Homeowner Flips Out After Redditor Asks Airbnb For A Refund Because Pool In Their Rented Place Stopped Working

"The owner called me directly from a private number flipping out, stating I'm taking food out of his children's mouths because apparently their only income is this AirBnb."."

Sophia

• Published in Interesting
• March 28, 2023

You know those times when you have free time and some extra money to spend on a mini vacation of sorts? That’s right—you book an Airbnb and have a staycation.

It is a go-to website (or app) whenever you want to rent a place for cheap, in comparison to hotels that charge a much higher rate. It enables property owners to rent out their spaces to visitors looking for a place to stay.

As expected, the host should be responsible for making sure that their capital, a.k.a. property, should be clean, well maintained, secure, and should have all the amenities that their posting advertised. In fact, all these should be a priority.

On the other hand, as a client, there are boxes in your list that you want to be ticked off. If your requirements are not met, you will not be booking that service in the first place.

This particular Reddit post shares an Airbnb experience with a not-so-responsible host, and it just didn’t sit right with many Reddit users. In fact, OP’s complaint was not acknowledged by the host until it involved Airbnb itself.

The host contacted OP and accused them of “taking food out of his children’s mouths.” It made OP think twice about their decision, was OP actually the asshole?

Here's the sitch:

Eager to escape the cold winter, OP and their family rents an AirBnB in a warm state for two weeks. They were particular about renting one with a pool, since they all wanted to swim.

The pool was great, at the beginning of their stay, but on the 4th day, it broke down and the water was as filthy as it could get within the span of 14 hours. OP contacted Airbnb assistance for three days, but the pool situation is still not solved.

Since AirBnB assistance has not been able to fix the pool, OP requested for a partial refund and filed a report to AirBnB, but instead of receiving half the refund, the company gave back the full amount. The owner contacted OP on a private number, freaked out and blamed them for “taking food out of his children’s mouths,” since the owner probably wasn’t paid anything due to the refund.

The whole thing was not just about the pool. Many other things and inconveniences were screaming red flags and the pool was just the tipping point of it all.

Here's what people have to say:

OP was not able to use the amenity she paid for. If this is a source of income, the owners should make an effort in making their space better.

The owner as well as the friend who sided with the owner are the assholes. In this business, everything must be thought out, especially since this is a service product.

It can be hard to rely on AirBnBs according to this commenter. Just hope that they advertise what they have, not just because they want to clickbait potential customers.

Cases like OP’s—where the company actually takes action—are rare. Booking an Airbnb is basically a gamble: either you put up with the amenities or find hidden cameras in the bathrooms.

This Redditor had their fair share of bad Airbnb experiences.

However, they had used a rental company to book a condo—something went wrong, but the company had made up for it by moving them to a better location!

Something went south with the booking. The refund was not OP’s problem anymore, but the full refund would probably lead to the owners battling OP in court.

They said the pool was a feature but it didn’t last OP’s whole stay. OP rightfully deserved the refund.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault that the pool broke down.

But, the lack of communication was a big part of the issue.

Not the asshole, but go and move somewhere nice. A suggestion: maybe a nice hotel with a pool.

The family should go and enjoy the second and last week of their vacation. The full refund will most likely help them find somewhere better to stay.

It’s actually quite the opposite—the owner of the listing is in fact the one taking money from OP. After all, OP’s main requirement in booking a place was the pool.

OP complained about the pool not working and they didn’t do anything about it. For something that’s the only source of income, they’re being pretty careless.

They are basically lazy. The owners couldn’t care less about sorting out the issue with their property.

It’s all just business. “Why pay for something you don’t get?”

This sort of mentality of keeping silent is kind of unfair. After all, OP worked hard for the money she earned to rent a nice place for her family.

It’s a wonder why OP’s friend sided with the other party. Nevertheless, this Redditor is waiting for OP to write their savage Airbnb review!

In conclusion, you are responsible for what you advertise. People pay for the things listed on their booking, and if the place does not have it, they are entitled to complain and maybe ask for compensation.

Some customers only ask for half of a refund, if lucky. In this case, however, the company took matters into its own hands, and the property owner just had to accept their fate.

Do you think OP was an asshole in this situation? Comment below, and don’t forget to share this with your family and friends to see if they would accept the full refund!

Sophia