The fees, and the weird cleaning requirements.

Anonymous wrote:Airbnb has taken a total nosedive. They might as well be hotels for the way they’re charging. I almost just booked a pet-friendly cabin that slept 6 only to have the host tell me there was a $100 pet fee (fine, but that’s not mentioned anywhere in the listing) AND a $50 fee for each guest over 4 even though the house sleeps 6. Why am I paying to actually have people in the house? Isn’t that the point of setting the nightly rate in the first place?

All hotels charfe pet fees and excessive occupancy.

Airbnb has taken a total nosedive. They might as well be hotels for the way they’re charging. I almost just booked a pet-friendly cabin that slept 6 only to have the host tell me there was a $100 pet fee (fine, but that’s not mentioned anywhere in the listing) AND a $50 fee for each guest over 4 even though the house sleeps 6. Why am I paying to actually have people in the house? Isn’t that the point of setting the nightly rate in the first place?

Every few months I get a travel urge and then check hotels and airbnb for the location. Mostly places I can drive to in a few hours with the fam. Look at smaller cities or outskirts of main areas to save money. Nope, some old houses with dated furniture on the woods is 300-400 a night. Then add the fees. I know the mortgage on those houses is 2k. Greedy airbnb owners need to lower the damn prices. Hope they keep losing customers.

This fall, I booked what will be my last Airbnb rental in a Mid Atlantic city to meet up with friends for two nights. House was ok, but it was only after I went through the reservation process that I saw the $175 cleaning fee, $80 occupancy fee, and service fee of $135. Cancellation fee is 50% after 48 hours. Fine. But I really hate like that I can only get specifics requirements after booking, such as stripping all beds, putting linen in plastic bags and placing them in plastic bags in the bathtub, putting dishes in dishwasher, and taking trash out to bins in alley. Also, don't park in street parking spots in front of the house because the downstairs tenant prefers to park there. Street parking is street parking, dear owner. What is the $175 cleaning fee for if I have to do half the work? I pay $125 for my whole five bedroom house to be cleaned weekly in NOVA. Two rooms in the best hotel in the city cost less, and I wouldn't need to pay someone rent and a cleaning fee for me to do half the housework. Like others have said, Airbnb is nothing special anymore, is often more expensive, and has higher risks in terms of safety, cleanliness, and cancellations than B and B's pr hotels. It's only to accommodate one member of our party who eschews "corporations." Even though this property and most others on the site are owned/managed by a real estate firms. I have hit a saturation point of owners passing on every cost/fee to customers with no personal service to even offset these costs. IF Airbnb charges higher fees, adjust your rates; if cleaning companies set rates, then clean it yourself or negotiate or take the hit to your pocket book. I will easily choose hotels with clear costs and expectations before booking, less strict cancellation fees, rewards programs, upgrades, and tipping for housekeeping.

The Airbnbust Is Upon Us

https://www.reddit.com/r/WhitePeopleTwitter/comments/ye9l5r/good/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

This fall, I booked what will be my last Airbnb rental in a Mid Atlantic city to meet up with friends for two nights. House looks ok, but it was only after I went through the reservation process that I saw the $175 cleaning fee, $80 occupancy fee, and service fee of $135. Cancellation fee is %50 after 48 hours. Fine. But I really don't like that I can only get specifics requirements after booking, such as stripping all beds, putting linen in plastic bags and placing them in plastic bags in the bathtub, putting dishes in dishwasher, and taking trash out to bins in alley. Also, don't park in street parking spots in front of the house because the downstairs tenant prefers to park there. Street parking is street parking, dear owner. What is the $175 cleaning fee for if I have to do half the work? I pay $125 for my whole five bedroom house to be cleaning weekly in NOVA. Two rooms in the best hotel in the city cost less, and I wouldn't need to pay someone rent and a cleaning fee for me to do half the housework. Like others have said, Airbnb is nothing special anymore, is often more expensive, and has higher risks in terms of safety, cleanliness, and cancellations than B and B's pr hotels. It's only to accommodate one member of our party who eschews "corporations." Even though this property is owned by a real estate firm....

Anonymous wrote:Just so everyone knows, the platforms are charging these fees, not the owners. Where are we supposed to advertise our place? We're kind of bound to them.
Houfy - a no fee platform - has not taken off.

How can they dictate all of the additional fees, like cleaning. That is not just a number you can make up. It has to be based on some figure.

Anonymous wrote:Just so everyone knows, the platforms are charging these fees, not the owners. Where are we supposed to advertise our place? We're kind of bound to them.
Houfy - a no fee platform - has not taken off.

All anyone cares about is the total price. If the market rate in the area is $200/night, and airbnb charges $75 in fees, you charge $125 or less per night. This isn’t hard.

Just so everyone knows, the platforms are charging these fees, not the owners. Where are we supposed to advertise our place? We're kind of bound to them.
Houfy - a no fee platform - has not taken off.

Used to be an avid air bnb user, definitely switched to hotels in the past year. It is just too stressful and way more expensive now. I remember last summer booking what I thought was a secluded river cabin for my pup and I to get away. We get there, and it’s actually a tiny fishing shack and the owner’s house is right there (listing and photos made it look like there’s nothing around). The whole thing is less than 200 sq feet, terrible shape, and there are rules and lists and obligations (including actual $ fine amounts) taped all over the tiny shack. Can’t have my dog off leash on the property, owners dogs are all off leash and won’t leave us alone. Felt like a prison, left early. Another one required shoes off when it was obvious that the floors haven’t been cleaned and had nails sticking out. The extra fees have felt like an obvious cash grab, we’re charging you extra money because we’re taking advantage of the increase in prices and bookings, because we can. I’m sure it’ll still be around, but happy to see supply and demand even things out.

Anonymous wrote:This thread sponsored by the hotelliers of America trade group.

I was starting to get sucked in, but: Yeah, you're obviously right.

No way would a thread like this attract so many comments so quickly if sock puppeting weren't involved.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotel has one or two people managing hundreds of rooms vs a host per house on Airbnb. Totally different , hotels treat you like a number not good

Disagree. I love being able to go to the reception desk, day or night, with a problem. I stay in higher end hotels where the staff are extremely helpful and eager to troubleshoot. Compare this to an Airbnb host, who might respond to your text when they get around to it, and there is no comparison.

Agreed, plus it just feels less personal if you have a complaint. Working with someone at the front desk of a hotel, you aren't complaining about their personal property - they don't care if you're unhappy with your room. They just switch you to a new one. And there's always someone higher up to bring a complaint to. A hotel chain has the resources to make amends to a client.

We stay in airbnb or vrbo occasionally - for instance we are over spring break when we are traveling with extended family - but generally I find hotels more convenient and reliable. And the cancellation policies are a huge factor.

How's business? It is down compared to the last 2.5 years of Covid, but is about the same as it was pre-Covid. Folks flocked to vacation rentals when cities were closed and hotel amenities were non-existent. But the tide has turned and there is less demand for vacation rentals now and a much larger supply of them than pre-Covid given all the folks who bought second homes during Covid.

In other words, we are just seeing the laws of supply and demand in action.

Anonymous wrote:Hotel has one or two people managing hundreds of rooms vs a host per house on Airbnb. Totally different , hotels treat you like a number not good

Have no idea what you are talking. You are a customer to a hotel. They understand business, most AirBnB hosts look at you as means to pay for there second/vacation home, watched a bunch of YouTube/HGTV bs and threw reality out the window. When you have an issue at a hotel, in general, you have recourse and they make amends. Have you seen the number of people who have no recourse with AirBnb. They tell you to work it out with host, they are just a middleman/tech platform. If you thing you are getting better service out of AirBnB than a reputable flagged hotel operation you are crazy.