Airbnb: This is ridiculous!

[treeguy64]

From an Airbnb listing:
"Additional fee will be charged if strong smell left in the room due to heavy cooking, i.e. Deep frying, curry, fish etc strong smell food."

Strong smell food? Excuse me?

I was very excited when I started getting into Airbnb, a week ago. I thought the rates were incredible. Then, I found that, just like hotels, the hosts add tons of charges onto the final price that, in some cases, more than doubles the listed rate! An $85/nt. apartment, that I was interested in, became $270, total charge, for two nights, two people, with a pet.

The paragraph I posted, above, from an actual Airbnb listing, is even more nonsense! What wonderful machine do they use to give an objective measurement of food aroma? I saw it for what it was. Since you have to agree with all terms before you can reserve a unit, you sign away your right to contest charges! Ridiculous! "Uh, I smell garlic, now. (Cha-ching!) That'll be an extra $100 'deodorizing fee!'"

Be careful with Airbnb!

 

[911]

We checked into a Holiday Inn Express in St. Petersburg, Florida a few years ago. Someone staying there cooked fish in the microwave in the room. When we opened the door, it hit us in the face like a blast oven. When I complained to the hotel manager, he apologized, moved us and added 5,000 points to my account. I was appreciative of his willingness to settle this matter.

 

[treeguy64]

We checked into a Holiday Inn Express in St. Petersburg, Florida a few years ago. Someone staying there cooked fish in the microwave in the room. When we opened the door, it hit us in the face like a blast oven. When I complained to the hotel manager, he apologized, moved us and added 5,000 points to my account. I was appreciative of his willingness to settle this matter.

I can understand that. I can even be cool with a no fish cooking policy, since I'm vegan. However, it's the last line that crossed over the line, for me. "Strong smell food," is in the nose of the sniffer!

 

[911]

I can understand that. I can even be cool with a no fish cooking policy, since I'm vegan. However, it's the last line that crossed over the line, for me. "Strong smell food," is in the nose of the sniffer!

I know what you mean. Maybe if you decide to cook in the room, it might be best not to use any spices. This place must have experienced some really bad situations.

 

[treeguy64]

I know what you mean. Maybe if you decide to cook in the room, it might be best not to use any spices. This place must have experienced some really bad situations.

Yep. I can't cook what I like to eat, without some spices. I still haven't found a place, on Airbnb. The more I try to book a place, the more I dislike the site.

 

[Kadee]

We recently traveled up and back to Queensland a total of 4,500 km up, and back
We stayed in Airb&b both ways ,we found that some of the accommodation is advertised as
as an example $100 a night ...however be wary some charge $20+ on top of that price for cleaning that seems to pop up as you are paying for it.

We also found that only one of the 6 we stayed in was what I’d call clean to MY standards , I’m pretty fussy just ask my hubby ...in fact not one hand basin was clean and had hair on the toilets

one had a shower in the little cabin ,however hubby washed his hands while I was in the shower and the “dirty“ water drained into the shower from a pipe about the hand basin height, right onto my feet
Not what I’d class as hygienic

Another we stayed in was a cabin right by the back kitchen window of the home
the cabin didn’t have any privacy we had to get changed with the light turned out as the home owners were at the kitchen window most of the time looking directly into the cabin that had no curtains / blinds.

it was also advertised as a short distance out if town ..when in fact it was 40 km out of town
it was freezing ..NO heating tv no radio ...I’ve got a photo I took while packing up to leave there at 6.30 am ....so throughly check what your getting for your $$$ before booking Airb&b


Photo of frost in my car after I wound window down at accommodation mentioned above,no wonder we had to go out to our car a get a heavy blanket to keep warm during the night

 

[AnnieA]

My best friend and her hubby have used Airbnb pretty much exclusively over the last few years and have had good experiences.

I'm staying in one next week for the first time. One of the house rules is that you can't wear outside shoes in the house. Most reviews for this place state it's very clean. We'll see.

As far as cleaning charges etc, I was able to see those before submitting payment. The lower initial cost per night without the extra charges is similar to hotels. Those Priceline/Expedia/Kayak hotel base rates don't reflect additional fees.

 

[StarSong]

We've had good experiences with AirBnbs (including Barcelona, Tenerife, Rome, New York, and New Jersey) though we're careful about reading descriptions, reviews, terms, and prices carefully. We've always saved a boatload of money using Airbnb and have an upcoming trip to Chicago where we've rented one for 4 days. Our kids have also had great luck with their rentals.

We don't bring the dog or bother with elaborate cooking while doing non-RV traveling. I have no interest in dragging along spices, oils, etc., and am not about to stock someone else's kitchen. We hit a grocery store for fruit, salad fixings, snack items, and the like. The rest we go out for.

When in Rome we ate like Romans. Literally.

 

[Floridatennisplayer]

Have you ever owned a property and rented it out to strangers? I have rented out my home in Florida for the past 5 years to the same person. My contract is rigid. Luckily I’m in a gated CC with strict regulations which also helps. I need to protect and preserve my property. I don’t want some smell permeating the place. I’m with them on this.

 

[treeguy64]

We've had good experiences with AirBnbs (including Barcelona, Tenerife, Rome, New York, and New Jersey) though we're careful about reading descriptions, reviews, terms, and prices carefully. We've always saved a boatload of money using Airbnb and have an upcoming trip to Chicago where we've rented one for 4 days. Our kids have also had great luck with their rentals.

We don't bring the dog or bother with elaborate cooking while doing non-RV traveling. I have no interest in dragging along spices, oils, etc., and am not about to stock someone else's kitchen. We hit a grocery store for fruit, salad fixings, snack items, and the like. The rest we go out for.

When in Rome we ate like Romans. Literally.

I ate like I normally eat, in Rome. Same in Paris, Nairobi, Negril, etc.,etc. I enjoy shopping in local groceries throughout the world. I don't eat at too many restaurants. My cooking is far superior, at least in my experiential data base. I like to know exactly what's going into my food.

The cost of Airbnb's have risen, greatly, over the last year, at least from what I read online. The prices I saw were equal to hotels in the area. I do want a full kitchen, though. I'll be trying, again, tomorrow, to find a place.

 

[treeguy64]

Have you ever owned a property and rented it out to strangers? I have rented out my home in Florida for the past 5 years to the same person. My contract is rigid. Luckily I’m in a gated CC with strict regulations which also helps. I need to protect and preserve my property. I don’t want some smell permeating the place. I’m with them on this.

Bah! What smells bad to you, from the cooking of something, may be another person's savory aroma! How, exactly, do you determine which food scents are offensive? It's totally subjective, and that's totally bs, as the same may apply to charging someone an extra $100 because they cooked something you don't like!

For a majority of folks, the smell of fried chicken, or a steak fresh from the grill, induces mouth watering ecstasy. For me, it induces nausea. However, I wouldn't dream of charging someone $100 to rid one of my properties of their scents.

I owned several rent houses. I was a landlord for more than thirty years. I know how folks can screw up homes. Cooking scents were, definitely, NOT one of them, when it came to anything other than a good airing out and a few sprays of this or that.

 

[RadishRose]

IMO, if one rents out an apartment with cooking facilities, (kitchen)....expect food to be cooked.

 

[retiredtraveler]

From an Airbnb listing:
"Additional fee will be charged if strong smell left in the room due to heavy cooking, i.e. Deep frying, curry, fish etc strong smell food."
I was very excited when I started getting into Airbnb, a week ago. I thought the rates were incredible. Then, I found that, just like hotels, the hosts add tons of charges onto the final price that, in some cases, more than doubles the listed rate! An $85/nt. apartment, that I was interested in, became $270, total charge, for two nights, two people, with a pet...... I saw it for what it was. Since you have to agree with all terms before you can reserve a unit, you sign away your right to contest charges! Ridiculous! "Uh, I smell garlic, now. (Cha-ching!) That'll be an extra $100 'deodorizing fee!'"Be careful with Airbnb!

I'm chiming in with some others that I've (mostly) had good experiences with Airbnb and VRBO. Yes, all the taxes, cleaning charge, service fee, and anything else is shown on the website and you can clearly see the charges (including the 'smell fee') before you sign. The killer for some towns is the 'occupancy tax' (to compete with the hotel taxes). But it doesn't (unless you found a special case) double the cost. I'm looking at places in DC and it does jack up the cost by 30%, which is significant, but it is all clear on the website. There is no 'fine print' on the Airbnb site or VRBO for that matter.
The 'smell fee' I have never seen. I wouldn't rent something with that 'unknown' tax.

 

[retiredtraveler]

Yep. I can't cook what I like to eat, without some spices. I still haven't found a place, on Airbnb. The more I try to book a place, the more I dislike the site.

I'm not a cheerleader for Airbnb, but I don't understand what you dislike about the site. It's all very clear what you're getting and paying for. I've had minor 'experiences' (we generally cook when staying at rentals) that did not have an exhaust fan over the stove. There was no 'smell fee' or anything, but I now know to contact the owner and ask if there is a range hood fan (if I can't see it in a picture). I look carefully at the photographs that are posted. Some are done very well, others are not. Maybe you're not spending the time to do research that is needed(?).
Anyway, your choice and it makes a difference what type of trip you're taking and where. We use Airbnb mostly for urban trips, such as DC, in order to get less expensive lodging where we can walk to public trans and to grocery store. I have not used it for rural areas.

 

[treeguy64]

Sorry, but the fees do, in fact, almost double the daily rate that's posted. (See below) Yes, I agree, that everything is spelled out, but you have to dig, in some cases, to find the many added charges. Also, there are possible extra charges that some hosts mention, in their little paragraphs, that are NOT shown in the total figure. Smell charge was one of them. There are others.

I settled on the hotel we've stayed at many times, this time around: Full kitchen, three rooms. Total charge: $214, hot breakfast included. Can't beat it. Only minutes from the Museum District that I really, really like!

From Airbnb site, 2 nights:

4.47
16 reviews

Price:$65/night
Price:$220 total

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/336167...ut=2019-10-24&previous_page_section_name=1000

4.92
53 reviews
(53)
· Superhost

Previous price:$96 Discounted price:$79/night
Price:$246 total

 

[StarSong]

How bizarre. I clicked on your link. This is what showed up:

 

[treeguy64]

How bizarre. I clicked on your link. This is what showed up:

I don't know how that link got there! I guess I over-extended my copy/paste highlighting. Now, when I click on it, it shows $55/nt., $157 total! Yeah, bizarre, indeed.