I've never had an experience like that so I don't really have anything to compare it to. I've used AirBNB not extensively, maybe half a dozen times, and been very happy with all but one experience (the negative experience being a sketchy B&B in Jamaica that a friend booked despite some negative reviews). It sounds like you did your homework and read the reviews which is all I ever do. Maybe the fuzzy photos would have turned me off - I'm pretty picky about seeing the place before booking.

It sounds to me like the cleaning service didn't come or is ripping off the owner. Your review will be very helpful to future travellers. I think some people who have a negative experience hesitate to leave a review.

I will say my housekeeping standards aren't up to yours, but I notice things like crumbs and hair in the showers and haven't had to deal with those things. I think it is true that if your housecleaning standards are extremely high, you may not be satisfied with an AirBNB where the standards are clean sheets and towels for sure, but otherwise more in line with a clean home than a pristine hotel.

My most recent airBNB, a very clean and new 1bd condo in Toronto for 1/2 hotel price.

I don't think your expectations are too high, you were expecting to not be grossed out and you definitely were, I've never used airnb so I can't recount experiences but I've used vacation rentals and had pristine homes.

It's not too much to expect clean sheets and towels, new bars of soap and dishwashing liquid. Your review sounds objective and totally fair. You are right and the owner is wrong.

I don't think you were expecting too much at all. And you were careful to be objective in your judgement and review. You also made sure to mention the positives. I depend on honest reviews when I make travel decisions and I appreciate the people that take the time to post them. It's bound to be harder to mention the negatives when you've corresponded with nice people but that makes me appreciate the care you put into your review even more. My travel dollars get stretched thin but my accomadations are an important part of the experience and memories, for me. You could have taken the easy way out and done a fluffy review but that would not have been helpful for someone trying to make good decisions!

That is disgusting. A rental property should be pristine. Did you not confront the owner about the state of the place you walked into? It sounds like there was either some communication snafu between her and the cleaning crew, or they are ripping her off (as Robo suggested) and taking the money and not doing a thing, which would be very unusual. Something went wrong here.

60 reviews is suspicious to me, and I say that as someone who rents her home out to travelers. Depending on how long the place has been being rented, 60 is a LOT of reviews, esp. if they're all five star, especially based on what you are describing. I am very leery of places which have tons of reviews, and esp. if they're all 5-star. That suggests the owner has asked people to write five-star reviews and that friends have created reviews for the owner (yes, this can be done).

The only time I ask a guest if they'll write a review is if they first indicate that they had a wonderful time and loved the house. I never solicit positive reviews because I think it puts people on the spot and the review might not be sincere and therefore misleading.

Also as an owner, I really dislike the AirBnb (and now HomeAway/VRBO) business model. They are very problematic for both travelers and owners, and very costly. The traveler fee for both places is obscene. ABB 6 - 12% commission over and above the rent??? That is insane when you're talking about a vacation rental or a resort area rental were rent prices are premium. HA/VRBO has recently taken on this model as well.

They also quash communication between the owner and traveler. They are tiring to turn private home rentals into being like hotel rooms: just book and go, but that doesn't work for owners or travelers when it comes to private homes, and it is creating enormous problems.

On AirBnb, the traveler and owner can't speak until the traveler has booked and paid ABB. AT that point, they can speak, but if it turns out to not be a good fit and the reservation is cancelled, the owner is penalized severely for not 'converting'. HA is also doing this.

Owners want an idea of who will be in their home; travelers want detailed questions answered about the home. This should be done before a booking happens, not after!

I deactivated my ABB listing recently because I was only getting twenty-somethings who want to have a college reunion in my home AND because I went in to look at my listing and ABB has completely changed it, had added a discount to my pricing, shortened my description to four lines.. .it was a mess. But these two companies have taken control of people's rental properties, and ask yourself how well HUGE companies run by algorithms can really represent a private home rental?

Not very well.

So, I recommend to people who ask me that, when looking for a private home rental, first look to see if there is what is known as a "Boutique" VR Web site (versus the "Big Box" sites like ABB, HA/VRBO, FK, etc.) A boutique site is a site which caters solely to that area. They are local. Also go by realtors in the area. They can actually check a place out for you; worth the fee. ABB/HA/VRBO, etc., do not check out listings at all.

Also, ask for proof that the property even exists. Any owner who resists, move on. Owners should care a lot that their guests are comfortable and secure knowing they are not victims of fraud.

I loathe ABB and HA/VRBO. VRBO, for example, was a really great site until HA bought it. HA has destroyed it, and even HA is now owned by Expedia, so the move to impersonalize private home rentals continues to ratchet up.

That owner owes you a refund, btw.

We have not used airbnb but this article was in our newspaper a couple days ago...the guy renting the house is not the owner.

Airbnb

I hope that you gave them a bed review! That is just unacceptable! We used to rent out our guest house through Airbnb for special events in town, but we were on site, and kept everything sparkling clean. We never had a problem with a guest either.

If we ever use Airbnb, I guess it pays to ask who changes the bedding and how will it be cleaned prior to our arrival. You have opened my eyes. We may never use it now.

Thanks for this post.

That is totally disgusting. I would ask the owner for at least a partial refund, and would also write a bad review. Our experiences have been good, and we are using it several times this summer as well as for the first time abroad this fall. Fingers crossed. I'm sorry your experience was not good.

"I don't think your expectations are too high, you were expecting to not
be grossed out and you definitely were, I've never used airnb so I
can't recount experiences but I've used vacation rentals and had
pristine homes." Ditto what Mitch said!!

We've never used Airbnb but have used VRBO and private rentals many times. We much prefer a condo, cottage, etc. over a motel. I am sad to see (from Tibb) that VRBO has changed! Anyhoo, in all the times we have gone this route to rent, we have only had one problem and I wouldn't really call it a problem. We rented a lovely little house in Cashiers, NC. Upscale area and the little cottage was truly lovely, filled with antiques, beautiful linens, etc. Except the kitchen had not been cleaned to our expectations. Top notch materials, decor, etc. but things had merely been wiped and swiped, etc. We were only there a few days, did not use the kitchen other than basics, so it wasn't a big deal. The bathrooms, bedroom, etc. were spotless. Which really didn't make sense. I did contact the owner after we returned home (had another stop after that) and told her that while we loved the cottage, the kitchen could have really used a bit more attention. She was quite gracious, thanked me for letting her know and said she would definitely look into it and see that things were corrected.

That sounds awful! I have used Airbnb five times and have been very happy with all of them. One in Charlottesville, three in New York City and one in DC. They were always very clean, had everything I needed and provided much more space than a hotel room and at a lower price. I hope you give it another try because I do think your experience is not the norm.

Wow, thanks for your note. Tibb, that is very informative, too. I've only used VRBO once a few years ago when my family visited, and I'm looking at some properties again should DH and I decide to go to the mountains for a couple of days.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but I do have some reluctance with using both Airbnb and Uber. I'm just not as enthused about the "sharing" economy.

I've had good experiences using AirBnB. I'm thorough in my research, though, to the point that prior to booking I google the owners' names to learn more about them. I recently was deciding between 4 homes and was texting and emailing the 4 different owners prior to booking. One gave me her cell number, too. Communication has never been a problem.

Tibbrix, my last hotel bill was stacked with extra charges over and above the baseline cost of the room, which is why I'm not bothered by AirBnB's commission. I'd love to search more boutique-type sites but these are not always available in the areas in which I'm seeking to stay.

Runningplace, your experience does sound terrible, though. I would write a factual, objective review about your experience, and definitely follow-up with the owner to request some sort of compensation for your troubles.

Your expectations were not too high. I would have been mad. Do include the few positives, but I'd write a completely honest review.

Tibbrix, I'm surprised that you say that you are unable to communicate with the owner until you've paid Airbnb. I haven't actually used them yet, but I have had conversations with a couple of owners of places I was looking at renting. Is this a new policy? I've also communicated with VRBO owners before committing to a rental with them.

We're using AirBnB on Labour Day weekend in Cannon Beach for my nephews wedding. We've rented a small house for my DH and me, and our 2 sons and their GF's. To say that I am apprehensive is an understatement and that was before I read this thread. I'm a 4-5 star kinda gal and I do this won't be at that level however, I do require clean.

I'm glad I read this because now I will take my own sheets, towels and some cleaning supplies. (We're driving so I can load up the car) If necessary We'll leave Cannon Beach right after the wedding rather than hanging around for a few days as we had planned.

I would have been so furious and disgusted at the gross state of that house I would have left immediately and found a hotel somewhere. And of course requested my deposit/money back. There is no, and I mean absolutely NO excuse for not having clean sheets, fresh soap and towels and a clean environment in a rental. If the coffee pot breaks down and the wifi doesn't work, yes, that is complaint-worthy and I suppose the owner did try to replace the pot or have the wifi repaired. Who knows how long that had been non-functioning?

I'd definitely ask for a partial refund. Yes, do write a review and say the positive things too. But I think your negatives say it all. I have never stayed in an AirBnB and now probably never will.

This is such a disgusting story and I think it's horrible you had to deal with living in such atrocious conditions.

I would have demanded a partial refund.

I'm sorry, but if you rent out your house, you'd better hold yourself to certain standards of health. Filthy, moldy carpeting being point in fact.

I've never done ABB, but have rented beach houses many times and they are always clean, even if a bit worn.

Ugh, the sheet thing would have KILLED me...I doubt there would have been enough hot water in the shower for me to disinfect myself after that! Gag! I am so sorry you had to experience that....it definitely sounds like the maids missed the house or something. Did you say something about the sheets to the owner?

What a crappy experience! I would be very unhappy too, and I would not hesitate to give a genuine review. Other potential renters have every right to know.

I've never used AirBnB, but have used vrbo/Homeaway many times, as well as just Googling for self-catering accommodations overseas and booking directly with the owner or agent. Only once have things gone very wrong, and that's when we opted to rent an open-air "treehouse" accommodation in Mexico after reading good reviews on TripAdvisor. It was a nightmare, and although we paid for an entire week in advance, we only stayed there one night and got out of there early the next morning. We felt the owner was less than forthcoming about what her accommodations offered, and we asked for at least a partial refund but she refused.

I have no advice, really, but just wanted to say I'm so sorry that you had a bad experience. I can certainly understand not ever wanting to go that route again. It only takes one "burn" to make you shy away from something like that forever!

I just came back from an airbnb trip, and no, no, no, dirty sheets and previously used towels are not the airbnb model. Your experience sounds like the cleaning crew failed to show up. The owner deserves to be negatively reviewed for this.

terriks, I should clarify. You can communicate with the owner before booking and paying but only through the site. ABB blocks phone numbers and email addresses until the booking is made and they have the traveler's CC. But in my experience, neither the owner nor the traveler can really get a feel for each other or the place via short messages in the written word.

They do this blocking of phone numbers and email addresses until after the reservation is made and ABB has the payment info. so that people don't go out of the system to avoid the commission. For example, if you contacted me about my house, I would try to divert you to my boutique site and rent the house through it because there is no 4 - 9% commission over and above the rent. You pay just the rent and any applicable fees (dog; cleaning...)

But ABB knows this, so they have a very sophisticated software system which picks up on certain language. If it picks it up, the message doesn't get sent.

HomeAway does it differently. If an owner takes a booking off the site in order to spare the traveler the Service Fee and other headaches (and the owner him/herself a lot of headaches), HomeAway then buries the listing so it really isn't seen by travelers and doesn't count bookings done off the site as "conversions". It's these very complex algorithms these sites have come up with. They are very punitive, costly for both the traveler and the homeowner, and ultimately, they take control of someones private property and business away from the owner, so I am very much opposed to that model.

As for the example of this thread, we have not heard from the OP as to whether or how the owner responded. Believe me, crap happens to the most ethical and fastidious of owners (I have honeybees invade a wall two weeks ago when I had people renting. They left two nights early; I felt awful. I refunded them the two nights plus a third as an apology "for the horror of it all". They are returning next year, so apparently they are not holding it against me. But you have to jump on things and show people you care, which owners should care, just as travelers should care about how they treat someone else's property and often do not. Trust me, this goes both ways!

Unfortunately, a lot of owners are in it solely to make a buck. Refusing to give a refund when the problem clearly is not that of the traveler, like the example above, the person who left after the first night, is repugnant. I've never understood people who are willing to take money for something they didn't do anyway. But then there are the examples of travelers who make up problems in order to try to get a refund. There are scoundrels on both sides of this, and as usual, the honest and ethical owners and travelers pay for the sins of those jerks.

I'm a bit confused. Didn't you contact the owner the night you arrived after the smell and the sheets were discovered? I would have been on the owners doorstep!

Thanks for sharing this, Gooster. I'm a bit concerned about an upcoming AirBnB reservation because I called the host earlier today asking they call me back about some questions I have. I haven't received that call. I'm giving them 24 hours to respond and then will consider what to do.

What's a reasonable amount of time to expect such a response? My reservation has been confirmed and receipt received.

ETA, I logged in to Airbnb and there was a response there from the host that had also been forwarded as a text message. We are in communication. I'm one of those guests, however, who needs to hear a voice at the other end and have requested a phone call.

My youngest DD has used AirBnB many times. Me, personally? I would be nervous.

Pictures can be deceiving. We once stayed in a Bed and Breakfast. It was clean and fine, just shabbier than what the pictures represented.

Tibbix, how would someone find you on a boutique site?

We own commercial property in a small town upstate. Many of the store keepers are renting out their upstairs apartments as AirBnB. One owner told us she was contacted by others in the village because her rate was too low and it was ruining things for the rest of them!

Btw, while I really dislike AirBnb and HomeAway/VRBO, it has to be said that, a bad owner/home experience does not represent either AirBnb or VRBO or any VR Web site, for that matter (which is one of the problems with their models). That is all on the owner, and there will be bad owners, mediocre, and great owners anywhere you go when you are wanting to rent a private home.

My sister rented a place last year for a wedding they went to and went through AirBnb. It was very charming, and she was excited about it, but when they got there, there were issues the owner had "neglected" to inform them about, like broken furniture, the deck out to the lake was in bad shape, there were steep stairs from the parking area to the cabin and they had told her that they had an elderly person coming with them, that kind of thing.

There are ALWAYS caveats with any rental, so ask. Whenever I get an inquiry and call the person, the first thing I address are the negatives so that they are fully aware and can figure out if they are a hindrance, like my very, very steep stairs with very narrow treads, or that my house is not on or near a salt water beach...I tell them, "I can withstand anything. I don't expect perfection, but the one thing I really don't like is being or feeling deceived or like important info. was withheld from me just so I'll book the place."

I can't fathom why any owner wouldn't want to be upfront anyway in this day and age of negative reviews! It's a stupid business practice in addition to just being unethical.

I do wish, though, that we owners could somehow get word out en masse as to how we wish/expect our guests would behave in our homes! As I said, this unethical/bad behavior thing goes both ways!

eldi, I don't understand your question. How would someone find me on a boutique site? Or do you mean, how would someone find a boutique site?

"I'm a bit confused. Didn't you contact the owner the night you arrived after the smell and the sheets were discovered? I would have been on the owners doorstep!"

First, thanks everyone for reassuring me that I'm not just being too picky LOL! To the point above, we arrived at this place at almost 11 pm at night, after having been traveling since, literally, early that morning. It was a day that included getting everyone to the airport, a 3 hour flight, car rental, then 3 hour drive to a remote area near the Chesapeake to a semi rural neighborhood....which is to say that we realized the nastiness of the bed linens and towels near midnight as we all settled in to go to sleep. At that point it just wasn't gonna happen that I could/would get all of us back up, reloaded into the car, and then go search an unfamiliar area to find a hotel somewhere (and we had NO knowledge of the area whatsoever and no wifi so no way to search) at 1 am. I kept telling myself that I was channeling one of Chaucer's pilgrims so go to sleep and we'd sort it out tomorrow ;).

As for the owner, I cannot say she was unresponsive when I reached out to her-before we went I had several email exchanges and one brief phone call during which she assured me the cleaning service had come. Once we were there I didn't call her because frankly I just wanted to get the disgusting linens/towels CLEAN as quickly as possible. Luckily there was plenty of laundry detergent! Not sure what I would have asked the owner to actually DO....send the cleaning service to strip the beds and wash everything and clean the fridge and shop for missing staples? Send a flooring installer to replace the nasty carpet...LOL

She tried from her location to deal with the wifi; at one point she texted asking if I could do a service call with Comcast but we were running around for the wedding so that didn't work. My dad bought a $20 coffee maker, and we also bought garbage bags. FYI I did research the owner online and on her FB page; the couple are evidently professionals in the DC area and he is a lay minister(!).

In retrospect and learning from the responses here, what we experienced was a combination of a house that was shabby/rundown, misleading reviews and a lack of cleanliness and preparation. So perhaps expecting the owner to put in new carpeting isn't realistic but expecting the owner to provide clean linens is. Although re. the carpet--if someone had an allergy to pet dander that could have been a serious health issue. The whole house was an odd mix: no wifi, but a functional Nest thermometer. No garbage bags but the trash can in the kitchen was battery operated so it opened automatically when you pressed it with your foot. There was a full house alarm system that didn't seem to be working, but we were nervous about activating something so didn't feel comfortable opening windows to air the place out.

Last but not least, because the cost was so cheap-and we had prepaid it of course-we all elected to fix what we could and deal with it. Once the laundry was done and my husband and dad, aka our scout team, had gone out to get provisions, things were bearable if not optimal. Still, it was an unpleasant experience and one I never want to repeat. I may be spoiled because we take our annual beach getaway on Sanibel island and always rent private condos/houses through an agency. I've never had a place that wasn't squeaky clean, and for the few issues I encountered like a mildewed shower curtain liner and a clogged drain--I called the agency and someone fixed the problem within an hour.

Tibbrix- How would someone find a boutique site?

"Not sure what I would have asked the owner to actually DO....send the cleaning service to strip the beds and wash everything and clean the fridge and shop for missing staples?"

Yes.

You owe her an opportunity to make the situation right. If she's a satellite owner, then she has no way of confirming that the cleaning service actually showed up, and it sounds like they didn't. If they did. she needs pics from you so she can can them and get one that actually does the job (I'm doing it myself now because I could not get any good cleaning help. I'm sure it's out there, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack and I always had to re-do everything anyway).

As an owner, I think that, if a guest doesn't contact me immediately about problems to get an explanation or give me a chance to get it right for them, I'm not sure they should complain. I really don't mean to sound harsh, but by not saying anything and giving the owner an opportunity to make it right, you are basically accepting the situation.

If you had contacted the owner and she denied what you were saying and refused to take action, then you'd have something to complain about.

eld6161, Google Vacation Rental Web sites for "Sanibel Island", or wherever you're going; or "private home rentals for Sanibel Island"...and look for the more local sounding sites first.

@LisaD82 -- often communication is done electronically, but you can specifically request a phone call. They may be using a property management company to handle guest interactions.

@runninginplace --- having staples stocked in place is not standard. When we can, DH provides a welcome basket of breakfast foods -- fruit, yogurt, milk, coffee, and some snacks. But we are charging $325 to $399 a night for just a 1 BR, so we are trying to provide a better experience. I agree with Tribbix --- pursue with the owner and tell her the cleaning service did not do their job properly or skipped it. I find our cleaners sometimes leave old shampoo bottles instead of swapping in fresh new ones. You can also still appeal to AirBnB, I believe and have up to 14 days to leave the negative review. If there was a cleaning fee, it should be refunded.

I require the guests to clear the house of all of their items, remove shampoo bottles from the indoor and outdoor showers...turnovers are extremely difficult and hard work, and we really cannot be "picking up after" guests. Nothing makes me angrier than when guests don't have the decency to put games back together, make sure all pieces are there, etc., so that they are ready for the next family coming in. I don't have time to do that stuff when I have four hours to get the house clean and ready for the next people coming in. It's common courtesy anyway to consider the people following you, to clean up after yourself, etc.

Thanks Tibbrix and gooster, for your perspective as owners. I"ll own that I shoulda, woulda, coulda done more to push the property owner. It's also why I tried to be fair in my review since I did not do some of what you recommend.

In my feeble defense, we were there to attend/participate in my son's wedding, and literally every day of our visit was jam packed. At the time it seemed easier to suck it up and deal with the issues myself rather than spend time I didn't have correcting a ton of things that weren't right. For example, the wifi: I've had many experiences of trying to work with tech support on a telephone line to fix internet issues; it's almost always a lengthy and frustrating experience and that is in my own home, with my own gear. I simply did not have several hours to sit on a phone in a stranger's house trying to fix the interwebs that day as we were hosting the pre-wedding reception that afternoon. I chose not to embark on having the owner connect with whatever cleaning service she uses, then stay at the house waiting then tell the cleaners what to do etc etc...that first day we had to go help my son and DIL get stuff moved to the venue for the reception. There is no way to alleviate old, stained and nasty wall to wall carpet other than demand a professional cleaning, which again I didn't have time to deal with and which would have impacted being able even to use the space as it was. And so on. Gooster, I wouldn't expect an owner to provide food but I think garbage can liners for a kitchen trash can, or wrapped soap, isn't unreasonable.

However your very sage advice will be useful if (a big if :) I ever try airbnb again!

I've not used Airbnb but have had great experiences with VRBO. I hope that doesn't change based on changes mentioned above. I've typically chosen a more expensive property with photos that look impeccable. If anything looks questionable (including quality of the photos) or if the price seems too good that is a red flag for me. I never trust their reviews except maybe if I can find them on trip advisor.

runninginplace, you don't need to defend your actions at all. I think it's terrible that you have to do all that yourself. If the owner lives far away from the property, there should have been a book of instructions left, including lists of phone numbers for guests to call if there are any issues.

I'm just saying that, unless the guest gives the owner a chance to be made aware and do something about the situation, which they may well be completely unaware of, I don't think guests can really complain.

Having said that, I would be leery of VRs whose owners don't live in the vicinity and pay someone else to manage it. For one thing, they are mostly in it just for the investment/income but w/o a hands-on approach. That leads to problems. Cleaning people and PMs don't give a hoot about negative reviews. Someone has to have some skin in the game. I am terrified of a negative review, and I work my butt off to avoid them. I think it is not smart to have someone else managing your property.

3katz, the things to look out for with VRBO/HA now are 1) the traveler fee, aka "Service Fee". If you rent a house for $3,000/wk., you will now be charged something in the vicinity of $175 for that "Service Fee", which I think is obscene. Service fees are like, $25, not hundreds of dollars for one week's vacation! It's disgusting and we owners are furious about it.

Also keep in mind that HomeAway/VRBO now has the algorithms such that A LOT of houses are "buried" as punishment for not complying with HA's demand that we give it full control of the booking/payment process, and soon inquiry process. I've been very obstinate and stubborn about refusing to hand control of the administration of my property and business over to HA, and the consequence has been severe. I went from getting inquiries every month of every year, growth every year, full bookings, etc., to last September literally falling through the floor. I've had seven out of the last ten months with NO inquiries! I've had 11 inquiries since last August! 8 were in March, when I paid extra for what is called a "Featured Listing". So VRBO/HA has literally made my listing disappear. Meaning for you as a traveler, you are likely not seeing A LOT of properties which fit your criteria. It's very dirty. I'm not renewing with VRBO next year, needless to say. so the inventory is problematic for travelers as well.

Robo was the first person I "knew" who turned me on to Air BnB and my family has loved it.

We are luxury travelers and we had our concerns about air bnb, home away, vrbo, what have you. But we were also a little tired of hotels. We really like having a lot of space, and even suites and villas can be small. We like being able to make a few of our meals rather than line up and wait etc etc for 3 meals a day at busy tourist spots. I also think the Air bnb ad has it right... Don't visit Paris, live in Paris. That's how it feels to me.

Air BnB started as millennial couch surfing, but it is far, far from that now. For example, our first stay was a 3br 2ba luxury rooftop oceanfront penthouse in LA with views of the beach and mountains, a hot tub, etc etc. it was 1500/night. Our second stay was 2br 2 ba in Soho for 1200/not, in an apt with a terrace and wbfp. Our third stay was the cutest little 1br bungalow in La Jolla, 300/nt.

We just left a vrbo in Portlands Nob Hill that was also lovely. A few years ago we rented from homeaway in Lake Lure, and that was the only time we didn't love our stay. The ceilings were water stained and everything was a tad shabby.

Here is my mo on rentals, be they Air Bnb or vrbo or home away

1. Only consider properties with at least a dozen reviews, and read all those reviews very carefully. People are far less negative reviewing an individual vs reviewing a corporation. Look for any hint of negativity or sub optimal experience and assume it was far worse than what was communicated . If you have a concern, ask… I've never had trouble communicating with property owners. Oh and I'm suspicious if no reviewer says anything that is not gushing.

2. If there is no layout , read the description very carefully And make sure you know how the property flows. Sometimes they're pretty quirky arrangements . Be sure you're clear on when bedrooms are private vs when their walk-through, how far they are from bathrooms, and exactly what type and size of bed is in each room

3. If the property address is not given, and you cannot surmise it, ask the property owner. Then use Google maps to walk The neighborhood. Properties are often in gentrifying areas, and you may want to know just how gentrified it is.

4. Get a back up. I always make a back up hotel reservation, one that is cancelable, in case I might not be happy with the accommodations.

Tibb and Gooster,

Would owners prefer that guests discard unopened fresh food or supplies if the guest doesn't want to travel with it? I always hope the cleaning people might make use of such things, but I'm not sure if it's just a PITA.

Our first, recent experience in Vancouver was extremely pleasant. Private, ultra clean, and courteous, honest, personable owners.

Our next experience will be tomorrow in Wytheville, VA. We're renting the entire countryside house for 4 adults and 3 children.

Mtn, homeowners, as a rule, should not give out an address until the house is booked. This is for safety reasons. One of the things we owners have to deal with are phishers and scammers who are trying to "get ahold" of our properties in order to hijack them and get "guests" to send them the money. We have to be very alert to red flags in inquiries and such (there are subtle signs something isn't right), but it can be tough.

Also, physical safety is an issue. If someone has actually booked the house and sent the deposit, giving out the address is fine, but until then, you are handing your address to a stranger with no skin and they know it's a rental property, empty at times.

Point is, I would not be leery at all if an owner refuses to give out the address until you have made the deposit. Owners in fact should not do so.

As for the foodstuffs, each owner I'm sure has their own criteria. my guests must remove all perishable food, open and closed. they may leave unopened non-perishables, the "usual condiments" (open or closed. But that is a problem because of course I mean mustard, ketchup, mayo, relish, and I come home to special bombay Sauce with lentils...I don't know, all kinds of exotic stuff. People definitely stretch the boundaries).

Unopened sticks of butter may remain, as may unopened individually wrapped frozen treats, like popsicles. Dishes must all be clean and put away; dishwasher must be empty (rarely happens, but they do have to be out by 10:00, so it's tough for them to accomplish). I've begun asking (not requiring) guests to strip the beds and leave the sheets and towels in a pile by the front door for me to take and launder over the course of the following week.

I tell people, try cleaning your house, top to bottom, and making every bed, in four hours , and do it in 90 degree heat and humidity. See what kind of state you're in at the end of those four hours. It ain't a perty picture!

Lol.

@mtnredux: we will combine any leftover supplies together and unopened food. Our cleaning staff will toss out stuff (or should) that is perishable and we'll scan through pull dates on the other stuff. We may be atypical. We stock things like squeeze bottle honey, oils, and sriracha, even if partially used (which may gross people out) but provide prepackaged individual sized jam/jelly packets, sugar, Equal, even peanut butter.

@tribbix - Our concierge service is highly motivated to make sure everything is clean and that guests have an excellent experience. They get paid a percentage commission on bookings and good reviews mean more future business. They also know they can be replaced and are held accountable to performance metrics. A property manager that ignores negative reviews won't be in business for long.

AirBnB does not have a program to take over the booking/pricing process although tools do exist for automatically setting pricing and they will suggest if they think your price is too high relative to the comp.

We've used it twice. Not a fan. We like condos for travel but those that are dedicated rentals in a rental program (iow, all homeowners personal carp in their locked closet, housekeeping service, property mgr on site, etc.).

"People are far less negative reviewing an individual vs reviewing a corporation. Look for any hint of negativity or sub optimal experience and assume it was far worse than what was communicated ."

Such good advice! When I re-read all those glowing reviews on the house we stayed in, I immediately picked up on several that mentioned something like 'but there were a few issues'....and sure enough, missing items, things not working etc. And guess what-in every instance the owner was very apologetic and, wait for it, blamed the cleaning service for not doing their job! Which means either this owner has a lousy cleaner that she for some reason can't/won't replace or the owner knows her place is suboptimal and doesn't care enough to fix it.

Also #4 as well. I never even thought to have a back up hotel reservation but have learned a valuable lesson. I will not put myself or my family in the situation of being stuck in a dirty or run down living situation far from home again, that's for sure.

I would like to thank Mtn for asking two owners here a question regarding what owners expect/want from their guests. That is a very rare thing. There is a lot of pressure on owners to deliver, including perfection, for people who have very different standards, so one guest might find a dust bunny and be horrified and write a negative review while another isn't fazed by little things.

I think it is important for both sides to have an attitude that, this is a relationship, it is not a one-way thing: Guests are not simply wallets for owners; owners have a responsibility to provide a clean, safe, accurately described rental; and owners are not programmable robots who can predict and meet every expectation of guests. We deal with A LOT of different personalities, ranging from totally cool and wonderful to profoundly difficult.

I constantly ask myself what I can do to make my guests' vacation more pleasant, easier, etc. We appreciate it when guests ask us what they can do to make our job easier as well. I'm amazed at how so many renters nod when warned of something or asked to refrain from something...and then go and do it anyway. We have serious and often legal reasons for capacity limits, in my case asking that guests NOT launder the linens and towels (or at least not put them in the dryer to dry, thereby setting stains. I work really hard at keeping my linens and towels sanitary and spotless. Only way to do that is to line dry them), etc.

I had a difficult guest tell me after the fact that 'the kitchen was cluttered'. For one thing, that is nonsense. My kitchen is very well organized. The counters are clear of everything but the coffee maker and dish drain and the container next to the stove holding cooking utensils when guests arrive. How is that cluttered?

What the kitchen is is small, which is why I have TWO pictures of the kitchen on the Web site, so that people can see that it is small, from both angles, and be very aware of that fact. So you can see, no matter what you do out of consideration, there are always some people you just cannot make happy and always have to gripe.

What in have been told in reading reviews is to look for patterns. That makes sense to me. If one person has a gripe, I wouldn't put much credence into it. But if five have the same complaint, that would indicate that it is an issue. Same with positives. One person saying the place is awesome is rather meaningless. Look for patterns, and look for comments having to do with how the owner/PM was to deal with, how responsive they were to issues that arise, etc.

But guests also need to be responsive and care about how they are impacting someone else's property.

Can those of you who are VRBO owners answer a question for me?

There's a town near me that has no reputable hotel, so home/condo rentals are your only option. I've kept an eye on VRBO for some time, originally for a friend who wanted a suggestion as to which ones looked okay.

I've noticed that since HomeAway took over, several properties that I think maybe didn't relist right away with them (the ones that went to the bottom of the barrel with lots of warnings about the calendar not being updated) have suddenly lost all the previous bad reviews when they do whatever it is that bounces them back up into the top 25 again. Somehow they only have old good reviews now.

Is this a policy or a weird coincidence?

ETA Just to be clear, there's been no change of property ownership, only a property that had, say, 15 reviews, 11 of which were fairly "meh", now has only the four good reviews showing.

I have no idea what that is about, writersblock. the HA software is fraught with bugs as well, and it's been one snafu after another. It's really a mess.

If you message me the town, I'd be happy to do some researching for you and advise.

Thanks, tibb.