“This is horrendous”: Airbnb host tells guest hot water wasn’t part of the deal (updated)
Update 2:27pm CT, May 14: In an email to the Daily Dot, an Airbnb spokesperson wrote, “We support our guests in the rare event that something isn’t as it should be with a stay. We’ve issued a full refund to this guest and are supporting them with rebooking, and are conducting a further review of the host's account.” Tanya also tweeted an update, writing "AirBnb took care of it, they cancelled and refunded me. W"
An Airbnb guest took to social media after her host told her that hot water is an optional amenity. Tanya (@Tanya_Sabrinaaa) posted screenshots of the interaction on X, formerly known as Twitter. She said, "New entry in @Airbnb being an absolute scam."
The Airbnb host told Tanya that there was "a temporary issue with the hot water at the property you booked." They added that it was being actively worked on and hoped to have the issue resolved quickly. Overall, the message was professional and courteous.
Tanya asked if she would be refunded for her stay if it wasn't resolved before her booking date. The Airbnb host responded that they were "unable to offer refunds in this situation as hot water was not listed as an included amenity at the time of your booking."
Hot water is typically considered a given unless stated otherwise. Tanya pointed this out in her response to the Airbnb host. She wrote, "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!"
Is hot water an optional amenity?
According to another experience similar to Tanya's, yes, it is. In 2023, a group of friends went on a ski cabin trip in Tahoe, CA. Unfortunately, they ran out of hot water during their stay. When they reached out to the host and Airbnb customer service, they discovered that because hot water wasn't a listed amenity, the host wasn't obligated to provide it.
In a statement to ABC 7 News about the 2023 incident, Airbnb said, "We do allow hosts to self-select hot water as an amenity, however, this is meant to be used for remote, off-the-grid listings so that guests can plan properly. For this particular case, our team did follow up with the host to inquire about any amenity issues that may need to be addressed."
There are many other documented cases of Airbnb guests discovering that hot water wasn't a bare minimum expected amenity. In a post on the Airbnb Community Center forum, a guest asked if they had any recourse for needing to book a hotel in Geneva after discovering they had no hot water. While some people told them to escalate to a case manager, the resounding answer was that unless it's listed, you shouldn't expect an Airbnb to have it.
Social media reactions to the hot water incident
Folks in the comments of Tanya's post about her Airbnb were shocked that the hosts thought hot water was optional.
"This is horrendous. What airbnb actually states 'hot water' as a listed amenity. Thats like stating the obvious. Should we assume that we could get robbed if the listing doesn't say 'Front door' ????" wrote @thfcsamuel_.
Another commenter offered advice and a helpful screenshot to the OP, saying, "If this is in California, this amenity does not need to be listed. it is likely illegal for them to rent it without hot water"
They shared the relevant legalese screenshot, which Tanya said she forwarded to the Airbnb hosts.
@Tanya_Sabrinaaa and Airbnb did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via X (Twitter) direct message and email, respectively.
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