Official: "free parking on premises" means "free parking in the area"

[Laiha0]

I have had official confirmation that the listing facility described as 'free parking on premises' means "as long as there is free parking available in the area that is all we require of our hosts [airbnb]." 'On premises' means 'private' and therefore airbnb is actually encouraging hosts to use inaccurate and legally false information. Why name a dog 'a cat' if all that you require is that it be a pet - in other words why not use 'free parking in the area' instead of 'free parking on premises' to mean free parking in the area?

It seems to me so obvious that whoever first came up with the term intended it to refer to private parking that it beggars belief that airbnb would try to argue otherwise. Not only does it open up the whole parking situation to abuse (who doesn't live somewhere where there is free parking somewhere in the 'area' however it is defined? is it still 'free parking' if it is not free 24/h or if there is never a space) but it also deprives hosts with private parking of making this clear in the pre-chosen tick boxes. Of course details can be provided in the listing but the whole point of the tick-boxes is that they can be used to filter unsuitable properties.

So I would assume that this is another instance of poor customer service rather than a deliberate attempt to undermine the transparancy and honesty of the system. I hope someone with more experience of airbnb can take this up and have it resolved so we can continue to have confidence in the system.

[Ben365]

Were you able to get a refund?

[Ed121]

I'll tell you what it means to me. I will write a bad review for those hosts who are dishonest. Now I see free washer and Dryer free or pay. what does that mean? to me, it means I choose free unless the host has only a coin washer. 

[Kathie21]

And there was me fretting over whether parking on my land (room for about 15 cars and a tractor)  counted as 'on the premises' or not given that it happens to be on the other side of the narrow country lane directly opposite the house.   I guess I'll take that as a 'yes'!

[Zachary69]

This is insane, i'm dealing with this right now realted to a past reservations where I got into an argument with a host and he left me a bad review because I vocally complained that he would not allow me to use the parking in the building and told me there was parking on the street around the building. Premises has a legal definetion and the street does not fit into that legal definetion, we should consider a call action lawsuit against aribnb. We entered into a legall binding contract and its fradulent misrepersentation and the fact that airbnb allows the false information to stay even after its pointed out clearly makes them liable here.

[Ben551]

Yeah I don’t quite get this either.  The amenities list has entirely separate choices for “free street parking” and “free parking on premises”. I don’t understand at all having these separate if AirBnb interpret them as the same thing.

[Sandra856]

@Ben551 It is quite new that you can choose between "Free Street Parking" and "Free parking on premises". 

When I started out I had free parking on street but it was only possible to tick a box called "Free parking on premises" which would be misleading as guests would think I had a parking spot just for them. I couldn't tick free parking until airbnb made a "Free parking on street" box. 

[Ben551]

@Sandra856  Aaaaah I wonder if the older listings are the issue then, i.e. if not all hosts realise they are now separate.

[Sandra856]

@Ben551 I think I got a message with a "box" back then with new amenities that airbnb asked us hosts to update in the dashboard. But this an old thread so it is possibly from before the new options were added 🙂

[Ben551]

Yes I noticed that. I was surprised when Zachery posted yesterday saying it’s still an issue...

[Sandra856]

ohh, sorry @Ben551 didn't notice that!

Well I diffenitely side with Zachery if the host promised "parking on premisses" airbnb should side with him if there were no "parking on premises". 

[Kerri70]

Thank you for being responsible, and aware of changes! I am sure you are a great host!

[Darlene118]

I Completely Agree! I made a reservation for the first time with AirBnB and unfortunately got a dishonest Host.  So many things her her listing was Very Disceptive including the parking on premises (which is actually on-street parking) As well as her restricting guests and adding on charges for additional overnight guests.  I don't have a problem with limitations BUT AirBNB should require Host to lmake them known Upfront.
A class action lawsuit SHOULD be considered 

[Rebecca795]

I just went through this. My listing said free parking on premises. What it really meant was “somewhere in the country off Spain you can possibly my park for free”  I am now paying 18 euros a night on top of my Airbnb rate to park my car. I feel shafted. When I mentioned it to my English speaking host she all of a sudden spoke only Spanish. When I mentioned it in Spanish she just ignored me.  She then texted me later to see how things were. I mentioned again I had to pay to park and got no reaction. 

[Brian838]

Ugh, I just got in the pinch of this. I thought by having an option of "free Street parking," or "free parking on premises." meant that I wouldn't be on the street, blocks away from the house. Big thumbs down for this Air BNB. Now I have lug stuff blocks away in the winter. I would never have booked this place had I known that this would be the score. 

[Evie22]

agree 100%