Discover BETTER Alternatives To Airbnb And Say Goodbye For Good! 

Browse housesits for FREE here: trustedhousesitters.pxf.io/c/3563316/1555723/18144.

I am a 7 YEAR Super Host. 5.0 star immpecable record. I also travel. In January 2024 Paris, rented a lovely flat. In March. The host said I broke blinds in bedroom and wanted $ 1000. (I never touched that window or blinds) i pushed back hard and after 2 months of me NOT letting this go, AirBNB finally reversed the claim. As a 60 plus year old with immpecvable record, I was surprised by this especially since that host was on AirBnB for just 3 months with a few reviews after me calling them liars. This is alarming. Whatever is going at AirBnB, they need to address frivoulous hosts and scammers

Maybe Airbnb should post some stats for each host like how many times they have made claims on guests and how many reviews they have had removed. It would give us guests more information on whether we roll the dice on particular stays.

My daughter and I spent 10 days in London and did not want to use VRBO/ABB because of a previous (really) bad experience, nor did we want a standard hotel because of the price and we also like to eat at home. We found Aparthotels where they are more like studios or apartments that work like a hotel, I would say they are definitely less than a hotel but they are a little outside of the city center. This was a great option for us and we were able to make our own breakfast, coffee, wine and beer, appetizers, etc. basically buy groceries. Our studio also included laundry which was really important. If given this option anywhere else, we would consider it again:)

Don't even get me started on reviews. I had a traveler give me a bad review over a bear in the smoky mountains knocking over a trashcan. The same travelers trashed my three bedroom cabin with beer cans and food scattered all over the home and hot tub with bathing towels in the trash covered with Motor oil. After looking at the security cameras to see what happened to the trashcan we realized they had 12 people in the unit and it was only for a six person stay to top it all off they brought in two dogs that were not mentioned in the booking. All this is part of the business and you deal with the good and bad apples. When it comes down to it we do our best to provide a quality vacation so you just have to take the good with the bad and keep moving forward.

We just stayed in 5 different Airbnb’s on our trip to Italy. What I noticed was the ones that had “hosts” vs the ones run by a hosting company made all the difference. I think the latter is becoming more of the norm. The single host were much more personal and helpful.

They cancel at the last minute because they rented to another tenant at a higher price on another site - like VRBO.

I totally agree with you on all of these issues. Greed ruins everything! We’ve gone back to hotels.

You can’t trust Airbnb reviews. Hosts can ask Airbnb to delete negative reviews and Airbnb will do it. So, only the positive reviews stay up. Unless you know the place, just stay in a hotel.

the biggest negative about Airbnb is that they don't require the host do a walkthrough at checkout and file any issues right there in your Prescence. That would alleviate a lot of the issues. After you have left, it's simply your word against theirs and 60 days is a ridiculous timeframe to allow a host to file anything, it should've been more like 24 hours. It almost seems like Airbnb is anti customer and all about taking care of the host and it is exactly the opposite of how it should be.

I am an Airbnb Superhost for only 1 yr now, but have used them for several years.. I have seen both good & bad, but I do still choose Airbnb over hotels, or anything else! I have had guests stay with me that were awful....but they are the exception. Most every guest that stays is so lovely & from all over the world! It is a choice. I can't say enough about the personal friendships and kindness that I have found in Airbnb. If you LOVE to travel...then everything is an experience. So sorry for your bad experience...we all have them & yes Airbnb DOES have too many hidden charges!

Stayed in an airbnb, and the placed was broken into while I was away. It was an absolute nightmare dealing with the host (who blamed me) and poor airbnb service. I try to avoid airbnb as much as possible. As you said, zero trust with them

I couldn't stop laughing at repeated Airbnb ads in my viewing of your video.😂😂😂 We had a bad experience in Barcelona, no internet, then no power, and we got scolded by reaching out to Airbnb, instead of continuing our contact on Whatsapp. We learned why not to use the hosts personal contact for anything. We had to pay in full for Airbnb stays 7-8 months out. Very frustrating. Fingers crossed 🤞, that the stays are good. We are now building points on numerous cards for both flights and hotels, from our everyday purchases. I play credit card shuffle for each purchase. I keep a cheat sheet on who gives me the most points for that category and I have a base card that gives me 2% back on everything. But this only works if you pay off you balance each month.

When we use Airbnb I engage in a chatty conversation prior to booking- I can immediately tell if it’s a private family run Airbnb or a commercial investment Airbnb which we avoid like the plague.

RE: Pay on arrival. I totally get it. For repeat guests direct booking I offer that. Air bnb does not allow me to do that. I do have the least restrictive the option for cancelations, which has bit me in the butt occasionally. Mérida Mexico is very seasonal. December is an important month for me and last December a guest canceled last minute. She got a refund and I was not able to book that week. I'd still rather be a generous host but sometimes it hurts a bit. A lot of my business is moving to direct booking for repeat guests and because we trust each other, they pay at the start of their trip. (Some pay ahead because they want to, but for the trusted repeats, it is up to them).

Air bnbs absolutely destroy neighborhoods , makes all housing and rents, taxes and even local food prices go up !! And when You or other Visitors don't buy the local vegetables, those that are living they long-term will even buy more, because they are always there. How would you like owning your own quiet home, finally, and all of a sudden houses on both sides of you become constantly noisy mini motels and taking your parking spots, waking you at all hours and raising the cost of your taxes etc, plus your children don't have neighborhood friends nextdoor either. It goes so much deeper, and creates homelessness too !

Thank you for this information! I am a woman alone and I never stayed with airbnb and I never will after this information.

very useful information. I recently had a bad experience with a place in Brussels that had a great review. I left a pretty balanced review, but not 5 star. I just went and checked and my review isn't showing... now I don't trust Airbnb. Thanks for pointing this out.

You guys seem like respectful guests and this comment is not directed at you. As a permanent resident that lives in the USA next to an Airbnb...hosts need to be clear their guests respect the neighbors - keep the noise down. You don't have the right to make as much noise as you want...the police will be called. Be a respectful human when you are visiting. It just takes a couple "bad apples." This has been my experience with very badly behaved "guests" towards the neighbors disrupting an otherwise quiet neighborhood. 😮

We did one Airbnb, at the request of a family member we were traveling with who wanted the benefit of a full kitchen. The property was not as advertised in a multitude of ways, including a dangerous empty concrete basin (old hot tub or pool or something), a filthy bbq, a “bed” that was an air mattress on a cot, no cribs or playpens as advertised, broken dishwasher that couldn’t be used for seven people, a door lock that didn’t work, no extra bedding, etc., etc., etc. We had stayed in a nice hotel until the relatives arrived, and we immediately regretted agreeing to split the cost of the Airbnb for those four days rather than staying at the hotel. No pool, no spa, no restaurant, no room service, no coffee…and over double the price plus a $300 cleaning fee and the place wasn’t even clean! I cleaned it before we left because I couldn’t stand to leave it that way, and we didn’t get back a dime. Total waste of over $1000 (just our half); I will never, ever do that again.

We refuse to use AirBnb. If it's a new place we've never been to, we either stay in a known hotel or we ask around for local recommendations. As a real estate broker, my network is very large so I typically reach out to a local agent, both national and international, and have ask them for a recommendation. For example, we are headed to Belize early next year so I reached out to a local agent for recommendations for a place to stay. In return, we usually take them out for dinner one of the nights when we are there. Every agent/broker loves to talk local real estate!

You guys are a class act. Honest, fair, thorough, smart, thoughtful…I have travelled far and wide and continue to find your videos informative and feel that I always learn something new. I stopped using Airbnb mainly because of huge increase in cost over the last little while and the fact that I don’t want to commit upfront to paying hundreds of $s when I can find beautiful accommodation on booking and Expedia and pay on arrival.

Would love to see Air bnb introducing a "pay the difference " when a host cancels. They need to be transparent also, with hosts trying to charge guests for items.

We had a similar situation in Praia da Luz Portugal. He lied repeatedly to Airbnb but thankfully we had pictures. The stress was off the charts for me. I know what you are talking about Carrie!

Wow! You're the 3rd! Travel youtube channel that stopped airbnb

We did AirBnB a few years ago on a trip to London. NEVER again! I don't even bother looking at options when traveling. We are now dedicated IHG, Marriott, or Hilton stayers. We have Diamond status on IHG and Hilton which, overseas, almost guarantees suite upgrades and numerous other perks...breakfast, maid service, gym, you name it. Then there's the free stays we get using points. We traveled back to the UK and stayed free for a month with the exception of one location with none of the major brands. Our upcoming trip to SE Asia for a month is also all free thanks to points!

So take-away here…we need to take photos of every square inch of our rental to cover 60 future days of liability. Wow.

As both an Airbnb host and guest, I e always had great experiences as a guest and bad experiences as a host. Guests leave a place in a disgusting state, break things, violate rules, then make false claims to get a refund. I've had people check in and leave after one hour because they wanted a quickie (underwear under the coffee table is a bit of a giveaway) or to use all the showers and towels and fill up trash cans with bags of dirty diapers and days of personal garbage...just to clean up and leave it all at my home and get back on the road with a refund request. The charges people see that have increased are entirely airbnbs fault, as hosts get a much smaller percentage than you think of the total. I've always charged exactly what the cleaning fee costs me, but even the cleaners ask exorbitant prices. The only way to protect yourself on either side is take lots of photos. Those who are scamming (guests or hosts) rarely have pictures to back up their claims. Another aspect is rental arbitrage and corporate ownership hosting dozens or even hundreds of properties...making a bad name for actual home owners who provide good service.

Thank you for this informative video. It reflects our experience with Airbnb and our decision to no longer use them. They clearly do not vet their locations or hosts and the reviews are often unreliable.

Your assessment of Airbnb mirrors my experience in Paris a few weeks ago. Fraudulent host who listed a studio as a one bedroom, advertised a closet only to discover his clothes in it and the offer of putting our clothes under the bed. One coffee cup, dirty pillows, the list goes on and on. Marcel is the host and got 5 stars for this place. You’re right about not trusting reviews since our very balanced review was taken down. We complained to Airbnb about the listing and they refused to take action against him. When we asked why our review was taken down their response was that we were retaliating against him. For what, we still don’t know since he reviewed us before he saw our review. His review about us was positive, so there was nothing to retaliate against. Like you, we’ve lost trust in Airbnb and will never use them again.

Airbnb is the only 'afforable' way we can travel with our grown children because we need a bit more space and a kitchen. You are right though, the prices are definitely increasing!

I admit I had a terrible experience in January and was afraid to leave a bad review because the host was very aggressive toward me during the whole ordeal. I didn't want them to retaliate, and I was just so over the situation. My recent experiences, plus your story and others I've heard recently, have made me decide Airbnb is not for me anymore. It is sad because it used to be a great option for a frequent traveler.

We had an Airbnb… I worked hard to keep my SuperHost status. We didn't have time anymore, so we only have long-term guests for two months or longer. We get referrals from real estate agents or home builders.

Over the last 5 years I have used AirBnB for most of my stays. I average 1-3 months a year. I have had great experiences in all cases. This has been in SE Asia, Belize, New Orleans, Maui etc. I’m sure there are the issues you’ve stated with unscrupulous owners but my experience to date has been overwhelmingly positive. I did notice, on a recent trip to Dumaguete in the Philippines, that the airbnb price that was $74 a night for a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo on the beach could have been had for less on another platform.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve heard similar experiences from others, and this video tipped the scale and I will no longer use short-term rentals. FWIW, I was an Airbnb just prior to COVID, and stopped due to all the damage caused by renters…and there was A LOT. I see both perspectives, and suspect this is a business best left to hotels, etc.

Great way to rebound from a bad experience. Allie and Rob over at Grounded Life Finances seem to have the points/rewards hotel thing figured out. Most of their stays include food because they have strategies that earn them high status. You should do a colab. 😉💪🎙 Interested in seeing how house sitting integrates with you slow travel. 🐌 🏡 🌎 Have you seen enough 2 week or month long stays with home stays? Here's to no chocolate covered goldfish in your future accommodations.😊😅

I’m so impressed by you guys mentioning the negative impact of short term rentals. It’s a huge problem that doesn’t get discussed enough and has a massive impact on the cost of living in many communities - like the one I’m in right now. Kudos to you for highlighting it. 👏

I’ve rented four airbnb units on my current trip and of those only one was good. My latest one has been a huge disappointment. I’m over airbnb rentals.

Bravo for having the courage to produce such an honest and helpful video. Aussie couple here, retired early 3 years ago to travel the world. In the post-Covid era, travel has certainly become a lot more expensive and difficult. Your poor experiences with Air BnB are reflective of this, and we appreciate you sharing them. In our experience, there are no accomodation alternatives without their own sets of issues, but please don't give up on your travel dreams yet. We are big fans of what you do, and particularly appreciate your considered, balanced and honest reviews. Most travel reviews these days are so gushingly positive and unbalanced to the point that they are misleading. From individual Air BnB reviews to destination travel videos, negative reviews are a rarity these days. There is so much spin, puffery and lies by omission. You guys are a beacon of light in an ocean of misinformation. So keep up the great work, ignore the haters, and keep on keeping it real!

I would just like to say first that I LOVE chocolate covered cherries!😊 But in all seriousness, you two are the third RU-vid travel couple that I watch religiously that have left ABB due to problems with just these issues. After watching the first two couples leave I started doubting whether or not I ever wanted to book with ABB and looked into different options. I have used real estate agents for my past two long term stays and have loved the experience. Both agents took me on a virtual tour of the potential properties, listed the pros and cons, gave me street views of the properties and one even went so far as to take me virtual grocery shopping with her so that I could see what was available there. Now that you two have left, and with good reason, I will never book through ABB. I hope ABB realizes the power, for lack of a better word, that influencers such as yourselves have and do something to rectify a very broken system. Great video and thank you for such a candid open and honest review! Cheers!

My family spent 1 night in North Carolina hotel during family road-trip, arriving late and departing early. Month later had $900 charge on credit card; hotel claimed we “broke the tv” we never used or even noticed. Took months of fighting with hotel and credit card before charge was dropped. That can happen anywhere.

Wow. Staying at an Airbnb sounds like a lot of work pre stay and possibly post stay and lots of risk. I'll keep staying in hotels.

I live in Brasil for more than 15 years and I rent my apartments via Airbnb and booking to tourists. I never canceled a reservation because I respect my guests. But if I would cancel a reservation I would have to pay a fine to Airbnb and I would also become red flaged risking to be kicked out from the rental sistem. So, it is not true that there are no consequences canceling a reservation, on the contrary, the consequences are pretty harsh!!

Yeah, no thanks. I am doing the hotel room route for international travel. I don't want to spend the time involved planning. Plus location location location. House sitting will be who knows where. Hotels will most likely be in a place I want to be. With points it brings the prices down very reasonably.

Can't BELIEVE hosts have no penalties for last minute cancelation. UNREAL. And yet the customer has to pay in full months ahead ... SMH. And the possibility of false claims.... ridiculous. The info u two provide on ur experiences is invaluable.

Love your content! I own two airbnb's in Mérida Mexico and I have just started a direct booking website for the benefit of the guest. Once I really understood the extra costs to the guests I decided to offer direct booking. It is unfortunate how many people jumped on the bandwagon of short term rentals that are basically slum lords. Like you said there are so many great hosts (like me:) out there. I love hosting and drilling down on my guests desires out of their experience. For me it is such a pleasure. Let me know if Mérida is on your list. My houses are in the historic centro.

I have used airbnb numerous times over many years, and I agree that the quality of the product has gone down considerably in recent years . I used to feel that the places offered pride of ownership and a personal touch, but now they are very corporate and very sterile, and very uninteresting. Covid probably had something to do with this. I recently stayed at a so-called high-end, apartment in Warsaw, Poland, where there was no water in the bathroom! The corporate owners had to call the plumber and he still couldn’t fix it! He told us that the corporation owned many, many apartments like this around the city. so there goes your personal touch and pride of ownership. It’s all corporate business. We had to do battle with Airbnb, but we did get a partial refund. The popularity of the service has brought in allcomers on the supply side, and this has completely brought down the quality of the experience overall. Such a shame.

Had BS claim against us for a broken bathroom cabinet. Complete replacement for $400. Air BnB's response was "do you have any proof it WASN'T broken? Absent that, they charged our card for the owner's home improvement. Now I take 20 pictures upon leaving. Cleaning fees in US are a joke.

VRBO is NOT a good option. They are a third party booking and there’s no real recourse if there’s a problem with the rental.

We had a host cancelling about a week before arrival. This was for our first week in a two week trip. Flights and other accomodations were already arranged and payed. The help Airbnb provided was a laugh. Completely ignorant off-shore staff that just forwarded whatever their search engine came up with, without consideration for our requirements as 3 couples travelling together. Complaining didn't help. Airbnb basically couldn't care less about us as their customers.

I quit AirBB years ago!!! No it’s not you. I was cancelled by a host just once and that’s all it took. Now more fees as well? Nope.

Last time we booked Airbnb the host canceled on us 48 hours before our 10 day trip. A nightmare to rebook. We are using airbnb again next year for a different trip, but it's a personal recommendation with a host that we know of...otherwise, no way.

Every reason you brought up, is the reason I have avoided Airbnb for the last 10 years. I personally put my effort into maximizing my hotel reward points, in both collecting and using those points. I realize I might be able to save some money, but it only takes one bad stay to wipeout all that savings.

Thanks for this! You made some really valid points. I will say that I cleaned an Airbnb for seven years and couldn’t believe how discussing people could be. Sometimes the cleaning fee wasn’t enough.

Totally annoyed with airbnb. Thought was booking one price but not until booked did everything show up way more than thought. Felt scammed. Trust is big deal and airbnb is not as trustworthy as others.

Good that you're considering the impact ABB has had on the locals. Just like hedge fund types buying up housing to rent out, the effect on communities has only been negative.

I made one reservation with them about a decade ago. We had a reservation in a major metro in the US near a conference center. The host canceled on us within 48 hours of travel due to ongoing construction. After many emails, the host manager finally returned our cleaning fee but we never received our deposit back from AirB despite the other party canceling. Due to the conference a member of our party was attending, we ultimately had to pay 300% more for two rooms and had to book those rooms at two separate locations. It was a one and done for us. NEVER again

Another option is to check out local real estate agents rental listings. These can sometimes be cheaper then Airbnb because of less service fees.

We have been using Airbnb for over ten years now all over the world and it has definitely changed for the worst. Meeting the host (now more than not a rental agency) is now the norm. Asking for various issues to be fixed usually now is answered with a “it was fine before you arrived” type response - this to a leaking sink that had clearly been fixed over and over. The platform is now way more expensive and far less personal. And ppl are too scared to leave negative reviews these days.

Thank you so much for sharing. There are too many loose ends it appears. I don't want to come back home and find out later that there is a claim against me. It makes me feel uneasy just with the idea not having any type of control and being so vulnerable. I don't trust the review system either because if you leave a negative one so will they. They often ask you to let them know a different way if there was something bad which makes the review process pointless.

Great video. Sorry about the negative AirBnB experience. I've been doing Trusted Housesitters for the past year and can't say enough good things about it. It's a win-win situation for the sitter and pet owner. Best of luck with it!

It’s easier to get to be a superhost than you might think. One of the criteria is the # of bookings in a certain period. It’s easy to get friends to make a booking, pay & leave a review then refund the $. How do I know? I have a relative who is an ABnB superhost.

See ya, AirBnB! 👋 You're losing some of your best customers over this "worst" b.s.!

Your most consequential video so far. Brave and very fair. When fellow RU-vidrs “retirement travelers” quit Airbnb I was like, well Brian and Carrie still like it. You guys are so fair and budget conscious (like me) that this video really has moved the needle for me. Airbnb no longer figures prominently in my future travels. Also I’ve been thinking about simple meal prep without a kitchen. Maybe a smallish hotpot and flat pack light weight camp dishes. Daily vs weekly shopping. Maybe. Anyway my hubby commented on how rapt I was watching this video and I was like “you have no idea how consequential this is” 🤓🧐🤨

Another fine video. Up until now we haven't had a truly bad experience with AirBnB (and many good ones) but you're not the only ones sounding the alarm. We've had good luck with VRBO as well and they often require less up front than AirBnB and they are now part of the Expedia ecosystem so you earn a rebate with every stay. We have done a housesit as well and would consider it going forward. Like you, we're weighing our options.

Awesome stuff thanks guys. After years of using Air B&B we blew them away a couple of years back after the pricing became uncompetitive and it was turning out to be too much of a headache.

Airbnb is terrible. Stayed in a so-called Riverside apartment in Bangkok that had stained mattresses despite being advertised as 'luxury'. An older builder that wasn't even clean. The pool had grubby tiles and as for the gym.... broken old equipment. Supposed to be a shuttle boat but found it had been discontinued. Avoid Baan Sathorn Chao Phrya at all costs.

Thanks for the advice and sharing with us. After some unpleasant experiences, I’ve leaned back to hotels, in particular family-run or boutique where there is more evidence of caring.

I LOVE meeting the host! In my experience, those are the best places because they're committed to one or a few rentals, and want to give you information about the place, the town, etc. I used aparthotels for years before Airbnb for the same reason - I want to make my own food in my own kitchen and wash my clothes at "home." My issue with them is that they're sterile and all the same. All the people who live in them are fellow short-term stays and know little to nothing about the town. I've also had issues with Airbnb, but they're usually unique to each place. In my summer travels, I usually rotate among a number of cities, but when I KNOW I like a city, I rotate between Airbnbs. For example, since you're in Budapest, I will get a place by Margarite Island, then one by the Opera house, then a place in Pest by the park for two weeks each. You can live anywhere for that time, and you learn who to trust, what you like, etc. So when you return, you stay with those hosts in those neighborhoods. I've found that the hosts like that too, because they know you're not going to wreck their place, and they're happy to have the repeat/return business. As a repeat customer, I get invited to stuff all the time too - "We're going to the country to pick cherries!" "Come to our concert!" - it's a wonderful way to meet people. One last shout out to Brian for wearing a Lacoste shirt - the international logo of quiet wealth - the service improves wherever you wear it, and you don't stand out as an American.

Singapore, where I stay, has essentially banned AirBnb. There is a minimum rental period of three months which effectively acts like a ban. I primarily use hotels and guest-houses when I travel. I have used AirBnb as well, but not often.

On the flip side, hotels can have issues too. We recently stayed at Le Meridien (a Marriott property), and while our room, the hotel etc was fine, they were lacking staff and the staff that was there were very apathetic. Had to ask multiple times for things. Its not perfect at hotels either.

Another great video. We rarely use AIRBNB anymore. We have found that the exact same properties can be found on Expedia with fewer fees. We have also had good success with Marriot price matches. We will pay a premium for flexibility. Pro tip. If you are travelling to Playa Del Carmen, treat yourself to the Aloft. They have a really nice grocery store/quickie restraunt attached. Great location. How about a Mexico pre trip video, pretty please.

OK,guys, I really appreciate this video. I did see the one regarding your previous issues with this host, so I appreciate your doing a follow-up. I'm very sorry you're having so much trouble when you did everything in good faith. I did a positive review of my Airbnb in Marseille in March because it was a good property but also because I realised the host wouldn't review ME until I gave him a positive review. It's a system I'm losing faith in. Hotels, while they can be expensive, are more accountable and do mostly have facilities like bars and restaurants in-house. I've never done house-sitting. I can imagine there must be a million pitfalls, especially pets and plants!!! Wishing you all the best in all your travel plans. From Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪. 😊

I've heard horror stories about Airbnb units being rented by "hosts" who don't even own or manage the property. When the guest shows up, there's no way to check in or worse, the guest is let into the unit only to find someone else lives there. I've had hotels make a mistake giving a guest the wrong key or double-booking a room but at least there are other rooms they can give you. Now I look for apart-hotels that have a kitchen, and find a local laundromat. Some cities are banning short-term rentals altogether.

I haven't seen this mentioned, but I'd like to offer up Hostels as an option. Many people cringe about the idea of staying in a hostel, but my husband and I (now in our 50s) continue to look for hostel options when we're traveling. You typically have access to a kitchen and supplies... and sometimes the hostels offer great amenities like access to cheap or free tours or other activities going on around the area. They can often arrange transportation for you. I also learned that making a little extra food and feeding the kid at the front desk a home made meal would often go a long way as well! When we were younger (in our 30-40s) we often stayed in dorm rooms and found that most places have pretty nice options for securing your luggage and valuables (lockers etc). As we've gotten older, we now most often look to book a private room in a hostel. We're still open to dorms now and ten, especially for just a night or two here and there, but we have also found private rooms in a hostel to be very good options. Plus, you get to meet other travelers and sometimes make great connections and friendships. We still keep in touch with people we met years ago in hostels and have net up with hostel friends at different points in our travels when we see that we're all going to be someplace at the same time. Or we stop and visit hostel friends when they are sitting still and we're passing through. An added bonus to getting a little older and still staying in hostels, and this has happened to us more than a couple of times. We book a couple of beds in a smaller dorm, show up, they look at us.... and they don't put anyone else in the room with us. That happened in Macedonia, Ecuador... and I'm certain at least a couple of other places. It made us feel weird at first but then we just accepted it as a kind of respectful thing being done for us. We typically do a combination of hostels, and 1 - 2 star hotels and more recently AirbNb. Depending on where you are traveling, one may be more available or more affordable. For instance, back many years ago, we found little 1 star hotels in France to be a better option, cost-wise, and stayed in various towns and cities that way. The downside was not having a kitchen. However, in Paris... we actually asked the patron if we could use the kitchen a couple of times and they were gracious and let us do minor things like heating things up or boiling water. We've also been known to travel with backpacking stove and pot set. This saved us so much money in places like Switzerland. It let us stay in accomodations without kitchens and still cook for ourselves. We carried a small set up when walking El Camino in Spain as well because oddly enough, not all of the kitchens in the Albergues (Pilgrim hostels) had pots, pans & utensils. The down side to this approach is that anytime you get on a plane, you have to ditch the fuel... and if you're going to a country with a different fuel type, you may have to get a different stove set up. There are some backpacking stoves that are multi-fuel. Although we now prefer the simplistic canister set up. Anyway, we are definitely shoestring budget travelers so our style may not be for everyone.... but I would encourage consider adding hostels to your options, especially for shorter term stays. One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE perks of staying in a hostel is that you often get access to the FREE WALKING TOURS that many cities host (a tip-based pay system). If there is a free walking tour when we get somewhere, we try to go on that the 1st day or two that we are there. The guides are usually very knowledgable about the history and culture and it often lets us know the things we want to go back and see more of on our own. I'm sad about your AirBnB experience. Maybe you and others starting to speak up with make some change for the better. We've had some great stays but I can also see the potential for it being a horrible experience as well.

I can tell this is a terribly emotional issue, and I don’t blame you! You were treated abysmally, and now I’m positive I no longer want to use Airbnb. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. Blessings!

If you yourselves were Airbnb hosts, you knew there are severe repercussions for hosts, who cancel at all and even stronger repercussions, if a hosts cancels at very short notice. Maybe, better make sure to rent from super-hosts from now on. Hosts are only made a super-host, if they completely come up to super high standards regarding each single airbnb criteria of evaluation. Service fees have always been shared between host and guest. Traveling to places will (hopefully) always be a box of chocolates - why else leave you familiar home 😊 Nevertheless I'm sorry , you feel you didn't get what you were entitled to. The original Airbnb idea was all about meeting hosts and meeting guests, therefore, with you feeling uncomfortable about this, you better stay at hotels for sure.

I found out early on that AirBnB was NOT looking out for guests, when something goes wrong they play the middle man and your on your own. For the fees, the ruining of city centers for locals, etc its just a service that needs to go away.

I’m an Airbnb host and have to say that some of the information you’re providing is incorrect and that’s really too bad because there are TONS of hosts that truly care and provide excellent service. Yes I have stayed at not so great Airbnb’s myself but the issues were minor and I made them known to the public on the review. As a host you do get penalized for cancellation! Your ranking goes down and the listing ends up at the bottom of the search or worse - your listing gets suspended for a period of time. I had to cancel bookings due to a looming hurricane. I had to contact Airbnb for an override (and a full explanation) so my listing wouldn’t be penalized. So YES there are real consequences for hosts cancelling bookings. Airbnb does have an option for payment plans!!!! You do not need to pay the full amount up front and the host does not receive the funds till a few days after the guest arrives just in case there is an issue. Airbnb is STILL a great booking site! And has plenty of fantastic hosts!

My husband I used to have Airbnb’s and also utilize them. We found the fees to be really excessive and I entirely agree with you on the review systems. We stopped using Airbnb’s two years ago and stopped renting at the same time. We rented a place in Oregon that had 3 pages of required steps for the clean up before leaving and we paid a $250 cleaning fee! The claim process of Airbnb is just a joke!

We are staying in a Airbnb now. The host is a nice person, but it is not her apartment. She has other properties. So, she couldn’t pay enough attention to this one. The listing is misleading. You think you will stay in a luxury condo, it is actually had very dirty shower stall. Lot’s of mosquitos due to the piled up garbage in the hallway. The noise was unbearable. On top of that, there is a scammer ringing every door in this building trying to cheat you. We have been trying to work with the host on all the issues. It has been so stressful and annoying. We know Airbnb will not support us due to our previous experience. We will have to book through other platforms next time when we will travel. We have already lost money on this trip. A month of daily struggle with this false reality has caused me and my boyfriend a lot of frictions. Never again!😡😡😡

I am a full time international traveler for four years. I swore off AirBnb about a year ago for many of the same things you are talking about. The trouble is, other platforms, like Agoda, are using the Air model and I've started seeing some of the same things because they are the same owners. Fees, terrible properties, and a completely useless review system make this my last choice when I am staying. Huge opening for someone that wants to operate a similar concept but do it right,

We've been trying to figure out how reviews are removed from airbnb after being skeptical of only 5-star reviews or only 5-star reviews but one from a year ago, the next one 2 years ago, etc. None of that makes sense. I asked a friend who's new to being an airbnb host and she said she isn't aware of the host being able to remove (bad) reviews. On one of our last stays, I left a 4-star review (because we trust reviews to make our choices) and the host texted me privately and asked why I didn't give her 5 stars?! Our other main issue with airbnb is as you said, you trust the pictures, then when you arrive it's not nearly as nice. We now know pictures can be very well done and very flattering for a less than positive reality. So disappointing.

I had an Airbnb booked in France last year. Unfortunately they were having strikes and all flights and trains were canceled. It was impossible to get into the country. Airbnb would not issue a refund and left it up to the host. The host said NO Refunds! I booked this only a week before... Ridiculous. I disputed in with my CC company and haven't heard back. I also received an intimidating email from Airbnb that I could be banned 😅😅

I generally now stay at Hilton owned suites and it's often cheaper than Airbnb. Their fees priced me out and the bait and switch tactics....room listed for 70 dollars but all in it's over 175!! A lot of them are just dirty etc. BS. Homewood Suites far exceeds any airbnb I've ever been in. Last place refused to supply top sheet, WTAF? Airbnb does not require Co2 or smoke alarms?!!!! I finally just gave up

Thank you for this - we’ve only been traveling a few months, and we’ve been nervous about trying Airbnb. The liability issue settles it for me!

Very bad experience with VRBO in Naxos Greece. We had to manage to get out of this disgusting place but fortunately we were reimbursed! Reviews are doped with false comments…

I feel for you guys. Hang in there. My husband & I were early adopters of AirBnB. We have booked stays in numerous countries around the world. All the issues you shared, we have also experienced (except having a claim filed against us). The standards have dropped over time (IMO). We are also looking for alternatives for our long term travels.

We made reservations through AirBnB for my husband and I to attend (just us 2) our daughter's graduation at her university in May 2023. Then, less than a week prior to graduation ceremonies, AirBnB allowed not just the first host but the second host to cancel our reservations for that weekend. We were literally left with one decent option after scrambling to re-book. It was a family hosted AirBnB suite that turned out to be lovely, but NO THANKS to AirBnB or their policy that allows hosts to cancel reservations without a good reason.

Hosts get charged $$$$$ for cancelling and their rating goes down, their Superhost status, if they have it, gets dinged. There are repercussions for hosts for canceling.

Last year, my airbnb in Madrid claimed to have AC. Came to find out that AC was only in the bedroom/loft. The remainder of the house was HOT (100°F in July in Madrid). There were no pictures of the kitchen and bathroom. Turned out, the areas were a little gross. I tried to work with the owner/host but she didnt want to. So I resolved it with airbnb with pictures and video. They refunded 100%. I picked up and left the place within a few hours of being there. Going back to Europe for 16 nights this summer and none of my reservations is via airbnb.

I love Trusted House Sitters and I have been a member for more than a decade and have had wonderful experiences with it. However, there are negative experiences that can come with it too. Levels of cleanliness vary and houses are often not as clean as an Airbnb. Sitters are sometimes treated as "the help" and expected to do things that they aren't comfortable with. Nothing is perfect.

I had a horrible experience with an AirBNB in Phoenix, Arizona. The review was up for a short time and then it was taken down. I agree that the reviews are mostly useless now. They are not reliable at all!

As a family of 5 the decreasing quality of AirBnB's and extreme increases in price is really putting a damper on our travel plans. We traveled for a year in 2021 and it was reasonable. I can say accommodation prices have doubled for us. Hotels aren't really a practical option for us. Even if we paid for two rooms who wants to live in a hotel for a month. Not sure what our future travels will look like.

0:03 We recently took Amtrak from Albany, Oregon to Seattle because we wanted a short, close trip and my husband had never been on a train. We booked a roomette because I am now immune-compromised from meds I have to take. That was very expensive but we didn't want to wear masks in coach for 7 hours. Anyway, I was going to book a really nice Airbnb by Pike Marketplace and beautiful views of the water. It was about $2300 for 4 days. We were going to do it because I can no longer fly and catch covid. So, this was our splurge. I almost booked when I saw the cancelation policy. It wasn't good. We booked a hotel which wasn't cheap but better than Airbnb and with a 48 hour cancelation. I never know a week in advance if I may end up in the hospital. So, I doubt I will ever book an Airbnb. We are going to Seaside, Oregon from Seal Rock, beach town to beach town, 😊 on the 4th and will stay in a hotel with a lanai on the beach to watch the fireworks and the people from a safe distance for me. Sorry about your Airbnb issues. I would be very anxious about it. I'll eat the chocolate covered cherries. Lol.Kathleen

I guess we’ve been lucky because my wife and I have been using AirBnb for many trips over the past 8 years with no bad experiences at all. In fact, we’ve had a lot of great experiences. The only downside has been the significant increase in prices during the last couple years, but hotel prices have also increased dramatically. However, your experience is giving me pause. I’m going to have to think about our next trip.

I haven’t had any nightmare Airbnb stays but I agree the “superhost” moniker seems to be way over applied!

We had two nightmare Airbnb stays and haven’t used it since. We had used it for years but finding out how Airbnb doesn’t help and you feel totally at risk is just too scary. We had a very similar experience to you guys and so I know just how awful it can be dealing with it. Excited to watch the video because for now we are just using hotels that way if something breaks, it’s dirty and is reliable then they are right there to address it. Bummer that Airbnb doesn’t seem to care about guests any longer.

I have been a super host for just over 3 years renting no less than 30 days at a time. Up until last month I had never had to make a claim and my place has been almost continuously rented. Guests communicate and follow rules. It is important to not over state the conditions. Last month I had a guest check out that had been in the place for 3 months. My first guest with zero reviews. He refused to communicate via their messaging system, which was an absolute first for me. Our cleaner found the bathroom flooded, maggots all over the kitchen, vomit and bodily fluids all over the linens, couch, and even on the floors. There were both blood and vomit stains on our pillows, towels and all the bedding. The bathroom vanity was somehow flooded which made the base disintegrate under the sink. They tried to clean up the water with every towel in the place. Then left it for probably weeks. I have never had a guest fail to communicate. I send messages every few weeks checking in to make sure that everything is in working order. We called Airbnb immediately and told them what was going on. We spent a week taking the place apart and getting it fixed. Two independent people came in and checked our plumbing there was no leak. The claims process has been stressful and frustrating as the Host as well. Despite the fact it is stressful on both ends for both guests and owners. I still like to use Airbnb because I feel like I am able to give another average person my money rather than a big hotel chain. It is sad that all the good experiences are ruined by one bad experience. I live on a street with 3 Airbnbs and do not find that they are a problem. People pay top dollar to rent these expensive homes to take their families. It is a wonderful way to get to travel. It is much better than homes sitting empty. Airbnb doesn't set prices for cleaning fees. I am sorry this happened to you.

Thank you for this extremely valuable first-hand information! And I totally appreciate your honesty Carrie, about dealing with anxiety. That is a huge issue for alot of females. Great video