how to stay safe with airbnb

On my recent post about Adeje, you guys were all so shocked about my Airbnb host and how they treated us, with y'all wanting advice on how to avoid having the same fate. Nearly being left stranded and homeless on a foreign island is something no one should have to go through with such a trusted home-sharing site, and so I feel as if I am now qualified enough to give you guys tips on how to avoid getting left in the dark like we were.



Make sure your host has good reviews and limited cancellations
The host that left me in the cold had many negative reviews, and, stupidly, I didn't bat an eye at the sheer amount of complaints they had. Not only that but half of their stays were cancelled last minute, meaning they were probably more focused on tax evasion than temporarily homing travellers. Don't feel too shy to contact past visitors to the host's home either if you're unsure about anything.

Communicate with the host (but only over the website)
My host ignored all of my messages, and then denied owning a place when we rang them - red flags everywhere! Make sure you keep in contact with your host with the days leading up to your stay, but never over alternative sites - especially when it comes to money.

READ THE DESCRIPTION AND LOOK AT THE PHOTOS
If the description is just "home to rent", I'd probably avoid it and go with a host who talks about their house and gives recommendations of the area. The dodgy host I stayed with literally had two photos, and they were smudged and awful, and basically no explanation about the location, things to expect, etc. Heck, we didn't even get a house number!

Follow other safety measures you would if you were staying in a hotel
Letting other people know where you are, keeping your passport somewhere safe, making yourself familiar with the fire escape, etc, are all things you should be doing anyway, regardless of whether you stay in a commercial hotel or a little cottage owned by a 94 year old. 

Just like any other aspect in regards to travel, there's always an element of danger going to be present. And like with all other aspects, there are ways to keep yourself safe. Don't be an idiot like I was, and make sure everything is in order before you book a last-minute flight to a foreign country.

46 comments:

  1. Great tips! I will definitely keep these in mind!
    April xx

    | APRIL ROSE PENGILLY |

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  2. Yes, you are (unfortunately) now really an expert and you are absolutely right with your tips! Wish you by all my heart something similar will never ever happen again to you!
    With love, Rena
    www.dressedwithsoul.com

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  3. I'm so glad I only had really great experinces with my AirBnB hosts, one let me rent the apartment even after the website messed up my booking, while another got me a box of chocolates as welcome gift, and after spending whole day pretty much hungry at the airports, that was really incredibly appreciated.
    Thanx for great tips anyway, hope it didn't turn you off to much on using the website, and wish you many more amazing travels in 2018!

    Kisses

    d'star

    *d'star*

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  4. Thanks for these tips! I've used Airbnb several times and have always had a good experience, but you can never be too careful. I watched a YouTube video where they discussed owners installing cameras in bedrooms/bathrooms of their airbnbs and being caught. Honestly, it's terrifying!

    The Invisible Child

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  5. Thanks for sharing these tips! I've never tried air bnb but I'll keep these in mind for if I ever do :) xx

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  6. These things are so important to do! I haven't stayed in one, but I know people who have. You have to take these steps.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

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  7. Hey Amy, hope you're having a good Monday. First of all THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kind comment, it made my day and it is definitely a motivation to keep pushing my creativity to create more content for the blog. Drafting and translation is kinda complicated but I'm happy to hear that it has being helpful for you to improve your Spanish, if you need help in the upcoming future or if you have a doubt just send me a message and I'll be happy to help.

    As usual I adore your travel tips because they are down to earth and for real travelers like me, I have used Airbnb for almost two years and even tho the platform has changed a little big I think the essence still the same when you got to know a good host :D But as you mentioned there are many factors to take into account and we must act carefully (sorry to hear that you had a bad experience, gonna check the post to know a bit more but don't loose faith in Airbnb, there are many wonderful people out there that can make your experience even better).

    Wish you the best and I'll have these tips in mind. Actually I'm gonna book an Airbnb this week :)

    Pablo
    HEY FUNGI 

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  8. I was definitely shocked to read about your horrible experience. Thanks for the tips. I use AirBNB often but your last post definitely made me question that decision.

    Have a wonderful week!
    Carly at A Modern Mom Blog

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  9. It's the worst when your Air Bnb sucks!! These are great tips girly!

    xo,

    H

    http://firsttimethings.com/

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  10. Oh boy, I've never tried air bob before, but I can definitely imagine the possible ways in which it could go.. wrong. So sorry to read about your terrible experience with one! Checking plenty of reviews online beforehand is great advice, and following strict safety measures as you would in a hotel is VERY good advice!

    aglassofice.com
    x

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  11. Great tips! Sometimes red flags aren't so obvious until after you experience the whole thing, so it's good to learn what to look out for!

    Simply Lovebirds

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  12. thanks for the tips! I have heard some crazy stories about sketchy air bnbs so this was really helpful!

    www.prettyinleather.net

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  13. These are awesome tips, babe- safety is so important!

    Hope you're having a great week!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  14. Great tips!! We once ended up in an apartment with lots of cockroaches via airbnb((((
    Кира
    Kira Is Wearing
    Instagram

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  15. Gosh, that sounded like an awful experience! Thank you for sharing your tips to avoid that issue from horrible people on Air BnB!

    Raindrops of Sapphire

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  16. Oh dear! I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with that air bnb! The advioces you ame up with are really good, actually. I also believe in the importance of being able to communicate with your host during the process, it's always good to have emails as proof if something goes wrong. I'll definitely include the safety measurements in the future. Thank you!
    xx

    www.stylebydeb.com

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  17. These are great tips! I'm pretty obsessive about ONLY booking hosts who have tons of good reviews, and especially super hosts! I'm always looking at the picture too. The more the better! It's such a bummer that people are still out there trying to scam on AirBnb and ruining other people's traveling experiences. It's always good to be safe rather than sorry!

    Susie | http://milehighdreamers.com

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  18. Sounds like a horrid experience. I often thought about using Air BnB, but then always revert to hotels, especially after the recent horror stories about CCTV installed in some bathrooms, etc.

    Good tips though, if it feels dodgy, just continue with the research.

    Maya | http://londondamsel.co.uk/lifestyle/i-stopped-blogging-taught/

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  19. great post with really great tips.

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  20. Ah a much needed post after the airbnb scare on your last trip! These tips will surely come handy whenever I am planning my stays for trips :)
    xx
    Ankita
    http://realgirltalks.com/

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  21. Thank you for sharing. I love Air BNB and will keep your tips in mind.

    Love, Esther
    https://lifestyle-tale.com/teddy-coat/

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  22. These are such great tips! Safety is definitely so important when using Airbnb!

    http://roadesque.com

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  23. oh, que bonito!
    Muchas gracias por tu comentario en mi blog, te espero por mi nuevo post, mil besos!
    http://patriciasanchezstylestreet.blogspot.com.es/

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  24. Great tips! Thanks for sharing!!
    Baci, Valeria - Coco et La vie en rose FASHION & BEAUTY

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  25. Theses are good tips. It's nice something positive came out of such a horrible experience for you, I'm definitely much too nervous to try Air BnB as I've heard so many bad things, even with these protections in place a hotel feels safer. Especially as I have kids, I can't risk anything going wrong with accommodation!

    Hope that you are having a good week so far! The weather has been more bearable this week which is nice, not the crazy high temps we had last week!

    Away From The Blue Blog

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  26. Reading reviews are going to be super helpful especially when transacting online regarding travel... It's too bad about your experience,it definitely is frightening, being stranded in a different country. But oh well, consider it a lesson learned! Thank you for sharing the tips, it will be very helpful!

    Gretch of GG Memochou

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  27. I haven't tried Airbnb yet but these are really good tips because I've been hearing a lot of horror stories about their bad experience with Airbnb.

    xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY

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  28. I've never tried Airbnb, so I can't say something about it. But that there are stupid people who don't care about ther guests. It's difficult to trust again, when such things happened to you... But now you know to mind some facts.

    Thanks for your suggestion. But is True Blood with vampires or something like this?

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    Replies
    1. Hey yeah, it has vampires in it but it's not like a typical Twilight book or anything, the series is great and you'd honestly adore it dude :)

      Delete
  29. Great post dear ♥

    janalukic.blogspot.com

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  30. I never tried AirBnB, but I will make sure to learn from your experience should I book with them. Sometimes we are so eager to go that we ignore the red flags.

    Anne|Linda, Libra, Loca

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  31. ¡¡Hola Amy!! Nunca he viajado de esta manera en el extranjero, siempre en un hotel, aunque no sea muy bueno, o en casa de alguien muy conocido. Pero vamos, siempre puedes tener una mala experiencia sea el destino elegido que sea y sea cual sea el lugar de alojamiento. Está claro que de los errores se aprende, así que tendré muy en cuenta tus consejos, pues nunca se sabe. Besitos.

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  32. I've never been in an Airbnb (and I'm still pretty scared of it), but definitely your advices are useful and to keep in mind! :)
    XO
    S
    https://s-fashion-avenue.blogspot.it/

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  33. I love your tips dear. Lots of sketchy AirBnBs out there, you can never be too safe. Reading reviews will definitely help you get a peace of mind.

    Jessica | notjessfashion.com

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  34. Gosh, sorry to hear of your bad experience! Great tips, dear! xoxo

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  35. These are some important tips that everyone should consider! I always do a lot of recon work whenever I book an Airbnb because I don't want to face any drama with the owner or listing itself! I know one thing I always try to consider is the cleanliness as well. I've seen a couple where they didn't wash their sheets @__@.

    exquisitely.me

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  36. That sucks you had such a negative experience! I've had great experiences with AirBNB and I've used it quite a lot, although one person did cancel my booking about a month before I was due to stay there so I did have time to rebook something else, it's super frustrating when you think you have it sorted and then suddenly find that you don't. I can't imagine how stressful it would be to have that happen when you're actually in a foreign country! A friend was telling me they were knocking on the door of their AirBNB and couldn't get in once so they had to contact AirBNB who put them up in a hotel to make up for it!

    littlehenrylee.net

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  37. Your Air B&B experience was horrible, so good it didn't discourage you and still enjoyed your holiday. But on the bright side, at least it made you come up with this post.

    www.busyandfab.com

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  38. I love airbnb & use it almost exclusively when traveling. I think your tips are perfect. Reviews are def the most important, not just for airbnb, but for everything. Thank goodness for the internet & reviews!

    Kara Aragon
    http://www.thekaragon.com

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  39. I use Air BnB whenever I visit LA. Since I live in Oakland a trip to LA is only 45 minutes away and opting for an Air BnB instead of a hotel is always a smart move. I had to go back to read your post OMG I can’t believe that happened to you! I can’t believe they had no room for you! That’s terrifying. I will admit I don’t always read reviews on Air BnB but I will defiantly be doing that.

    xoxo
    Mary | www.evolvewithmary.com

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  40. Such amazzzzing tips and thanks goodness you are okay!
    kisses
    xoBeckerman Girls

    www.BeckermanBlog.com

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  41. Thanks for sharing this tips with us! :D
    http://freshisyummy.blogspot.com/2018/02/curious.html

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  42. I'm so sorry you had a terrible experience with airbnb! I've used it plenty when travelling, especially when I went to Europe last year and I never had any troubles. I agree though, reviews are so incredibly important when it comes to anything, really. I think I avoided some really nasty hotels when I went to Japan in January by reading the reviews. Thanks for the tips!

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  43. I'm so sorry you had a terrible experience with airbnb. My daughter had a similar one a few years ago and I am quite wary of using them!
    These are great tips and I hope you have a better experience with them in the future
    Julia x
    http://www.thevelvetrunway.com

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  44. Oh very interesting post
    Thanks for share your tips
    xx

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