Wwyd - Airbnb situation

amother

Ivory

Tue, Jul 17 2018, 10:56 pm

I arrived at this AirBnb Sunday afternoon. There was a perfume odor in the studio apartment.

I immediately messaged the owner. Asked her if she would turn off the a/c (central) because I think there's a fragrance coming through the vents. She said the smell is probably from the bed linens and that she'll wash a fresh set of linen with plain water and send it down.

I waited 3-4 hours . When the sheet came it smelled of perfume minus the sweat.

She said the a/c must remain on because she needs it in her apartment. (The studio I'm in has its own entrance and no entry to her main apt.)

I got my own sheet, odor-free . The room still stinks.

In addition to the odor issue, I'm freezing cold. She gave me a space heater but it's not warming me enough. The a/c is very strong. I was up most of the night freezing cold. I would have brought along a space heater if I had known the a/c would be on all day and night.

Wwyd?

WhatFor

Tue, Jul 17 2018, 11:01 pm

Request a stronger space heater. Open a window so the outdoor heat comes in. Wear more layers in the house. If nothing works, I'd ask to cut my stay short saying I simply cannot stay in an ice box and note that in my review of the place.

How long are you staying there?

amother

Ivory

Tue, Jul 17 2018, 11:11 pm

Sebastian wrote:

block the vents with paper or a plastic bag.

The ceilings are very high and not smooth. Dd who's six ft tall, got up on a piece of furniture and couldn't reach it.

amother

Ivory

Tue, Jul 17 2018, 11:14 pm

WhatFor wrote:

I opened the only window and when she noticed she said the window must remain closed because when it's open the a/c works harder.

I was going to stay til after Shabbos,

I messaged her earlier today, saying I will look for another place. But last minute reservations are so expensive :-(

amother

Ivory

Tue, Jul 17 2018, 11:21 pm

DrMom wrote:

Why must the a/c stay on? That doesn't seem normal.

I'm quoting her message to me:
Hello Rachel,
I hope your first day was swell. Hate to have to send this message but I am writing to ask that you close the studio window and keep both the window and door closed for the duration of your stay--having either open for long periods of time puts an enormous strain on our already old AC unit and, furthermore, drives up the cost of my home's utilities. Plus, we would like to keep the bugs and wildlife outside where they belong. Do let me know if you have questions, etc. Hope you enjoy your stay!

enneamom

Tue, Jul 17 2018, 11:24 pm

amother wrote:

Where does she say that the AC has to stay on?

amother

Yellow

Tue, Jul 17 2018, 11:28 pm

enneamom wrote:

Where does she say that the AC has to stay on?

It sounds like the whole house is on one AC thermostat and they want it on for themselves in the main part of the house, while the OP in the studio wants it off.

amother

Ivory

Tue, Jul 17 2018, 11:30 pm

enneamom wrote:

Where does she say that the AC has to stay on?

In another message. I'll copy and paste:
Rachel,
The AC will remain on as we are unable to turn it off.
I will wash new sheets with fragrance free detergent and give them to you when they are ready.

amother

Ivory

Tue, Jul 17 2018, 11:31 pm

amother wrote:

It sounds like the whole house is on one AC thermostat and they want it on for themselves in the main part of the house, while the OP in the studio wants it off.

Precisely.

causemommysaid

Tue, Jul 17 2018, 11:37 pm

It sounds like she shouldn't be a host if she doesn't want to accommodate the guests. Maybe tell her you will file a complaint with airbnb if she doesnt lower the ac

amother

Ivory

Wed, Jul 18 2018, 12:21 am

amother wrote:

You should contact Airbnb and share this exchange with them. See what they have to say.

I just sent them an email, asking for assistance to resolve these issues. I mentioned a last minute reservation elsewhere is costing me a lot more money.

amother

Ivory

Wed, Jul 18 2018, 12:24 am

Miri7 wrote:

Can you ask her to block the vents? Seems that would solve the problem.

I can ask her. I have a feeling she might say vents must remain open.

Do people put air fresheners through their a/cvents?

creditcards

Wed, Jul 18 2018, 12:34 am

Open windows shouldn't have an effect on how hard the AC works if the thermostat is not next to the open window. It seems like the thermostat is in the hosts apartment so why is she thinking open windows will make it work harder? Just keep the window open and ignore the email or respond I apologise but I'm unable to close the window until the AC is closed.

amother

Lavender

Wed, Jul 18 2018, 12:40 am

As an aside, if you're the poster who is very sensitive to chemicals, I think you will need to be very clear about your needs before booking anything. The vast majority of people do use scented products in their homes.

Iymnok

Wed, Jul 18 2018, 1:54 am

amother wrote:

But they. Generally choose their own scents and don’t overdue it.
Even those without allergies often just don’t like most scents.

amother

Ivory

Wed, Jul 18 2018, 10:35 am

I spoke with customer service at Airbnb. We figured out the smell is likely coming from the mattress. She's going to speak with my host about turning the a/c down and about switching the mattress.
There's no carpeting. The space is sparkling clean.
No other place the odor can be coming from. I suspect someone soiled the bed and she tried to cover up the stench with perfume.