When you stay at a hotel on vacation, you expect the full experience—plenty of space, maybe a free breakfast, clean sheets. You don’t ask for much, right? Well, imagine staying at an Airbnb instead. Even worse, they decide you can’t get the bare minimum: functioning hot water. One woman in California took to social media when her Airbnb host told her that she wouldn’t have hot water for the length of her trip.
The woman, whose name is Tanya, posted an interaction on X that showcased the Airbnb’s shady practice. Her host messaged Tanya and said, “I just wanted to let you know that there’s a temporary issue with the hot water at the property you booked. We’re actively working on getting it resolved as soon as possible.”
Tanya asked if she could get a refund due to the inconvenience. She paid for the booking, but hadn’t made the trip yet. In response, the company hit her with the absolute worst reply possible: “Unfortunately, we are unable to offer refunds in this situation as hot water was not listed as an included amenity at the time of your booking.”
If you’re a reasonable company offering lodgings, hot water should be included by default. The company offered a small ray of hope. They would continue to work on the hot water issue and hopefully it would be fixed before Tanya’s arrival in California. If not, it would be cold showers for her throughout her trip.
Tanya responded to the host, “So you are choosing to potentially rip me off because you didn’t list an assumed amenity. You also didn’t list windows and doors, if those are missing I guess that’s fine too!” One commenter was shocked by her experience and said, “This is horrendous. What Airbnb actually states “hot water” as a listed amenity?
Unfortunately, this is rather common with Airbnb. One person shared their personal experience: “I had the same thing happen to me at a completely different Airbnb. Well, I turned up and there was no working hot water and they hadn’t told me in advance. Neither the owner nor Airbnb gave me any money back.”
Another said, “Airbnb did this to me when I stayed in Hawaii. One of the hosts totally misrepresented a property and I had to waste an entire day on the phone with them to get a partial refund.” Another even offered legal advice. Apparently, at least in California, renting out a place more or less requires hot water.
Let this be a lesson for any would-be Airbnb renters. Hosts often partake in shady tactics, from false advertising to harassment. This is just another example. Giving a guest a refund is just as “optional” as hot water, it seems. If you’re ever vacationing to California, or anywhere with Airbnb, always read the fine print.
