Brown Recluse Spider Infestation at our Reserved Airbnb

[Rebecca2588]

We are a week out from our stay, but the previous guest(stayed there over the weekend)  reported that there were brown recluse spiders in the home. They have plenty of photos- one even showing a plate filled with spiders on it. They have a confirmed brown recluse spider bite as well.

The negative review is up on Airbnb, but the owner and Airbnb will not let us out of our reservation. We would only get a partial refund at this point. There is also a claim filed with Airbnb and I sent them the complaint claim number through Support. 

I have been trying to get our refund for 3 days now. Does anyone have any suggestions to help us?  I see that they refund for bedbugs. 

Thanks! 

[Shelley159]

Hi @Rebecca2588 

Could you explain the situation a bit more? The way I understand it, you are a booked as a guest at an Airbnb in one week's time. You read through the reviews of the Airbnb and noticed that the guests who stayed last weekend reported spiders.

How did you see photos that the previous guest took of spiders, and how did you confirm that the guest had a spider bite? What complaint was filed - if it was a complaint filed by the previous guest, how did you obtain the complaint number?

If we understand the situation better, hopefully some community members can assist.

[Rebecca2588]

Thanks for the response. My mom lives in the community where the house is and they have a Facebook group.  The previous guest had posted a complaint/review directly on the groups private facebook. This is all a small town and the guest lived there as a child also. My mom sent me the information and then I was able to get in contact with the guest even before the review on Airbnb was posted.  There is actually a lot of documentation from the previous guest regarding the brown recluse spiders including photos of inside the home and her communications with Airbnb. 

[Jennifer1897]

I suppose you reached out to the previous guest, and they supplied photos and a case number for you. Otherwise, I am not sure how you would know or have this information based on their review alone.  

That being said, this is a tricky situation. Per Airbnb the following is expected

-Host Responsibility: Hosts are expected to maintain clean and pest-free listing(s). 

-Host Responsibility in Addressing the Issue: Airbnb may require hosts to provide proof of professional pest control treatment 

I am assuming (strong emphasis) on assuming, that if the guest was fully refunded their case was supported or the host elected to refund them based on the issue. I am not sure how you "see" they were refunded for bed bugs, but again I will assume this is what the guest shared with you. If in fact it was determined that the listing had a pest problem, Airbnb would likely require that issue to be resolved or the listing would be temporarily suspended. There are numerous posts here on the forum related to bed bug/pest issues and suspended listings. 

If the listing remains (which it does) then the issue was addressed to Airbnb's satisfaction or there was not enough evidence to support a suspension. As someone who is absolutely terrified of spiders, especially ones that can cause significant health issues, I totally understand where you are coming from. Unfortunately, hosts have a right to uphold their cancelation policies. I would be very surprised if Airbnb refunded a guest based on a review from a different guest. 

My suggestion would be to reach out to the host and ask about the issue directly. Verbalize your concern (which is valid) and see what they have done to address the issue. Did they bring in pest control, spray, etc? In the end you can continue to try to illicit a full refund, but honestly, I doubt that will be granted. Also keep in mind certain spiders are more common in certain areas. I have family in Oklahoma and no matter how much preventative measures they take brown recluse spiders pop up here and there. 

Hope things work out for you

[Rebecca2588]

Thank you for your reply. Sorry my post was a little confusing. I meant to say that I read on Airbnb that Airbnb does refund for bed bugs, and they have a procedure for handling bed bugs. I just wasn't able to find any information specifically about brown recluse spiders. 

I have been in contact with the owner as well as her rental agency. It is too bad because I would feel much better if they said they would look into it and have it certified safe with a pest company. That hasn't been offered as a solution.