Airbnb tenants face exorbitant bills from landlords

On the social network X, there have been many testimonies since the beginning of the week: Airbnb tenants are complaining about excessive sums demanded by owners as compensation for details.

This is a trend that has been gaining momentum in recent days on the social network X. Some tenants are denouncing abusive practices on the part of Airbnb accommodation owners: overcharging for damaged objects, scratching furniture, damaged equipment, etc. At the end of the vacation, the bill can quickly climb and hosts sometimes ask tenants for several thousand euros. To prove one’s innocence, the procedures can be very long.

It all started in the middle of August, when a user recounted his misadventure on social networks after renting a place on Airbnb. Since then, the testimonies have multiplied. Internet users recount on the platform the problems they encountered, like Enzo: “I rented a house near Auxerre for a short weekend with friends, just to make the most of it. Before leaving, we start cleaning, we mop the floor and we haven’t necessarily had time to air it. We leave the apartment clean, but still a little damp.”

Water on the floor, that’s what his landlord is complaining about, who is demanding a full refund for his parquet flooring. Enzo receives a bill for almost 3,000 euros, and then begins an appeal procedure with Airbnb. No news for six months, until he posts a message on the X network: “The tweet, I think it went out three or four times million views and I get an email from Airbnb, when we hadn’t received a response for months, in which they tell me that I won’t have to pay anything.”

Nawel also posted her testimony on X: after a vacation in an Airbnb near Perpignan, she received a request for reimbursement from the owner. “She blames us for deep scratches on her parquet floor”remembers the tenant. Total amount requested: 554 euros. But Nawel contests it, she sends all the photos she took to the application: “I filmed when I arrived, I filmed when I left. Luckily, I had proof.”

With supporting evidence, Airbnb finally agrees with Nawel. For David Rodrigues, legal director of the National Association of Consumers and Users, a tenant must absolutely protect themselves.

“The best protection, the one that no one does, is to carry out an inventory when entering and leaving the accommodation.”

David Rodrigues, legal officer of the National Association of Consumers and Users

franceinfo

Drawing up an inventory above all allows the tenant not to be sued if the accommodation already had defects. “In the absence of an inventory of fixtures upon entry, the tenant is presumed to have received the property in good condition. So that is why you have to be very vigilant on this point. Do not hesitate to carry out an inventory of fixtures upon entry, or take photos to clearly certify the condition of the accommodation when you arrived.”says David Rodrigues.

Unlike long-term rentals, Airbnb does not require an inventory of fixtures upon entering the accommodation. According to the consumer protection association, this practice would avoid many conflicts between tenants and owners.