After Dozens of Airbnb Stays, Here’s What I’ve Learned

We’ve stayed at a lot of Airbnbs. It started as something we’d do traveling with friends to save money, with the added bonus of more space.

When we went nomadic for a while, two full years on the road with our dog found us splitting time between Airbnb and other short-term rental property sites like Vrbo.

It is REALLY hard to travel long-term with a pet in an affordable way.

As a result, we met hosts on the site who were decent folks looking to pay down the cost of their own homes, saving for retirement, or just liked meeting new people.

Despite those good times, we also encountered so much hot garbage on the site, from absent hosts to downright dirty places to dead mice welcoming us in the kitchen sink.

These experiences left dark marks on our souls, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you’re left with few options or new to the site, there are some things you should know before you book. These are our favorite Airbnb tips for guests who deserve better.

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Read through the listing carefully.

Not all Airbnbs are created equal, and you can tell a lot by an Airbnb listing for starters.

You can often tell a host is going to be problematic by their listing.

Perhaps they want to charge guests at their vacation rentals an additional $30 if they don’t lay the dish towels out just so before leaving. Maybe they warn you that they’ll know if you’ve snuck your friends in for an illegal seance.

How would they know that, by the way? That’s some teddy bear cam sh*t if I’ve ever heard it.

You also need to read through the details on a listing carefully to make sure you understand the Airbnb rules for renters before booking. If you bring a dog to an apartment that’s not dog-friendly, for example, that’s on you if you’re charged a fee later. 

If you book a listing and don’t follow a host’s ridiculous requests or posted house rules, that’s on you, too.

Reasonable Airbnb etiquette is taking the trash out before you go, or generally keeping a tidy space while you’re there. Once you’re scrubbing the bathroom tile, things can start getting unreasonable, so go into bookings with all the info.

You can’t complain later because you didn’t see the signs that your host was trying to get you on any little thing they could when it’s all listed in their hosting details.

Analyze Airbnb reviews.

This is something I say again and again when it comes to the platform. Read through posted reviews for your intended Airbnb hosts carefully. Maybe you’ll learn you’ll have a fish to feed while you’re there.

Don’t just go through one page’s worth of reviews on a listing, either, even if they have hundreds of them. Look for red flags. If one person had a big issue with the listing, it’s possible others did and their reviews weren’t published. 

Yes, Airbnb doesn’t publish everyone’s reviews.

I had one of my reviews flagged and removed because I mentioned that a building with a broken elevator and 78 floors went against the ADA standards of that property. Apparently, it was something they (or their bots) couldn’t verify.

Contact the host if you have questions.

You don’t need to book something on the spot if you have questions that aren’t answered by the listing. Message the Airbnb host directly and get those questions answered. If they’re a good host, they’ll respond within 24 hours.

If they don’t answer, that’s a red flag.

I’ve even seen the tip to call the host on the phone as another way to verify their identity. I hate talking on the phone enough that I likely won’t be doing this, but it’s not a bad idea in theory.

Note: If you’re really worried about losing out on a listing that looks pretty good, go ahead and book it while you’re doing additional research if it has a 48-hour cancellation window. That’s usually pretty standard.

Pay attention to those fees.

This is one of the most crafty ways Airbnb is not as transparent as it claims.

You see a price per night, so you get all excited because it’s in your budget. You plug your dates in and get to the booking screen, and then all of a sudden, that nightly price has doubled. You’re no longer saving money as you thought you did.

I don’t care how cheap a nightly rate is. If the cleaning fee approaches the cost of that nightly rate, you’re sketchy. Why am I paying that much for cleaning if you expect me to empty the dishwasher, make the beds, and Lysol the doorknobs, by the way?

You should pay ME for my Polish cleaning skills.

Listings in super touristy places like Orlando and Las Vegas are even worse. Why am I paying a resort fee to stay in your condo, Derek? I don’t see a waterslide at your property, and I certainly don’t see any slot machines.

The point is, watch those fees. Turn on that tab at the top that says “Display total before taxes” so you’re looking at properties with close to the full rate listed.

Just don’t ignore the fees in this scenario, either. I’d still suggest that a place with an enormous cleaning fee isn’t worth your money. It’s typical to see additional fees based on location for things like city taxes and whether you’re bringing a pet, too.

READ MORE: Love traveling with your pooch? Learn about our favorite dog-friendly national park.

Pay attention to cancellation windows.

While we’re at it, watch those cancellation windows, too.

Cancellation windows can vary greatly, ranging from flexible to strict. Some hosts allow you to cancel up to a few days before your arrival. Others require weeks of advance notice.

If you’re visiting somewhere like California, a state prone to things like wildfire season, you’ll want a flexible cancellation policy so you’re not stuck with the bill for a missed stay.

Carefully review the terms of a listing before booking and consider the impact of last-minute changes if it comes to that. Your money is better spent elsewhere.

Refunds may not always be as they seem.

There is a set limit to how many full refunds you can receive over the course of one year with Airbnb. At the time of this update, it’s three per year.

That means if you’ve already canceled three stays this year, it doesn’t matter whether you’re booking a spot that includes refunds or not. You’re still on the hook for that service fee as part of the cancellation policy, just for the pleasure of using Airbnb.

It’s ridiculous and doesn’t exist on any other platform.

Those service fees vary, by the way. I’ve seen them as low as $30 and as high as $80. It can depend on location, length of stay, and the generosity of your host.

Yes, your host can decide whether or not to charge you that fee. They’ll likely charge you, even if you’re super nice.

Do some digging.

I try to avoid hosts with multiple properties. The easiest way to check whether that’s true for a host is to click on their Airbnb profile and see whether they have any other listings on the site.

Unfortunately, it’s a growing trend on Airbnb. The site has become big business for some.

Fun fact: Seniors are the fastest-growing demographic among Airbnb hosts. I’m good with that, as long as they’re not senior slumlords.

I don’t need a host who lives on the property. I like my privacy during my Airbnb experience, so typically book an entire home or unit.

READ MORE: I’m an introvert, but still love travel. It can be done! Learn more about how to travel better as an introvert.

I DO want to know that they’re accessible if I need them. I want to see a strong response time from the host, not their “people.”

If you’re doing well enough to have a staff manage all of your listings, you don’t need my booking anyway. 

Still, you may miss things.

There have been cases of hosts posting multiple listings of the same property under different identities. This can mean double bookings or leading people to pay for fake listings altogether.

The Airbnb response to these kinds of horror stories can be inconsistent, so unfortunately the onus is on you to do your research before you book.

Takes notes and photos of EVERYTHING.

Don’t trust that you’ll have access to all of your conversations with a host if your booking goes south. Have copies of everything, screenshot any messages, and take your own notes. Take photos of anything in the property that supports your case.

If you have a phone call with your host about your Airbnb listing, note the date, time, and nature of the call. This is in case you need evidence later to collect on a refund or generate a case with Airbnb. 

Operate under the assumption that people are terrible. This sounds awful, but it’ll force you into behaving in a more skeptical fashion. If all goes well, you can restore your faith in humanity.

Book with verified hosts.

This is important for those of you who are a first-time Airbnb guests.

If your host doesn’t have a verified identity, by all means, book with them…if you have a will drawn up. I’m being a little dramatic here. The vast majority of Airbnb hosts aren’t there for nefarious reasons.

There are some major sketchballs out there, though. I wouldn’t offer up my own place to someone without at least a photo or proven identity, though. Why the heck would you want to stay at the place of someone who may or may not be who they say they are?

That sounds ridiculous even writing it out.

Note: You’ll know whether a host has verified their identity by the little check mark underneath their bio photo. If they’re missing that check, which isn’t difficult to obtain, don’t book with them.

Look at photos on a listing closely.

This is one of those Airbnb tips that may seem obvious, but you’ll see what I mean once you see some of these pics.

I’m not expecting professional photos, especially if it’s obvious you’re just some normal person looking to make a little extra side money. I expect that your photos aren’t upside down, blurry, or showing more than the exterior, though.

I’ll say this one again.

If a listing only has photos of the exterior, you should not book that listing. 

Fun fact: I booked an Airbnb once with a man wearing a fuzzy robe in them.

I’m still here to tell the tale, and the place was actually really nice, but would I do that again? Likely not. Show these hosts that they should really try harder if they want your money.

Trust your gut.

If something about a listing seems off to you, there’s probably something off about the listing. If the photos creep you out, why are you even still on the page?

If there’s just one bad review but it’s a REALLY bad one, something may be up. I’ve already told you Airbnb doesn’t publish all of its reviews.

It’s pretty rare that you really have no other option in a destination other than the one crappy Airbnb that’s giving shady vibes.

Don’t stay in a bad situation.

I know it can feel scary to leave an Airbnb you’ve paid for, especially if the host has already been difficult and their cancellation policy is less than generous.

It’s scarier to stay somewhere that feels unsafe, is unsanitary, or just gives you that bad gut feeling I told you about.

We’ve had some really awful situations on the platform, and contacting Airbnb has generally been the way to go over trying to work something out with hosts.

While some certainly care about a bad review, others are just in it for the money. It doesn’t have to be that way. Contact Airbnb support as soon you notice something is amiss, ideally before you’ve unpacked.

Go into an Airbnb booking armed with information.

Knowledge is always power, but once you know that there are ways around the worst messes on Airbnb, it can become easier to ensure a good stay.

It’s hard to avoid Airbnb completely, particularly when you’re looking for things like kitchens, multiple bedrooms, or affordable, dog-friendly stays. 

Vrbo is our preferred alternative, but unfortunately, Airbnb has the market cornered in some destinations. I’m waiting for a new platform to take ’em out completely, honestly.

In the meantime, I know there are still good people on the platform.

On a trip to Sonoma’s wine country a while back, our Airbnb hosts there showed us how to saber a bottle of sparkling wine. 

It’s that kind of exceptional experience with hosts on the site that has kept me returning again and again. When it’s good, it can be REALLY good.

When it’s bad, though, it can be REALLY bad, even dangerous. Stay safe out there, fellow travelers. Airbnb isn’t here for you. They’re here for those dollars.

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