[engine roars]
[indistinct radio chatter] [Charlsie] We're in
Canada's largest airport. The perfect place to
survey travellers about Airbnb. And what were your
experiences like? Good.
I really liked it. It was close to a subway. Like, everything
was just perfect. Our ones in Italy
were really great. [Charlsie] Mmm-hmm. The magic of travelling. [Charlsie] Ah yes, the
magic of travelling. It's exactly what Airbnb is
selling and they've built a $30 billion dollar business on it... Together. All in one place. [Charlsie] With more
than 6 million listings, Airbnb is the biggest home
sharing brand in the world. You get a lot more options. It's a lot cheaper
than an all-inclusive. It's like home. Home away from home. [♪♪] [Charlsie] But before you click
on what looks like your dream suite, find out what to do
when Airbnb goes "Airb-n-bad". [Charlsie] It's
winter in Alberta, so naturally, David Jackel
makes plans to spend a few weeks somewhere warm. We kind of deemed this as
my 50th birthday present. So yeah it was a little bit more
than just our usual getaway. [Charlsie] Arranging that much
time off from his job as a crane technician takes a
lot of planning. But eventually, he books an
Airbnb for him and his wife Kelly in Huatulco,
Mexico-- six months in advance. He spends $1,300 for a
five-week stay. The place was exactly
what we wanted. And the price almost
seemed too good to be true. [Charlsie] Turns out...it was. So I believe it would
have been Friday night, I get a text saying that
our host has cancelled on us. [Charlsie] And you're
supposed to check in-- Monday. Right? And I'm just like okay
so this is just a joke. This is-- they're having
some fun with me right, you know. And then it's like okay now
this has just gotten serious. [Charlsie] And get
this, at the last minute, David says the only good
alternative was over $6,000 more! So he asks Airbnb to
cover the price difference. I was never doing this to be
malicious or to try and screw Airbnb out of money. But I don't wanna be out money. I don't see where this ends up
being a me issue when the host goes and cancels on me. [Charlsie] So was this
an isolated incident? To find out we need to bring
together two other giants. Dan Weber is the founder
of airbnbhell.com, a website that publishes horror
stories written by Airbnb users. He launched the site in 2013
after a bad hosting experience. Asher Fergusson is
a travel blogger. He analysed 1,000 Airbnb guest
stories and he's got the scoop on the most common complaints. You guys had heard of
each other but you've never met before.
-Correct. You did a deep dive into this. What are the most
common things that go wrong? So the most common is actually
the host cancels the stay. Typically, last minute. So, you get off
the plane in Paris, you get a notification,
you have no accommodation. [Charlsie] Just what
happened to David. Airbnb offers David
similarly priced alternatives, but he says they
just didn't compare. When I was looking at these it
was like this is not even close. [Charlsie] So you didn't
feel like they compared? No.
Right? And I mean price wise the
comparison was spot on. Amenity wise and
everything else, not even close. [Charlsie] Remember,
David is a planner. He booked his original rental
months in advance to get the best deal. At the last minute... He says the only
similar listing was $7400. That's more than
$6000 dollars difference. [Charlsie] So after weeks
of exchanging messages, he's on the phone making his
case to a customer service rep. [Charlsie] If your host cancels
at the last minute and your new place costs more, Airbnb
says, "we may help by covering a portion of the difference". [Charlsie] David put
$920 down when he booked, so his rebooking
credit is 10% or $92.00. No, I did see the $92 credit. [Charlsie] But
David's not giving up. He's going to keep
fighting for that refund. I wake up every night
and trying to figure out where did this go wrong? Why, you know--
I don't wanna be, "Why me, why me, why
me," but you know, where is their support? [Charlsie] So, what
should Airbnb do? Our experts are divided. I'm not sure, giving six grand
or something would make sense. I think it's one of these things
where you gotta have a platform that doesn't even
allow this to happen. If they had to
compensate everyone, it would end the
business overnight. I would argue, yes, Airbnb
should pay for it. Reason being, that motivates
them to do the right thing and actually police their own
platform in the first place. [Charlsie] Tell me about
your experience with Airbnb. What's it been like? Night number 1 was great,
night number 2 the host cancelled on us. We were left in Munich trying to
figure out where we were going to stay the next night. [Charlsie] Who
picked up the tab? We did. [Charlsie] Did
that happen to you? Yes, in New York City. I just communicated with
the host saying I'll see you tomorrow kind of thing, and
he had double booked it. He cancelled on me last minute. [Charlsie] Did
Airbnb help you out? No. They sometimes
get better offers, and that's often what they do-- They get a better offer. Yeah, they're on VRBO,
they're on Airbnb, and whoever pays them the most
money they kick the other person off. [Charlsie] Asher has a similar
theory about what might be behind some of the
last-minute cancellations. That's often connected to a scam
where the host has different listings on Airbnb and
maybe other rental websites. And they list them at
different price points. And then, when the lower
price point is taken over by the higher price, they cancel
the lower price point guest. Because they make more money. And they do it last minute. [Charlsie] Airbnb won't
talk to us on camera about cancellations, but tells
us "negative incidents are extremely rare,"
adding, when they do happen, the company says it tries
to make them right. So, is there anything you can do
to avoid what happened to David? The last-minute
cancellation is a hard one. I mean, they can
do their research, they can look up the host,
they can read the reviews, contact the host, ask questions,
try to get a sense of how responsible and, and
responsive this person is. I think staying with hosts who
have only 5-star reviews and a lot of them. Like, at least 50 to 100. The more the better. And they now have this
service, Airbnb Plus. Also, Super Host. Both of those are way more
likely to not cancel then someone who doesn't
have those status. [♪♪] [Charlsie] We get a third
opinion from an expert in the sharing economy. Ryerson University
professor Kernaghan Webb. You come to the hotel, you
were booked at the hotel, you get there and hey
there isn't room available. Or you go to the room and
it's smelly or whatever. And what do hotels do? They adjust on the spot. If you don't up your game
constantly to keep your customers satisfied, you will
lose your customers. [♪♪] [Charlsie] Looks like Airbnb
does some adjusting for David after we get involved. So you are back in Mexico and
loving it. [Charlsie] Finally after I think
it was nearly three months of back and forth
emails, phone calls, to finally get the news
that you were hoping for. Yes, they did come up
with the compensation. They did come up with the
difference that it did cost me. [Charlsie] David's
total refund: $6400. David, do you
know that this is a $30 billion company and you took
them on and you won? [Charlsie] How to avoid
a vacation nightmare? [♪♪] [Charlsie] We're back, getting
to the bottom of some common Airbnb issues. And our investigation brings
us to Toronto where one of our producers is picking up the keys
to a "luxury" condo just outside of downtown. [Charlsie] The listing
describes a one bedroom, one bathroom unit with access
to amenities like a pool and hot tub. The rules seem simple enough-- No noise after 10:00pm,
no parties, no smoking. But we're interested in a rule
that isn't found on the listing. A rule Patricia Payne only
learns about after she had already booked the
very same suite. Last summer Patricia
and her boyfriend drove all the way from Labrador City to
Toronto to visit family. Her family recommends Airbnb. So, you spent a couple days in
the car and then that's it right there, that's the Airbnb. Yeah that's it. [Charlsie] And what did you
think when you first pulled up? Man, I thought it was huge! I've never stayed in
a building so high. [Charlsie] It's $133 per
night for a whole condo unit. The selling point was definitely
the parking and then all of the amenities were kind of an
exciting extra because we didn't expect to find a full house to
stay in with a pool and a hot tub and everything. [Charlsie] Great, so it sounds
like it was the perfect spot. -Sounded fancy.
-Yeah. [Charlsie] But three days after
booking, the host surprises her with new rules she
didn't sign up for. So, he gives me the
rules and the address, and says "some
notes about my stay." The first thing that he says
is if anyone asks you're just visiting. Please don't mention
Airbnb or short-term rental. It's prohibited in the
condominium building. [Charlsie] Huh? And then he goes onto
say that I should not, in all caps, not talk to
concierge or security in the building. So what were you thinking when
you read it's prohibited in the condominium building? I kind of panicked and I was not
sure what to do. [Charlsie] So what are the
chances you'll end up in a "covert" Airbnb? Well, Dan has a confession for
us from his own experience as a former host. I mean, I'll
testify myself, I was, when I first started as a
host, way back in the day, I wasn't supposed to do it
there. [Charlsie] We appreciate
your honesty, Dan. They have to know
it's happening. This is fairly
simple data to collect. They could also have a, a very
simple sign up platform where all of these
apartment managers just say, I, I want this
address blacklisted. Also, when you're
creating a host account, you could submit documentation
yourself showing what are the covenants of that building. What, are you even the
legal owner of that? What were you most worried about
while you were staying here? I was most concerned about
being confronted by somebody who worked there since it was
technically against the rules and I was concerned about
eventually maybe having to leave and scramble to find
a new place to stay. [Charlsie] Did you
make it to the gym? Did you make it to the pool? No, we didn't. We don't even know where in
the building it might be. [Charlsie] Just because you
were concerned about having that awkward exchange-- Yeah. Or getting kicked out? Yeah, definitely. [Charlsie] So we decide to
book Patricia's unit too. No mention of sneaking
around on the listing. Maybe Airbnb is
allowed in the building now? But sure enough before check-in,
we get an email with the same set of instructions. [Charlsie] And when we meet
our host on check-in day... He gives another gentle
reminder before we walk in. [Charlsie] Our producer
asks for an explanation. [Charlsie] Everywhere? Is it like this in every city? A viewer tells us about a
similar experience while visiting Ottawa last spring. "I felt very uncomfortable,
especially when I saw a notice in the elevator stating 'no
short term rentals-- condo is under 24 hour supervision.'" So we book with the host but end
up in a different suite, in a different building. Still, the
message is the same... Important-- please do not
talk to the building staff. If being asked, always address
yourself as a resident or a tenant. And never as a guest of Airbnb. Please do not
disclose my unit number. [Charlsie] The viewer complains
to Airbnb and receives a refund-- but check this out. The host's profile
lists similar complaints. But he's still in business
despite the critical reviews. That's called a
misrepresentation by the lodging provider to Airbnb. So that could lead to a
situation where subsequently there's a complaint. At which point Airbnb might say,
"I'm revoking your ability to provide lodging service." But that's a kind of a
long-distance regulatory role. [Charlsie] Translation? Airbnb could do more to make
sure hosts play by the rules. When we ask Airbnb about
preventing covert rentals they say hosts must agree to comply
with local rules before listing a space. So, if you've booked
a covert Airbnb stay... what should you do? I think I would immediately
contact Airbnb and say what do I do in this case? And document everything
through the platform. Don't like write messages to the
host outside of the platform. Have a paper trail to
show that this happened. And then I would
demand a refund. If I were to book another
Airbnb and somebody pulled the same thing, I definitely like--
I probably wouldn't do it [Charlsie] Just 'cause. It wasn't a good time. [Charlsie] Neighbourhood
watch on your marketplace. [Charlsie] We asked about
your experiences with Airbnb. Many of you sent
us glowing reviews. I love it. Very accommodating. I like them. [Charlsie] And
then there's this, from an Airbnb 'er who
stayed in downtown Toronto. A dirty carpet, a stained couch,
and when she stripped the bed on checkout day,
stains on the mattress. She complained to Airbnb and was
refunded the $100 cleaning fee for her stay. So far we're uncovering some
of the ways your Airbnb can go AirBnBad as a guest. But what happens when
Airbnb moves in next door? Prince Abiona is
called the "Airbnb hunter". He knows exactly
what he's looking for, so it's just a matter of
finding the right listing... And shutting it down. If for this particular building,
I guarantee we'll find out within 24 hours. [Charlsie] You're that good. I'd say yes. [Charlsie] Prince is the
building supervisor at this downtown Toronto condo. About 8 years it
banned short-term rentals. He works alongside condo board
president Chris Devita to ensure that Airbnb and others stay out. This is what
they're trying to avoid. The 19-year-old has been charged
with mischief endangering life, damage of property and
being a common nuisance [Charlsie] It's believed
the woman in the video, Marcella Zoia was staying
in an Airbnb in Toronto. But Chris is also concerned
about a different kind of threat from short-term rentals... The Biggest contributor
to the negative aspect is, again, the lack of community. You can't be friends with
people who're just ghosts. They just come and go. It's nice here because, I know a
lot of condos filled with people who don't want to
know their neighbours, but here it seems to
be a bit different. [Charlsie] Prince doesn't want
to reveal all of his methods, but he gives us a sense of
how the process unfolds. We don't necessarily
have to pay you a visit, we just have to make sure that
we document everything we do in this regard right. So we make sure that we process
a first warning notice from our management office, right direct
to the owner of the condo. [Charlsie] After
the first warning, comes a second. The third warning comes from a
lawyer-- along with $600 charge for the cost of the letter. Some might say it's a
heavy-handed approach, but Chris has seen the
results of guests gone wild. So tell me Chris,
when you were talking about bad incidents, what are some of the
things that were damaged or went wrong? We had a party of some
20 something people. [Charlsie] 20
something people, okay. And it spilled out
into the hallway, a lot of drinks being spilled, a
lot of other bodily fluids being spilled, and of course,
they decided to redecorate our elevator here,
which was nice of them. Redecorate the elevator? Yeah, $7,000 worth. What is the nightmare
scenario that someone slips by you and then
something goes wrong? I mean the nightmare isn't a
nice couple from Chicago staying here for a weekend. The nightmare is a group of
criminals coming in using this as a base of
operations for either human trafficking, prostitution,
all kinds of stuff, this happens, this is a reality. [Charlsie] And the reality is
while some people love what Airbnb has done for travel,
others argue it takes homes away from people who need them. This is a business, and it's a,
a lot of people making a lot of money on this, and there are a
number of problems in the city surrounding housing
caused by this very issue. [Charlsie] Some experts
say that the popularity of short-term rentals has removed
thousands of homes from the housing supply in
cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. Airbnb argues "responsible"
hosting brings economic benefits for hosts and their communities. And it's working with cities to
find a balance between housing concerns and the
rights of hosts. Meantime, if you have a
complaint about a host in your neighbourhood, send
Airbnb a message here. But if you find
yourself in any of the guest scenarios we've covered, our
experts says contacting the company is just the beginning. You have to get it public. You can't just use the Airbnb
platform to complain. You can put it on
Twitter or Facebook, you know, anything. This is the kind of thing
that gets you the attention that actually will
resolve your issue. They care about
their reputation. Yeah, speak up. Make a fuss about it. [Charlsie] It worked for David. He got over $6,000 back. [Charlsie] We want to
hear from more of you. Email your Airbnb story to
marketplace@cbc.ca.
Everyone loves airbnb and Uber till they don't.
The apartment complex we lived in before we left Toronto was great til half of it wound up on airbnb.
then it was people chasing us out of our own amenity areas, being rude and demanding, loud, messy.
I loathe airbnb, for what it’s done to housing in Toronto and the day it gets shut out of toronto will be a grand day. ( til then, living where its regulated and restricted is kind of nice, housing rental wise). But I also don’t find staying in someone’s house charming or relaxing.
AirBnB is great until you get screwed like we did. We used to use it all the time until we got a last minute cancellation. We booked an AirBNB in Boston for my father-in-laws 60th. We booked it 4 months in advanced and the host, who was a “super host” by the way (not anymore), cancelled on us 2 days before our trip. It was pretty clear what happened: he realized the weekend we booked was the Boston Marathon weekend (just a coincidence) and cancelled on us to resell at a higher price (through another platform). Not only did it cost us considerable amount more (we had to get two rooms in a hotel instead because everything was booked) but the hotel wasn’t available for the whole time and we had to end our trip early, and on top of all that, it was the stress and frustration the ruined the experience for us. Trips are supposed to be fun and exciting and we still had a good time, but this experience definitely ruined a part of our trip. A month later a co-worker’s boyfriend had a last minute cancellation and ended up wondering the streets all night as AirBnB scrambled to find them alternate accommodation. Just not my idea of a vacation.
Airbnb is scum and so is Uber.
Why the city has not already heavily restricted this dumbass service is a huge failure in their duty to their constituents.
It has done nothing more than fuel few people's selfishness. If you want to run a lodge, then apply for a business license to do so in an area zoned for such a business. These are homes and should not be used as a vehicle to pad ones wallet.
$1300 to rent a resort-like place for 5 weeks. Hmmm. That gentleman needs a lesson on online shopping 101.