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Airbnb queries & info

PLL

We are planning to go to Lisbon in September for our Anniversary. I have been researching Hotels and found a nice one with a pool (which is a must for us) which we will book if nothing else catches out eye.

Someone then mentioned to me about Air Bnb, they used it for a trip over to England for a wedding and found it great. So I had a look and was shocked to find a few fairly central apartments with a pool for only a bit more than the hotel.

What I want to know is if anyone has used Air BnB to stay somewhere on the continent? Is it safe/reliable? Will our booking be honoured. Any experiences?

Also if anyone has any Lisbon tips they would be much appreciated.

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SusanC10

spurious wrote: »

AFAIK, the original concept of AirBnB, staying in spare rooms in an owner occupied house is not affected by this.

We have never stayed in Owner Occupied Homes with Airbnb except for 2 different weekend stays where the Owners stayed elsewhere for the duration of our stay but would normally live there. So we had the use of the entire property.

We have also stayed in 4 other places which are used as Holidays Homes by the Owners themselves but who also rent the homes out on Airbnb while they are not using them themselves.

The rest of the places were full-time on Airbnb or similar sites.

redcup342

SusanC10 wrote: »

New Airbnb Restrictions announced this morning.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/landlords-face-new-airbnb-ban-from-next-june-37456385.html

Wondering how people feel about this from a Guest/Traveller point-of-view ?

We use Airbnb a fair bit mostly abroad for City Breaks and as part of the annual summer holiday too. We have out-grown family rooms in Hotels and 2 rooms is out of our Budget.
We have used it twice in Ireland - in Cork and Donegal. We have 2 bookings made for next year in Ireland - again in Cork and Donegal.

We have found Airbnb great - more choice, more flexibility, cheaper etc. Previously we had found that there was a lot of Sat-Sat rental of Holiday Homes and also things like extra payments for ESB/Heat had been messy.

How will these new restrictions affect Guests ?
How do I know if the houses in Cork or Donegal have Planning for Holiday Lettings ? Does it matter if I don't ?

It will also deter Tourists coming to Dublin and other areas, I feel. But maybe people want this.

Mods:- I know there is another thread on Accomodation & Property but I just wanted this to be from a Traveller / Guest / Tourist perspective but feel free to close the thread if this is an issue.

AirBNB has destroyed the living situation in big cities like Barcelona with people ending up homeless or sharing rooms.

I was there a few years ago and saw a riot in El Raval with people firing petrol bombs at the riot police and generally going nuts, got stuck in a kiosk and had a beer while watching all of this transpire. Found out afterwards its was an AirBNB Protest.

The concept itself is sound but there are clowns making themselves into half assed professional landlords to rake in a bunch of cash at the expense of people who just want a place to live so they can go to work.

Glad to see it's being regulated now in many cities.
IMO The city should zone houses for short term rental and residents only.

Gael23

Can you message the host with questions before you commit to a booking?

killbillvol2

Gael23 wrote: »

Can you message the host with questions before you commit to a booking?

Yes, where it says Contact Host.

ballyharpat

Gael23 wrote: »

Can you message the host with questions before you commit to a booking?

and even after contacting them, it's best to always use the airbnb app, this means that if you have a problem with your booking , or guest, that Airbnb can see all communication and they can see when messages are sent and also opened. I used them this weekend after a guest made a complaint about cleanliness, but I pointed out to Airbnb where the guest was actually unhappy about check in times, but they used cleanliness as an excuse. I told them take pics and forward them to airbnb, they did, it was one hair around the drain in the shower, and 3 forks in the sink-this is for a room in my house. They cancelled and did not get a refund, so I got paid anyway. I have kept 460 groups, and have a 5 star cleanliness rating, so Airbnb, knew there was something up.

mfceiling

Cool.

antix80

I could say the landlord "came out of the closet after the gay pride parade" but think the imagery of him living in the cupboard in the kitchen had better comedy value than a cheap one-liner.

PinaKolada

How much was this guy getting for the rooms? It's not a bad idea at all to make a few quid depending on the size of the cupboard.

Atoms for Peace

Do any of theses tech startup things actually make peoples live better?

antix80

PinaKolada wrote: »

How much was this guy getting for the rooms? It's not a bad idea at all to make a few quid depending on the size of the cupboard.

€40 a night for my small room (plus airbnb fee). Think the other room was €50 or more.

Checkout was 12pm but i was gone at 6am. So easy money.

Muppet Man

Anne Frank would have been impressed.

DareGod

Your diet is terrible :pac:

PinaKolada

Atoms for Peace wrote: »

Do any of theses tech startup things actually make peoples live better?

Yes.

Sephiroth_dude

Mod

Gonna move this to the travel, please read the charter before posting.

central park

I want to tell you about an experience my daughter and her 3 friends had recently in Paris. They went from London on Eurotar for a one night break and rented an air bnb in Montmartre. They arrived early in the morning, arrived at the apartment where they met the cleaner who let them leave their bags. They went off for the day and arrived back at 6 to get ready for the night out. They used a lockboxand on leaving the apartment they replaced the key and scrambled the lock. On arriving home at 12.40 they saw the lockbox was empty and the door open! They went in to discover that the apartment had been ransacked with all their stuff taken including passports. That was bad enough but when they checked CCTV at another apartment in the complex, they clearly saw a guy keying in the code onthe front gate, then a different code on the lockbox!! He enters the apartment at 12.13 and is seen leaving the apartment 9 mis later with her friends laptop bag full of the stolen goods!!! The owner of the apt. says they should have brought the key with them. They were offered €150 by air bnb and they refused this then air bnb offered a full refundof the €279 they paid for the one night. I feel very strongly that they should be provided with something else, her €400 camera was taken as was her Samsung sports watch and her passport,her friends had laptop, clothes, jewellery etc taken.They spent the night unable to sleep and they had to shove the couch in front of the door as this guy still had a key.Then the next day was spent at the police station and the Irish embassy trying to sort things out . They were returning to Londonthat night so had to get temporary passports and subsequently a new passport. I'm wondering if there is anything they can do. Unfortunately she didnt have travel insurance, which she has now! Has anyone any advice. I feel so bad for the four girls!

Lex Luthor

what do you mean by they replaced the key and scrambled the lock?

Also, what does apt owner mean by they should have taken key with them?

Was the door forced on the apt?

killbillvol2

Lex Luthor wrote: »

what do you mean by they replaced the key and scrambled the lock?

Also, what does apt owner mean by they should have taken key with them?

Was the door forced on the apt?

It's pretty clear to be fair.

They didn't take the key with them (which was incredibly stupid) and left it in a lock box which I presume the owner used to enable guests to collect the key on arrival. Anyone who ever stayed there, cleaners etc. would have had the code.

Sorry OP but the owner really couldn't legislate for them leaving the key in the lock box with all their valuables in the apartment. Why didn't they take it with them?

Gary Owen

Lex Luthor wrote: »

what do you mean by they replaced the key and scrambled the lock?

Also, what does apt owner mean by they should have taken key with them?

Was the door forced on the apt?

More then likely it’s a 4 digit combination lockbox located near the door where you collect your Keys on arrival . Look like they returned the keys to the lockbox and went out for the night

central park

A lockbox is a box on a wall which contains the key. its opened by keying in a code, then when it opens the key is there. when leaving the key is replaced and the combination is scrambled to hide the code, like youd do on a suitcase combination lock. The apartment door was not forced as this guy knew the code, therefore he had the key!

central park

They were notified before they went that if the key was lost theyd have to pay €50. As there were 4 of them they replaced the key in the box as they might have returned at different times and only had one key. in hindsight they should have taken it with them but the idea of a lockbox is supposed to be a safe scure method and it woild have been if this guy didnt know the code. The code should be changed after each guest but it doesnt seem like that happened!

jeepers101

Sorry but this is just pure naivety on your daughter’s part. Would you put your own house key in a lock box that multiple people you don’t know have the code for?

I’m surprised Airbnb offered anything at all.

Mokuba

Yeah I'd chalk it up as a lesson in common sense.

The owner of the apartment is completely right when he says they should have brought the key, it's unbelievably naive and lacking in common sense to not have.

Snotty

But the girls used the same code as well, couldn't they pick a new code?

If you got refunded the full amount of the stay, then I think that is the best you will get, above that it is legal/insurance mater, which I'm assuming the police will pursue the cctv evidence and you don't have insurance, so that will go nowhere. Harsh life lesson

central park

the owner told them that they were the only ones who knew the code but this clearly wasnt the case. Yes perhaps naivety on their part but nevertheless the idea of a lockbox is for security. A group of 6 of us stayed in an air bnb in the USA and we always left key back in lockbox so that whoever came back first could gain access to the apartment.

elperello

Sorry to hear about them losing all that stuff.It's a real travel nightmare.
€50 euro charge for lost keys is normal and reasonable as it involves a call out.
It's not usual to leave the key in lock box after you have checked in. It's only to facilitate collection of keys on arrival.
I wonder how he knew the key was in the box.

Tigerandahalf

Were there a number of apartments within the building getting access to the lock box?

Normally you change the lock box code to your own so I can't see how the robber could have known the code.

Is it possible the cleaner let him in?

antix80

Even if they had travel insurance there's a good chance it wouldn't cover the theft.
They blundered and i don't think airbnb or the host are responsible.

Another pov... Even if they took the key, what's to stop a former guest from having made a copy of the key?

antix80

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Normally you change the lock box code to your own so I can't see how the robber could have known the code.

I've one of those boxes. It's very fiddly to change the code.

Tigerandahalf

I have always been reluctant to use airbnb for a few reasons. Mainly because the booking can be cancelled last minute and leave you high and dry. Hotels won't do that and if they did their reputation is damaged. An airbnb property can come and go as just an individual owner involved.

I rented a property recently that asked me to leave the key at reception. It had one of those big cuboid plates on the key so you couldn't put it in your pocket. I removed it and took the key with me. I was surprised that a place would ask you to do it as on checkout I had to leave the key at reception desk as nobody was there.

spurious

I only use AirBnBs that follow the original concept - a spare room in an owner occupied house. Many great experiences. Have never had one issue with them.