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How you feel about Airbnb will depend on your prior experiences. There’s a lot of love for the company, but there’s an equal amount of hate for its business practices, too. On the one hand, you can book a place to stay pretty much anywhere around the world. On the other hand, hefty cleaning fees, the lack of support, and sometimes iffy host practices can leave a foul taste in your mouth.
Our travel-loving team at Bored Panda has collected some of the most powerful tweets that showcase just how infuriating dealing with Airbnb can really be. Scroll down to take a peek at how nightmarish some people’s stays actually were.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
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Jul_Jul_C Jul_Jul_C Community Member Follow
This is mainly why Airbnb is my last and least favorite alternative for booking a room.
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#2
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Mjskywalk Mjskywalk Community Member Follow
I can’t upvote this enough!
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#3
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Barbara Kayton Barbara Kayton Community Member Follow
This should be at the top.
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In our experience, how much trouble you’ll likely have renting a place for the short term using Airbnb will really depend on the host in question. We’ve had some absolutely marvelous hosts who go the extra mile to make your stay comfortable. They even give you awesome recommendations on what to see and do in the local area. (Not to mention that they’ll make a map of the nearby grocery shops and delicious restaurants, too.) The human factor really makes all the difference for us because we appreciate the effort. However, that’s not always the case.
#4
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Beans Beans Community Member Follow
This twitter account is something else, its obviously satire but there's so much going on, from the name to the username, lol.
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#5
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Panda Kicki Panda Kicki Community Member Follow
So true! Last Airbnb in Czech"Oh, you have a toddler, let me pick you up from the train, and fill the fridge with toddler snacks, also I got you a box of toys, if ye likes any you can keep it"
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#6
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Mohsie Supposie Mohsie Supposie Community Member
Total rip-off!
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ADVERTIsem*nT
Some of our worst experiences with Airbnb have come down to poor communication and incredibly different expectations. We can’t tell you just how disappointing it is to open up the door to your apartment and realize that it’s a dungheap, nowhere near what the photos (and sometimes even the positive reviews) promised. But maybe you’ve been there, too? It doesn’t matter if you’re renting out an apartment, providing a service, or selling a product: one of the worst things that someone can do is promise their customers something that they then don’t deliver. It’s a fantastic way to damage your reputation and ruin someone’s day.
#7
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Grant Caldwell Grant Caldwell Community Member Follow
Better than apple!
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#8
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Ael Ael Community Member Follow
95 AirBnBs - that guy is running a hotel. I'm so proud of the Scottish gvmt for coming down on these kind of AirBNB 'hosts'.
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#9
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Paula Pattison Paula Pattison Community Member Follow
I stayed in a suite in a castle in the country, with breakfast for less than half this amount, last weekend
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Founded in 2007, Airbnb has welcomed 1.4 billion guest arrivals around the globe since then. Somewhat ironically, despite the problems some of its customers run into, the company itself appears to be doing pretty great. At least financially. Airbnb just reported its earnings in 2022, which stood at 1.9 billion dollars. That stands in stark contrast to the 352 million dollar loss it had in 2021.
#10
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RagDollLali RagDollLali Community Member Follow
Free continental breakfast too! Start off the day with a hot meal, and it's one less meal to pay for when traveling.
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#11
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Ael Ael Community Member Follow
Hence Scottish gvmt restricting professional AirBNBs.
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#12
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Eris Kallisti Eris Kallisti Community Member Follow
As a 45 year old, I can confirm that this game existed when she was a high schooler.
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CNN notes that Airbnb’s earnings in the fourth quarter of 2022 were 319 million dollars. That was nearly twice as much as analysts predicted the earnings would be (184 million dollars). The rebounding travel market drove Airbnb’s shares to soar by a whopping 13.4% on Wednesday. It was the biggest one-day increase since December 2020, when the company went public.
#13
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Rahul Pawa Rahul Pawa Community Member Follow
I'm not really sure why Airbnb has this system where hosts get to interview the renter and deny them for whatever reason. I can't imagine a hotel operating like that.
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#14
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Sam Juan Sam Juan Community Member Follow
Why would I want to go on vacation just to do the chores I don't even want to do at home?
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#15
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Sam Juan Sam Juan Community Member Follow
Seriously, some Airbnb hosts take the opportunity as "You pay me for the privilege of cleaning my home. And while you're at it, there's that leaky faucet in the bathroom you're not allowed in. You can tend to that as well."
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It’s quite likely that Airbnb will continue to be more and more popular in the near future, as people are starting to travel more again. However, travelers are left facing higher airline ticket costs, as well as paying more for car rentals and hotels. So they’re looking for ways to save cash. Many think of apartments and rooms rented out by companies like Airbnb as a cheaper alternative to hotels. However, others point out that hotels aren't that much more expensive than Airbnb rentals, and don't have a bunch of rules regulating how you behave. ADVERTIsem*nT
#16
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Spocks's Mom Spocks's Mom Community Member Follow
Me!👋
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#17
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Paula Chaffee Paula Chaffee Community Member Follow
Wow. Wonder if he also denies those vaccinated for polio, measles, HPV, etc.
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#18
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RagDollLali RagDollLali Community Member Follow
Ew, this makes me feel so dirty and sad at the same time
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Meanwhile, more people might consider renting out their own properties or rooms in order to create an additional stream of revenue. In other words, if someone has an issue with how Airbnb conducts its business or what its hosts behave like, it’s essential that they give them the proper feedback and vote with their wallets. Otherwise, not much will change. For instance, hosts need to realize that double-booking their rooms is not the way to go.
#19
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JoJoB JoJoB Community Member Follow
We all know how toilets work. Who's sleeping on the bed full of poop splash?
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#20
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Circular0rb Circular0rb Community Member Follow
Thousand bucks for one night? I'd rather stay awake with the power of coffee.
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#21
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Hugh Walter Hugh Walter Community Member Follow
"One boring room with clean sheets and no dog hairs!
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However, it’s not like everyone’s all buddy-buddy with this business model. There's a lot of resentment brewing for disruptive and greedy Airbnb hosts around the globe. ADVERTIsem*nT Some cities around the world are fighting back against (in the words of Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber) “predatory companies” who are trying to commercialize residential communities.
#22
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Marcos Valencia Marcos Valencia Community Member Follow
Use the cleaning fee for paying the cleaning service!
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#23
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Hugh Cookson Hugh Cookson Community Member Follow
Fully agree.
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#24
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DennyS (denzoren) DennyS (denzoren) Community Member Follow
He wants to own a hotel but you know...without the facilities, reception and maintenance.
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Renting short-term with Airbnb is far more profitable than renting an apartment to a local for the long term. This means that many hosts focus on making bank and ignore the problems this creates for the locals. Some hosts even do this illegally by not telling their customers that staying with them goes against the law. Others tell their customers to pretend that they’re family members who have come to visit them.
#25
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Zobi123 Zobi123 Community Member Follow
We rented a house in Maine through a local real estate broker, but it was the same. We got charged extra because the cleaner claimed there was a lot of dog hair on the floor. There wasn't. I swept every day we were there, and we have yellow lab--not a big shedder. I think the cleaner just saw "dog" and decided she could make some extra money. Like, your sweeping anyway, right? Is the dog hair heavy?
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#26
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and_a_touch_of_the_’tism and_a_touch_of_the_’tism Community Member Follow
Amen.
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#27
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Thomas Bentley Thomas Bentley Community Member Follow
Everything has gone to s**t.
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See Also on Bored Panda
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Have you had any horrible Airbnb stays, dear Pandas? What’s the very worst host you’ve ever dealt with? Do you support the company’s business practices or have you found better alternatives? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so scroll down and share your opinion in the comments. Meanwhile, for some more infuriating Airbnb horror stories, check out Bored Panda’s previous article right over here.
#28
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AndThenICommented AndThenICommented Community Member Follow
Wait what? Instead of cracking down on pervs they just said ‘yeah sure, go ahead. I gotcha 😉’….
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#29
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GayPenguin GayPenguin Community Member Follow
Or else pay another 1000
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#30
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BG BG Community Member Follow
I would've filled the house with random strays before I left. "I didn't know which one was yours." ... and maybe a raccoon or two.
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#31
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DennyS (denzoren) DennyS (denzoren) Community Member Follow
Don't worry, when it crashes the government will bail them out and tell the greater population to "tough it out" (not American but it's the same here).
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#32
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Marcos Valencia Marcos Valencia Community Member Follow
Maybe they did expect you to join the argument in the same terms, like a family, if the situation wasn't weird by itself.
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#33
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Sef Sef Community Member Follow
But the term"pool" specifically means "a small body of water". If it was drained, it would be a pit. Definitely false advertising no matter how you slice it.
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#34
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Kensi Kensi Community Member Follow
What the hell is wrong with people
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#35
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RagDollLali RagDollLali Community Member Follow
The last hotel we stayed at I had to go down to the front desk and ask them to extend our stay by 2 hours after checkout because the baby had finally fell asleep after a night of teething pain and I didn't want to wake her. The guy at the front desk was so sweet and refused to charge me for the extra time. I doubt I'd ever find that level of empathy from an Airbnb owner.
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#36
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Rahul Pawa Rahul Pawa Community Member Follow
I don't think Keir realizes that a lot of Airbnb's hosts do not live in the property they rent out. They own the property specifically to rent it out on Airbnb. The days of people renting out their spare bedroom for the weekend are long gone.
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#37
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Marcos Valencia Marcos Valencia Community Member Follow
And how much is the cleaning fee?
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#38
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Lew k Lew k Community Member Follow
Bro, on my 40th birthday we stayed at an Airbnb. The place had an awesome outdoor lounge area with fireplace and view of the ocean. What wasn’t in the ad was the rules of no sitting outside after 8pm, no music, and no visitor. We weren’t planning a party but screw that I had plans to have about 8 people there (including me and my wife and the other couple staying there)for drinks and to hang out. Rules were broken for sure. That was the last time I stayed at an Airbnb. Place was nice but I’m an adult and don’t need teenager treatment.
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#39
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Tjoori Vids Tjoori Vids Community Member Follow
Wow I had no idea people charge such extortionate amounts for cleaning.I clean my AirBnB let myself, I bend over backwards to make sure my guests have everything they need. I provide an info pack on the area with places to visit, places to eat, shop etc.My only caveat for people who want to bring a pet is that they clean up before they leave, and I tend to say "No" to pets if I am fully booked, because I don't want to risk someone coming in with an allergy to whatever pet was in there. (I have a lot of animals here, but they are away from guests.)That said, I've had people break the fridge, the shower, the coffee machine -- and replacing those is expensive. Towels stolen, even some of the bed linen was stolen.Proving it is almost impossible, so you don't get reimbursed a lot of times. (The ones who broke the fridge were adamant it was working when they left. Didn't get damages from Airbnb to replace it...)But, geez, I charge €65 a night for the entire thing.
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#40
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Genericist Genericist Community Member Follow
"Vulnerable to hygiene management" sounds so ominous. Like, if you sleep here, you're going to wake up in an ice cold bath of tide pods with an organ missing.
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Joseph Moore Joseph Moore Community Member Follow
Regardless of your experience with an AirBnB, it's important to remember how bad this service is hurting people all over the world. The housing crisis in several cities is a result of thousands of AirBnBs taking rental spaces off the market. https://youtu.be/lHr7GXuqzm0 Here's a link that explains it much better than I could if anyone is interested.
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Ace Ace Community Member Follow
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Alex Martin Alex Martin Community Member Follow
AirBnB in the US is broken. Seven years ago we toured the east coast and stayed in the basem*nt apartment of an occupied home in DC, the back house on a small farm in Virginia, and an apartment in Gettysburg that was decorated like an older woman had lived there for decades and had lovingly decorated it to her taste. I stopped using AirBnB last year after staying in my third apartment in six months, where they were all clearly rented as a side hustle and decorated and furnished as cheaply as possible. Seven years ago I was helping people by staying in unused places on their live-in properties, in 2021- 22 I was helping to take housing away from people who need places to live. I can't support that.
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Alyssa Phillips Alyssa Phillips Community Member Follow
Same. We have been lucky enough to keep in contact with our old abnb hosts and still use them for vacations. In return we let them use our mountain cabin if we aren't there. Bartering vacation houses has become our go to.
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WonderWoman WonderWoman Community Member Follow
What should be a cheaper way to enjoy travel has turned into a money grabbing shakedown of people. Bring back Bed&Breakfasts, those were great ways to travel, you get immersed in the area, meet some awesome people, and breakfast too. I travelled Ireland that way, and I enjoyed it very much. I loved meeting fellow travellers, and the hosts were so engaging and nothing beats a full Irish breakfast.
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Gillbella Gillbella Community Member Follow
Yeh air b AND B- they forget the "and breakfast" bit
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Joseph Moore Joseph Moore Community Member Follow
Regardless of your experience with an AirBnB, it's important to remember how bad this service is hurting people all over the world. The housing crisis in several cities is a result of thousands of AirBnBs taking rental spaces off the market. https://youtu.be/lHr7GXuqzm0 Here's a link that explains it much better than I could if anyone is interested.
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Ace Ace Community Member Follow
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Alex Martin Alex Martin Community Member Follow
AirBnB in the US is broken. Seven years ago we toured the east coast and stayed in the basem*nt apartment of an occupied home in DC, the back house on a small farm in Virginia, and an apartment in Gettysburg that was decorated like an older woman had lived there for decades and had lovingly decorated it to her taste. I stopped using AirBnB last year after staying in my third apartment in six months, where they were all clearly rented as a side hustle and decorated and furnished as cheaply as possible. Seven years ago I was helping people by staying in unused places on their live-in properties, in 2021- 22 I was helping to take housing away from people who need places to live. I can't support that.
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Alyssa Phillips Alyssa Phillips Community Member Follow
Same. We have been lucky enough to keep in contact with our old abnb hosts and still use them for vacations. In return we let them use our mountain cabin if we aren't there. Bartering vacation houses has become our go to.
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WonderWoman WonderWoman Community Member Follow
What should be a cheaper way to enjoy travel has turned into a money grabbing shakedown of people. Bring back Bed&Breakfasts, those were great ways to travel, you get immersed in the area, meet some awesome people, and breakfast too. I travelled Ireland that way, and I enjoyed it very much. I loved meeting fellow travellers, and the hosts were so engaging and nothing beats a full Irish breakfast.
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Gillbella Gillbella Community Member Follow
Yeh air b AND B- they forget the "and breakfast" bit
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