bed bugs nightmare

An87
Level 2
China

bed bugs nightmare

I stayed in an airbnb apartment from Oct 12 to 11 Nov. 2022 in Saint John, Canada with my husband and son.  It is the worst guest experience I ever have in airbnb. 

 

On the third night of our stay,  I was waken up and feel itchy on arms and shoulders. And I found lots of red spots on my body. However my husband and son are ok without any similar symptom. I thought I might get allergy in the new environment because we travelled abroad. I took lots of anti-allergy medicine. And it didn't work. So I had to endure it with very bad sleep. I even frightened when night was coming.

 

On Nov 11 we checked out, I got a call from my host. She told us that they found lots of bed bugs in the mattress and dryer after we leaving. They also said that we should be blamed because we brought bed bugs. I was shocked and got to know why I suffer so long time. On the other day, I got a compensation request from my host which is charging 13000 dollars. The host put lots of photos which show bedbugs in mattress and dryers. I was confused and angry. I am the biggest victim of bed bugs, isn't it? I googled this bugs which have never seen before,  and  thanks google, according to the photo which they supplied to airbnb, If you can see adult bugs which means they already stay there over 7 weeks.  Until now I did't not get any apology from the host. So I had to raised my compensation request to against theirs.

 

I would like give some tips to everyone who will be airbnb guest. Be careful for the bedbugs. Check bed(especially mattress) and sofa when you enter the room. Bed bugs don't bite anyone, they will choose the one taste best. Once you get the similar symptom as I described above, go to hospital or google bedbug red spots, big possibility you get bite by this nasty bugs.

 

 

 

7 Replies 7
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@An87 

 

 

How did it end with the "compensation requests" ?

It is not end. I am applying my compensation request after I got host's. Waiting for Airbnb's involvement. I will keep updating the processing. The host supplied lots of photos to show the infestation. And he insisted that I knew the bedbugs but didn't tell them. How could a person knew the existing of those nasty bugs and still lying on the bed with the bugs sleeping under your sheet and sucking your blood every night?

 

 

Gillian166
Level 10
Hay Valley, Australia

@An87  actually you could very well have brought adult bugs with you from abroad.....or picked them up in a prior stay.   

 

I've had bed bugs once at home, hubby brought them home from a motel stay. they get transported around in luggage, clothes, shoes.... you should be very careful with your suitcases when you unpack, triple check and get yourself some diatomaceous earth. 

 

It's hard to prove who brought them in, but they don't just spring up out of nowhere, if I get bed bugs in my airbnb it means a guest has brought them in from somewhere else. Whether it was you or the previous guest, we won't know. 

Yes, I understood it. I agree that it is hard to say who brought the bugs. That's why when the host informed me, I never blamed them and I did not even mean to give them negative review. But when I got their high amount compensation request on the other day, I really felt  heartbroken.  Yesterday, I was informed that the request had been rejected which is a little bit comfort for me. 

Gillian166
Level 10
Hay Valley, Australia

@An87  yes it seems in Nth America they go over the top to treat bed bugs, of course the pest companies recommend the whole house must be treated, and they charge a lot! 

Jenny
Community Manager
Community Manager
Galashiels, United Kingdom

Sorry to hear about this @An87 - that sounds like a very uncomfortable experience.

 

Have you spoken with Airbnb Support about what happened?

 

Jenny

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Please follow the Community Guidelines

I spoke with Airbnb Support after I got compensation request from the host. They told me that the request from the host was unreasonable, and would be rejected. However I also can not get any compensate because it was too late.  They only can deal with it within two days after checking in. But actually many people like me don't have  so much  bug experience. I never saw it before. 

Once they got bite, they will not realize the root cause. Especially when you get along well with the host, you will not think their room have problems. Like my experience, my husband and my son were very good only I got the symptom, I shared the same bed with my husband. It is hard to doubt the root cause is bugs. Also we had wonderful communication with the host during we stay until they found bugs after we left. The host also complained me that if I told them earlier they could took action earlier, and their lost would be minimized (they cancelled a three months long stay order). What can I say? If I knew it earlier, I would have save whole month torture.