We thoroughly enjoyed staying at Steph's apartment, but sadly subsequent issues mean't that we would not stay at Steph's apartment again and make us question whether or not to use Airbnb again.
The apartment was very homely and comfortable, in a very convenient location for restaurants, bars and public transport.
It is on a busy road, but if the front windows are shut, it is quiet in the apartment. There is a small balcony at the rear which gives a very peaceful, pleasant place to sit, overlooking a space that other apartments back on to.
The apartment was clean, had comfortable beds, a spacious bathroom and a well appointed kitchen. The apartment has a really lovely feel.
There was some confusion over where to pick up the keys, but initially the only other slight criticism was that there was some half-eaten perishable food left in the fridge.
The main issue arose from the fact that during our stay, the latch mechanism on the balcony doors failed. We never used force opening the door, it opened smoothly and easily and when we subsequently showed Steph, she confirmed we were opening the door correctly. The door could still be closed fully and locked, so that externally it looked exactly the same as when we entered the apartment.
We have been landlords of 2 properties for over 10 years and have experienced failing locks/mechanisms, even on newer doors. We have never charged tenants for this as legally it constitutes fair wear and tear, indeed we normally recompense them for the inconvenience. We only ask that the tenants be honest and up front.
In this spirit we contacted Steph immediately and waited in for her to come round and look at the doors at a time of her convenience. She confirmed that we opened the doors correctly and gave no indication that she believed undue force had been used, or that she expected us to pay for repairs. Yet a couple of days after we arrived home we received a request from Airbnb to pay for the full cost of repair.
We have used Airbnb for many years, during which time we have never experienced any problems.
We would expect any issues arising to be discussed and dealt with reasonably and with goodwill, which we don't feel is the case here. We could have walked out of the apartment leaving it looking exactly as we entered it. However, that would have left a really bad taste in our mouths.
From communications with Airbnb support, it appears that guests are responsible for paying for anything that fails in the apartment during the stay, regardless of fault or blame. This makes us seriously question whether to use Airbnb again.