbnb reverse the charges in full, but what about the out of pocket fees: bed bug spray, my luggage I threw out, dry cleaning, and the topical cream that I bought. I am a fair person and understand both sides, neither do I want to hurt the livelihood of the host, but he made the comment, maybe I brought them in the suitcase. By the way, ever since I got home I washed everything in hot water and sprayed down my home. I got a total of 12 bites from staying at the Airbnb and not 1 from my house. Pretty ironic that the bedbug bites stopped. I explained my case to Airbnb and I got a $100.00 credit to my next stay, not even sure if I'm even going to ever use Airbnb again. I would like to post my photos, but don't know how to. I can see this being a huge problem with the fast turn around, but the way they handle this issue, it almost feels like they're protecting their host and the company by taking this issue very likely. Let's remember that everyone is booking the place by the high reviews, how clean the place is, how proactive the host is and the location. That is how I decided to book this place and look what happened to me.
hat the guests brought the bugs with them
Last Spring, a guest brought me bedbugs. He stayed in one room for one night, I charged him $55 for it and it costed me $1000 to get rid of the bed bugs ias it take at least 3 treatments, 7 days from the last, the entire house, to get rid of the bugs. This guy is still carrying his bedbugs around.
Rule#1. don't EVER put your bags and suitcases against or on the bed, the bugs go into you stuff and now you are a carryer.
We always talk about people having bedbugs in their houses, but how about the ones that spread tem!?
If you got bitten, and it looks very painfull, you must tell the host. It the host doesn't do anything the same day, he/she clearly don't care.
You as a guest, must then treat all you belongings, hot wash/dey your clothes, spray your bags and suitcases, steams anything else that can't be wash hot of sprayed .... repeat the steaming every 7 days for 3 times.
I am sure I got rid of my bedbugs because I recieved NO complain after that. It's been 6 months and I hosted people since.
But when you treat, you actually have to disassemble your furniture to treat EVERY part of it! It's huge task! The pest control techinician I used walked me through the entire process! Hurrendous!
That is absolutely NOT TRUE.
It can take YEARS to get rid of bedbugs, b/c everyone doesn't have a reaction to them.
You can have guests who only have a couple of annoying bites and it goes away in a couple of days; but, like me, some people get HUGE welts and vicious swelling and are sick for days.
IT IS AIRBNB THAT IS THE PROBLEM HERE.
What, are you some kind of shill-bot for AirBnB?
I totally feel for you. that is a severe infestation that will DEFINITELY need more than one treatment and the owners DEFINITELY had to have known about the problem already. I lived in an apartment that had bedbugs and had professionals come in and spray my unit multiple times over 6 months, and while it knocked the numbers down each time, within a few days they were back. So having the pest control come in one time isnt likely to fix the problem so i think you are 100% right in wanting to warn other guests. Can you post a link to the room in which you stayed at? there has got to be other reviews..
I had a guest in august,we made friends. she was visting Italy and texted me she was in another host house (which turned out to be an hotel) and had spiders and ants in the flat which had bitten her son (saw the images) Airbnb said THEY COULDN'T HELP and the host refused to refund her! Refund policy states CLEARLY bugs are a reason for refund, I hope the idiot which assisted her on the phone in Italy gets fired.
At least they gave you a refund! And the fact you can't leave a review on this is soooooo shameful on Airbnb
As an Airbnb host and also a guest, I can tell you for a fact that Airbnb is on the guests' side, not the host's. As hosts, we get an Airbnb insurance, which doesn't cover anything related to bedbugs. I keep my place extremely clean. However, while cleaning it after my last two guests had left, I found two bed bugs. I had one more booking 5 days after that happened. I've been spraying everything myself and I haven't been bitten (or if I have, it doesn't show on my skin). However, as soon as I saw the bugs, I texted my future guest and asked him to please cancel his reservation and explained the reason why. I even changed my policy from moderate to flexible so he wouldn't be charged for canceling it. However, he just sent me a request that I cancel it myself or continue with the booking. No message attached. However, if I cancel it, I'll have to pay $100.00 penalty and I won't be able to receive a Superhost Status even though every single guest who have stayed with me have given me a 5 star rating and meet all other requirements. So my option now is to still welcome him but message him saying that there might still be bed bugs alive despite my efforts to exterminate them and he'll have to assume every responsibility for staying at my place in case he gets bitten. I live in an old building with lots of hiding spots for bed bugs, so I believe that it'll take some time to fully exterminate them. Thankfully I caught them at a very early stage. Anyway, all I'm saying is that bed bugs are most likely brought to Airbnb hots' places by their Airbnb guests. So I don't agree that hosts' should be held responsible for it. Also, Airbnb hosts' insurance should definitely cover this problem. Especially in a situation like mine since I've done everything in my power to prevent my next guest from having to deal with these bugs but he's insisting on staying here.
Mairin, i am a host and i am also owner of a K9 bedbug detection company and i can tell you that you are 100% right. AirBnB helps more the travelers than the hosts.
I often rceive call from hosts that got their account blocked due to a bedbug report.
I always inspect their unit/home have them treat with dry vapor (no chemical are working in these days.....) and re-inspect the area 2 weeks later to validate the bedbug free apt with a certicate to be sent to AirBnB to reopen the account...
Bedbugs are a mess, if you want contact me directly i will give some good advises on this subject.
Aldo [Link hidden]
Hello Aldo. I'm an AirBNB host that might be interested in your bedbug service. I hope you are still around.
hello Sean did you resolved tyour bedbug issue?
You can buy disposable "bed bug detectors and traps" on the web. You can even pack one in your bag next time you travel. Perhaps Airbnb could offer that as a check box in the "Amenities."
Pls call me. I have had two airbnb listings ruined by bed bug reports.
Thanks
Kisa
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bedbugs must be handled by a profesional exterminator and they are costly but spraying bedbug spray yourself is simply not enough. Pay to have your home treated and protect your home, the airbnb brand and your income.
there is no one person to blame for bedbugs, they exist. Unless we know they exist and do not take proper steps to remove them
ovI agree with you. I have just been hit with over $5000 of damages from having a bedbug infestation. It is not fair that hosts are completely responsible for the damages from bedbugs when they were brought in by the Airbnb guests.
Their excuse was that you cannot know for certain it was the guest and not I who brought in the bugs.
Anyway, I am actively looking for a permanent roommate as I cannot take any risk of loosing $5000 in one month time again.