I arrived at my rental in Cork, Ireland only to be told there was no running hot water in the kitchen and not to leave the heat on because if it ran out of gas and the hosts weren’t home we would have no heat. The only source of hot water in the kitchen was a kettle to boil water in. The house was three stories high so you had to go to at least the second story to wash your hands in warm water. I expressed concern to the host and got a hostile response; we left feeling threatened.
The host called me to ask why we left the keys. I again tried to explain, but he hung up on me. I called Airbnb and was told someone would call me back. No one did. I called the next day and was told someone would call me back… no one did. What Airbnb did do was cancel my reservation and refuse to issue a refund because according to them I didn’t convince the host to make the repairs on the spot. Repairs that would require plumbing and electrical work. Airbnb also said they don’t think not having hot water in the kitchen is a problem. Buried in the reviews of the house, I found another person who commented on the lack of hot water among other things. The response from the host was an announcement that no one uses the kitchen anyway. Since they were saving the planet, they didn’t think it was necessary.
They avoid responsibility for any problems and blame the guest instead. This is exactly what we experienced from the obnoxious young man with dreadlocks who showed us the place. I don’t use boiling water from a kettle to wash my hands or do dishes because boiling water burns and is a safety hazard. No heat in Ireland…. sure, that’s not a problem at all. Trying to work out problems in a rental with a very large and angry man behind two locked doors far from the street is not something I’m going to attempt. We had to scramble to find a hotel. Airbnb customer service is abysmal and their lack of concern for safety is a dealbreaker. I’ve had problems with them before but never anything like this. I’ll never use Airbnb again.
i am sorry. but the host sounded rude. did any of you commented even notice?
I’m sorry but I think no hot water in the kitchen is any reason to freak out. Unless your water is boiling (in which case you’d use a kettle) it won’t make a difference in washing dishes if the water is cold, room temperature or hot. Also, if you’re using soap your hands are going to be just as clean. Plenty of countries around the world never have hot water and they was their hands and do their dishes just fine.
Eww you wash your hands and dishes with cold water… i just came back from a very nice midern appt that was very dirty. Too bad you cannot see filth or inside the refrigerator or if there is hot water when u book.
“an obnoxious young man with dreadlocks”, you sound like a bigoted yokel to me. What’s wrong with washing your hands with cold water? Hey, you wanted something cheap, then you should lower your standards.
Lol you’re assuming the guy is black. Could’ve been an obnoxious hippy with dreads since they were saving the planet. Who’s the bigot now??