No running water for 8 days at rental over Xmas

[Nathalie-S-0]

I am seeking help as a guest today although I am a host normally. 
We went to an AirBnB over the holidays. We were supposed to stay for 15 days, but the week before we arrived the host informed us that there was a water issue. He told us that the plumber should be able to fix it within a week, which would been four days into our stay. He also told us that there is a sistern with water (a 1000 gallon tank). We knew that we couldn’t use the spa, but weren’t prepared for what came next. We told him even though we have three little kids we could make due without water for a couple of days especially if there is some water in the tank. We are not high maintenance. We had running water for two days then it went out. Our rental started on the Dec 18th, but it went out during our lunch prep on Dec 20th (water must have been available for about 48 hours). Our host assured us that the issue with the water could probably be fixed and called in an emergency service first thing Monday Dec. 21st. We didn't have water Sunday Dec. 20 until Wednesday Dec. 23 at 3pm. 

Wednesday Dec. 23 at 6.30pm (only 3.5 hours after we again had water) the water went out again and we texted the host's tenant next door who shared a water cistern with us and was left in charge of the repairs because the host was out of the country. The tenant did not write back until Dec. 24 at 8:50am at which point he finally told us that the issue was much bigger and that the water cistern was empty although the host promised us that we had at least 1000 gallons and we had used hardly any water during our stay. At the most we used 200 Gallons
We called AirBnB Christmas eve on our sixth night at 5:40pm and reported the issue. So we called AirBnB about 7 hours after we were informed that there was nothing the host could do. We tried to work with the host who promised it could be fixed. 
We moved to another listing as soon as we could, which was on the 10th day Dec 28 (couldn’t find anything pet friendly earlier because it was high season), so we were captive at a place without running  water. I don’t want to be too graphic, but there was no water to flush the toilets, wash dishes, shower, drinking water. We had to fill water at a filling station that was in the town 25 min away. Since we had to conserve water we had to wait with flushing toilets, etc., etc. We were without water in a beautiful but stinking house during Christmas. On top of this the sinks in the kitchen started to back up, four days before we left so we couldn’t wash dishes anymore. The host said he would give us 50% off for the days without water and return the money for the 6 days we didn’t stay there. It wasn’t his fault he said a cable company ruptured the water line.
If my guests went through this, I would have given them probably a full refund except for cleaning and pet fee. 
AirBnB is claiming they don’t owe us anything because we didn’t report within 24 hours of first issue. But we reported within 7 hours after we found out there was no solution to the problem. 
I think AirBnB should refund us the $1000 fees and then the host should refund full price for the four nights after he told us there was no fix and we were stuck at his place. We have no leverage here and AirBnb is giving us the runaround.

What would you suggest we do?

[Anonymous]

@Nathalie-S-0  That sounds like a really uncomfortable situation, and I'm sorry to hear your family had to experience it over the holidays.

However, the issue with the water was known to you before you decided to proceed with the trip, even though its full extent was not yet clear to anyone. Due to the missing essential, you would have certainly been eligible for a 100% refund had you chosen to cancel the booking before traveling and either booked elsewhere or stayed home.

Considering that you chose to go forward with the check-in knowing that your stay would be affected by water issues, I think your host's 50% refund offer was fair. Presumably during your stay you made use of the home's other amenities (elecricity, linens, etc), which all come at cost to the host, so a 100% refund would actually mean the host taking a pure loss over an issue beyond his control. And while it must have been frustrating that you couldn't find a suitable alternate accommodation in high season, this is outside the realm of the host's responsibilities. He would have had every right to cancel the booking outright at any point in the water emergency and leave you without shelter, but instead gave you the opportunity to wait until something else became available. The fact that those days were unpleasant does not in itself entitle you to free rent.

Everyone involved was in a bad situation by no fault of their own. I strongly suggest that you accept the 50% as a totally reasonable compromise and show the host as much compassion as you'd hope for if the roles were reversed.

[Nathalie-S-0]

Thanks for you answer Andrew0. We left the house in a very good state when we left considering what we had to go through. What you call a little bit of discomfort was really not a vacation. We basically babysitted a broken house. There were many more issues with the house that we were told to begin with. There was hardly any water in the water tank the water in the kitchen sink didn’t drain. The tenant next door who uses the same water tank was furious with his landlord and especially that he still chose to go on vacation in the midst of all this. Just imagine this had happened at a hotel. We would have been given better accommodation immediately, full refund or a credit. I am in shock that AirBnB would treat people like that. Do you have little kids? Do you know how awful it is if your child feels sick and you have no running water to cook tea or hydrate and have a dirty bathroom? The host promised us that the issue was small and could be fixed.

[Anonymous]

@Nathalie-S-0   Airbnb, unlike a hotel, does not own any inventory or have an alternate property to relocate you to. Your arrangement is fundamentally between you and your host, who apparently doesn't have spare houses lying around. If the host does not fulfill their end of the deal and the home is missing anything important (and by no means did I suggest that water isn't important), you are entitled to a full refund for the days you didn't stay. 

But if you want a full refund, it's incumbent on you to vacate the property. I know, I know, it's hard to find a last-minute vacancy that ticks all your boxes during the holidays, and in the grand scheme of things it might make more sense to cut your losses and go home. But nowhere in the terms of service does it say that being miserable in someone else's property gives you the right to stay there for free. If this is a shocking revelation to you, Airbnb is probably not for you.

And while I am well and truly blessed to have zero children and have every intention of keeping it that way, I would like to think that if I were a parent, I would pick up and relocate rather than force a child to stay in an unhealthy environment that's making them sick purely out of stubbornness. But then again, I probably also wouldn't be taking them on a road trip during a freaking pandemic, so I guess we're just different that way.

[Helen3]

I think it's an awful situation you found yourself in and you were more than patient with the host @Nathalie-S-0 

As a mother I would have moved with my family on the 20th, after the first occasion when the water ran out and I knew the host had misled me.

If I couldn't find an alternative Airbnb to celebrate the festive season I would have gone to a hotel. 

You know as experienced hosts you should have reported the issues when they first occurred on the 20th.

I think a 50% refund for the days you stayed and 100% returned for the remaining days would be fair.

[Lorna170]

Either you or the host should have cancelled the stay prior to the arrival date.  No water is a valid reason to cancel.  Both you and the host went ahead with the reservation even though you were warned and the host would not have it fixed prior to your arrival.  From your comments about a shared water tank, lack of water and sinks not draining, this host had a major issue with his plumbing.  As you did not cancel, arrived and continued to stay,  a refund of only a portion of your payment to the owner is IMO, reasonable.  I am sorry that you and your family had this poor experience.

[Nathalie-S-0]

@Lorna170  please don’t forget that I am also a host. And running water is an essential. The host mislead us in thinking there was stored water we could use in a tank. I once gave a guest a small refund because his car got vandalized on the rental house driveway. I would have brought water to the guest if their water went out. This host did hardly anything to make our stay better. It’s laughable.

[Lorna170]

@Nathalie-S-0   Yes, I understand that you are also a host, but seriously, you should have thought long and hard about renting a place with a known water issue.  You mentioned that you had at least 5 persons in your group, and that the 1000 water cistern was shared by another tenant.  Unless the cistern is being refilled from a natural spring or nearby stream, sources other than the piped water which was broken, it is emergency use only and should not be relied upon for long term use.  

From the web:  Estimates vary, but, on average, each person uses about 80-100 gallons of water per day, for indoor home uses.  If the cistern is not being replenished at the same rate of usage, you will run out.  

The host is at fault for not cancelling your trip, but you are equally at fault for taking the risk.  

[Nathalie-S-0]

@Anonymous lol about them kids. We went to a secluded AirBnB rental 16 hours away by car from where we live. We couldnt just pack up and return. This trip was well planned to stay safe. We were really careful didn’t stop anywhere. Had to stay at another AirBnB on the way to and from our destination. I guess you are of the opinion we should not support AirBnB business during this time? Please do not berate parents during a pandemic.

[Anonymous]

@Nathalie-S-0  Demanding a full refund from a host for time in which you occupied their property and used their facilities is not "supporting Airbnb business" by any stretch of the imagination. Quite the opposite. 

And please don't assume people who chose not to spawn kids have no idea how awful it feels to be responsible for their well-being when things didn't go to plan. Your original post is not exactly radiating with empathy for others. As understandable as your unhappiness with the place where you chose to stay was, no amount of money thrown at you is going to change that you were an unhappy guest who will continue to be miserable and inevitably leave a bad review. So why should the host take an even greater loss for your sake?

[Lisa723]

@Lorna170 I am with @Anonymous and @Lorna170 on this. Both you and the host made a mistake in going forward with the stay after the problem arose. The host's offer is reasonable considering that you did elect to stay.

(BTW, "didn't stop anywhere" and "had to stay at another Airbnb on the way" are contradictory statements.)

[Mark116]

@Nathalie-S-0 I must be missing something.   You got a full refund for days you didn't stay and a 50% refund on the days you did stay, this seems fair to me.  It doesn't sound like the host was very on top of his property, although he seems to have made a legitimate, if unsuccessful effort to remediate, nor does it sound like a very fun holiday, but no one forced you to stay in a house with no water.  You could have cancelled and left at any time, as you ultimately did.

[Nathalie-S-0]

@AnonymousYou think I have no empathy???? I feed homeless people and work with refugees. I create school materials with world renown faculty for poor kids in underserved countries. You have not an idea nor an inch of empathy in your bones. Just another stuck up dimwit who despises kids/families.  I am a German speaker, so I recognize the aloof German spirit coming through from Andrew0 in Berlin. What I learned from talking to other hosts here  🤔 🤔 🤔 that I must be an awesome host because I would have gone the extra mile for my guests.  I pity your guests. I don’t leave bad reviews generally, but @Anonymous just wants to assume he knows me. You have insulted me enough. I wasn’t here to get rich, just get reimbursed for pain. Are you just a Community Troll or even worse? Hired by AirBnB to be a troll? Maybe I shouldn’t feed you. You are the reason why people hate corporate companies like AirBnB.

[Lisa723]

@Nathalie-S-0, Andrew is an American who lives in Berlin. His free advice here is always well-considered, reasonable, and well-written. (Frankly I often find myself wondering why he bothers.) He didn't say you have no empathy; he said it wasn't evident in your original post.

It's unfortunate that this forum lacks a category for "aggrieved persons seeking affirmation." As regularly happens here, you have posted ostensibly seeking advice, then flown off the handle when you get advice you don't like.

[Nathalie-S-0]

Please reread Andrew0‘s comments they are very disparaging, especially his comments about kids and travel during pandemic on a travel/ hospitality forum 🤯. 

I don’t care how active he is in this community. He needs to check himself. Sometimes people get too comfortable when they think they are the guru of a community. Believe me I am a woman who works in tech.