“It Cost Them Hundreds”: Airbnb Host Leaves Couple That Brought A Dog An Unfair Review, They Teach Him A Lesson
It’s difficult to find — and book — a nice rental. Between callous management companies, unfair laws, and predatory hosts, it often feels like everyone’s against you.
So when Reddit user District_Dan came across a listing that not only looked good but also allowed their dog, the couple immediately reserved it for their trip.
Only, they forgot to tell the owner of the property that they were bringing their pet. And even though he seemed to be fine with it in person, it was a completely different story when it came to communicating online.
This couple took their dog to an Airbnb that allows pets without informing the host about it
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
When talking in person, he seemed fine with it but later left a bad review about the guests
Image credits: Edmond Dantès (not the actual photo)
So they came up with a revenge plan
Image credits: cottonbro (not the actual photo)
Image credits: District_Dan
However, it’s not just dissatisfied Airbnb guests who are turning to the internet to vent about using the platform. The hosts themselves have become increasingly disillusioned with it.
Whether shouting on Twitter or posting in Facebook groups, they’re also sharing their own challenges. There’s even a dedicated website called Airbnb Hell that accepts their rants.
While reading standalone cases, it might seem like some sort of underwhelming byproduct of the largely unregulated short-term rental industry is unavoidable, but they speak to larger trends.
For example, a 2021 report from Bloomberg detailed how Airbnb’s secretive crisis team spends millions of dollars to cover up crimes and other publicity nightmares in its listings.
That team is made up of about 100 agents in Dublin, Montreal, Singapore, and other cities around the world. Some have emergency services or military backgrounds. The team has the autonomy to spend whatever it takes to make a victim feel supported, including paying for flights, accommodation, food, counseling, health costs, and other expenses. A former “agent” who was at Airbnb for five years describes the approach as shooting “the money cannon.”
The platform recently set up an anti-party technology in an effort to defray hosts’ frustrations with large, destructive gatherings.
Everyone who had the romantic notion of home sharing as a means for paying their mortgages now has corporate competitors, too.
A study of short-term rentals in the U.K. found that the number of listings managed by hosts with a single property dropped from 69% in 2015 to just 39% in 2019.
These mega-hosts are able to operate at scale, maximizing efficiency on everything from pricing adjustments to cleaning staff and single-property hosts who can’t keep up are being elbowed out of the ecosystem.
So who is damaging these partnerships the most? Is it the guests? The hosts? Maybe Airbnb itself?
After reading the story, many people also shared their worst rental experiences
I have brought my dog to many LaQuintas and never mentioned bringing a pet since it says on their site that they are allowed. While I have never brought my dog to an air b&b I can see that happening by mistake. That being said, the renter tried to make it right. If I had been the owner I would have taken the pet fee! It makes no sense that he declined the fee and then wrote a bad review.
At motels, you're expected to tell them when making reservations or, if not making reservations, when you check in, whether you have pets, what kind, and how many, so they know to charge you a pet deposit.
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We stayed at a converted motel via VRBO (large family vacation). The host was there every day working in one of the units. He left the roll-out windows open so the unit could air out from paint fumes and my granddaughter cracked her head on them. The toilet in the master bath leaked so badly we had to keep towels wrapped around the base all week. Then he had the NERVE to complain that we “must have taken down the goose strings and there was goose c**p in the yard”.(Apparently he read somewhere that putting up string about 6” high along the beach would prevent the geese from crossing it and cramping in the yard.). We sat there and WATCHED the geese step across it…and guess what? They ALSO FLY! I’ll never use VRBO again.
AirBnBs have been spoiled by the bad ones who are just looking to make a fast buck. I've heard SO many horror stories. These jerks have ruined the whole idea for the good ones who tried hard with their guests. It's hotels for me. They don't make nearly as much trouble as AirBnBs do.
The guests searched to find an Airbnb that allowed pets and then “forgot” to mention they were bringing one? I agree with a previous poster saying both guest and unannounced drop in host were in the wrong…although the whole thing makes me sad - we have an Airbnb on our property and it’s been 98% positive experience…
Until recently I didn't know you were supposed to pay extra for bringing a pet at pet friendly hotels.
Th ones I've used have the pet fee listed on the website, and all correspondence when booking the room. Some have restrictions as to breed and weight.. Are you not telling them you're bringing a dog?
Load More Replies... this person is entirely in the wrong for not mentioning having a dog with them and then trying to pay once they were found out skipping on the pet fee. just because they have a dog doesn't mean they're good people in the right that would never do any wrong. what if that houseowner had delicate decor out and about in the house? what if they typically put everything that could be broken by a dog away when they have warning? this person didn't deserve the $200 for the "unfair" review because it was entirely fair and truthful
So you're accusing the renters of being liars! Nothing else to discuss. No mention of the landlord lying, though, in person?
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Internationally I found AirBnB to be a good deal. Here in the States, not so much. I hosted for awhile when I had an extra room in my house. We took in a long term renter once who booked three months, then left after two days saying she was uncomfortable with the number of people who lived there. It was advertised as a family home. Clearly stated on the ad that there were kids and extended family living there and it was a social family environment. Like that was our main hook in the ad. She tried to ask for a full refund and we didn't argue, just handed the whole issue over to AirBnB and let them decide. They said nope, she doesn't get back her deposit or the first months rent, but obviously doesn't have to keep paying the future months she signed up for. They even deleted her bad review because while it didn't violate their policies it made it clear she hadn't read the booking description. This was back in 2017 or so.
What a crappy tennant. There are multitudes of ways to contact the host to say you are bringing a pet - he CLEARLY was doing his best to avoid the pet fee and only offered to pay it when "caught red-handed". Also, it's not against the 'rules ' to meet the tenant at the property when they arrive. It's NORMAL.
I’ve only had one AirBnB experience and it was fantastic. It was actually cheap bc we only paid $1200 for a six-day stay. Owner was very welcoming and considerate. We got there earlier than the agreed upon check in time and it was no problem with her. Brought our Pitbull with us bc it’s a pet friendly place. Place was very clean and smells nice. I think what helped the most to make our stay enjoyable was the constant communication with the host and being respectful of the rules and the place itself. We left the place the same way when we first arrived.
These guests suck. They completely took advantage of the system to get money back, and they obviously wanted to cheat out of the pet fee. Pet owners are often the worst kinds of people and hosts should generally not make the mistake of allowing pets.
On a different tack, I've checked out of a 5 star hotel, who clearly stated NO PETS, only to have a dog barking in the room next door. When I went down to the reception, I was curtly told 'Madam always brings her dog' , showed them on their site where it says no pets, they just shrug! Needless to say I left a one star review, which the manager was not happy with. Even to this day, their sites mentions no pets. It's not just airbnb that don't live up to the hype.
Most airbnbs that allow pets do not want them left unattended at any points (to prevent destructive or disruptive behaviour, surely they can't be surprised by outrage at that? The only bit that puts the host in the wrong imo is that they didn't bring up the issues when visiting (and visiting without notice, but personally I don't think I've met an airbnb host that abides by that fully)
Enough defending lousy guests. The dog was probably not a 5 pounds dog
I am a host on VRBO, and as such my guess is that it was a nasty dog and the guests didn't want the host to ask too many questions. From my experience, travelers are becoming pigs and disrespectful of people's property, and hosts are retaliating. I don't advertise on AirBnb. Cheap, whinning, dirty clientele. That's fine, stay in a 100 sf tiny hotel room. Went to Mexico, booked a 2,700 sf house. LOVED it. Bottom line, hosts are fed up with the nasty, rude, entitled guests. I report bad travelers, you bet.
The people who brought a dog and hadn't told the owners or even paid the fee were more in the wrong. Everyone knows there's a pet deposit. They were caught red handed and played dumb and offered to pay the fee since they were caught. Simple as that. Their story is gaslighting 101. Now on the other side of the coin the owner had no business showing up unannounced. In all likelihood the owner was tipped off by neighbors or cameras. Wanted to catch them in the act of being dishonest. Still wrong but people need to put this into proper perspective. Everyone knows you let the owners know and pay the pet fee!
I don't understand why people even use AirBnB. Their reputation has been down the tubes ever since landlords got greedy. It's MUCH cheaper now to stay in a nice hotel, where you don't have to spend all your last day scrubbing and sanitizing the room, and the hotel doesn't use social media to give you a hard time. I mean - what's the value in AirBnB? Once it was great, because it was cheaper and felt more like home. Now? What they charge is simple extortion. Just not worth it. And there are hotel chains that take pets.
This story seems made up. Airbnb doesn't have a policy that forbids an owner from saying hi to a guest on their front porch.
They were once consider better accommodations then hotels and motels becayse they were cheap. Now they are all about making money and to many rules for my liking. I have never used any and not about to start. There are other ways of making memories. ABNB not for me.
Yeah the owner's a jerk. It was an honest mistake you offered to pay the fee directly to him he refused acted like it was no problem and then gave you a crappy review. He's a jerk. Now if the place was not pet friendly and you brought your dog anyway then you would be the jerk.
That is not deserving of a 2/3 refund. These people are leeches. Poor guy probably won’t allow pets in the future. Every Airbnb host who allows pets gets royally screwed because pet owners are the worst types of people often. I say that, and I am a dog owner.
And this is why I don't trust reviews, because people who get a bad one can just get it taken down somehow, even if it's factually accurate. As for the host dropping by, I would have thought that's only polite and any good host should stop by during your stay to see if you need anything. I can't understand why that would be against airbnb policy.
Probably because they’re clearly not all good hosts…also, it does say “unannounced” - that’s a crucial adjective. At least it is for me.
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Both were wrong, you need to inform the host that you’re bring a pet and offering to pay the pet fee after the fact only goes so far. Showing up unannounced is kinda strange (and regardless of policy) but leaving a 1 star review for bringing a pet to a pet friendly place (even if unannounced) is uncalled for.
I think it's 100% appropriate to leave a one-star for the guest. He intentionally violated rules. There is no world in which that is okay. Think of it this way: "the guest noted two people on the reservation. They showed up with 3 or more." Same type of violation. Same one-star result.
Load More Replies... I have brought my dog to many LaQuintas and never mentioned bringing a pet since it says on their site that they are allowed. While I have never brought my dog to an air b&b I can see that happening by mistake. That being said, the renter tried to make it right. If I had been the owner I would have taken the pet fee! It makes no sense that he declined the fee and then wrote a bad review.
At motels, you're expected to tell them when making reservations or, if not making reservations, when you check in, whether you have pets, what kind, and how many, so they know to charge you a pet deposit.
Load More Replies... We stayed at a converted motel via VRBO (large family vacation). The host was there every day working in one of the units. He left the roll-out windows open so the unit could air out from paint fumes and my granddaughter cracked her head on them. The toilet in the master bath leaked so badly we had to keep towels wrapped around the base all week. Then he had the NERVE to complain that we “must have taken down the goose strings and there was goose c**p in the yard”.(Apparently he read somewhere that putting up string about 6” high along the beach would prevent the geese from crossing it and cramping in the yard.). We sat there and WATCHED the geese step across it…and guess what? They ALSO FLY! I’ll never use VRBO again.
AirBnBs have been spoiled by the bad ones who are just looking to make a fast buck. I've heard SO many horror stories. These jerks have ruined the whole idea for the good ones who tried hard with their guests. It's hotels for me. They don't make nearly as much trouble as AirBnBs do.
The guests searched to find an Airbnb that allowed pets and then “forgot” to mention they were bringing one? I agree with a previous poster saying both guest and unannounced drop in host were in the wrong…although the whole thing makes me sad - we have an Airbnb on our property and it’s been 98% positive experience…
Until recently I didn't know you were supposed to pay extra for bringing a pet at pet friendly hotels.
Th ones I've used have the pet fee listed on the website, and all correspondence when booking the room. Some have restrictions as to breed and weight.. Are you not telling them you're bringing a dog?
Load More Replies... this person is entirely in the wrong for not mentioning having a dog with them and then trying to pay once they were found out skipping on the pet fee. just because they have a dog doesn't mean they're good people in the right that would never do any wrong. what if that houseowner had delicate decor out and about in the house? what if they typically put everything that could be broken by a dog away when they have warning? this person didn't deserve the $200 for the "unfair" review because it was entirely fair and truthful
So you're accusing the renters of being liars! Nothing else to discuss. No mention of the landlord lying, though, in person?
Load More Replies... Internationally I found AirBnB to be a good deal. Here in the States, not so much. I hosted for awhile when I had an extra room in my house. We took in a long term renter once who booked three months, then left after two days saying she was uncomfortable with the number of people who lived there. It was advertised as a family home. Clearly stated on the ad that there were kids and extended family living there and it was a social family environment. Like that was our main hook in the ad. She tried to ask for a full refund and we didn't argue, just handed the whole issue over to AirBnB and let them decide. They said nope, she doesn't get back her deposit or the first months rent, but obviously doesn't have to keep paying the future months she signed up for. They even deleted her bad review because while it didn't violate their policies it made it clear she hadn't read the booking description. This was back in 2017 or so.
What a crappy tennant. There are multitudes of ways to contact the host to say you are bringing a pet - he CLEARLY was doing his best to avoid the pet fee and only offered to pay it when "caught red-handed". Also, it's not against the 'rules ' to meet the tenant at the property when they arrive. It's NORMAL.
I’ve only had one AirBnB experience and it was fantastic. It was actually cheap bc we only paid $1200 for a six-day stay. Owner was very welcoming and considerate. We got there earlier than the agreed upon check in time and it was no problem with her. Brought our Pitbull with us bc it’s a pet friendly place. Place was very clean and smells nice. I think what helped the most to make our stay enjoyable was the constant communication with the host and being respectful of the rules and the place itself. We left the place the same way when we first arrived.
These guests suck. They completely took advantage of the system to get money back, and they obviously wanted to cheat out of the pet fee. Pet owners are often the worst kinds of people and hosts should generally not make the mistake of allowing pets.
On a different tack, I've checked out of a 5 star hotel, who clearly stated NO PETS, only to have a dog barking in the room next door. When I went down to the reception, I was curtly told 'Madam always brings her dog' , showed them on their site where it says no pets, they just shrug! Needless to say I left a one star review, which the manager was not happy with. Even to this day, their sites mentions no pets. It's not just airbnb that don't live up to the hype.
Most airbnbs that allow pets do not want them left unattended at any points (to prevent destructive or disruptive behaviour, surely they can't be surprised by outrage at that? The only bit that puts the host in the wrong imo is that they didn't bring up the issues when visiting (and visiting without notice, but personally I don't think I've met an airbnb host that abides by that fully)
Enough defending lousy guests. The dog was probably not a 5 pounds dog
I am a host on VRBO, and as such my guess is that it was a nasty dog and the guests didn't want the host to ask too many questions. From my experience, travelers are becoming pigs and disrespectful of people's property, and hosts are retaliating. I don't advertise on AirBnb. Cheap, whinning, dirty clientele. That's fine, stay in a 100 sf tiny hotel room. Went to Mexico, booked a 2,700 sf house. LOVED it. Bottom line, hosts are fed up with the nasty, rude, entitled guests. I report bad travelers, you bet.
The people who brought a dog and hadn't told the owners or even paid the fee were more in the wrong. Everyone knows there's a pet deposit. They were caught red handed and played dumb and offered to pay the fee since they were caught. Simple as that. Their story is gaslighting 101. Now on the other side of the coin the owner had no business showing up unannounced. In all likelihood the owner was tipped off by neighbors or cameras. Wanted to catch them in the act of being dishonest. Still wrong but people need to put this into proper perspective. Everyone knows you let the owners know and pay the pet fee!
I don't understand why people even use AirBnB. Their reputation has been down the tubes ever since landlords got greedy. It's MUCH cheaper now to stay in a nice hotel, where you don't have to spend all your last day scrubbing and sanitizing the room, and the hotel doesn't use social media to give you a hard time. I mean - what's the value in AirBnB? Once it was great, because it was cheaper and felt more like home. Now? What they charge is simple extortion. Just not worth it. And there are hotel chains that take pets.
This story seems made up. Airbnb doesn't have a policy that forbids an owner from saying hi to a guest on their front porch.
They were once consider better accommodations then hotels and motels becayse they were cheap. Now they are all about making money and to many rules for my liking. I have never used any and not about to start. There are other ways of making memories. ABNB not for me.
Yeah the owner's a jerk. It was an honest mistake you offered to pay the fee directly to him he refused acted like it was no problem and then gave you a crappy review. He's a jerk. Now if the place was not pet friendly and you brought your dog anyway then you would be the jerk.
That is not deserving of a 2/3 refund. These people are leeches. Poor guy probably won’t allow pets in the future. Every Airbnb host who allows pets gets royally screwed because pet owners are the worst types of people often. I say that, and I am a dog owner.
And this is why I don't trust reviews, because people who get a bad one can just get it taken down somehow, even if it's factually accurate. As for the host dropping by, I would have thought that's only polite and any good host should stop by during your stay to see if you need anything. I can't understand why that would be against airbnb policy.
Probably because they’re clearly not all good hosts…also, it does say “unannounced” - that’s a crucial adjective. At least it is for me.
Load More Replies... Both were wrong, you need to inform the host that you’re bring a pet and offering to pay the pet fee after the fact only goes so far. Showing up unannounced is kinda strange (and regardless of policy) but leaving a 1 star review for bringing a pet to a pet friendly place (even if unannounced) is uncalled for.
I think it's 100% appropriate to leave a one-star for the guest. He intentionally violated rules. There is no world in which that is okay. Think of it this way: "the guest noted two people on the reservation. They showed up with 3 or more." Same type of violation. Same one-star result.
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