Guests who who want non-smoking....AirBNB site does not make this clear enough

Milton1
Level 3
Tolmie, Australia

Guests who who want non-smoking....AirBNB site does not make this clear enough

I am currently staying in Amsterdam in a private room for a few days.

 

This is the first time this has happened to me after many stays around the world as well as in my home country: I made a booking not realising that this particular BnB was a "smoking allowed" place.... inside but not in the actual bedroom. But the place still reeks of course. As a non-smoker this is of course VERY offputting. The thing is, it's not really the host's fault....they did state in their listing that 'smoking only allowed in (a particular part of the house)' which I assumed wrongly was outside. In addition, I see the smoking icon now when i look closely at all the icons for this listing, but it is not nearly prominent enough. This is a design fault with the airbnb listing view.

 

since the issue of smoking or not can be a real bug-bear for both hosts and guests, it is very important that this is matched between the two.  The AirBNB app does not allow this to be a point of initial filtering as far as i could tell?

 

It also should be much more prominent somehow in the booking app that the premises are clearly SMOKING or NON-SMOKING, so that it is not ambiguous by the way the host describes their policy.

 

 

29 Replies 29
Dave-and-Deb0
Level 10
Edmonton, Canada

Hi @Milton1,

 

Yes it does not show in the "initial filtering" but neither do a lot of things.  You can however filter for "smoking allowed".  Your issue is smoking (and would be mine as well) but the next person might want wifi listed and another person "pets".  

 

smoking.png

 

Dave

 

David

Superhost Ambassador ~ Host Club Community Leader ~ Community Expert ~ Experienced Co-Host

Is there any way for hosts to filter out smokers altogether?  I've had two guests who were heavy smokers, and even though they never smoked inside the house I found the smell really difficult to tolerate -- my closet stank for ages after hanging their coats in there, and I couldn't get the smell out of the down comforter or the down pillows, even though I always use pillow protectors.  I live in Ireland and like most people here I don't have a tumble dryer, and I had guests booked the same day the two smokers left.  So my choice was either rush out and buy a new comforter or get the dry cleaners to wash and tumble dry the comforter and pillows same day -- which cost 30 euros.  I want to use instant book, but I'd like to prevent smokers from booking.  Is this possible?  

Cathy4
Level 4
Lancaster, United Kingdom

I write to every person requesting to stay, asking them to confirm they have read the entire listing (it states non-smokers only), are ok with our house rules ( which state this again) , and openly declaring themselves non-smokers. No exceptions. 

Not smoking in the property is not enough - as described here, the smells remain in people's clothes, their hair, skin and get left hanging around the place for months. I like to be able to make the offer of our place as smoke (and smoke residue) free - important for those with asthma (including me!) and also for those who prefer not to smell of stale smoke just by sitting on our sofas! It has worked for two years, barring just one occasion - and this was before we adopted accommodating non-smokers only, when we had just described no smoking in the property. 

Also on a number of occasions i have had ppl break the no smoking rule even though i told them specifically and it is listed on my page - there should be a penalty system so that if and when guest break rules there is a penalty charge that is levyed. I find that the smoking  rule and late check out are the two things that come up the most and it gets very frustrating to host people at times. 

For the people who like to check out late. We have a system where, we send all guests a thank you for booking, safe travel, check out is at this time message. Then one hour before check out, we collect our house keys then 15 mins before check out, we remind guests that there is a $25 late check out fee that Airbnb will take out, even if it is 1 minute after check out. It works pretty well.

This is really silly. You should be able to filter for a non-smoking space. If you have asthma this can be a total deal breaker and having to arrive there first before knowing if the place will be filled with smoke is ridiculous. 

Maryam-Al-Fakheer0
Level 10
Ma'an Governorate, Jordan

I am sorry, but guests should READ before they book and not complain afterwards about smoking or no-smoking.  

I had a host who chain smoked inside the house.  They did not have this listed in the description.  They should absolutely have to disclose they smoke in the house.  Not according to Airbnb.  There is a lot of rogue hosts who abuse the platform and Airbnb does not care at all.  In addition a lot of hosts are renting their property illegally.  Especially in neighborhoods where Airbnb is forbidden.  Yet there is no accountability for Airbnb or these hosts.  Or when you arrive to find 16 other guests living in a 4 bdr house sharing one bathroom,  with no mention of this in the ad.  Or no parking available when you arrive.  Or no cooking allowed when you arrive and the listing says cooking allowed in the listing.  Or hosts who are not there at all when you arrive and will not answer calls, or emails.  Then you are left without a place.  Or a man who has his wife listed as the host, because he has a criminal record and assaults the guests.  You only find this out when the police arrive.   Or you arrive to a house that has a air mattress not a bed as listed.  Or a house that is filthy with mold everywhere, mattresses stacked everywhere, ceilings caving in.  Black tub, bugs everywhere.  Or a house that has neighbors dealing drugs in front of the place with multiple gunshots going off.  Airbnb says you need to go videotape it outside and send it to them.  Yes let's go videotape the AR 15 weilding  drug dealers. I could go on for hours.  There is half the hosts who are wonderful, yet there is the other half who should be banned.  The bottom line is none of these hosts are regulated and do whatever they want with zero accountability.  

 

Geoff8
Level 1
Vancouver, Canada

Hi Milton

 

I am with you - it should be possible to filter out properties that permit smoking as part of the search function. I would suspect that the vast majority of AirBnB users are non-smokers and most other sites for booking rooms (VRBO, Booking.com, etc) allow you to filter for this. I am looking for places right now in France and have to check every listing - or maybe I am missing something.

Geoff

hi there, i´ve got the very same problem. we live in germany and know that many people here smoke. ditto france, belgium, holland, italy. it´s a real pain. i HATE the smell of smoke (inside or outside) i want to find somewhere with a total non-smoking policy. it´s no fun either to open a window and have someone smoking outside. this happens so very often in hotels too. airbnb should allow total non-smoking property search...they do exist. also need (allergies) properties where no dogs/cats have been at any time. other sites do allow you to filter these out.... search functions need a serious update.

Shirley1
Level 5
Somerset, WI

About three months ago there was a topic about how guests who smoke seem to interpret where smoking rules apply or don't. I was in a B&B recently and the guest next door to me was smoking with the window open. My host just happened to notice the problem when I asked for an umbrella to walk into town. (I was in Portree, UK). Her no smoking sign was only in the bathroom. The guest was Asian and may or may not have added to the confusion. Smoke triggers asthma-like symptoms for me and it was a long night of poor sleep because I could smell the smoke. There was no place to move me. Thankfully the guest left the next day and no one would be in the room the next night of my stay. 

 

I tried to explain to the host that perhaps he was confused because the no smoking sign is only in the bathroom. She adamantly believed it was obvious there was no smoking in the room at all.

 

The conclusion of our previous conversation here was to specifically state in listings very clearly that the property is entirely non-smoking and smokers need to consider lodging elsewhere. 

 

 

As a non-smoker, I find it EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING that air bnb does not have an initial filter for non-smoking!  I have to go through lots of listings, checking carefully to see if smoking is listed as an amenity - so that I DON"T book that listing.  It would be so much easier if I could just check off a filter in the search, the same way that one can check off other filters.

 

This is such a crucial thing, for both hosts and guests, that I just don't understand why airbnb persists in not allowing this as a filter, especially since there is a big difference in the percentage of people who smoke based upon their country of origin.  

I assume that in most western countries non smoking would be the norm and very few places would allow smoking, obviously a good idea to check. 

 

Now in Colorado I have noted some Bud Hotels and if going to Amsterdam I would be thinking of this rather than regular tobacco. I do not allow either and would certainly notice if someone did.

 

I do not know if there is a legal definition of non smoker, I have seen it defined many ways.

David

aahhh...but that´s the problem here in europe...there are many countries where smoking/smokers are the norm and we need to be able to filter this out.