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Can our Airbnb host really charge us to clean up his trash? Help!

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Michelle Couch-Friedman

Consumer reporter and ombudsman

If you find a pile of trash and other debris at a vacation rental when you arrive, report it immediately. If you don’t, you could easily find yourself stuck with excessive cleaning fees, as Airbnb guest Daniel Altschuler recently did.

Altschuler says his last Airbnb host charged him $350 to remove a pre-existing mess in the yard of the property.

Then, when Altschuler protested, Airbnb sided with the host and allowed the cleaning fee to stand. 

With nowhere else to turn, Altschuler is asking Consumer Rescue for help. He says the photographic evidence provided by the host himself proves that the garbage and other refuse couldn’t be his. 

So why is Airbnb letting this host bill the guest to remove the mess from his yard? And is anyone at the listing giant actually looking at those photos with human eyes? 

Those are the questions we’ll answer today.

An Airbnb host in New Jersey charges a false excessive cleaning fee.
New Jersey is a beautiful place to book an Airbnb vacation rental — if you don’t meet up with an unscrupulous host.

Booking an Airbnb for a friends’ meet-up weekend

Last winter, Altschuler and a few friends were looking for a centralized place to stay for a weekend meet-up. One of the pals suggested instead of a hotel for the group of 10, renting an Airbnb would make better sense. With all in agreement, they soon found a vacation rental that suited everyone’s needs.

The house was located on a quiet residential street in a small rural town in New Jersey. It would serve as the perfect location for the friends’ two-night getaway. With six bedrooms, the vacation rental offered plenty of space for the group to gather without sacrificing privacy. 

Altschuler booked the property in his name and the group was all set. But just hours before they were scheduled to arrive, the Airbnb host had a surprise for them.

Is this a bait and switch scam?

Instead of check-in information, the host told the group that the property they’d booked was unavailable. 

“He [the Airbnb host] told us the property had HVAC issues,” Altschuler explained. “We couldn’t stay at that location.”

But no worries, the host told his disappointed guest. He had a similar property that could accommodate the group in the same town.  

Regular readers of my column know that a last-minute cancellation by a host who has a replacement property readily available, can be a bait and switch scam.  The alternative vacation rentals are often inferior, or worse, don’t exist at all. 

Related: I wasted $2,000 on a vacation rental that doesn’t exist

The ultimate goal of the bait and switch scam is to trick the guest into canceling the reservation so that Airbnb will release the payment to the unscrupulous host. 

But Altschuler and his friends had nowhere else to go, so they weren’t about to cancel. They accepted the host’s substitution and steered their vehicles in the direction of the new Airbnb. 

A brand new Airbnb with construction debris still piled outside

As it turns out, the replacement property was brand new. It had just been listed on Airbnb after having recently been remodeled.   

Very recently. 

In fact, some of the construction debris hadn’t been removed yet and was piled high outside the home. 

“The inside of the Airbnb was perfectly clean and we didn’t think much about the junk outside,” Altschuler told me.

The group went about their business and had a very nice two-night stay. 

They never reported the garbage pile in the yard.That would turn out to be a big mistake. 

Possibly a $350 mistake. 

A two-night stay at an Airbnb and 50 pounds of garbage?

On the day the group was checking out, they followed the departure instructions left on the table. 

The house rules said we should put all the trash in the can in the kitchen. So that’s what we did. As we were leaving, the housekeepers were coming in. They had several large black garbage bags, which I assumed were linens or something.

Daniel Altschuler, Airbnb guest

Altschuler messaged the host confirming they’d checked out and soon the friends were on their way home. That night, the host sent a message to Altschuler and thanked him for his stay. He also asked him for a 5-star review of the property since there were no previous reviews yet.

“I did as he asked and provided, gave him a 5-star review and he gave me one as well,” Altschuler explained. 

Despite the murky start of their Airbnb experience, the group agreed that it had been a wonderful weekend. Exactly what they’d hoped.

That is until the next day, when the Airbnb host had another surprise for Altschuler. He accused the group of leaving behind 50 pounds of trash on the outside of the house.  

Suddenly those black garbage bags the housekeepers were carrying into the house took center stage.   

What do the Airbnb host’s photos show?

Altschuler was surprised by the swift decision by Airbnb to grant the host’s request to charge the excessive cleaning fee. It appeared to be relying on two photos that the host had uploaded to the resolution center. 

Both photos were exactly the same and showed the pile of junk that the group had seen when they arrived. But now there were several additional black trash bags that were broken open and the garbage was spread about. 

The construction debris was also scattered about and included a large hot water tank and piles of sheetrock.

The trash the Airbnb host wants to charge his guests to haul away.
The contractors should have removed this trash from the Airbnb they remodeled. Instead, the host tried to charge his guests for the garbage removal.

We never had any black trash bags and we only ate one time at the house – pizza. None of that food, plastic containers or utensils on the ground came from us. And of course we didn’t leave behind a water heater or piles of construction material. This is a scam.

Daniel Altschuler (Airbnb guest)

But unfortunately for Altschuler, Airbnb found the above photo convincing and allowed the cleaning fee. The host remained silent and never answered Altschuler again. 

That’s when this bewildered Airbnb guest started Googling how to fix this problem. He soon came across an article I wrote about another Airbnb guest hit with excessive cleaning fees. He hoped we might be able to help him too. 

Related: Help! My Airbnb vacation rental has a surveillance camera aimed at my bed!

The vacation rental listing’s photos show that garbage

When I looked through Altschuler’s paper trail my shenanigans detector quickly went off. First, I already had a bad feeling about the host because of the initial Airbnb property switch. But the photo of this listing along with the picture that the host used to convince Airbnb to allow him to bill his guests a $350 cleaning fee told me all I needed to know. This was an opportunistic host making a cash grab.

How did I know that? On the listing’s photos on Airbnb, construction trash and the lone water heater are visible. 

Airbnb listing shows the property has debris in the front yard
The photos of the property on the Airbnb site showed an unkempt front yard.

I agreed with Altschuler that this host appeared to be looking for someone else to pay to haul away his own debris. 

Those garbage bags in the host’s photos don’t look like standard black trash bags. They appear to be heavy duty contractor bags, not something you’d use in your kitchen can. All of that debris likely came from the contractors who had done the work on the home. 

I’d seen enough. It was time to ask the executive resolution team at Airbnb to have a look at this guest’s complaint. 

Asking Airbnb to have a closer look at this host’s claim

I was fairly confident that this case would resolve quickly in Altschuler’s favor – and I was correct. Soon he received the good news from an Airbnb Ambassador.

Our team conducted a review of this matter, and would like to inform you that we have refunded you for the $350 being charged. This amount should be reflected to your account within 5-15 business days, depending on processing times between banks. We appreciate you for your understanding and patience.

Additionally, please rest assured that we are conducting a thorough review on the Host account as well following your report, and we would like to thank you for bringing this to our attention. We rely on reports like this to keep our community safe and secure.

And although Altschuler was thrilled with this outcome, he had one more request.

Will Airbnb remove the 5-star review of this host?

“Michelle, I left that 5-star review on that property at the host’s insistence before he did all this. I want to rescind my review. Can you ask Airbnb to remove it or is that being too petty?”

I didn’t think it was petty at all. This Airbnb host didn’t deserve that 5-star review that might persuade a new victim to fall into his hands. So I went back to the executive resolution team.

Hi ****

Thank you! Daniel got the good news last night from Airbnb. There is only one thing left that Daniel would like to have happen. He wrote a 5-star review for this host before the guy slammed him with the $350 garbage removal fee and refused to speak to him any further. Given the circumstances and Airbnb’s decision about that giant pile of garbage and the host’s behavior, he would like his positive review redacted or completely removed from Airbnb. Daniel doesn’t want to recommend this host to anyone else.  Is that possible?

Thank you! 😀

Airbnb agreed to remove the positive review. The next day it was gone and soon after, the entire listing had disappeared. 

Altschuler couldn’t be happier about all of this.

Michelle,

 I want to thank you so much for helping me out!! This means so much to me. Is there anything I can do to help out your mission? Your work has been so helpful for my peace of mind and I want to support it.  Daniel Altschuler

You’re very welcome and thanks for asking. The best way to support our mission is to spread the word: If you’re a consumer with a problem you can’t fix on your own –  Consumer Rescue is here to help. The mediation services our team provides are fast, friendly, and, best of all, free of charge.  

Get free help from Consumer Rescue button

How to get a refund for excessive cleaning fees charged by your Airbnb host

Of course, the following tips apply only if your Airbnb host has falsely accused you of leaving behind a mess. Unfortunately, I know from our case files that some travelers are slobs and may or may not even know it.  

If that’s you, your Airbnb host should be allowed to charge you an excessive cleaning fee to remove your garbage. Disregard this guidance because it won’t help you.

However, most requests for help that hit our hotline come from travelers charged for clean-up of things they should not be responsible for. Here’s what you can do to get a refund if a vacation rental host slaps you with excessive cleaning fees

1. Photograph or video the vacation rental (before and after)

It’s always a good idea to do a complete inspection of your vacation rental as soon as you arrive. You should note any existing damage, garbage, or other oddities you find inside and outside the home. 

For the same reasons that you should always take photos and videos of your rental car before driving away, you should also do the same at your vacation rental. You’ll need that visual evidence later if your host decides to try to get free clean-up of his own garbage. 

2. Report the arrival condition of the Airbnb 

It’s important to sign into your Airbnb account and report the condition of the vacation rental to the host. The Airbnb messaging center creates a perfect paper trail that can protect you from bogus damage and cleaning fees. 

Airbnb customer service agents can also access those conversations, which will be helpful if it becomes necessary to defend yourself against a host’s false accusations

3. Make sure you understand and have followed the house rules

Most Airbnb hosts will have a folder of information for guests to review upon arrival. It’s always a good idea to read through that information, which will likely have helpful tips and details about the property and neighborhood.

That is where you’ll learn if your host has check-out requirements for you. It isn’t unheard of for an Airbnb owner to require guests to strip the beds, take out the garbage, and load the dishwasher before departure. Some might say these hosts are unreasonable to expect guests to perform housekeeping duties in addition to paying a cleaning fee, but… 

It’s best to spend 30 minutes or so tidying up your vacation rental before departure – especially if your host is asking you in writing to do so. Otherwise, you’ll likely end up wasting additional time attempting to defend yourself later against the cleaning fees that the host will probably charge you.

4. Take photos of the condition of the property as you leave

As you leave your vacation rental, you’ll want to take another quick inspection with your camera. Make sure that the photos and videos you take clearly show the property’s condition.

Then, send a message to your host through the Airbnb platform, letting them know that you’ve checked out and that all is well with the rental. 

The bottom line

Most vacation rental hosts are not attempting to get their guests to pay to haul away construction debris or other garbage. But unfortunately some opportunistic hosts do look for ways to charge their guests extra fees. If you follow the steps above, you will significantly reduce your chances of being targeted.

But if you do find yourself stuck in a battle with a host who is tacking on self-created fees after your stay, send your request for help to our advocacy team. We’ll be happy to investigate and help you, too, if we can.  (Michelle Couch-Friedman, Consumer Rescue)

This is the Help Button from Consumer Rescue. Consumers can ask for free help from our team through that button. Get help from our consumer advocacy team.
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Michelle Couch-Friedman

Michelle Couch-Friedman is the founder and CEO of Consumer Rescue. She is a consumer advocate, reporter, travel writer, mediator, and licensed psychotherapist. Michelle is also the travel ombudsman columnist for The Points Guy, a contributing author at Fodor's Travel and is the former executive director of the nonprofit Elliott Advocacy. During her six years managing that organization, she resolved thousands of cases for troubled travelers and other consumers. You can read hundreds of 5-star reviews Michelle earned during her service to the nonprofit on Great Nonprofits. Michelle is a public speaker, and her expert guidance has been cited in the Washington Post, MarketWatch, Consumer Reports, Travel & Leisure, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Popular Science, CNN, CNBC, Boston Globe, CBS News, National Geographic, Travel Weekly, Reader's Digest and more. You might even catch Michelle on TV reporting on a situation. :) Professionally, Michelle is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (asja). Today, she continues to spend as much time as possible fiercely defending consumers and traveling the world with her family. Contact her at Michelle Couch-Friedman or on Linkedin, Twitter or Facebook.
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jsn55

Another loss for the Abb trolls as Michelle rides to the rescue! Well done! I am so sorry to read about your flooded basement. I take it there’s more down there than a few cob-webbed empty mason jars and a pile of coal. What a mess, even worse because you have a home office.

Michelle Couch-FriedmanD

Luckily my office is upstairs, but you’re right the basement is fully finished. Luckily it seems only the carpet and the walls were ruined… all of that was removed yesterday.

Tim

A tip from friends of ours: when they finished their basement, the had the drywall stop about 2″ above the floor and used 3″ baseboards to cover up the gap. Then, when their basement flooded, as long as the flood did not rise about 1.999″ all they lost was the baseboard and not the drywall. I think they used tile or some waterproof flooring.

stephen_nycD

shenanigans detector” – that is a new one. I realize you are keeping it friendly.
It’s gotten to the point one probably needs to wear a body camera or a Go-Pro on one’s hat to record things as you go about the rental property.
This is certainly a good reminder to go on a walk-about on the property to ensure one documents it all. And, also, leave one’s water heater at home.

I feel your pain w/r/t the flooded basement.

Michelle Couch-FriedmanD

Yes, one should never bring an old water with them on vacation! 🙂

Karen Kinnane

Dear Michelle, Sorry to hear about the watery basement! Hope it is quickly resolved. Does your house have a sump pump? Have always lived in NJ in Pompton Plains. Luckily our section of town is high and dry but “across the tracks” our neighbors frequently have a “river view on all four sides.”!

Michelle Couch-FriedmanD

Hi Karen, Thank you. Yes, we actually have two sump pumps and a french drain to keep the water out… but this flood came from inside — the well tank sprung a leak.

DChamp56D

Great work Michelle! I hope AirBNB throws this person off their site for good!

Michelle Couch-FriedmanD

That property is no longer there, but I can see the host has other properties…