Every rental property must provide amenities according to local laws.
Air conditioning, heating, and hot water are the essential amenities for every Airbnb property.
This article will explain what to do if your Airbnb’s AC, hot water, or heating isn’t working and how you can get a full refund.
Airbnb Heating Not Working
On a hot day, if the AC doesn’t work, sometimes it’s possible to pass the day with a fan. In some areas, the night becomes reasonably cooler. Thus AC at night may not be necessary.
However, in colder climates, heating is mandatory. Without a heater, it’s impossible to stay at an Airbnb.
Every city has different rules regarding providing heat in a rental property. For example, according to the New York City rental law, a host must keep their rental property temperature at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit when the outside temperature drops below 55 degrees.
If the Airbnb host reveals before your scheduled stay that the heating unit isn’t working, you should ask the host to give you a full refund so that you can find an alternative rental property. Under no scenario you should stay at an Airbnb without any heat.
Don’t cancel the reservations on your own. Ask the host to cancel the reservation. Otherwise, Airbnb will not give you a full refund.
If the host refuses to cancel even though the heater is not working, contact Airbnb support and tell them about it. They will proactively look for an alternative place for you or will give you a full refund.
Remember, a colder night is more dangerous than a hotter day.
However, if the heater stops working during your stay, ask the host to send an HVAC technician immediately. Spending a night without heat is impossible.
If the host doesn’t send HVAC technicians and doesn’t fix the issue, involve Airbnb customer support and ask for a full refund.
On a hot day, if the AC isn’t working, staying at an Airbnb is possible, but without heat on a colder night, it’s harmful to health, especially if you have children or senior citizens.
Moreover, if the central heating unit isn’t working, the Airbnb host should provide several space heaters to alleviate the situation. If the host fails to do it, it shows the host is empathetic to your situation and only wants your money without giving you good service.
If the host doesn’t heat your room or apartment adequately, ask for a partial refund. If the host refuses to give a partial refund, involve Airbnb support.
Always do all the communication through the Airbnb app so that every communication is recorded and can be referenced later when you involve the Airbnb resolution center.
Never settle for flowers, wine, or food.
Related: Almost Every Airbnb charges cleaning fees. So, should you clean your rental before you leave? What happens if you find out that your Airbnb isn’t clean? Can you get a refund? This article discusses everything you need to know about Airbnb cleaning.
Air Conditioning Not Working
An Airbnb must provide air conditioning if it is mentioned in the online listing.
Upon arrival, if you find the air conditioning unit isn’t working, you should immediately inform the host to fix it.
You should do all the communication with the host through the Airbnb app. It will keep a trail of paperwork. So that later, when you involve Airbnb support, they will be able to see the communications between you and the host.
If the host doesn’t fix the air conditioning unit, you should involve Airbnb support and ask the host for a 25-50% refund.
On hot days, the host is responsible for providing air conditioning. If the AC is not working before a guest arrives, the host was supposed to inform the guest about the non-working AC or should have canceled the booking with a full refund.
However, if the Airbnb host didn’t tell you about the non-working air conditioning unit, they tried to deceive you.
Many Airbnb hosts will try to deceive you by saying you (the guest) cancel the reservations. DON’T DO IT. You will lose your reservation money. Once you cancel, the host will not refund you. Even if you involve Airbnb, you will not get back your money because you (the guest) canceled it.
If the Airbnb host discovers that the air conditioning isn’t working, the host should have at least provided a dehumidifier. These are inexpensive, available everywhere, such as Walmart, and significantly cool room temperature.
A lack of dehumidifier during a non-working AC situation shows how empathetic the host is towards your situation.
Airbnb is a hospitality business. Therefore, the host must provide necessary amenities.
AC is necessary for a good night’s sleep on a hot day. If the Airbnb host didn’t tell you about the non-working AC or didn’t fix it during your stay, you have the right to get a refund.
In an Airbnb, you are spending more than a hotel. The apartment price, Airbnb commission, and cleaning fees all add up. After paying all this money, if the Airbnb rental fails to provide basic amenities such as a working air conditioner, it’s grounds for a reasonable refund.
If the Air conditioning unit breaks down during your stay, ask the host to fix it as soon as possible. However, sometimes the host would say that they couldn’t find any available repair technicians. Don’t take NO for an answer.
However, if the Airbnb host informs you about a broken AC before arriving at the rental, you should ask the host to cancel the reservation and give you a full refund.
However, if you decide to stay at Airbnb, ask the host how much refund you will get due to your inconvenience.
Airbnb Hot Water Not Working
Hot water is another essential amenity for a comfortable stay at an Airbnb.
If the host informs you that the hot water isn’t working before you arrive at the rental property, you should ask the host to cancel the reservation and give a full refund.
However, upon arrival at the property you find that the hot water isn’t working, contact the Airbnb host immediately and ask to fix it.
All the communications with the host should be through the Airbnb app to keep an online message record.
If there was no hot water during your entire length of stay, you should ask for a refund of between 45% to 60%. If the host fixed the hot water issue within days, you should ask for a 30% to 40% refund.
During cold days, hot water is essential to keep oneself clean and for other household activities.
Upon leaving Airbnb, always give an appropriate review to the host so that other guests can be aware of potential issues at the property.
Related: What happens if you damage something at an Airbnb property or you didn’t do it, but the host is fraudulently accusing you of damaging their property. Can Airbnb force you to pay the damaging fine? This article discusses everything you need to know about Airbnb rental damage.
Bottom Line
You must contact the Airbnb host if any amenities are not working. The host has 24 hours to address the issue. If the host doesn’t fix it by the time, you should get a full refund.
However, if the host handles the problem, you are entitled to get a 25% – 50% refund due to the inconvenience which interrupted your stay.