Using rental platforms between individuals such as Airnb, Abritel or Booking sometimes presents some risks for travelers. It is therefore advisable to take certain precautions at the time of booking, on arrival on the premises, during and even after the stay.
When booking
To avoid falling on a false advertisement on rental platforms such as Airbnb, Booking or HomeAway, you must always double-check before proceeding to the reservation. Concretely, a fake advertisement can appear in different forms online, or appear on different rental sites at the same time under different nicknames (hosts).
At the time of payment, you must never leave the rental platform. As long as you are redirected to another site for payment, it is a scam. For some applications, it is possible to verify the IBAN number indicated on the RIB, or even to call the bank to verify the identity of the advertiser.
Payments by money order and prepaid bank card are not recommended as they are less subject to controls. In the event of a scam, you can still file a complaint, but the risk of non-follow-up is quite high. Fortunately, towards the end of the current year, the head of the judicial police brigade plans to set up an online complaint registration system.
On site
If the accommodation does not correspond to the description presented on the rental platform, the traveler can notify the host on the dedicated messaging. If the latter cannot be reached or does not answer the call, the traveler can report the problem to the manager of the platform.
Any complaint must be made within 24 hours of the start of the stay to allow the platform to suspend payment to the host. It must also be accompanied by tangible evidence such as photos, videos, printing or screenshot of the description of the accommodation, house rules, etc.
The traveler can also lodge a complaint with the public prosecutor of the tribunal de grande instance, and seize the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of the Populations (DDPP) of the city, in the event of flagrant non-compliance.
Note that some platforms now allow their subscribers to access 360 ° videos, an augmented virtual reality technology that allows them to obtain better visibility on each rental offer.
In the course of renting
When one or more equipment breaks down, the host should be notified via the rental platform's messaging system. It is also possible to request a partial refund from the host, within a maximum period of 60 days after departure from the accommodation. If no agreement is established between the two parties at the end of 72 hours following the traveller's request, he can resort to the platform which will mediate.
After the stay
Rental platforms provide additional costs in only three cases:
- The traveler modifies his reservation: by adding, for example, an additional traveler.
- The owner requests a deduction from the deposit in the event of material damage at the end of the stay.
- The owner claims the payment of the tourist tax if this is not included in the amount of the reservation.
In some cases, owners also charge for overtime by paying for an extra night. It is therefore advisable to always check the arrival and departure times to avoid this excess at the end of the stay.
Outside of these cases, a host is not allowed to charge the guest additional fees, especially if these are not in the ad or discussion thread. It is also not recommended to pay the accommodation costs directly to the owner, but always go through the rental platform.
