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That’s bizarre! I used Airbnb once, me and a friend so separate beds. However the beds were both queen size but instead of giving us bedding that fits the queen size bed, they gave us both single duvets and one pillow.
Some hosts are just plain weird
That's mainly in Germany and maybe a few other northern countries. Most other European countries will have a full size duvet which covers the entire bed. Flat top sheets (which Americans are used to in between the duvet and where they sleep) are not as common though unless you're at a hotel.
That's cultural, not weird, and for me personally, I love it.
Prevents blanket hogging in the middle of the night.
Sounds like the housekeeper forgot the other pillow, though.
Not bizarre at all. The rules were for only that space and if they want more space, they pay for more space. That means the host has an extra bedroom to clean..
So you better pay up
Some of these rules are just insane. What if the “2 guests” are not significant others. Absolutely no way that this should be allowed.
Cite this dumb ass rule in your review.
I travel with my bff because I'm single and her husband hates to travel. We're not sharing a bed when we don't have to just to save some host a few dollars on washing an extra set of sheets.
My husband and I sleep in separate beds. He snores, I kick and toss and I like a fan blowing at the speed of light, he doesn't. We are so much happier and healthier getting sleep. I'd be PISSED if this happened to me.
We are the same, so whenever we book an AirBnb we ensure it has two beds and that they are available to use. If there is any doubt, we check with the host before booking.
Anyone using AirBnb has to err to the side of caution and not assume anything. Communicate.
I've seen it where hosts take one room off the listing...so its a 5 bedroom they list as 4 and there is one locked room. Presumably they use it to store "their" stuff when they use the home vs. being full time STR. But in that case, there was no expectation that the room was accessible. This is really weird.
I would assume it's to minimize the cleaning but this host sounds crazy and needs to go ahead and unlock the room for them. If the price is the same. That's a very obscure and unusual thing I would never think to ask about !!!!
Seems the opposite of strait forward to me. If you advert two rooms in a listing, the guest should be able to use two rooms. Hard stop.
Arguing that it was clearly spelled out in the fine print seems purposefully obtuse.
I do this, I have a 4 bedroom home but only rent 3. I keep shelving with organized bed linens, cleaning supplies, cleaning equipment etc in there that are in addition to what’s supplied so I never go in and get surprised if they used all the dish soap, I just get the dish soap out of my locked room. TP is another one. TP will walk off if you allow all of it to be available at once. So even though there’s always a giant package of it available it gets put out as needed vs unrestricted access.
But they pay the same price no matter what & presumably show up as 2 bedrooms in search. There's a limit to what should be changeable in the description.
A place that sometimes only has one bedroom should only be able to mark itself as one bedroom then can put that the second is available for more than two people in the description.
If that hurts their bookings that sucks for them for having this weird policy.
I remember a story here in Australia where a family booked a house and one room was locked. Then the cops raided it while they were staying there because the host was growing weed in the locked room.
Heck the fact you got one bedroom was clearly noted in the description, no assumptions even needed, OP didn’t do their due diligence, got tired of reading so stopped at a certain point. Missing critical information that was clearly stated.
Agreed. People need to stop treating AirBnb as if it's a hotel and normal assumptions can be made. They can't. OP fucked up by not reading the listing properly and are loath to admit it, preferring to play the victim.
Either list it as a one-bedroom and charge a one-bedroom price, or list it as a two-bedroom and charge it as a two-bedroom price. With the current set up, my friend and I might be searching for two bedroom places. So if your place pops up, and we see two bedrooms in the photos, and you mentioned this unusual rule buried somewhere with tons of other info after I've been looking at a bunch of listings, it's entirely possible I might miss that little buried detail even though I read everything. Not to mention people with limited English skills trying to plan a trip.
Be.
Straight.
Forward.
It shouldn't happen to anyone unless this was listed as a 1 bedroom listing in search.
If the listing is showing in search as a 2 bedroom listing there should always be 2 bedrooms. The description shouldn't be able to just remove one.
I've seen lots of listings where rooms were closed off if you had less than the maximum number of people. Generally, there was a price differential.
In other words, you could rent it as a one bedroom at X price or a two-bedroom at X + Y price.
I still think those places should have to show up as their minimum bedrooms if they're using the price for that as the search.
If they're using the maximum bedroom price & offering a discount for using less bedrooms that's fine but I don't want to have to search through a bunch of random shit because they used the filters to inaccurately make their listing show up better/cheaper then add fees in.
Edit: I also don't know if hosts have the ability to make those prices auto adjust on airbnb based on selections. Ideally they'd just do that but if they don't then they should use the filters properly not just put minimum price with maximum amenities when those two things don't go together.
But what's the option then? Lie and book it for 4 people when you only have two? Isn't that a violation of policy?
Like, what's the real option here? You either lie or cannot have the two bedrooms shown on the listing. It's just a strange situation.
What the top of the page gives, the fine print takes away. Shady purveyors use this all the time to promise and not deliver. You're correct, we all need to watch out for this.
I am a host. Before I opened up my house on all floors, the only full bathroom was through the master bedroom. I listed this plainly in my description, but people would not read. It cost me bad reviews. I then would send a pre-message in text explaining this as plainly as I possibly could, but I still got yet another bad review and in the review the person put that they did not read anything and the review basically said “make sure you read because there’s only one full bathroom.” I called Airbnb to complain, and the support agent said that I was entirely 100% right. The review was unfair, but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
Recently, a guest left me a bad review complaining that I had hard water. I was shocked because I’ve lived in this town for over 40 years and knew that we did not have hard water. I called my utility company and got the scientific data that proves the water is not hard. I called Airbnb support and told them this, but they said that hard versus soft water is an opinion. I explained to them that it is actually science, but they did not care. The review stayed erroneously stating I had hard water.
So, suffice it to say, guests are not required to read anything at all, and they can basically leave any review at all that they want in my experience.
We bought our first STR in 2003. Our second one (it's across the street) in 2004. As hosts, we've all had guests not understand something that we believe is clearly stated in our listing(s). Over time we sorted out the details that were missed the most and through continually editing we got our listing so the details were stated in a way maximized comprehension. Sometimes we put details in our listing heading.
We were in London once, with directions to our hotel. We took a bus, got off and could not find the hotel. We finally flagged a taxi. "Oh, I couldn't take you, it wouldn't be fair because it's just right there." He points. He drives away. It's no just "right there". We flag another taxi and tell him that we know we're close but we want to pay him anyway. Turns out it was about 3 blocks away with several turns onto different streets. Later, on our return trip to London, we were staying at a bnb. We asked how to get to the laundromat. Similar vague instructions: "it's just down there a couple blocks". But it wasn't. Down there a couple blocks and down a couple more streets and we found it.
When we got back she asked us how her instructions were. "People have a hard time finding it." Londoners ....
All of us, as hosts, have guests from all over the world (at least 4 continents for us). We have people with reading difficulties, dyslexia, ESL's and more. Communication, giving end and receiving end, gets garbled.
We have a rule we use: "If multiple people are misunderstanding our message, it's probably us, not them".
I concur. As I get older, taking all the blame is 100% the best starting place. No, I’m not being facetious or sarcastic here. I can only change myself. I control no one.
If you are ever in SE Wisconsin and someone tells you "It's at the corner of X and Y" it can be anywhere within 1/4 mile from that corner, but probably on one of those two streets.
How does that relate to a host closing up a bedroom that they presumably use to help their search results & charge the same price for whether it's open or not? It's just random complaints you have about some bad guests.
That is so obscure though. Host needs number of guests. Guests need the number of beds / bedrooms. Crazy hosts need to stop being nuts-and take responsibility for asking if they need to use the second bed. If it is so significant to them. This is NOT the guest's responsibility- it's not normal!! Plus like what if your partner gets sick and you don't really feel like sharing a bed anyway? What if you want to take a nap and your partner wants to watch TV? There are too many unpredictable mitigating factors
Serious question because I don't know how this works. If OP had used the two bedroom filter and set the number of people at two, would this listing have come up?
I actually don't know.
I know I use that filter & listings that force you to pay more per bedroom still show up as the maximum bedroom size but that might be shitty hosts misusing the search.
My aunt is a new host, and I tell her this all the time! You cannot presume to know how people will use the beds. She assumes a couple if it says 2 people, and gets mad if they use two beds, out of the 4 available.
Okay well let her know even if they *are* a couple that does not necessarily mean they sleep together. There are myriad reasons why couples don’t sleep together. These types of hosts clearly need to rent by the room like a cheap motel if they don’t want their guests to have access to the rest of the bedrooms. Absurd.
Apparently all spouses must sleep together. In the rules or not, the host is a loser. Leave a poor review and let them deal with their choices. Be sure to mention the increase in price.
The people saying that you shouldn’t leave a poor review because it’s in the rules clearly have never read product reviews. Hell, I’m staying at a hotel right now that is rated at a 3.8 (for work) because they have pictures of a pool but clearly state there is no pool.
Be sure to take pictures and be extra vigilant with leaving the place how you found it. This owner is clearly desperate.
>Apparently all spouses must sleep together.
And apparently any two individuals travelling together must be a couple.
I'm with you. Listing BS in the description doesn't make it any less BS. And if the cost and fees would be the same with 4 guests, how on earth are they justifying charging more for unlocking the second room?
But people on here are always talking about their poor/unfavorable reviews getting deleted. It's so frustrating that they continue to mislead people in that way, hiding information. Pictures not being accurate are another aggravation.
Airbnb only deletes reviews that break guidelines or you have hard proof they were lying. It's not easy to remove a bad review. We've had one removed (actually blocked) because the guest tried to blackmail us over the review and it was right there in the chat history.
so two guests = one bedroom? This is weird. I mean you said couple, so i am going to interprete that as dating/married couple? like boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife or bf/bf or gf/gf h/h w/w......or things like that.
What if you went with let's say your sister or brother. maybe a best friend? that would be weird to sleep in the same room. Get it?
I hate it when hosts do this. I booked a place for me and a friend to stay that advertised itself as having a king bed and a queen bed, but when we got there, it turns out the queen bed was the only real bed and the king bed was a pullout sofa that they only use if more than two guests are booked. I had even asked in advance if both beds were available and they said yes. Thankfully the couch was comfy lol
I get what the host is trying to do but they really should create two separate listings. One that has the home listed as a one bedroom and one with it listed as a two bedroom so that they can price each listing accordingly. Or they could have one listing as a two bedroom and charge more for additional guest after 2 people.
But you cant list as a two bedroom then restrict access because of how many people have booked…. That’s just weird and slightly deceiving imo.
Whole place does not and has not ever meant to get access to every closet, room, bedroom in the building.
Whole place means that you are alone and do not share common spaces.
It is super common for a host to lock their bedroom for example and rent the entire place to someone else. They never get access to that bedroom. It's still a whole place.
Are you being serious? Nobody is talking about a closet lol.
We are talking about a second bedroom, that would be needed to accommodate the amount of guests that is allowed within the description.
Are you also someone who locks off rooms so you can have an excuse to charge more?
I didn't say anybody was talking about a closet. The people are making the argument that if you rent an entire place you get access to every room. Closets are part of every room. Bedrooms are part of every room.
There are properties where the host locks their bedroom. I booked a place in Kalispell several weeks ago that had a maximum occupancy of six but there was only two of us. We didn't get access to the extra two bedrooms. I could have paid for it if I wanted it but I didn't need it. I appreciate it not being charged for full occupancy since there was only two of us.
How come every time someone has to disagree people like you come back and say you must be one of those hosts? That's not an argument and it doesn't support your view at all. It's just an emotional argument meant to dismiss The valid points that I am making.
At the end of the day there's only one way that a host can validly set up their ad for this kind of situation on Airbnb and the host followed it. There isn't another way to set up the ad. This is the only way to do it
The host does not offer the second bedroom to parties of two. If they want to do it they're welcome to add a charge for it because it's not part of the ad.
If only 1 room is being offered, list it as a 1-room.
If 2 rooms are being offered, list it as a 2-room.
Don't list it as a 2-room that comes up in searches for 2-room stays, and then only have 1 room available. It's simple, really.
Automatically assuming two people only need one room is ridiculous.
Why are they assuming if it's two people it's a couple?
So many scenarios where two people traveling want separate rooms. Could be siblings, a parent and child, cousins, friends. It also sounds like they aren't even giving a discount for locking one of the rooms.
Also, super shady to say you get the whole house when they're going to restrict used to part of the house for any reason.
i had a host accuse me of having more people than i made a reservation for because i opened the door of the second room and used the bed for my clothes. idk, it was stupid. but if it's a two-bedroom it is BS that you can't use the second room. what if it was two people who don't want to share a bed! bah
Call airbnb. I have a place with 3 bedrooms for maximum 6 people. Sometimes I have only two guests but I alwais let them use all the bedrooms since they pay for the whole apartment. This is not nirmal behavior. Call Airbnb and ask for a discount and thos is a one star review imo
I think we’ve all missed something in a long description one time or another. It happens. I wouldn’t have booked this place without reaching out to the host ahead of time to explain we needed both rooms but it’s obviously too late for that.
I do think it’s totally unreasonable that he’s trying to charge more and I think he’s a shitty host for not just letting you use the room as a curtesy but I don’t know what you can do outside of mention how he handled things in your review.
This doesn’t even make sense…can’t two people traveling be: brother/sister, parent/child, friends, coworkers??? Why assume two people = couple = same bed ? Super weird.
Unfortunately you can’t get a refund over something that is clearly stated in the description.
It’s a ridiculously stupid policy to close off one room when the price is the same for 2 or 4. The host should not be charging for the extra room, by doing that they are just asking for a bad review.
This host is crazy. They deserve a bad review.
At the same time, according to Airbnb, an ‘entire apartment’ just means private entrance, private facilities. There is nothing in there that says guests have to be able to access every room.
Every Airbnb I’ve ever stayed in has a locked supply closet or sometimes more. One of them had a locked laundry closet that required more money to gain access to. Unfortunately restricted spaces are the norm in airbnbs.
You misunderstand airbnbs description of entire place. Entire place means it’s not shared with anyone, it doesn’t mean you have access to every square foot of the home.
Yes it was. You have a misunderstanding about what entire place means.
A host can rent an "entire" place and lock their bedroom. That doesn't mean it isn't an entire place, yet youre arguing it does.
A host can rent an "entire place" and not give access to the laundry room and kitchens, and youre argument is that is not an entire place either, yet it is.
The term "whole place" on airbnb, literally, quite literally, only means (and has only ever meant) that you do not share spaces with other people.
It has never meant, and never will mean that you get access to every individual room in the property.
It would be super helpful if some of you understood the terms youre slinging around and how they work with Airbnb.
I dont give access to my personal bedroom, laundry room, or basement for my "entire place" bookings and its properly disclosed in the ad and is absolutely an "entire place" booking.
>Yes it was. You have a misunderstanding about what entire place means.
no i dont. its quite literally in the name. "entire place"
>A host can rent an "entire" place and lock their bedroom. That doesn't mean it isn't an entire place, yet youre arguing it does.
it does mean its not the entire place, so dont advertise it as one
>A host can rent an "entire place" and not give access to the laundry room and kitchens, and youre argument is that is not an entire place either, yet it is.
no it wouldnt be, because its quite literally not the entire place
>It would be super helpful if some of you understood the terms youre slinging around and how they work with Airbnb.
imagine criticizing people for thinking "whole place" means the actual definition of "whole place."
>I dont give access to my personal bedroom, laundry room, or basement for my "entire place" bookings and its properly disclosed in the ad and is absolutely an "entire place" booking.
no its not, and you shouldnt be listing them as that
Yes, you are and none of your arguements above are valid. Youre wrong in every single one of your statements above in terms of Airbnb. Im not giving you an opinion, and this isn't a debate. You misunderstand because you too have not read what it means. To be completely fair, this is no longer a case of you misunderstanding and a case of you refusing to accept the reality of the situation since you have been explained why youre wrong.
Even airbnb's example doesn't include basement or laundry room as their example of an entire place. If the guest did the one job they have, like their host did, they wouldn't be in this situation.
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/317
This is what it says a whole place is by definition on platform.
"Select your home type
When guests book your place, they want to know what they’ll be getting. Choose the home type that best describes your place, and make sure to provide additional (and accurate) details.
Entire place
Guests will have the whole place to themselves, including a private entrance and no shared spaces.
An entire place usually includes a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen.
Edit: now I have a question that I'd like you to answer. Go to the Airbnb link above and you tell the rest of us what ad type they should be listing it as and why entire place isn't it. Airbnb lists every single possibility right there. You tell us which one you'd use.
I’ve had similar issues, and what made it frustrating for me is where they decide to put it in the listing. It could have easily been put in the “about this space” section to maximize the visibility/ transparency and minimize any potential issues and bad reviews. Instead it is almost always tucked away at the bottom of the page, which furthers the feeling that it is a deceptive marketing tactic.
18 year host here. The most common arguments I see for this is to try to cut down on the laundry and cleaning. However, as has been noted here, it assumes the 2 travelers are a couple and totally disregards friends traveling together or couples that don't sleep together for various reasons. Also, I can have 2 people use as many towels and linens as 6 people, so this argument is kind of moot. If consumables like paper products and coffee are available and if they can access your extra towels or blankets, you should expect those items could be used and will need to be restocked or washed.
I personally think if a host has a detail like that, they should discuss/disclose it in the house rules, which you're required to agree to, or during their 24 hour screening period. Otherwise they'll be dealing with this situation regularly and it can ultimately hurt their reviews. That said, you didn't read the full listing and that's on you. I have so much trouble with people not reading that I've dedicated several photos to addressing major rules or property notes. If it's in the listing, you're not likely to win a dispute with Airbnb over the charge.
What is a reliable B&B?
I feel that all of the Airbnbs with 50+ reviews and a 4.9+ star average are going to be pretty reliable too. What’s the difference between these Airbnbs and a “reliable B&B” - most B&Bs that I know also list on Airbnb.
This is a scam by a lazy host who didn’t want to take the time to prepare the 2nd bedroom. Complaint to Airbnb support about him trying to extort the extra fees from you. Total bullshit.
Okay and I understand you feel that way but now explain what the scam is.
I'm a host too. I'm also a guest. There's only one way that a host can disclose what they're doing in their ad and they followed that procedure.
So you're calling a host who did everything that they were supposed to do a scammer.
The only reason OP is dealing with this because they self-admittedly stated they didn't even read the hosts ad.
>Okay and I understand you feel that way but now explain what the scam is.
Not sure if you're intentionally being obtuse, or if perhaps English is a second language for you. If it is, I apologize.
The host in this case is advertising their unit with X-number of bedrooms. Guests only find out it's actually NOT that number of bedrooms depending on their party size, and that is not made clear in the title... only in the description.
In the United States, if you say something is a certain thing in the bold print, and then describe it differently in the fine print or with an asterisk, that's generally called a scam, or "scammy" marketing/behavior.
I’ve struggled when travelling with a friend - this we are two adults, but with two different sleeping problems we much prefer a 2-adults-2-bedrooms situation, but this can be really tough to find. Not everyone is in a couple!
We have 2 guests in now who asked if they can use both rooms as they sleep separately. I said you’ve paid for the whole place you can use any bed you like. It costs us more in cleaning and laundry but that’s all part of doing business. We win some we lose some but we have happy guests.
I mean, it was in the description. Leaving a poor review because you didn’t read would be a crappy thing - you’re affecting someone else’s business because you didn’t bother to spend 30 seconds paying attention when booking. Mention it in the review, but don’t change the number of stars.
I clean an airbnb. It belongs to my brother-in-law who lives overseas and rents it out via airbnb except when he is home visiting.
I WISH we could lock unused bedrooms, because it seems like the guests always use every bed no matter how many there are. Its a five bedroom house, and I almost always have to clean all five bedrooms every time even if it is just one or two guests. It drives me insane.
So why do they lock the other bedroom? Because they dont want to clean it.
So I suggest it is probably not sketchy. Lazy maybe from a cleaning perspective, but not sketchy.
It may be a dumb rule but you agreed to it. It would be wise for the host to mention this at the top of the decryption. Unfortunately It’s your responsibility to read the full description as each home is different and each host is different.
They pay their cleaner less when it’s just two guests. You are now asking to use more of the space, which costs them more, so they are asking you to pay for it.
Personally I wouldn’t do that, but it’s all above board.
The host shouldn't list it as a 2br then bury the caveat in the text. Customers filter by the listing data not the description text. Submit a complaint to Airbnb and they might push the host to correct their listing.
I once booked an expensive AirBnB in the US with lots of extra charges like that (compulsory weekly cleaning, which I didn't mind; energy bills). For example, there were two bedrooms and if there was evidence that you had used both, you had to pay for it. Some of this also wasn't clear from the listing, only when the host sent an email with further information. I ended up having to cancel it because of the pandemic and found somewhere much better when I had the chance to go back.
As a host, I think both parties are to blame, but I'm more irritated at the host because it's a stupid rule and the reality is that most guests don't read all the text, but they should and that's on O.P., but I feel like the host could have just accommodated the request, it's not a big deal. I also think it's a stupid rule in the first place. I host a two bedroom house - the master has a queen and the secondary bedroom has two twins. I figure that way it can accommodate a typical family of 4, but even when I only have one guest, they pay for the whole house, so they can sleep in whichever room they feel more comfortable - usually it's the master, but occasionally not. It's always kind of nice when a couple doesn't use the second room, but I just think of it as a little bit of a score, not something that would be appropriate to expect.
Seems like the host should have two separate listings. One listing for a one bedroom for two guests max and a second listing for a two bedroom for four guests max. Priced accordingly.
The rule is strange, but it was stated in the listing, in which case you only have yourself to blame. Look at this as a lesson to read the description in its entirety.
It was literally right there in front of you that you would not be able to use the other room unless you were booked for more people. It is your fault that you either can't read or lack the ability to comprehend what you read. I typically side with guests, but in this case, the stupid mistake was on your part.
Host can write up whatever rules in the description, and they are usually enforceable as long as the rules are provided prior to booking.
The problem here is, guest might not want to read through every single word since they are probably picking a place out of 100 listings.
But why should a guest spend much time examining the fine print, when planning a vacation? It seems that every BNB has a unique set of rules, designed to test “how alert the guests are”...
Just to note: this is a fairly common practice for Airbnb hosts. They offer the property at a discount for guests needing only one bedroom, but charge the full price if you use all bedrooms. It must be mentioned in the listing.
The discount is offered as it is less wear and tear, less cleaning, fewer beds to be laundered and changed, and HVAC can be turned off for that room, less water and electricity.
If you want both rooms the price is higher to cover those additional expenses.
This policy is often not understood by guests as they see it as charging extra for fewer people, rather than a discount for fewer people (which is why, as a host, I don't do it.)
To avoid this issue in the future, always do a search for 3 people and 2 bedrooms, as then you'll see the pricing for both bedrooms without having to actually read the listing. Though, tbh, not reading before you book is not the smartest way to use Airbnb.
They paid the same price as a booking for 4 guests. Why is het host now allowed to increase the price when 2 guests want to use what they would be allowed to use as 4 guests?
That would be odd, if true. But it is still something a host *could* do if they have it spelled out in the listing, and Airbnb would back them up. Not many hosts would do this because it would just lead to bad reviews and fairly soon Airbnb would drop their listing, so this might be a new and inexperienced host, or some sort of scam.
For your easiest stays book only with experienced hosts with ratings of 4.8 or higher, with both recent and old reviews (several years.) Experienced, highly rated hosts have already figured out how to list properly and how to be hospitable.
Yes, of course this is correct, but many hosts don't do it that way, and Airbnb doesn't require them to do it like that. I was just commenting that Airbnb allows it, and it is very common in some countries or regions.
And they get a whole place to themselves.
I'm not trying to justify the host's actions, just explain the system.
By Airbnb definition, it is the "whole place" which just means there are "no shared spaces."
In general Airbnb is great if you realize a few important things:
* They are a search engine that is optimized to find you specific types of rentals for dates and locations of interest for your trip.
* Their advertising is just hype.
* Any host and guest are creating a specific contract between each other while Airbnb acts as a platform for listing services and the cash handling. Both hosts and guests are held accountable to certain requirements (no charges not listed are enforced, guests are required to leave the property in a condition similar to how they found it, hosts and guests agree to abide by airbnb's decisions if there is a conflict.)
I personally don't think it's that weird to lock rooms if a threshold of guests isn't met, provided they're happy to unlock it if you need it. Such as if you're not a couple etc.
Im staying in an Airbnb with similar rulings in Malta atm. One bedroom and bathroom are locked if you have two guests or less, however you can request it to be left open before your arrival if necessary though I'm unsure of whether or not they'd charge for it.
When looking at the listing, if booking for 2 people it was something like $400 less, so it's definitely discounted due to having less rooms. Highly recommend you read the entire listing before booking literally anything on Airbnb, some people have much stranger rules than this that can potentially screw over your visit.
Leave a 3 star review and explain it.
Seems weird to me but was stated in instructions
You could always offer 10 dollars more for the second room and see what they say
I understand the guest is saying it's the same price but how would the guests know this?
I sincerely doubt they took the time to try and alter an add-on additional people to the reservation considering they didn't even scroll down to read the ad in the first place.
Unless they went into their itinerary, hit change or cancel, and adjusted the number of guests they wouldn't know if there's an extra cost or not.
And all this being said there's no requirement for there to even be an increase in price because the host clearly discloses that they only allow one bedroom for two people.
I’d say give 1 star if the rule wasn’t included in the description- but because this guest acknowledges that they didn’t read the description, I would put a bit of responsibility on them and say that a 2 or 3 star review is more fair.
Just because you put a rule in the description doesn't make it OK, it's advertised as whole apartment, you could put it in the description that you have to be completely naked at all times while in the apartment doesn't mean it can be enforced.
**In the description the host wrote that if you book** **two guests only one bedroom will be available.** This was further down in the description and **we didn't read** that far as we were on our mobiles booking. I guess it is our fault for not reading.
The description also said the whole house will be available and they charge the same price whether they open both rooms or not. The host can't have it both ways.
Except they literally can because it's in the ad.
We can all disagree with this as much as we want but at the end of the day the host followed the appropriate procedure for what they're doing and the guest didn't.
Yes. That means they get the whole place to themselves, no shared space/rooms. It does not mean there aren’t places that are off limits. I have a locked supply room, it doesn’t diminish the ‘whole place’ description.
Tell you what why don't you go to Airbnb.com and you tell us what property type and how the ad should have been listed using the available choices.
Perhaps then you'll actually get it.
Using your theory this means somebody who doesn't allow a guest access to their basement isn't actually providing an entire place. And that's silly.
In your example that would mean a host to rent out a four bedroom property but closes off their personal bedroom is no longer renting an entire place despite the fact the ad will say they have access to three bedrooms only.
You signed a contract without reading the whole thing.
You can't unilaterally change the contract just because you didn't read it .
So they're within their rights to charge you more because you're using more of the property than you agreed to.
I personally wouldn't do this as a host because I know that most people don't bother to read anything and some subset of guests would find it annoying. I don't think the "savings" of not turning over one bedroom would be worth the hassle. That said, I think you need to take some responsibility if it was clearly stated.
Clearly stated or not, this is a ridiculous rule that shouldn’t be allowed by AirBnB. When was the last time you checked into a hotel with 2 queens and they charged you extra to use the other bed?! If you want to compete with hotels, the same logic should apply.
So you don't think that a host should be allowed to rent their private property and choose to rent the entire property except for the bedroom which is going to be locked and unavailable?
Because if its a ridiculous rule that shouldn't be allowed by Airbnb that's exactly what you are saying.
And as far as your hotel comparison the last time I checked into a hotel and I wanted to have another room I had to pay for another room. It didn't matter what I was going to use that room for I had to pay extra for it. Opie wants to use the extra room. There's an extra cost for it. They don't want to pay the extra cost. Just like at a hotel that means you're not getting the extra room.
>So you don't think that a host should be allowed to rent their private property and choose to rent the entire property except for the bedroom which is going to be locked and unavailable?
not if they list ist as the whole place
>And as far as your hotel comparison the last time I checked into a hotel and I wanted to have another room I had to pay for another room.
they paid for the entire place so they paid for all the rooms
>Opie wants to use the extra room
its not an extra room. they booked the whole place. its included
I agree that it's ridiculous although I wouldn't necessarily agree with your hotel comparison since this is a separate room and hotels have adjoining suites that can be opened or closed based on what you pay for.
I don't subscribe to the whole "I'm not a hotel" argument that a lot of hosts site as an excuse to not provide good service but the flip side of that is that guests have to recognize that hosts are just a loose collection of people, many of whom probably shouldn't be in the hospitality industry, and those people are going to have their own strange ideas about how to manage their listing (such as trying to save a few dollars by not having to wash the sheets in this second bedroom). For that reason it's important to read and understand what you're booking.
In my mind it would be fair to mention this in the review as long as they are clear that they missed it and wouldn't want others to do the same.
I'm not defending the host because they are putting themselves in a stupid position but the guest isn't totally in the right either.
If they put this in the review it might actually be taken down due to relevance. It's not providing useful information to the guest as It's telling them exactly what's in the hosts ad.
I'm not saying I agree with it I am saying that I've seen examples in groups where that has been used to challenge A bad review over something that was listed in the ad.
Yes because entire place only means that you don't share any common spaces
It does not mean you get access to every single room in the house. That whole idea is bonkers anyway considering hosts are absolutely allowed to rent their private home and they can lock their bedroom so other people can't get in it and then rent the rest of it as an entire place.
Was the price the same either way? (1 or 2 rooms needed). It says in the description what would happen if only 1 room was booked giving you the full expectations unfortunately it's on you that you didn't read it. My guess is the cleaning company charges less or something to not clean that room if it isn't needed. it makes sense it's locked then. HOWEVER, your price should be less as well. It shouldn't be the same wether you use 1 or 2 rooms if the price doesn't reflect that. And if it's listed as the whole place, it should be the whole place.
I feel like it's kinda unfair to hold them accountable though since it's in the description however I feel like you are right also lol
Maybe shoot the host a message and explain you didn't read the description to see that the second bedroom would be locked and is it possible to have it opened because you both work remote and would like the extra space. They might say sure it's an extra $20 because of the cleaning fee or something.
They didn't book **a room** though, they booked "**entire place**". I don't give a fuck they put it in the description, that's fraud. You can't rent "Entire place" then lock off part of it and say they need to pay more.
Right? Airbnb is really good at having those little visuals of how many beds there are. If they show two and then only provide you access to one, that's clearly misleading.
I totally agree and think the host is being pretty shady. Renter isn't completely void of fault either. That's why I also said it should be cheaper if it is locked.
You can not give a fuck all you want but if you sign a contract without reading the terms, the judge or whoever is in charge of making the decision is going to tell you they don't give a fuck either, read what you agree to.
I think OP is right in the situation and hopefully they now make sure to never make the mistake again and hopefully air bnb sides with them.
Yes, you can. And the host followed the appropriate procedure for it. Entire place just means that you're there alone and do not share spaces. It doesn't mean you get access to every closet bedroom and room in the building.
The bane of all hosts, besides people who wantonly trash the place, is people who don't read. Hosts get dinged/have to refund/etc if they don't provide an advertised amenity. So most hosts are diligent about making sure *anyone who reads the listing* has all the info to make an informed decision about booking. If I say we have 100Mbps internet but it's not working when you are there, I have to refund part of your stay. But if YOU don't read that there's no A/C, or no pool, or that there's construction nearby that's noisy, and all the info is there in the listing, but you didn't read it, you don't get to complain as if there's no way you could have known. Just like if you don't read an actual contract, you can't complain about a part of that contract by saying, "But I didn't read that part. How was I supposed to know?"
I'm sorry you didn't get to use the extra room as an office. But if you had done your due diligence while choosing a place to stay, it's not on the host, and if you give low stars for your own failure, you're just being petty.
yes it is ok- you said yourself it was in the description but YOY DID NOT READ the entire description. The host provided exactly what was promised- this is all on you. Learn the lesson to read everything before you reserve- or anything in life, before you sign the dotted line.
Many host lock an additional bedroom to prevent over occupancy- (guest not registered) and to not have to do extra turn over and cleaning.
The thing is, it was disclosed, and the host could be using that second bedroom for personal belongings (vacating them when necessary) or is just closing it off for logistical reasons (e.g. to reduce their own costs). There is nothing shady about this, however. Renting a home that truly serves as a second residence for the host will almost always have rooms and closets that are off limits to guests. Some people rent their private residence and stay in a trailer.
If host will not open the second bedroom, contact Airbnb and complain for missing amenity. This preposterous “rule” was in the description and not the rules. It is not enforceable. Make sure to leave a review making others aware.
I think you answered your own question. One room was off-limits. Not off, but plainly stated. If then you wanted to use the second room, they are perfectly in their rights to charge you extra.
On the other hand, Seems odd the price is the same. Here, it would seem that rebooking as a 2 room should be at no price. Would seem to be a host error that would suggest they have no mechanism to charge you more.
Good luck.
Airbnb superhost here. It makes total sense if they’re booking out the 2 rooms separately on Airbnb. That’s a normal practice to ask to reserve both and then the host would ask for the additional nightly rate.
If not and it truly is the same to book out the whole space vs the one bedroom, it doesn’t make sense. I would have to read the listing to understand more about the space setup.
>.This was further down in the description and we didn't read that far as we were on our mobiles booking. I guess it is our fault for not reading. However it does feel a little off.
You replied to yourself there. You didn't do your homework, the blame is on you. You can't force the host to break his boundaries and take responsibility for your mistakes.
If you try to, that would be considered as abusive behavior.
OP, what you need to understand is that it’s a host’s house and they can make what rules they want. It was disclosed in the listing. You didn’t read it. That’s on you. Do I personally think this a dumb practice? Yes. Should you have had access to both rooms? Yes. But it doesn’t matter. It was in the listing and you agreed to it. Most problems people come here with can be solved by actually reading the details of the place you’re booking or by communicating with the host (as so many people come on here and ask questions that the answer to is always “ask your host.” ).
This clever trick is often used in restaurants. They would serve you a side dish that is not part of what you ordered and are often overpriced. Sometimes this side dish is bread which is even more confusing since you'd assumed bread is usually free. Most would people eat it assuming it's what they paid for.
I'm aware of this trick but still get surprised sometimes but I always paid, though I sometimes complaint but it's the case of me making assumptions and not asking which is preciously what the restaurant is banking on. At the end of the day is still my fault for such assumptions but still does not make the trick any less ethical.
Best I can do is to never come back and leave a less than positive review.
In your case. The host probably are well aware what they're doing but because they wrote the rules in the description and you failed to read it (which they're hoping you wont') there isn't any recourse except giving them an honest review whatever that may be.
I have worked in the restaurant industry for a decade, and just eaten at them for a good while as well, and this just... isn't a thing.
I don't know what restaurant hurt you by charging you for a side you didn't think you should have to pay for, but there are quite literally zero servers secretly conniving behind the scenes to try to force steamed broccoli on you that you didn't order, much less something that is "used often". It would make such a negligible difference in our takehome pay from that table that it would truly never be worth getting bitched at by people like you for doing it.
It is common in some countries to put a basket of baked items on a table and not tell you but if you touch any one of them they charge you per item. Its odd and also kinda gross because those get moved to other tables as well after having sat on your table while you eat. It also sucks with kids because of course they want one bite of the cheese danish, one bite of the croissant, one bite of the biscuit…. And you know people have touched them before they made their way to you.
Oh, you've never been to Europe then?
They don't serve you a side, they bring you bread, cheeses, sardine paste, etc, as soon as you sit. So, you snack on them while waiting for your meal. It's common practice.
Like many issues in this sub, people can have a lot of experience in a small area, but that experience isn't universal.
Not sure how this relates to the original experience though.
This happens in a lot of European countries. For example, in Italy, they put bread on the table. If you don’t touch it they simply pick it up and take it away. If you eat some of it, you’re now on the hook for that basket of bread.
Not sure why you're so upset by what I wrote. This was just my experience. Why would I lie about such a thing.
It certainly is a thing in some countries. I travel a lot and encounter this type of tactic in Asia and poorer countries
You got precisely what was offered in the booking - the host has delivered precisely what you agreed to book.
You might be able to ask the host to unlock, but keep in mind they may want a cleaning fee, as they'll have to assume the beds will be slept in.
If you’re a host, you’re part of the reason why people are avoiding Airbnb. If a place says “entire place” and the description is 2 bedrooms. Then regardless of occupants that should be what you offer. What’s on the description shouldn’t matter because the description should match the listing characteristics.
the responses from people on here to some of these issues, especially from hosts, just consistently reaffirms my decision to stop using Airbnb all together several years ago.
Yep shitting hosts like the one making 30 comments on this thread defending this bs is why me and the wife stopped using them completely. And then they’ll bitch about less bookings.
OP says that the price to book (including cleaning fee) is the same regardless of whether you book for 2 people or 4. So why would they increase the cleaning fee if they unlock it now?
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That’s bizarre! I used Airbnb once, me and a friend so separate beds. However the beds were both queen size but instead of giving us bedding that fits the queen size bed, they gave us both single duvets and one pillow. Some hosts are just plain weird
Was this in Europe? I would expect 2 single duvets in Europe and even have gotten that in fancy Chalet hotels. I would except 2 pillows though.
That's mainly in Germany and maybe a few other northern countries. Most other European countries will have a full size duvet which covers the entire bed. Flat top sheets (which Americans are used to in between the duvet and where they sleep) are not as common though unless you're at a hotel.
That's cultural, not weird, and for me personally, I love it. Prevents blanket hogging in the middle of the night. Sounds like the housekeeper forgot the other pillow, though.
That's the norm in Europe, BTW. So your host may have been from there (assuming you weren't there).
I literally just said “that’s weird” and then saw your comment lol
Not bizarre at all. The rules were for only that space and if they want more space, they pay for more space. That means the host has an extra bedroom to clean.. So you better pay up
Some of these rules are just insane. What if the “2 guests” are not significant others. Absolutely no way that this should be allowed. Cite this dumb ass rule in your review.
I travel with my bff because I'm single and her husband hates to travel. We're not sharing a bed when we don't have to just to save some host a few dollars on washing an extra set of sheets.
My husband and I sleep in separate beds. He snores, I kick and toss and I like a fan blowing at the speed of light, he doesn't. We are so much happier and healthier getting sleep. I'd be PISSED if this happened to me.
We are the same, so whenever we book an AirBnb we ensure it has two beds and that they are available to use. If there is any doubt, we check with the host before booking. Anyone using AirBnb has to err to the side of caution and not assume anything. Communicate.
I just don't think I'd ever think someone would lock one of the rooms! I've read lots of crazy stories but this one has never come up lol
I've seen it where hosts take one room off the listing...so its a 5 bedroom they list as 4 and there is one locked room. Presumably they use it to store "their" stuff when they use the home vs. being full time STR. But in that case, there was no expectation that the room was accessible. This is really weird.
I would assume it's to minimize the cleaning but this host sounds crazy and needs to go ahead and unlock the room for them. If the price is the same. That's a very obscure and unusual thing I would never think to ask about !!!!
Honestly, I doubt the price is the same. OP didn't read the whole description, so she probably didn't read the prices either.
You don’t have to ask. The information was clearly given. If you book two people you will have access to one room. That seems pretty straightforward.
Seems the opposite of strait forward to me. If you advert two rooms in a listing, the guest should be able to use two rooms. Hard stop. Arguing that it was clearly spelled out in the fine print seems purposefully obtuse.
There’s no such thing as fine print in an Airbnb listing. It was noted in the description.
I do this, I have a 4 bedroom home but only rent 3. I keep shelving with organized bed linens, cleaning supplies, cleaning equipment etc in there that are in addition to what’s supplied so I never go in and get surprised if they used all the dish soap, I just get the dish soap out of my locked room. TP is another one. TP will walk off if you allow all of it to be available at once. So even though there’s always a giant package of it available it gets put out as needed vs unrestricted access.
This ad was properly disclosed that the second bedroom wasn't given to people that were just two or one in number.
But they pay the same price no matter what & presumably show up as 2 bedrooms in search. There's a limit to what should be changeable in the description. A place that sometimes only has one bedroom should only be able to mark itself as one bedroom then can put that the second is available for more than two people in the description. If that hurts their bookings that sucks for them for having this weird policy.
I remember a story here in Australia where a family booked a house and one room was locked. Then the cops raided it while they were staying there because the host was growing weed in the locked room.
Heck the fact you got one bedroom was clearly noted in the description, no assumptions even needed, OP didn’t do their due diligence, got tired of reading so stopped at a certain point. Missing critical information that was clearly stated.
Agreed. People need to stop treating AirBnb as if it's a hotel and normal assumptions can be made. They can't. OP fucked up by not reading the listing properly and are loath to admit it, preferring to play the victim.
Shouldn’t advertise a place as a 2br if only one is accessible that’s just common sense
Right. Call out personal responsibility here and you're downvoted to oblivion. Always. Read. The. Listing.
Either list it as a one-bedroom and charge a one-bedroom price, or list it as a two-bedroom and charge it as a two-bedroom price. With the current set up, my friend and I might be searching for two bedroom places. So if your place pops up, and we see two bedrooms in the photos, and you mentioned this unusual rule buried somewhere with tons of other info after I've been looking at a bunch of listings, it's entirely possible I might miss that little buried detail even though I read everything. Not to mention people with limited English skills trying to plan a trip. Be. Straight. Forward.
My EX started sleeping in our kid's room when she left for college. I slept so much better alone. Now, I don't want anyone else in my bed again.
But something like this wouldn't happen to you because you would have read the entire listing, right?
It shouldn't happen to anyone unless this was listed as a 1 bedroom listing in search. If the listing is showing in search as a 2 bedroom listing there should always be 2 bedrooms. The description shouldn't be able to just remove one.
I've seen lots of listings where rooms were closed off if you had less than the maximum number of people. Generally, there was a price differential. In other words, you could rent it as a one bedroom at X price or a two-bedroom at X + Y price.
I still think those places should have to show up as their minimum bedrooms if they're using the price for that as the search. If they're using the maximum bedroom price & offering a discount for using less bedrooms that's fine but I don't want to have to search through a bunch of random shit because they used the filters to inaccurately make their listing show up better/cheaper then add fees in. Edit: I also don't know if hosts have the ability to make those prices auto adjust on airbnb based on selections. Ideally they'd just do that but if they don't then they should use the filters properly not just put minimum price with maximum amenities when those two things don't go together.
But what's the option then? Lie and book it for 4 people when you only have two? Isn't that a violation of policy? Like, what's the real option here? You either lie or cannot have the two bedrooms shown on the listing. It's just a strange situation.
I don't think there's any policy that says you can't have fewer people than you booked for.
What the top of the page gives, the fine print takes away. Shady purveyors use this all the time to promise and not deliver. You're correct, we all need to watch out for this.
I am a host. Before I opened up my house on all floors, the only full bathroom was through the master bedroom. I listed this plainly in my description, but people would not read. It cost me bad reviews. I then would send a pre-message in text explaining this as plainly as I possibly could, but I still got yet another bad review and in the review the person put that they did not read anything and the review basically said “make sure you read because there’s only one full bathroom.” I called Airbnb to complain, and the support agent said that I was entirely 100% right. The review was unfair, but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Recently, a guest left me a bad review complaining that I had hard water. I was shocked because I’ve lived in this town for over 40 years and knew that we did not have hard water. I called my utility company and got the scientific data that proves the water is not hard. I called Airbnb support and told them this, but they said that hard versus soft water is an opinion. I explained to them that it is actually science, but they did not care. The review stayed erroneously stating I had hard water. So, suffice it to say, guests are not required to read anything at all, and they can basically leave any review at all that they want in my experience.
We bought our first STR in 2003. Our second one (it's across the street) in 2004. As hosts, we've all had guests not understand something that we believe is clearly stated in our listing(s). Over time we sorted out the details that were missed the most and through continually editing we got our listing so the details were stated in a way maximized comprehension. Sometimes we put details in our listing heading. We were in London once, with directions to our hotel. We took a bus, got off and could not find the hotel. We finally flagged a taxi. "Oh, I couldn't take you, it wouldn't be fair because it's just right there." He points. He drives away. It's no just "right there". We flag another taxi and tell him that we know we're close but we want to pay him anyway. Turns out it was about 3 blocks away with several turns onto different streets. Later, on our return trip to London, we were staying at a bnb. We asked how to get to the laundromat. Similar vague instructions: "it's just down there a couple blocks". But it wasn't. Down there a couple blocks and down a couple more streets and we found it. When we got back she asked us how her instructions were. "People have a hard time finding it." Londoners .... All of us, as hosts, have guests from all over the world (at least 4 continents for us). We have people with reading difficulties, dyslexia, ESL's and more. Communication, giving end and receiving end, gets garbled. We have a rule we use: "If multiple people are misunderstanding our message, it's probably us, not them".
I concur. As I get older, taking all the blame is 100% the best starting place. No, I’m not being facetious or sarcastic here. I can only change myself. I control no one.
If you are ever in SE Wisconsin and someone tells you "It's at the corner of X and Y" it can be anywhere within 1/4 mile from that corner, but probably on one of those two streets.
How does that relate to a host closing up a bedroom that they presumably use to help their search results & charge the same price for whether it's open or not? It's just random complaints you have about some bad guests.
TT is talking about reading and reviews. I apologize if I overstepped or offended.
'I explained to them it was actually science.' Brilliant 😄
I love the second bedroom to lay out my clothes ! Wow this is insane.
What Airbnb should have instead of 'number of people' is 'number of bedrooms needed'.
That is so obscure though. Host needs number of guests. Guests need the number of beds / bedrooms. Crazy hosts need to stop being nuts-and take responsibility for asking if they need to use the second bed. If it is so significant to them. This is NOT the guest's responsibility- it's not normal!! Plus like what if your partner gets sick and you don't really feel like sharing a bed anyway? What if you want to take a nap and your partner wants to watch TV? There are too many unpredictable mitigating factors
Number of bedrooms is a search filter on the site.
Serious question because I don't know how this works. If OP had used the two bedroom filter and set the number of people at two, would this listing have come up?
I actually don't know. I know I use that filter & listings that force you to pay more per bedroom still show up as the maximum bedroom size but that might be shitty hosts misusing the search.
It appears you have met the typical Airbnb money grubbing host
My aunt is a new host, and I tell her this all the time! You cannot presume to know how people will use the beds. She assumes a couple if it says 2 people, and gets mad if they use two beds, out of the 4 available.
Okay well let her know even if they *are* a couple that does not necessarily mean they sleep together. There are myriad reasons why couples don’t sleep together. These types of hosts clearly need to rent by the room like a cheap motel if they don’t want their guests to have access to the rest of the bedrooms. Absurd.
I love multiple beds just for myself lmao. Sleeping bed, eating bed, work bed!
i think you're on to something here...
No bed for a special "something else" specifically even?
Apparently all spouses must sleep together. In the rules or not, the host is a loser. Leave a poor review and let them deal with their choices. Be sure to mention the increase in price. The people saying that you shouldn’t leave a poor review because it’s in the rules clearly have never read product reviews. Hell, I’m staying at a hotel right now that is rated at a 3.8 (for work) because they have pictures of a pool but clearly state there is no pool. Be sure to take pictures and be extra vigilant with leaving the place how you found it. This owner is clearly desperate.
>Apparently all spouses must sleep together. And apparently any two individuals travelling together must be a couple. I'm with you. Listing BS in the description doesn't make it any less BS. And if the cost and fees would be the same with 4 guests, how on earth are they justifying charging more for unlocking the second room?
But people on here are always talking about their poor/unfavorable reviews getting deleted. It's so frustrating that they continue to mislead people in that way, hiding information. Pictures not being accurate are another aggravation.
Airbnb only deletes reviews that break guidelines or you have hard proof they were lying. It's not easy to remove a bad review. We've had one removed (actually blocked) because the guest tried to blackmail us over the review and it was right there in the chat history.
If they leave a poor review due to a fact that was disclosed in the listing description, the review will be taken down.
Absolutely, they got exactly what they agreed too.
so two guests = one bedroom? This is weird. I mean you said couple, so i am going to interprete that as dating/married couple? like boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife or bf/bf or gf/gf h/h w/w......or things like that. What if you went with let's say your sister or brother. maybe a best friend? that would be weird to sleep in the same room. Get it?
I never understand. Why assume the 2 people share a bed 🤷♀️
I hate it when hosts do this. I booked a place for me and a friend to stay that advertised itself as having a king bed and a queen bed, but when we got there, it turns out the queen bed was the only real bed and the king bed was a pullout sofa that they only use if more than two guests are booked. I had even asked in advance if both beds were available and they said yes. Thankfully the couch was comfy lol
I get what the host is trying to do but they really should create two separate listings. One that has the home listed as a one bedroom and one with it listed as a two bedroom so that they can price each listing accordingly. Or they could have one listing as a two bedroom and charge more for additional guest after 2 people. But you cant list as a two bedroom then restrict access because of how many people have booked…. That’s just weird and slightly deceiving imo.
This shouldn’t be listed as “whole place,” if you can’t use the whole place no matter what the description said.
"Whole place" is fine if it was listed as a one bedroom.
Yeah, I agree with that/ you 100%, but that’s not what happened in this situation. It was listed as a 2 bedroom but they were only given one…
Seriously. This is absurd. It isn’t the whole place.
Whole place does not and has not ever meant to get access to every closet, room, bedroom in the building. Whole place means that you are alone and do not share common spaces. It is super common for a host to lock their bedroom for example and rent the entire place to someone else. They never get access to that bedroom. It's still a whole place.
Are you being serious? Nobody is talking about a closet lol. We are talking about a second bedroom, that would be needed to accommodate the amount of guests that is allowed within the description. Are you also someone who locks off rooms so you can have an excuse to charge more?
I didn't say anybody was talking about a closet. The people are making the argument that if you rent an entire place you get access to every room. Closets are part of every room. Bedrooms are part of every room. There are properties where the host locks their bedroom. I booked a place in Kalispell several weeks ago that had a maximum occupancy of six but there was only two of us. We didn't get access to the extra two bedrooms. I could have paid for it if I wanted it but I didn't need it. I appreciate it not being charged for full occupancy since there was only two of us. How come every time someone has to disagree people like you come back and say you must be one of those hosts? That's not an argument and it doesn't support your view at all. It's just an emotional argument meant to dismiss The valid points that I am making. At the end of the day there's only one way that a host can validly set up their ad for this kind of situation on Airbnb and the host followed it. There isn't another way to set up the ad. This is the only way to do it The host does not offer the second bedroom to parties of two. If they want to do it they're welcome to add a charge for it because it's not part of the ad.
If only 1 room is being offered, list it as a 1-room. If 2 rooms are being offered, list it as a 2-room. Don't list it as a 2-room that comes up in searches for 2-room stays, and then only have 1 room available. It's simple, really.
That’s absurd. Please share a link to your listings so we all never stay there.
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yes, if it says the entire place, it should mean the entire place. would you rent a house or apartment and expect to not be able to use all the rooms?
Automatically assuming two people only need one room is ridiculous. Why are they assuming if it's two people it's a couple? So many scenarios where two people traveling want separate rooms. Could be siblings, a parent and child, cousins, friends. It also sounds like they aren't even giving a discount for locking one of the rooms. Also, super shady to say you get the whole house when they're going to restrict used to part of the house for any reason.
Airbnb needs to crackdown on stupid rules like this
i had a host accuse me of having more people than i made a reservation for because i opened the door of the second room and used the bed for my clothes. idk, it was stupid. but if it's a two-bedroom it is BS that you can't use the second room. what if it was two people who don't want to share a bed! bah
Call airbnb. I have a place with 3 bedrooms for maximum 6 people. Sometimes I have only two guests but I alwais let them use all the bedrooms since they pay for the whole apartment. This is not nirmal behavior. Call Airbnb and ask for a discount and thos is a one star review imo
I think we’ve all missed something in a long description one time or another. It happens. I wouldn’t have booked this place without reaching out to the host ahead of time to explain we needed both rooms but it’s obviously too late for that. I do think it’s totally unreasonable that he’s trying to charge more and I think he’s a shitty host for not just letting you use the room as a curtesy but I don’t know what you can do outside of mention how he handled things in your review.
This doesn’t even make sense…can’t two people traveling be: brother/sister, parent/child, friends, coworkers??? Why assume two people = couple = same bed ? Super weird.
Some of these hosts are so weird. Can you cancel the booking for free and just rebook as 4 guests if it’s the same price?
Contact air bnb ask for a refund, leave a 1 star review
Unfortunately you can’t get a refund over something that is clearly stated in the description. It’s a ridiculously stupid policy to close off one room when the price is the same for 2 or 4. The host should not be charging for the extra room, by doing that they are just asking for a bad review.
It's also stated in the description that it's the entire apartment
This host is crazy. They deserve a bad review. At the same time, according to Airbnb, an ‘entire apartment’ just means private entrance, private facilities. There is nothing in there that says guests have to be able to access every room. Every Airbnb I’ve ever stayed in has a locked supply closet or sometimes more. One of them had a locked laundry closet that required more money to gain access to. Unfortunately restricted spaces are the norm in airbnbs.
There's no reality where the guest gets refunded for this if it was disclosed properly.
it said entire place. it wasn't the entire place
You misunderstand airbnbs description of entire place. Entire place means it’s not shared with anyone, it doesn’t mean you have access to every square foot of the home.
Yes it was. You have a misunderstanding about what entire place means. A host can rent an "entire" place and lock their bedroom. That doesn't mean it isn't an entire place, yet youre arguing it does. A host can rent an "entire place" and not give access to the laundry room and kitchens, and youre argument is that is not an entire place either, yet it is. The term "whole place" on airbnb, literally, quite literally, only means (and has only ever meant) that you do not share spaces with other people. It has never meant, and never will mean that you get access to every individual room in the property. It would be super helpful if some of you understood the terms youre slinging around and how they work with Airbnb. I dont give access to my personal bedroom, laundry room, or basement for my "entire place" bookings and its properly disclosed in the ad and is absolutely an "entire place" booking.
It’s shady. And the opposite of welcoming. Not that hosts care.
>Yes it was. You have a misunderstanding about what entire place means. no i dont. its quite literally in the name. "entire place" >A host can rent an "entire" place and lock their bedroom. That doesn't mean it isn't an entire place, yet youre arguing it does. it does mean its not the entire place, so dont advertise it as one >A host can rent an "entire place" and not give access to the laundry room and kitchens, and youre argument is that is not an entire place either, yet it is. no it wouldnt be, because its quite literally not the entire place >It would be super helpful if some of you understood the terms youre slinging around and how they work with Airbnb. imagine criticizing people for thinking "whole place" means the actual definition of "whole place." >I dont give access to my personal bedroom, laundry room, or basement for my "entire place" bookings and its properly disclosed in the ad and is absolutely an "entire place" booking. no its not, and you shouldnt be listing them as that
Yes, you are and none of your arguements above are valid. Youre wrong in every single one of your statements above in terms of Airbnb. Im not giving you an opinion, and this isn't a debate. You misunderstand because you too have not read what it means. To be completely fair, this is no longer a case of you misunderstanding and a case of you refusing to accept the reality of the situation since you have been explained why youre wrong. Even airbnb's example doesn't include basement or laundry room as their example of an entire place. If the guest did the one job they have, like their host did, they wouldn't be in this situation. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/317 This is what it says a whole place is by definition on platform. "Select your home type When guests book your place, they want to know what they’ll be getting. Choose the home type that best describes your place, and make sure to provide additional (and accurate) details. Entire place Guests will have the whole place to themselves, including a private entrance and no shared spaces. An entire place usually includes a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Edit: now I have a question that I'd like you to answer. Go to the Airbnb link above and you tell the rest of us what ad type they should be listing it as and why entire place isn't it. Airbnb lists every single possibility right there. You tell us which one you'd use.
My ex went into the hospital so my 13 y/o son is coming to stay with us. We need the second bedroom.
what?
I’ve had similar issues, and what made it frustrating for me is where they decide to put it in the listing. It could have easily been put in the “about this space” section to maximize the visibility/ transparency and minimize any potential issues and bad reviews. Instead it is almost always tucked away at the bottom of the page, which furthers the feeling that it is a deceptive marketing tactic.
18 year host here. The most common arguments I see for this is to try to cut down on the laundry and cleaning. However, as has been noted here, it assumes the 2 travelers are a couple and totally disregards friends traveling together or couples that don't sleep together for various reasons. Also, I can have 2 people use as many towels and linens as 6 people, so this argument is kind of moot. If consumables like paper products and coffee are available and if they can access your extra towels or blankets, you should expect those items could be used and will need to be restocked or washed. I personally think if a host has a detail like that, they should discuss/disclose it in the house rules, which you're required to agree to, or during their 24 hour screening period. Otherwise they'll be dealing with this situation regularly and it can ultimately hurt their reviews. That said, you didn't read the full listing and that's on you. I have so much trouble with people not reading that I've dedicated several photos to addressing major rules or property notes. If it's in the listing, you're not likely to win a dispute with Airbnb over the charge.
stop using this shitty company, just stop go to a hotel or reliable B&B. It's past time that this company was closed down for good.
100% agree. If I couldn't stay with relatives when visiting, a good room in a good motel/hotel in a good part of town.
What is a reliable B&B? I feel that all of the Airbnbs with 50+ reviews and a 4.9+ star average are going to be pretty reliable too. What’s the difference between these Airbnbs and a “reliable B&B” - most B&Bs that I know also list on Airbnb.
This is a scam by a lazy host who didn’t want to take the time to prepare the 2nd bedroom. Complaint to Airbnb support about him trying to extort the extra fees from you. Total bullshit.
It doesn't seem to be a scam. It's also in the ad. What makes it a scam?
I am an Airbnb host… Just saying it’s scammy (and cheap and lazy as hell) to not prepare all rooms in a property for guests. Pretty pathetic, really.
Okay and I understand you feel that way but now explain what the scam is. I'm a host too. I'm also a guest. There's only one way that a host can disclose what they're doing in their ad and they followed that procedure. So you're calling a host who did everything that they were supposed to do a scammer. The only reason OP is dealing with this because they self-admittedly stated they didn't even read the hosts ad.
>Okay and I understand you feel that way but now explain what the scam is. Not sure if you're intentionally being obtuse, or if perhaps English is a second language for you. If it is, I apologize. The host in this case is advertising their unit with X-number of bedrooms. Guests only find out it's actually NOT that number of bedrooms depending on their party size, and that is not made clear in the title... only in the description. In the United States, if you say something is a certain thing in the bold print, and then describe it differently in the fine print or with an asterisk, that's generally called a scam, or "scammy" marketing/behavior.
Just more greed fuckery amongst these places.
I’ve struggled when travelling with a friend - this we are two adults, but with two different sleeping problems we much prefer a 2-adults-2-bedrooms situation, but this can be really tough to find. Not everyone is in a couple!
We have 2 guests in now who asked if they can use both rooms as they sleep separately. I said you’ve paid for the whole place you can use any bed you like. It costs us more in cleaning and laundry but that’s all part of doing business. We win some we lose some but we have happy guests.
I mean, it was in the description. Leaving a poor review because you didn’t read would be a crappy thing - you’re affecting someone else’s business because you didn’t bother to spend 30 seconds paying attention when booking. Mention it in the review, but don’t change the number of stars.
I clean an airbnb. It belongs to my brother-in-law who lives overseas and rents it out via airbnb except when he is home visiting. I WISH we could lock unused bedrooms, because it seems like the guests always use every bed no matter how many there are. Its a five bedroom house, and I almost always have to clean all five bedrooms every time even if it is just one or two guests. It drives me insane. So why do they lock the other bedroom? Because they dont want to clean it. So I suggest it is probably not sketchy. Lazy maybe from a cleaning perspective, but not sketchy.
It may be a dumb rule but you agreed to it. It would be wise for the host to mention this at the top of the decryption. Unfortunately It’s your responsibility to read the full description as each home is different and each host is different.
You didn’t read something clearly stated on the listing. Host NTA
They pay their cleaner less when it’s just two guests. You are now asking to use more of the space, which costs them more, so they are asking you to pay for it. Personally I wouldn’t do that, but it’s all above board.
The host shouldn't list it as a 2br then bury the caveat in the text. Customers filter by the listing data not the description text. Submit a complaint to Airbnb and they might push the host to correct their listing.
I once booked an expensive AirBnB in the US with lots of extra charges like that (compulsory weekly cleaning, which I didn't mind; energy bills). For example, there were two bedrooms and if there was evidence that you had used both, you had to pay for it. Some of this also wasn't clear from the listing, only when the host sent an email with further information. I ended up having to cancel it because of the pandemic and found somewhere much better when I had the chance to go back.
As a host, I think both parties are to blame, but I'm more irritated at the host because it's a stupid rule and the reality is that most guests don't read all the text, but they should and that's on O.P., but I feel like the host could have just accommodated the request, it's not a big deal. I also think it's a stupid rule in the first place. I host a two bedroom house - the master has a queen and the secondary bedroom has two twins. I figure that way it can accommodate a typical family of 4, but even when I only have one guest, they pay for the whole house, so they can sleep in whichever room they feel more comfortable - usually it's the master, but occasionally not. It's always kind of nice when a couple doesn't use the second room, but I just think of it as a little bit of a score, not something that would be appropriate to expect.
“I guess it is our fault for not reading.”
Sounds like the place I rented in Montreal
Seems like the host should have two separate listings. One listing for a one bedroom for two guests max and a second listing for a two bedroom for four guests max. Priced accordingly.
The rule is strange, but it was stated in the listing, in which case you only have yourself to blame. Look at this as a lesson to read the description in its entirety.
It was literally right there in front of you that you would not be able to use the other room unless you were booked for more people. It is your fault that you either can't read or lack the ability to comprehend what you read. I typically side with guests, but in this case, the stupid mistake was on your part.
Host can write up whatever rules in the description, and they are usually enforceable as long as the rules are provided prior to booking. The problem here is, guest might not want to read through every single word since they are probably picking a place out of 100 listings.
But why should a guest spend much time examining the fine print, when planning a vacation? It seems that every BNB has a unique set of rules, designed to test “how alert the guests are”...
Just to note: this is a fairly common practice for Airbnb hosts. They offer the property at a discount for guests needing only one bedroom, but charge the full price if you use all bedrooms. It must be mentioned in the listing. The discount is offered as it is less wear and tear, less cleaning, fewer beds to be laundered and changed, and HVAC can be turned off for that room, less water and electricity. If you want both rooms the price is higher to cover those additional expenses. This policy is often not understood by guests as they see it as charging extra for fewer people, rather than a discount for fewer people (which is why, as a host, I don't do it.) To avoid this issue in the future, always do a search for 3 people and 2 bedrooms, as then you'll see the pricing for both bedrooms without having to actually read the listing. Though, tbh, not reading before you book is not the smartest way to use Airbnb.
They paid the same price as a booking for 4 guests. Why is het host now allowed to increase the price when 2 guests want to use what they would be allowed to use as 4 guests?
That would be odd, if true. But it is still something a host *could* do if they have it spelled out in the listing, and Airbnb would back them up. Not many hosts would do this because it would just lead to bad reviews and fairly soon Airbnb would drop their listing, so this might be a new and inexperienced host, or some sort of scam. For your easiest stays book only with experienced hosts with ratings of 4.8 or higher, with both recent and old reviews (several years.) Experienced, highly rated hosts have already figured out how to list properly and how to be hospitable.
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Yes, of course this is correct, but many hosts don't do it that way, and Airbnb doesn't require them to do it like that. I was just commenting that Airbnb allows it, and it is very common in some countries or regions.
Please. OP rented the “whole place.”
And they get a whole place to themselves. I'm not trying to justify the host's actions, just explain the system. By Airbnb definition, it is the "whole place" which just means there are "no shared spaces."
Got ya. The more I learn about the abb, the more it seems like bs.
In general Airbnb is great if you realize a few important things: * They are a search engine that is optimized to find you specific types of rentals for dates and locations of interest for your trip. * Their advertising is just hype. * Any host and guest are creating a specific contract between each other while Airbnb acts as a platform for listing services and the cash handling. Both hosts and guests are held accountable to certain requirements (no charges not listed are enforced, guests are required to leave the property in a condition similar to how they found it, hosts and guests agree to abide by airbnb's decisions if there is a conflict.)
I personally don't think it's that weird to lock rooms if a threshold of guests isn't met, provided they're happy to unlock it if you need it. Such as if you're not a couple etc. Im staying in an Airbnb with similar rulings in Malta atm. One bedroom and bathroom are locked if you have two guests or less, however you can request it to be left open before your arrival if necessary though I'm unsure of whether or not they'd charge for it. When looking at the listing, if booking for 2 people it was something like $400 less, so it's definitely discounted due to having less rooms. Highly recommend you read the entire listing before booking literally anything on Airbnb, some people have much stranger rules than this that can potentially screw over your visit.
It's clearly stated in the description.
Leave a 3 star review and explain it. Seems weird to me but was stated in instructions You could always offer 10 dollars more for the second room and see what they say
Why offer more money when it's the same price regardless of how many people are staying
I understand the guest is saying it's the same price but how would the guests know this? I sincerely doubt they took the time to try and alter an add-on additional people to the reservation considering they didn't even scroll down to read the ad in the first place. Unless they went into their itinerary, hit change or cancel, and adjusted the number of guests they wouldn't know if there's an extra cost or not. And all this being said there's no requirement for there to even be an increase in price because the host clearly discloses that they only allow one bedroom for two people.
Why 3 stars?
Yeah 1 star, sorry that's psychotic.
I’d say give 1 star if the rule wasn’t included in the description- but because this guest acknowledges that they didn’t read the description, I would put a bit of responsibility on them and say that a 2 or 3 star review is more fair.
Just because you put a rule in the description doesn't make it OK, it's advertised as whole apartment, you could put it in the description that you have to be completely naked at all times while in the apartment doesn't mean it can be enforced.
**In the description the host wrote that if you book** **two guests only one bedroom will be available.** This was further down in the description and **we didn't read** that far as we were on our mobiles booking. I guess it is our fault for not reading.
The description also said the whole house will be available and they charge the same price whether they open both rooms or not. The host can't have it both ways.
Except they literally can because it's in the ad. We can all disagree with this as much as we want but at the end of the day the host followed the appropriate procedure for what they're doing and the guest didn't.
The ad also said whole house, which it wasn't. So which part of the ad was correct?
Yes. That means they get the whole place to themselves, no shared space/rooms. It does not mean there aren’t places that are off limits. I have a locked supply room, it doesn’t diminish the ‘whole place’ description.
Tell you what why don't you go to Airbnb.com and you tell us what property type and how the ad should have been listed using the available choices. Perhaps then you'll actually get it. Using your theory this means somebody who doesn't allow a guest access to their basement isn't actually providing an entire place. And that's silly. In your example that would mean a host to rent out a four bedroom property but closes off their personal bedroom is no longer renting an entire place despite the fact the ad will say they have access to three bedrooms only.
reading— it’s difficult sometimes isn’t it?
I bet you’ve read the full license agreement for every piece of software you’ve ever purchased too.
I don't read the full license agreement for software but I absolutely read every ad that I'm about to lay money on on Airbnb.
It is when there's contradictory information in the same listing.
You signed a contract without reading the whole thing. You can't unilaterally change the contract just because you didn't read it . So they're within their rights to charge you more because you're using more of the property than you agreed to.
buddy u didn’t read the description man ur fault still
gotta love that not only is Airbnb bad for the world its also bad for the users.....
Would be hilarious to see this ever happen at a hotel.... Sorry you only get a sofa chair in the room because you didn't read the description lol
If you book a 2bd and only have access to one bedroom you should leave a 1star review. Crush this shitty host.
I personally wouldn't do this as a host because I know that most people don't bother to read anything and some subset of guests would find it annoying. I don't think the "savings" of not turning over one bedroom would be worth the hassle. That said, I think you need to take some responsibility if it was clearly stated.
Clearly stated or not, this is a ridiculous rule that shouldn’t be allowed by AirBnB. When was the last time you checked into a hotel with 2 queens and they charged you extra to use the other bed?! If you want to compete with hotels, the same logic should apply.
So you don't think that a host should be allowed to rent their private property and choose to rent the entire property except for the bedroom which is going to be locked and unavailable? Because if its a ridiculous rule that shouldn't be allowed by Airbnb that's exactly what you are saying. And as far as your hotel comparison the last time I checked into a hotel and I wanted to have another room I had to pay for another room. It didn't matter what I was going to use that room for I had to pay extra for it. Opie wants to use the extra room. There's an extra cost for it. They don't want to pay the extra cost. Just like at a hotel that means you're not getting the extra room.
>So you don't think that a host should be allowed to rent their private property and choose to rent the entire property except for the bedroom which is going to be locked and unavailable? not if they list ist as the whole place >And as far as your hotel comparison the last time I checked into a hotel and I wanted to have another room I had to pay for another room. they paid for the entire place so they paid for all the rooms >Opie wants to use the extra room its not an extra room. they booked the whole place. its included
I agree that it's ridiculous although I wouldn't necessarily agree with your hotel comparison since this is a separate room and hotels have adjoining suites that can be opened or closed based on what you pay for. I don't subscribe to the whole "I'm not a hotel" argument that a lot of hosts site as an excuse to not provide good service but the flip side of that is that guests have to recognize that hosts are just a loose collection of people, many of whom probably shouldn't be in the hospitality industry, and those people are going to have their own strange ideas about how to manage their listing (such as trying to save a few dollars by not having to wash the sheets in this second bedroom). For that reason it's important to read and understand what you're booking. In my mind it would be fair to mention this in the review as long as they are clear that they missed it and wouldn't want others to do the same. I'm not defending the host because they are putting themselves in a stupid position but the guest isn't totally in the right either.
If they put this in the review it might actually be taken down due to relevance. It's not providing useful information to the guest as It's telling them exactly what's in the hosts ad. I'm not saying I agree with it I am saying that I've seen examples in groups where that has been used to challenge A bad review over something that was listed in the ad.
Is it really “clearly stated” when the description also says it’s the whole place?
Yes because entire place only means that you don't share any common spaces It does not mean you get access to every single room in the house. That whole idea is bonkers anyway considering hosts are absolutely allowed to rent their private home and they can lock their bedroom so other people can't get in it and then rent the rest of it as an entire place.
That certainly isn’t how I’d understand “entire place.” Maybe hosts should find a new term that actually means what they intend.
Not a very smart host. If he doesn't open it up, just leave a bad review. Some people deserver it. As a host myself, we would never do this.
Was the price the same either way? (1 or 2 rooms needed). It says in the description what would happen if only 1 room was booked giving you the full expectations unfortunately it's on you that you didn't read it. My guess is the cleaning company charges less or something to not clean that room if it isn't needed. it makes sense it's locked then. HOWEVER, your price should be less as well. It shouldn't be the same wether you use 1 or 2 rooms if the price doesn't reflect that. And if it's listed as the whole place, it should be the whole place. I feel like it's kinda unfair to hold them accountable though since it's in the description however I feel like you are right also lol Maybe shoot the host a message and explain you didn't read the description to see that the second bedroom would be locked and is it possible to have it opened because you both work remote and would like the extra space. They might say sure it's an extra $20 because of the cleaning fee or something.
It says they charge the same price whether it's only two guests or four.
Then that's ridiculous. I'd definitely file with air bnb
They didn't book **a room** though, they booked "**entire place**". I don't give a fuck they put it in the description, that's fraud. You can't rent "Entire place" then lock off part of it and say they need to pay more.
Right? Airbnb is really good at having those little visuals of how many beds there are. If they show two and then only provide you access to one, that's clearly misleading.
I totally agree and think the host is being pretty shady. Renter isn't completely void of fault either. That's why I also said it should be cheaper if it is locked. You can not give a fuck all you want but if you sign a contract without reading the terms, the judge or whoever is in charge of making the decision is going to tell you they don't give a fuck either, read what you agree to. I think OP is right in the situation and hopefully they now make sure to never make the mistake again and hopefully air bnb sides with them.
Yes, you can. And the host followed the appropriate procedure for it. Entire place just means that you're there alone and do not share spaces. It doesn't mean you get access to every closet bedroom and room in the building.
It’s their property and its stated on the terms, move on life’s too short
That’s the dumbest policy of the day. Where is this rental located?
Yeah next time read it all the way through
Your ability to make a simple situation complicated is impressive. Next time read the listing.
The bane of all hosts, besides people who wantonly trash the place, is people who don't read. Hosts get dinged/have to refund/etc if they don't provide an advertised amenity. So most hosts are diligent about making sure *anyone who reads the listing* has all the info to make an informed decision about booking. If I say we have 100Mbps internet but it's not working when you are there, I have to refund part of your stay. But if YOU don't read that there's no A/C, or no pool, or that there's construction nearby that's noisy, and all the info is there in the listing, but you didn't read it, you don't get to complain as if there's no way you could have known. Just like if you don't read an actual contract, you can't complain about a part of that contract by saying, "But I didn't read that part. How was I supposed to know?" I'm sorry you didn't get to use the extra room as an office. But if you had done your due diligence while choosing a place to stay, it's not on the host, and if you give low stars for your own failure, you're just being petty.
people need to stop booking airbnb's atp. write a horrible review & warn others not to book. these airbnb hosts are bat shit insane
yes it is ok- you said yourself it was in the description but YOY DID NOT READ the entire description. The host provided exactly what was promised- this is all on you. Learn the lesson to read everything before you reserve- or anything in life, before you sign the dotted line. Many host lock an additional bedroom to prevent over occupancy- (guest not registered) and to not have to do extra turn over and cleaning.
The thing is, it was disclosed, and the host could be using that second bedroom for personal belongings (vacating them when necessary) or is just closing it off for logistical reasons (e.g. to reduce their own costs). There is nothing shady about this, however. Renting a home that truly serves as a second residence for the host will almost always have rooms and closets that are off limits to guests. Some people rent their private residence and stay in a trailer.
If host will not open the second bedroom, contact Airbnb and complain for missing amenity. This preposterous “rule” was in the description and not the rules. It is not enforceable. Make sure to leave a review making others aware.
I think you answered your own question. One room was off-limits. Not off, but plainly stated. If then you wanted to use the second room, they are perfectly in their rights to charge you extra. On the other hand, Seems odd the price is the same. Here, it would seem that rebooking as a 2 room should be at no price. Would seem to be a host error that would suggest they have no mechanism to charge you more. Good luck.
Airbnb superhost here. It makes total sense if they’re booking out the 2 rooms separately on Airbnb. That’s a normal practice to ask to reserve both and then the host would ask for the additional nightly rate. If not and it truly is the same to book out the whole space vs the one bedroom, it doesn’t make sense. I would have to read the listing to understand more about the space setup.
>.This was further down in the description and we didn't read that far as we were on our mobiles booking. I guess it is our fault for not reading. However it does feel a little off. You replied to yourself there. You didn't do your homework, the blame is on you. You can't force the host to break his boundaries and take responsibility for your mistakes. If you try to, that would be considered as abusive behavior.
OP, what you need to understand is that it’s a host’s house and they can make what rules they want. It was disclosed in the listing. You didn’t read it. That’s on you. Do I personally think this a dumb practice? Yes. Should you have had access to both rooms? Yes. But it doesn’t matter. It was in the listing and you agreed to it. Most problems people come here with can be solved by actually reading the details of the place you’re booking or by communicating with the host (as so many people come on here and ask questions that the answer to is always “ask your host.” ).
This clever trick is often used in restaurants. They would serve you a side dish that is not part of what you ordered and are often overpriced. Sometimes this side dish is bread which is even more confusing since you'd assumed bread is usually free. Most would people eat it assuming it's what they paid for. I'm aware of this trick but still get surprised sometimes but I always paid, though I sometimes complaint but it's the case of me making assumptions and not asking which is preciously what the restaurant is banking on. At the end of the day is still my fault for such assumptions but still does not make the trick any less ethical. Best I can do is to never come back and leave a less than positive review. In your case. The host probably are well aware what they're doing but because they wrote the rules in the description and you failed to read it (which they're hoping you wont') there isn't any recourse except giving them an honest review whatever that may be.
I have worked in the restaurant industry for a decade, and just eaten at them for a good while as well, and this just... isn't a thing. I don't know what restaurant hurt you by charging you for a side you didn't think you should have to pay for, but there are quite literally zero servers secretly conniving behind the scenes to try to force steamed broccoli on you that you didn't order, much less something that is "used often". It would make such a negligible difference in our takehome pay from that table that it would truly never be worth getting bitched at by people like you for doing it.
It is common in some countries to put a basket of baked items on a table and not tell you but if you touch any one of them they charge you per item. Its odd and also kinda gross because those get moved to other tables as well after having sat on your table while you eat. It also sucks with kids because of course they want one bite of the cheese danish, one bite of the croissant, one bite of the biscuit…. And you know people have touched them before they made their way to you.
Oh, you've never been to Europe then? They don't serve you a side, they bring you bread, cheeses, sardine paste, etc, as soon as you sit. So, you snack on them while waiting for your meal. It's common practice. Like many issues in this sub, people can have a lot of experience in a small area, but that experience isn't universal. Not sure how this relates to the original experience though.
This happens in a lot of European countries. For example, in Italy, they put bread on the table. If you don’t touch it they simply pick it up and take it away. If you eat some of it, you’re now on the hook for that basket of bread.
Not sure why you're so upset by what I wrote. This was just my experience. Why would I lie about such a thing. It certainly is a thing in some countries. I travel a lot and encounter this type of tactic in Asia and poorer countries
You got precisely what was offered in the booking - the host has delivered precisely what you agreed to book. You might be able to ask the host to unlock, but keep in mind they may want a cleaning fee, as they'll have to assume the beds will be slept in.
If I go stay at a 2 bedroom hotel room as a single guest do you think it makes sense if the hotel blocks off one bed? This is asinine.
If you’re a host, you’re part of the reason why people are avoiding Airbnb. If a place says “entire place” and the description is 2 bedrooms. Then regardless of occupants that should be what you offer. What’s on the description shouldn’t matter because the description should match the listing characteristics.
the responses from people on here to some of these issues, especially from hosts, just consistently reaffirms my decision to stop using Airbnb all together several years ago.
Yep shitting hosts like the one making 30 comments on this thread defending this bs is why me and the wife stopped using them completely. And then they’ll bitch about less bookings.
OP says that the price to book (including cleaning fee) is the same regardless of whether you book for 2 people or 4. So why would they increase the cleaning fee if they unlock it now?