MAKE SURE YOUR HOST HAS GOOD REVIEWS AND LIMITED CANCELLATIONS
The host that left me in the cold had many negative reviews, and, stupidly, I didn’t bat an eye at the sheer amount of complaints they had. Not only that but half of their stays were cancelled last minute, meaning they were probably more focused on tax evasion than temporarily homing travellers. Don’t feel too shy to contact previous visitors to the host’s home either if you’re unsure about anything.
COMMUNICATE WITH THE HOST (BUT ONLY OVER THE WEBSITE)
My host ignored all of my messages, and then denied owning a place when we rang them – red flags everywhere! Make sure you keep in contact with your host with the days leading up to your stay, but never over alternative sites – especially when it comes to money.
READ THE DESCRIPTION AND LOOK AT THE PHOTOS
If the description is just “home to rent”, I’d probably avoid it and go with a host who talks about their house and gives recommendations of the area. The dodgy host I stayed with literally had two photos, and they were smudged and awful, and basically no explanation about the location, things to expect, etc. Heck, we didn’t even get a house number!
FOLLOW OTHER SAFETY MEASURES YOU WOULD AS IF STAYING IN A HOTEL
Letting other people know where you are, keeping your passport somewhere safe, making yourself familiar with the fire escape, etc, are all things you should be doing anyway, regardless of whether you stay in a commercial hotel or a little cottage owned by a 94 year old.
Just like any other aspect in regards to travel, there’s always an element of danger going to be present. And like with all other aspects, there are ways to keep yourself safe. Don’t be an idiot like I was, and make sure everything is in order before you book a last-minute flight to a foreign country.
Do you guys have any experiences, good or bad, with AirBnb? Let me know in the comments below!
BUT BEFORE YOU DO – WHY NOT SHARE THE LOVE AND PIN THIS POST?
Great tips! I will definitely keep these in mind!
April xx
Yes, you are (unfortunately) now really an expert and you are absolutely right with your tips! Wish you by all my heart something similar will never ever happen again to you!
With love, Rena
I'm so glad I only had really great experinces with my AirBnB hosts, one let me rent the apartment even after the website messed up my booking, while another got me a box of chocolates as welcome gift, and after spending whole day pretty much hungry at the airports, that was really incredibly appreciated.
Thanx for great tips anyway, hope it didn't turn you off to much on using the website, and wish you many more amazing travels in 2018!
Thanks for these tips! I've used Airbnb several times and have always had a good experience, but you can never be too careful. I watched a YouTube video where they discussed owners installing cameras in bedrooms/bathrooms of their airbnbs and being caught. Honestly, it's terrifying!
Thanks for sharing these tips! I've never tried air bnb but I'll keep these in mind for if I ever do 🙂 xx
These things are so important to do! I haven't stayed in one, but I know people who have. You have to take these steps.
Hey Amy, hope you're having a good Monday. First of all THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kind comment, it made my day and it is definitely a motivation to keep pushing my creativity to create more content for the blog. Drafting and translation is kinda complicated but I'm happy to hear that it has being helpful for you to improve your Spanish, if you need help in the upcoming future or if you have a doubt just send me a message and I'll be happy to help.
As usual I adore your travel tips because they are down to earth and for real travelers like me, I have used Airbnb for almost two years and even tho the platform has changed a little big I think the essence still the same when you got to know a good host 😀 But as you mentioned there are many factors to take into account and we must act carefully (sorry to hear that you had a bad experience, gonna check the post to know a bit more but don't loose faith in Airbnb, there are many wonderful people out there that can make your experience even better).
Wish you the best and I'll have these tips in mind. Actually I'm gonna book an Airbnb this week 🙂
I was definitely shocked to read about your horrible experience. Thanks for the tips. I use AirBNB often but your last post definitely made me question that decision.
Have a wonderful week!
Carly
It's the worst when your Air Bnb sucks!! These are great tips girly!
xo
Oh boy, I've never tried air bob before, but I can definitely imagine the possible ways in which it could go.. wrong. So sorry to read about your terrible experience with one! Checking plenty of reviews online beforehand is great advice, and following strict safety measures as you would in a hotel is VERY good advice!
Great tips! Sometimes red flags aren't so obvious until after you experience the whole thing, so it's good to learn what to look out for!
thanks for the tips! I have heard some crazy stories about sketchy air bnbs so this was really helpful!
Very cool!
These are awesome tips, babe- safety is so important!
Hope you're having a great week!
Great tips!! We once ended up in an apartment with lots of cockroaches via airbnb :(((
Great tips.
xx
Gosh, that sounded like an awful experience! Thank you for sharing your tips to avoid that issue from horrible people on Air BnB!
Oh dear! I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with that air bnb! The advioces you ame up with are really good, actually. I also believe in the importance of being able to communicate with your host during the process, it's always good to have emails as proof if something goes wrong. I'll definitely include the safety measurements in the future. Thank you!
xx
These are great tips! I'm pretty obsessive about ONLY booking hosts who have tons of good reviews, and especially super hosts! I'm always looking at the picture too. The more the better! It's such a bummer that people are still out there trying to scam on AirBnb and ruining other people's traveling experiences. It's always good to be safe rather than sorry!
Susie
Sounds like a horrid experience. I often thought about using Air BnB, but then always revert to hotels, especially after the recent horror stories about CCTV installed in some bathrooms, etc.
Good tips though, if it feels dodgy, just continue with the research.
Maya