Last December I booked an apartment in London for eight nights in July via Airbnb. This booking was the reason for my coming all the way to London from Asia. A few days prior to moving in to the apartment I had exchanged pleasant enough messages with the host, so you can imagine my disbelief when three days before my booking , I received a two-line email saying my booking had been cancelled. There was no reason given and no apology offered.
With such short notice in the peak tourist season there were very few properties available and of course the prices has risen sharply. My much anticipated holiday was in ruins. I have written to Airbnb and been told that I would receive a proper and professional reply but there has been nothing so far despite my follow-up reminders.
On the basis of this my first foray into Airbnb, I would advise anyone else considering Airbnb quite simply: don’t even think about it. It is difficult to conceive of a less professional and ethical organisation whose vetting of hosts and properties alike appears to be non-existent.
You are owed full compensation for the 8 nights & extra reparation for the trauma of it all. I have recently had a very similar experience in Berlin & the platform abandoned me.
They talk so much about being a community but go MIA when the going gets tough.
Before booking a property check reviews to read if the host has a history of last-minute cancellations. When a host has multiple properties and/or an unclear profile picture you may reckon it’s an agency. Look for the authentic owner with one or two properties……