Urgent advice - AirBnb host asking for HUGE deposit

Singlespeeder

Hi all... 
My Daughter is off to Madrid for a month on Friday as part of her Masters degree.
She's found and paid (950E) for the month's accommodation through AirBnB.
Today the host has asked to talk through WhatsApp , not AirBnB , and has said make sure you bring the deposit with you .....
What deposit?
he want's 950E IN CASH, as a deposit "in case she damages anything"
This is not in the agreement anywhere and sounds fishy as fluff to me!
She's paid for the accommodation up front.
You don't pay for a deposit for a hotel.
I'm saying just say no, you don't have that sort of money.
It's that he's trying to circumvent AirBnB by going through WhatsApp that's the real worry....

What should she do?
I've said go for AirBnB support.
 

Singlespeeder

From AirBnB website 

"Hosts aren’t allowed to charge guests a security deposit through our Resolution Center or outside the Airbnb platform. Instead, we inform guests at the time of booking that their payment method may be charged if they cause damage during a stay."

Singlespeeder

AirBnB in contact with Daughter confirming the above.
Obvs she's concerned about friction as she's there for a month.
And what if he demands a deposit despite AirBnB saying he can't ... where does that leave her?

I think AirBnB need to step in...

Keep_pedalling

I have often had to pay a damage deposit when renting private property in mainland Europe and have had to do it with cash or direct payment into the owner’s bank account.

From the owners point of view, they are renting out a property to a student with no way of recovering any losses from an end of course party that gets out of hand, unless they have a deposit.

Voyager2002

Singlespeeder said:

Hi all... 
My Daughter is off to Madrid for a month on Friday as part of her Masters degree.
She's found and paid (950E) for the month's accommodation through AirBnB.
Today the host has asked to talk through WhatsApp , not AirBnB , and has said make sure you bring the deposit with you .....
What deposit?
he want's 950E IN CASH, as a deposit "in case she damages anything"
This is not in the agreement anywhere and sounds fishy as fluff to me!
She's paid for the accommodation up front.
You don't pay for a deposit for a hotel.
I'm saying just say no, you don't have that sort of money.
It's that he's trying to circumvent AirBnB by going through WhatsApp that's the real worry....

What should she do?
I've said go for AirBnB support.
 

If she communicates via Air BnB she can be confident that she is in touch with the host. If she communicates via WhatsApp she might to talking to anyone. 

I suggest that she states this to the host and says that all discussions must take place through Air BnB.

Voyager2002

Keep_pedalling said:

I have often had to pay a damage deposit when renting private property in mainland Europe and have had to do it with cash or direct payment into the owner’s bank account.

From the owners point of view, they are renting out a property to a student with no way of recovering any losses from an end of course party that gets out of hand, unless they have a deposit.

That may be reasonable, but goes directly against the policy of the platform that is being used. 

mark_cycling00

The host will have insurance for this through Airbnb who take an 8% fee to cover this and other costs 

Asking for cash sounds Dodgy and perhaps they intend to bypass the Airbnb site completely which then leaves your daughter unprotected.

I'd report this to Airbnb and provide evidence 

mark_cycling00

Airbnb makes travel so much safer.
Going outside it is like getting in a random car instead of a proper taxi.

Don't be nervous about contacting Airbnb they are used to these situations and will know what to do. 

Voyager2002

TBH I doubt if Air BnB will take action unless anything extreme happens or unless their profits are threatened.

I think your daughter should communicate only via Air BnB and ignore anything sent over WhatsApp: if necessary explain to the host that messages outside Air BnB could come from a scammer, or anyone really. Once she is there, if he asks for a deposit she should smile sweetly and plead ignorance, asking him to show her the discussion within Air BnB about the need for a deposit. If the host then insists and refuses to give her the apartment for which she has already paid, he puts himself totally in the wrong and that would be so extreme that Air BnB would have to take action. 

tightauldgit

Voyager2002 said:

TBH I doubt if Air BnB will take action unless anything extreme happens or unless their profits are threatened.

I think your daughter should communicate only via Air BnB and ignore anything sent over WhatsApp: if necessary explain to the host that messages outside Air BnB could come from a scammer, or anyone really. Once she is there, if he asks for a deposit she should smile sweetly and plead ignorance, asking him to show her the discussion within Air BnB about the need for a deposit. If the host then insists and refuses to give her the apartment for which she has already paid, he puts himself totally in the wrong and that would be so extreme that Air BnB would have to take action. 

It would also leave the daughter with nowhere to stay for a month however and having to find accommodation at very last minute notice. AirBNB won't help much other than to cancel and (eventually) refund the booking. They may credit a voucher for the amount at short notice but that would still require the daughter to find an alternative Airbnb with a few hours notice max. 

It can also be a nightmare trying to contact Airbnb CS at short notice to resolve these issues. 

No, the best way here I'm afraid is to message the owner via the AirBNB system and tell them directly that you are unable to comply with their request for a safety deposit, that it's contrary to the AirBNB terms and that if they insist on it you will have no choice but to ask Airbnb to refund the booking in full. And then if they confirm it she needs to find somewhere else to stay before Friday.

You are right however that they shouldn't be communicating anything financial over whatsapp. 

Option B is to take the chance on the safety deposit but you have to be willing to write it off as there's no real practical way to recover it if they decide to keep it. 

Singlespeeder

All sorted folks .... She got AirBnB involved . She's agreed to pay £120 through AirBnB Resolution and is now very ensconced in the apartment, which is perfect for her needs Thanks you all for your excellent advice