Airbnb Red Flags - What to Look for in an Apartment Rental

Are you heading out on vacation and wanting to rent an apartment while you are away? Well there are a few things you should look for when you are booking accommodation on airbnb, vrbo, or any other vacation rental website.
Honest advice on booking apartments during vacation.
Filmed in Stockholm, Sweden

Join this channel to get access to perks:

#airbnb #vrbo #apartmentrentals
Copyright Mark Wolters 2024

Hey There Fellow Travelers! Thank you for watching our honest travel vlogs from all over this wonderful world. If you would like to get in contact with us please follow us & send us a message via our social media channels below. Also, if you like our travel videos please feel free to share them with other fellow travelers.

You can find us all over the internet:

[sweetaznspice]

It made sense to stay at Airbnb rentals like a decade ago when it was still relatively unknown and there was a definite price advantage. I rarely use Airbnb anymore for my travels.

[texasflood]

Some of our best and worst experiences have been with these short-term rentals. I have found that hotels are much more consistent at meeting my expectations. As Mark noted, be aware of the cleaning fee. Some of these have gotten higher than the rental itself.

[sbossinger]

Thanks for putting this video out. You’re spot on.

My experience was six years ago: I’ve refused to use Airbnb ever since I stayed at a location where the cleaning duties weren’t fully disclosed in advance, but there was a $200+ cleaning fee. They wanted me to wash, dry, and fold the sheets. They wanted me to wash and put away the dishes. And I got a bad review for leaving the dishes in the dishwasher after washing them.

Oh well. Never again.

[dimlucas]

My favorite keyword is "noise". Especially when booking close to the city center or where nightlife is vibrant.

[sarahmckenzie]

Ever since I saw News coverage about some AirBnb hosts putting hidden cameras in their homes, I will never use AirbBnb again. I also loathe the cleaning fees, when I’m expected to clean up after my stay.

[jcnlaw]

I have had (mostly) excellent experiences with Airbnb. The quality of communication from the host and the clarity of the instructions to get into the property are very important. One Airbnb hostess in Italy (who spoke only Italian) used only photos to explain how to enter the apartment building, get the key, and enter the apartment. It was wild, but once I figured out what the photos represented, I had an “a-ha” moment, and it all made sense. (After my trip I offered to write English instructions to help future English speaking guests for this property). I really like being immersed in the different neighborhoods and living like a local. Airbnb offers that experience. I also like having a kitchen.

[lindab]

Many rental properties are listed with multiple rental agencies, i.e. Airbnb, VRBO, etc. Check all the listings and reviews on each one. Typically, the rental property has the same name/description across all agencies. So, you can just search on the name/description and find all listings.

[zoisk]

On point as always. From my experience many guests don't pay attention to the description . I have guests asking me in which floor is the apartment or asking for something that is not listed. I remember especially one guest who told me that he wasn't satisfied, because the apartment is on the ground floor and told me that he looked through the listing but couldn't find that the apartment is on the ground floor. I took a screenshot of the description where it was written twice.
Also stocking the fridge is a waste of money and a waste of products. Because if the products are not consumed from the previous guests but opened, we have to throw them away. You cannot leave food used from another guest to the next one. For me a welcome gift is the perfect solution.

[savannah]

I'm a national park ranger, and short-term rentals becoming an investment thing has destroyed national parks' ability to hire seasonal help. They get paid very little money already, and now that every rental in tourists areas is a short term rental, they end up turning down jobs because they legit cant afford the rent/find a place to live. You can expect fewer rangers to help you in national parks, restrooms in parks not getting cleaned as frequently, even things like basic maintenance aren't getting done because the cost of housing near national parks has decimated the ranks of park employees.

I hate AirBnB.

[Christinebythesea]

As someone who has travelled a lot this year and benefits from longer stays with kitchen and laundry facilities (so hotels don’t always provide what I need), I fully agree with Mark’s wise advice and would add that, along with his tips, I look out for properties that are an annex or converted garage/basement etc so are the host’s guest space for their friends and family and not an investment property. These have been most comfortable and welcoming and came with an attentive but unimposing host full of tried and tested local recommendations. This has really enhanced my stays!

[Jorge-ecl]

Mark,
I've stayed at only one short-term rental vis-a-vis AirB&B. I was in Portland, Oregon to attend the Far West Horticulture Show. So I booked an property through AirB&B.
The property was a 3/2 single-story ranch located in an "evolving" intown Portland neighborhood. (A current Crime Report was not included in the description).
Thinking I had rented the entire home for a single night, I was shocked when the property owner's son arrived. It turned out that he lived there. I had rented only one bedroom/shared bath.
The next morning, he had left for work, and I went into the guest bathroom to shower. Oddly enough I found only two wash cloths, but no bath towels. I showered with one, and dried with the other. Since, I had no one to speak with, I made a suggestion to the owner in my review about supplying bath towels in the guest bathroom.
She replied that I was "the needest guest ever" and gave me a bad review.
The AirB&B rental price was the same as a Holiday Inn near Portland international Airport (PDX).
Since then I've read nothing but horror stories about AirB&B. Some AirB&B properties in Atlanta became so-called Party Houses where their "guests" trashed the house and neighbor's property.
This caused several communities to ban or restrict short-term rentals.
I don't believe all short-term rental property owner's are bad, but I do believe those short-term rentals that are not Owner-Occupied Single Family Residences must be prohibited!!!

[scottc]

Being a seasoned apartment rental user, I think this is all very sound advice. The only other thing that I would add is: CHECK THE CANCELLATION POLICY CAREFULLY!

[HelenGill]

I had one Paris host ask me to put the sheets in to wash, but she had only left me 4 pods to begin with for 3 weeks. Plus she didn't specify prior I had to use bottled water in her coffee maker and buy special water tablets for the washing machine. Then when I truthfully let people know there were 67 steps to the apartment she replied under saying I was exaggerating and old!

[vinyalonde]

I have found that AirBnB prices in the past few years have gone up a lot. One place I stayed in New York was actually a hotel that chose to advertise through AirBnB but when I checked the hotel's website, the price was a few hundred dollars cheaper per diem. I was in Berlin in early 2020 and a good hotel near the central train station was cheaper than an AirBnB apartment some distance away. One aspect of these private rentals is that they also can skew rental rates for locals in a city. In Barcelona, people are up in arms because there are fewer rentals available for the locals.

[SteveInNEPA]

Photos of the area outside/around the building, along with photos of the bath area, are also a must. Having recently retired from a corporate position in the hospitality industry responsible for a portfolio of 100 properties in the US and Caribbean, I only stay in hotels now. I've been disappointed too frequently with AirBnB and VRBO.

[johndornoff]

Also look at how many other places they rent out. If they have a bunch of places they are an investor and the place wont have the personal touch. Also see in the host profile if they show where they are from. If your renting a place in Denver and the host is in Philadelphia that is a red flag. Sadly short term rentals have become the get rich quick real estate scams of the 21st century.

[timberwolfe]

Don't forget the 'ARE NEIGHBORS HAPPY to have a small HOTEL of strangers WALKING around and through their properties with NO REGULATIONS to kick them out

[itsnotme]

Another GREAT video Mark! Don't forget to read the listing and pay attention to spelling/grammar issues. Many times fake listings are done and they look great except for this: "Private room in resort" But it shows as a 2 bedroom/2 bath condo. Here was a response to my "Private room" question: "It’s two private rooms, One with a full kitchen and one with a half kitchen" I couldn't come close to figuring that out, so we didn't book it. Send the host a message BEFORE you book with questions. That same listing said "Resort fee, $50/day", but when I asked I was told it's $50 per stay. Just seems sketchy the host couldn't explain it better.

[lostincyberspaceIII]

I always look at 2 star reviews, I find they have the most truth in the negative opinions.

[ghaznavid]

I once stayed at a place that didn't give people staying there a gate remote. I almost missed my flight because I couldn't wake up the guy who opens the gate, even though I'd confirmed with him the night before when I'd be leaving.