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From noisy neighbors to dirty rooms, guests recently shared their most common Airbnb “complaints” on Reddit, where superfans discussed what makes the difference between a holiday horror story, a mediocre getaway, and a five-star experience. Share your biggest Airbnb pet peeves in the comments.
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Catfishes abound online … and Airbnb is no exception. Multiple Airbnb superfans complained about deceptive descriptions and photographs. One guest said that a host had even placed “prop” lamps around the place to mislead guests.
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Speaking of plugs, one commenter wrote that a guest “doesn’t want to get on his hands and knees and move furniture to plug in.” Hosts should use velcro to affix power strips with USB inputs to each nightstand, the Redditor suggested.
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Airbnb veterans have surely experienced this one. After hours of sitting cheek by jowl in a pressurized aluminum tube and dragging your suitcases through dark, cobblestoned alleyways, you arrive at the Airbnb, only to find that the host’s entry instructions read like a scavenger hunt. The solution? “Clear and simple” instructions, one Redditor wrote. “What is obvious to an owner can be baffling to someone unfamiliar with a new location,” they added.
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Plastic spoons, scored pans, rusty silverware … Airbnbs might have kitchens, but they’re far from well-equipped, Redditors say. Rather than cheaping out on Dollar Store cookware, guests suggest shopping at thrift stores or on Amazon.
While Airbnb hosts charge a one-time cleaning fee on top of the nightly rate, Redditors claim that that money often goes to waste. “People superficially clean. Dead flies in the window sills and dirt means you don't clean enough,” one complaint reads.
Pack your earplugs when you book with Airbnb because some listings are (contrary to their descriptions) noisy as heck. “If the place is in a busy, noisy area, please mention it in the listing. If it’s a downstairs basement apartment with a family living upstairs, let the guest know,” an Airbnb guest suggested.
“Halve the amount of clutter you have, then halve it again,” an Airbnb superfan wrote. Another Redditor agreed, adding that hosts need to simplify their spaces. “Take the stupid plants and decorations off of the tables and shelves,” they wrote.
Good communication goes a long way — even on Airbnb. “Honestly, almost every complaint I’ve had could have been avoided with clearer communication or better honesty in the listings,” a commenter explained.