[Travel] Advice on hidden charges airbnb in USA

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The missus is staying in a New York hotel 'rental unit' booked via airbnb.

She has paid AirBNB £1142. Now, out of the blue, she has just received an email from the host asking for

'tax rate' $3.50 a night
'resort fee' $43 per night
(over 6 nights equals $279)

'Incidental deposit' of $150 per night, to be reimbursed
(0ver 6 nights $900)

So $1170.

Is this normal/acceptable? She can cancel and get a full refund before some time in July.

Airbnb's TOC include this: 4.2 Contracting with Guests. When you accept a booking request, or receive a booking confirmation through the Airbnb Platform, you are entering into a contract directly with the Guest, and are responsible for delivering the Host Service under the terms and at the price specified in your Listing.

Advice gratefully received.

 

[Zeberdi]

NYC recently introduced a whole load of new rules and restrictions relating to Airbnbs - including occupancy restrictions (2 guests only and owner must be in situ) resort taxes and additional registration fees (which Airbnb hosts are passing on to guests).

Aiming to bolster the hotel industry in NYC and available short term rental accommodation in the housing market.

My brother IL and Sister go over often ( we’ve close family in NYC and he has business interests in NYC) and they usually use a Airbnb because they like the ‘home’ base. New occupation restrictions means they wouldn’t have been able to take any of the kids now - but seeing as one of them got married and moved to NYC last year anyway, they will stay with them in future - it just got ridiculously expensive to Airbnb it and they certainly don’t want owners on the property while they’re staying anywhere.

Beware that these changes are pushing the price of traditional hotel rooms sky high.

See new regulations here

Airbnb & Short Term Rental Laws and Regulations In New York - 2024

www.steadily.com

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Many large cities worldwide have clamped down on short term AirBnB rentals due to their impact in causing rental stock shortages for locals which in turn forces up rents. What has been described by the previous poster sounds about right for a large city. Berlin and other German cities have had a huge purge in recent years with strict T&Cs for AirBnB operators now. Berlin districts even have dedicated departments to go after rogue operators.

 

[Brian Fantana]

The missus is staying in a New York hotel 'rental unit' booked via airbnb.

She has paid AirBNB £1142. Now, out of the blue, she has just received an email from the host asking for

'tax rate' $3.50 a night
'resort fee' $43 per night
(over 6 nights equals $279)

'Incidental deposit' of $150 per night, to be reimbursed
(0ver 6 nights $900)

So $1170.

Is this normal/acceptable? She can cancel and get a full refund before some time in July.

Airbnb's TOC include this: 4.2 Contracting with Guests. When you accept a booking request, or receive a booking confirmation through the Airbnb Platform, you are entering into a contract directly with the Guest, and are responsible for delivering the Host Service under the terms and at the price specified in your Listing.

Advice gratefully received.

This sounds about right. As others have said, AirBnB is becoming a more expensive (and less attractive) option is many large cities.

 

[albionalex]

The missus is staying in a New York hotel 'rental unit' booked via airbnb.

She has paid AirBNB £1142. Now, out of the blue, she has just received an email from the host asking for

'tax rate' $3.50 a night
'resort fee' $43 per night
(over 6 nights equals $279)

'Incidental deposit' of $150 per night, to be reimbursed
(0ver 6 nights $900)

So $1170.

Is this normal/acceptable? She can cancel and get a full refund before some time in July.

Airbnb's TOC include this: 4.2 Contracting with Guests. When you accept a booking request, or receive a booking confirmation through the Airbnb Platform, you are entering into a contract directly with the Guest, and are responsible for delivering the Host Service under the terms and at the price specified in your Listing.

Advice gratefully received.

Those fees should all be included in the listing, it's advertising a false price otherwise.

Reply back and tell the host you won't pay anything above what was in the listing.

 

[HHGull]

It sounds like the host is operating outside the AirBnB platform and introducing their own additional fees. Unless these were obvious at the time of booking I wouldn’t even consider it and would cancel straight away. Sounds well dodgy.

 

[driddles]

Those fees should all be included in the listing, it's advertising a false price otherwise.

Reply back and tell the host you won't pay anything above what was in the listing.

Only if you're prepared to receive an email saying your stay has been cancelled

 

[Bakero]

If i were her, I'd cancel and find an alternative. Definitely, report it to Airbnb too.

 

[raymondo]

If i were her, I'd cancel and find an alternative. Definitely, report it to Airbnb too.

Yep, ideally try to find an alternative, one that detailed all costs up front so there's no surprises.

 

[golddene]

Sorry to hijack this important thread H,
My question is this, just returned from Mallorca, we stayed in a all inclusive hotel (drank it dry of course), upon arrival I had to stump up €39 as a local tax, imposed apparently by councils etc, I had heard of this prior to leaving for the resort but am now questioning these charges, can anyone shaft light on the reason for this additional charge and more importantly is this just another ‘Brexit Benefit’ Anyone ?

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Sorry to hijack this important thread H,
My question is this, just returned from Mallorca, we stayed in a all inclusive hotel (drank it dry of course), upon arrival I had to stump up €39 as a local tax, imposed apparently by councils etc, I had heard of this prior to leaving for the resort but am now questioning these charges, can anyone shaft light on the reason for this additional charge and more importantly is this just another ‘Brexit Benefit’ Anyone ?

Brussels operates something similar. We had a hotel booked last October and was informed there was a local tourist tax to pay at the hotel - couldn't be paid for in advance. Fairly sure it was cash only too which I found odd. It was a chain hotel just along from the EU Commision complex not a back street B&B pulling a shifty. Think it was about 3€ per night as I remember.

 

[dazzer6666]

Brussels operates something similar. We had a hotel booked last October and was informed there was a local tourist tax to pay at the hotel - couldn't be paid for in advance. Fairly sure it was cash only too which I found odd. It was a chain hotel just along from the EU Commision complex not a back street B&B pulling a shifty. Think it was about 3€ per night as I remember.

Same happened in Rome when I went for the game. Was only a few Euros.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Thanks for the replies folks. Mrs T has cancelled and booked directly outside the Airbnb platform at a different address in a contract with explicit 'there will be no other charges' written into the arrangement.

 

[Yrendan]

This is exactly why I stopped using Airbnbs. I had a similar experience with unexpected fees that made me question their transparency.