At one point in time, it seemed like people couldn’t stop boasting about companies that offered short and long-term rentals, like Airbnb. These days, however, these business models are increasingly under fire because of how greedy and controlling some hosts have gotten. Nobody wants to be micromanaged when they’re on a trip, right?
One woman’s video about a nightmare stay at an Airbnb went viral on the popular ‘Get Lost’ TikTok channel. Joanna shared the ridiculous extra charges she was saddled with and even recorded her bonkers phone conversation with the owner. Scroll down for the full story.
Some Airbnb hosts have incredibly weird rules that can ruin your entire trip. One woman went viral after she got stuck with bizarre extra fees
Image credits: getlostwebsite
“The washing machine will be charged at £5 per wash. Are you serious? I’m here at this nice Airbnb, but it’s not so nice because there are notes everywhere. Here you go:”
Image credits: getlostwebsite
The guest also recorded her phone conversation with the owner of the property
“Yeah, this is Joanna. I’ve just been staying at your Airbnb.”
“Oh ohhh okay, hello, Joanna.”
“So I just got a note from Airbnb about some additional charges that were put on and I guess I was just trying to figure out what happened with that.”
Image credits: getlostwebsite
“You used the pool table twice, and there’s a charge on the pool table.”
“Sorry, I just I’m actually curious as well, whether or not I use the pool table, how did you know I used the pool table?”
“Everything was in a different place.”
“I’m sure if we used anything, it would have been put back exactly how it would have been.”
“No it wasn’t, no.”
“So you’re saying we apparently used your pool table?”
“Yes. And then the washing machine, for instance. I know you used the washing machine twice. You know, when you sign the agreement, it says it on your document”
“It did not say that on the documents. It just said that there is a washing machine included, this was not listed.”
“This is why I put labels on things so people are aware of the extra charges. I’ve only charged you for the things that you’ve used. I will take this over the Airbnb.”
“Please do.”
“They have your numbers and your credit card payment. And they will dispute this with you.”
“Yeah, you take it up with them. I will take it up with them and explain how absolutely ridiculous this is.”
You can watch the full viral video right over here
@getlostwebsite £10 a day for wifi?! #airbnbhost #hostfromhell #airbnbexperience #badhost #airbnbhosttips ♬ Suspenseful and tense orchestra(1318015) – SoLaTiDo
Airbnb explains that most hosts can’t collect additional fees or charges outside of the platform.
“The exception is hotels and software-connected Hosts, who can charge and collect certain fees using a separate payment method—as long as they’re detailed in the listing and included in the price breakdown before booking.”
So, if an Airbnb-linked host wants to charge resort fees (e.g., for the use of the gym or wifi) or a cleaning fee, they still need to detail everything before the booking is confirmed.
The video, which is just under 2 minutes, went massively viral. At the time of writing, it already over 3 million views.
In the clip, Joanna filmed all the notes left inside the property, which either prohibited the use of certain items or charged her extra for their use.
Imagine paying for your stay only to be told that you couldn’t sit in a particular chair. Or that you can’t use the fridge or microwave for particular items. Or that the pool table, which is inside the property itself, will cost you extra if you dare use it.
Look, let’s not beat around the bush. All of this is entirely ridiculous. Property owners are free to charge whatever they want for the stay—however, the renters always have the right to choose a cheaper and friendlier option. Secret fees completely destroy this dynamic.
When the property owners start deceiving you by adding random rules and charging for the use of appliances that should be part of the whole package, you feel like you’ve been ripped off. The reality is that many travelers would choose a completely different host if they knew what was in store for them. Or, they’d simply book a hotel, which is less of a headache.
If you’re charged extra for random things, you should absolutely bring the issue up both with the host and Airbnb. It’s a plus if you can document what happened so that there’s proof of you being wronged.
Meanwhile, you should also be open about your experience when leaving a review. You might have had an awful time, but what you went through might prevent other short-term renters from facing the same problems in the future.
That, in turn, means that the host gets less business. And hopefully, this might make them reevaluate how they treat their guests. Voting with your wallet and publicly calling out these business practices are pretty much the only tools in our arsenal.
Social media can play a massive role in changing things for the better, too. When stories and videos about these bizarre experiences go viral, they send a message to these companies and hosts everywhere that they should be transparent and fair.
After all, there are folks who are ready to fight back. They won’t be silent about ridiculous rules and regulations.
Something else to consider is how the host knew that the guest had used certain amenities.
Sure, she claims that some things weren’t put back the exact same way. But some internet users had a sneaking suspicion that the property might have cameras hidden inside. This would be a massive breach of privacy.
The TikTok online community had a lot to say about the incident
