I remember my first independent travel- straight up the Stone Age. It was necessary to check with the hotel or with partner companies, at the airport counter, or look for accommodation on the spot, because there was no convenient payment online. However, in those days everyone used paper air tickets, and electronic ones caused mistrust. It’s good that everything has changed, although some Southeast Asian countries, for example Myanmar, are still at this level.

What is Airbnb?

Features of AirBnB

6. Help from the owner

In my rental cases, all the apartment owners were very helpful. For example, in Turkey they painted landmarks and walking routes To see everything, they recommended inexpensive restaurants with vegetarian food and helped us book transfers. And all this without imposing services like “buy an excursion from me.” The owner of my apartment in Phuket meets guests at the airport and helps as much as possible. Check with the owners, clarify all the details: is it nearby, what infrastructure surrounds the house, how fast the Internet works. Live communication always helps. There are owners who mark recommended restaurants, attractions and entertainment on the map under the description of the accommodation. I would say that Airbnb hosts, in a sense, can replace your guide, help you navigate an unfamiliar city and tell you how to best spend your time. Hotel reception desks are mostly staffed by visiting people who have little interest in the tourist component and sometimes don’t even know the city’s transport patterns. So on Airbnb, a good host is a traveler's friend.

7. Long stay

Depending on the apartment, Airbnb offers options for long stay. For example, renting a villa for two to three weeks will cost the same as for a month. Check with the hosts for details and ask for a discount for long-term stays.

8. Airbnb is ideal in big cities

Disadvantages of renting a home through Airbnb

1. This is not a hotel

Living conditions in private apartment Compared to a hotel room, they have their disadvantages. For some apartments and villas, cleaning is charged separately and is included in the final bill. In apartments, sometimes maid service is not included at all or is provided only once a week. You won't always be served breakfast. When moving into an apartment, check the serviceability of the air conditioner, TV, plumbing and integrity of the furniture. It happens that the previous tenant broke something, but the owner did not notice. In such cases, when leaving, it will be impossible to prove that it was not you who did this. In some cases, the owner takes a deposit for the safety of the property, which is blocked on your card and returned 48 hours after check-out. I would say that such a deposit is not a minus, since all the details are spelled out in the description of the property. Compare that some hotels also take a deposit, but do not write about it on booking sites. It’s better to know about the deposit in advance than to be notified about it upon arrival.

2. Response speed

Another difference from booking sites is the speed of confirmation. The owners usually respond within an hour or two, but sometimes I wait a day for messages from them. For urgent reservations, if you have already decided on accommodation, select the option " Instant confirmation"In other cases, you need to search and find out details in advance. Once I spent a whole week discussing the details of renting an apartment in Bali.

3. Internet users are uneducated

Sometimes the owner does not fully understand the functional part of the Airbnb system, and there will be serious errors on the apartment page. For example, the lack of written information about additional bills for electricity and water can become an unpleasant surprise upon arrival. Or the owner incorrectly filled out information about the cost of living for the second and subsequent guests. Check these details if you are going to rent an apartment in Thailand. Some hosts fill out information about housing in their native language, of course, the built-in translator will help translate, but in situations with Korean, Chinese and other Asian languages, it seems that something is missing.

4. Airbnb commission

7. Cancellation

In rare cases, the owner may cancel your reservation, although there is a penalty for doing so. You can see all the owner's cancellations in his profile. Please read the cancellation conditions on your part carefully. There are several of them, it all depends on the conditions and time of cancellation.

As you can see, the pros of renting a home through Airbnb outweigh the cons. It is worth noting that the system presents more than a million unique options - there is always a choice. In my opinion, the options for renting an apartment in Phuket are superior to hotel rooms in cost and comfort. Tell us about your experience of renting a home through Airbnb in the comments.

An alternative to hotels - renting apartments, apartments and houses - is becoming increasingly popular in the world.
When you come to a foreign city, you want to feel the comfort of home. Most hotel rooms, and you will agree with me, cannot replace the comfort of home with a kitchenette, hanging shelves filled with pots, drawers with spoons and forks, a sink and a stove.

For example, it’s more pleasant for me to sit in the kitchen than in the living room - everything is at hand: a refrigerator with a supply of drinks and food, a table where you can have intimate conversations or watch TV... They probably understood me.

Pros of living in an apartment

Especially apartment prices for those who come to relax on long term– I won’t hide the fact that it’s cheaper, since the products in European supermarkets are much different in freshness and variety from those in Russia, and I think anyone can cook a steak from non-frozen meat or bake fresh fish.

Accordingly, we save on going to restaurants, absolutely freely pour ourselves wine and something stronger, and we are also not shy about smoking at the table.

In the world of travel, there is a need for apartments from owners, just as there is a need for owners to rent out these apartments.

How Airbnb works

What Airbnb has: a database of owners who offer their properties for short-term rental, has reviews from those who have already used their services, has an owner profile where he writes about himself, and has photographs of what the owner offers.

There is also a processing center that accepts money as a deposit, brings us together with the owner and, within the framework of the agreement between him and us, protects the rights of both, transferring financial relations into a contractual framework: when you book housing, you pay money, but the owner of the property will only receive it the day after your check-in.

That is: if you don’t like something and the offer published on the Airbnb website by the owner is not true, you have the right to get your money back.

If the owner of the property violates the agreement and cancels your reservation, you get back the entire amount paid + bonus (Airbnb fines the owner and this fine is your bonus).

The process of searching and booking accommodation

You enter the place (This is a country, city or region) where you are looking for housing.
You enter the dates you are interested in.
Number of residents.
And you receive search results - a photo of the proposed housing and the price.

There are filters: by housing cost limits; by type of housing: “house, apartment, bed”; for services: internet, washing machine, parking, etc., etc.

Did you choose your favorite based on the photo? Read the reviews of those who have already stayed there.
Read about the owner - there is his photo, what he writes about himself and what clients who have already stayed here write about him.

Well, if everything suits you: book! To do this, you naturally need a visa or mastercard credit or debit bank card.
The money will be debited from your card, but the owner of the property will receive it only on the second day of your stay in his apartment or house.

If you don’t like something, namely: if something differs from the offer that was on the Airbnb website, you can write to Airbnb support and they will return your money and select an alternative housing option for you.

Airbnb Pitfalls and Cons

The ease with which any homeowner can become an Airbnb partner and get into their database is why large quantity outright swindlers and scoundrels in this database.
If Booking.com checks hotels and apartments included in the database since both of them must be legal entities (firms, LLCs, etc.), Airbnb does not do this check.

Difficulty contacting support.
I have many positive results of solving situations with Booking.com support service in Russian: .

It's no secret that anything can happen and no one is safe from mistakes. Booking.com handled all situations with honor: I received an alternative or a refund in situations that seemed hopeless at first glance.

Airbnb acted according to the scenario: we’ll wait, maybe everything will resolve itself.
I did not receive any help from Airbnb, for example, in a situation when, upon arriving at the host, I discovered that the previous residents had extended their stay.

That is, in essence, I found myself homeless in the evening in a foreign city. I had to, and naturally no one compensated me for the Airbnb mess.

It often happens that people who have booked a beautiful apartment (pictured) in fact receive an uncleaned shithole with hair on the bed linen with holes, an unwashed toilet and a sink that was clogged a year ago and smells like a morgue.

step by step guide

For those who have never used the popular accommodation booking service from local residents around the world, we’ll tell you in detail: what Airbnb (Airbian) is and how to use it.

What is Airbnb

Airbnb is a service that brings together travelers and ordinary residents who rent out their apartments.

Why do travelers prefer to stay with unknown people in apartments rather than in hotels? For different reasons. Sometimes renting an apartment is cheaper than staying in a hotel. Especially if you are traveling with three or four people. Renting a two-room apartment is much cheaper than two hotel rooms.

And sometimes it is difficult to find a hotel that will meet the requirements, for example, the availability of a kitchen. When renting an apartment, you get a unique experience - as a rule, the owners are very welcoming and try to give you as much information and useful tips how to spend time. You have a real opportunity to live for a couple of days like an ordinary city resident - early in the morning, ride a bicycle to a nearby pastry shop, buy fresh pastries, cook breakfast, sit with a cup of coffee on the balcony, etc.

The service allows you to rent without intermediaries both a separate apartment and a room in an apartment or house. Then you will spend part of your time with the owners. There are also unusual accommodation options - a farmhouse, bungalows by the ocean, chalets in the mountains, and even castles.

How to register with Airbnb

Airbnb's website is also available in Russian - airbnb.ru. In order to start using the service, you must register and pass verification. You can register using your Facebook profile or using your email address.

For those who have never used Airbnb, our gift is a 10% discount on your first booking. To receive, follow the link and register with Airbnb.

After you have registered, you need to add information about yourself so that your Airbnb profile is not empty. If you registered using an email address, add your account from Facebook, you also need to send a scan of your document - a passport or driver's license, and add a profile photo. Be sure to write about yourself, your hobbies, where you work, what you do. This is done in order to eliminate as much as possible potential crazy people and possible “maniacs” at the registration stage. After all, ordinary people welcome you in their apartments and houses.

Once Airbnb has verified you, which usually happens very quickly, you are able to book your stay.

How to use Airbnb

Row important points that you should consider.

1. Reservations are made on the basis of 100% prepayment. However cash are not transferred to the owners; they are credited to their account only 24 hours after your check-in. If you arrive and the actual condition of the property does not match the description, or there is something else you are not happy with about the apartment or the host, this is the time you are given to contact Airbnb so that they can eliminate the reasons for your dissatisfaction.

Therefore, pay close attention to the cancellation policy. The type of reservation cancellation is always specified in advance. Try to choose a flexible type that allows you to cancel your reservation one day in advance without major losses. Airbnb service fees are never refunded. Cleaning fees are also usually non-refundable upon cancellation.

2. Sometimes there is a deposit (for example, for keys, or simply for the safety of things). The deposit is also reserved by Airbnb and is refunded upon your departure.

2. If, after booking, the owner of the apartment contacts you and asks you to cancel the reservation, under no circumstances do this yourself. You should write about his request to Airbnb. Otherwise you will be fined.

For example, we are going to Paris for 7 days.

We can set a number of parameters we require to limit the selection.

Select area, amenities, type of housing.

There is a wide range of amenities.

We are interested in a separate apartment, internet, a washing machine, and if we want, we check the Superhost box - stay with the most hospitable hosts, but such offers will be a little more expensive.

What should you pay attention to after applying filters?

Photo in the ad - if there is an Airbnb icon on the photo, then the photo was taken by an employee of the company. If not, then the photo was provided by the owner of the apartment.

Read the owner's profile and, of course, reviews from those who have previously stayed with him. How adequate is the owner in dialogues with previous tourists? Please note that the rating is not only for the hosts, but also for those who stay. If a person writes that he didn’t like everything, read what the apartment owners write about him.

If the owner of the apartment has not updated his calendar for a very long time, it means he is not particularly interested in renting, perhaps you should not write to him.

In their profile, the owners always indicate what language they can communicate in. If you have difficulty communicating in a foreign language, and especially not in English, use Google Translator. Advice - write in short sentences, so the translation will be as accurate as possible.

By contacting the owner, you can clarify something about the accommodation - wifi, public transport nearby, if you have a child - how noisy is it around, how safe is it, is it possible with pets, is there an elevator, if you have allergies - is it in the same room? animals, and so on. Response rate is an indicator of how quickly the landlord responds. 73% is a good indicator, but you will not get an answer instantly. If you need a very fast response, choose one with a rate above 90%.

If you liked the accommodation, but the owner is a new member, and no one has stayed with him, there are no reviews, don’t be afraid, ask more questions, chat. Based on the manner and friendliness of his answers, it will be clear whether to stop or not.

From the proposed list of available options, choose this one.

You can immediately request a reservation, or you can start a dialogue with the owners of the apartment. It is still recommended to write to them, especially if you have a new profile. Ask absolutely all the questions you are interested in to avoid misunderstandings in the future. Once you have figured out everything, click request booking. After confirmation from the owner, the apartment will be reserved. The full cost of your booking will be debited from your card immediately and you will receive a confirmation email and personal account Airbnb. If you have any questions, you can also continue to communicate with the owner.

All communication with apartment owners is carried out only through Airbnb. Neither you nor the owner of the apartment will have an e-mail or telephone number. If you want to enter into personal correspondence with him, or he offers you this, the system will recognize such messages, and the interlocutor will see that the phone number (or e-mail) is hidden. Of course, there are different ways to get around this - send 8 messages, each of which contains several numbers, try to find it through social networks, etc. But before you do this, think about it: in case of any problems, if you booked through Airbnb, the company will handle the issue, otherwise, you yourself.

After booking you will receive the host's full contact details (including phone number). Immediately or before check-in, the owners send exact instructions on how to meet with them to get the keys and show what is in the apartment. When checking in, discuss how you will return the keys, especially if you are leaving late at night or early in the morning. Sometimes they suggest leaving the key in the mailbox or simply slamming the door.

During your stay, treat your property with care.

Try it, you will definitely like Airbnb.

This is a site that allows you to rent accommodation from local residents of the city you are planning to visit. You can rent a shared or separate room, an apartment, a house or an entire cottage - in general, any place where you can come, leave your things and spend the night. To do this, you just need to enter your destination, arrival and departure dates into the search.

How is Airbnb different from a hotel and hostel?

A hotel is an expensive pleasure. However, price does not always guarantee quality. And even if you decide not to save money on vacation, it's hardly worth giving most of your money for a room where you will only appear to sleep.

Hostels are the other extreme: they are affordable, but you can forget about privacy. For every decent hostel, there are a dozen with terrible conditions in which you definitely won’t feel at home.

Let's look at the main advantages of booking through Airbnb:

• The service allows you to rent housing at a price that suits you.
• From the photographs you can study the situation in the apartment and understand whether you will be comfortable there.
• Hospitable hosts (they are also called hosts) will not only show you the apartment, but can also give you advice interesting places in the city, meet you at the airport, explain how to use local public transport.
• You can rent an apartment for any period of time: for a weekend in a neighboring city, for a week on vacation, and even for a month or more to live in another country.
• Payments go through Airbnb, which acts as an intermediary. This means that in controversial situations you will be able to get your money back.
• You can rent housing immediately for a group of friends or a whole family. It won't be that expensive.

All this is great, but it also has its downsides. You can rent a house located in an inconvenient area. Or encounter scammers who post apartments on the website with fake reviews and photographs that do not correspond to reality.

So that you can avoid such troubles, we have prepared a list of recommendations, following which you will find a suitable option for yourself.

1. Fill out your profile completely

To book a place through Airbnb, you must first submit an application. Confirmation from the owner is required: until this point, funds will not be debited from your card.

Some hosts provide an instant booking service so that an apartment can be booked without waiting for confirmation. Such advertisements are marked with a special lightning bolt symbol.

Sometimes hosts refuse to confirm a reservation. No, not because they don't need money. Imagine yourself in the shoes of landlords: they entrust their apartment to a complete stranger. A half-empty Airbnb profile without a photo or personal information will not help you establish contact with the host.

Therefore, add a photo of yourself (preferably you look friendly) and write a short story about yourself, indicate your age and occupation. If you have already rented apartments through Airbnb and have positive reviews from previous hosts, then this will be a big plus.

If you often receive rejections rather than positive responses, it's most likely your profile. Give the host a little more information about yourself and try to come across as someone who isn't going to tear their house down. :)

2. Explore the area

If you are traveling to an unfamiliar city in a country where you have never been before, look online for information about the areas. And be sure to check the location of the apartment on the map.

Usually people look at beautiful pictures of an apartment and completely forget to check the surrounding area. This is fraught with consequences: you can rent an apartment with a delightful renovation in a dilapidated house, which is located in an area where garbage is never collected and suspicious characters roam.

Therefore, check: go to Google Maps and enable the Google feature Street View: Look at photos of the building and “walk” around the area. It's good if there is a stop nearby public transport, cafes where you can have a snack and drink coffee, supermarkets.

If you are traveling to a new place as a holiday, do not rent an apartment two hours away from the center: all the most interesting attractions are usually located there. Is it worth spending precious time traveling there and back every day?

3. Take advantage of discounts and promotional codes

If you are not yet registered on the site, ask a friend who has already rented an apartment through Airbnb to send you an invitation. This way you will have a discount of 1,500 rubles on your first trip, and your friend will receive a reward from the service.

Many Airbnb hosts are willing to offer weekly or monthly discounts. Usually they range from 3 to 50% (depending on the location of the apartment, season, popularity of the host). The discount offered is usually indicated immediately after the price.

But this discount does not in any way affect the service fee, which is not negotiable.

Some owners simply don't know that discounts can be set, or don't do it for no reason. Therefore, do not hesitate to ask the owner a question directly, even if on the site itself there is a zero in this field.

4. Compare your needs and what the host offers

I understand all the fascination with beautiful apartment photos. But you need to ask yourself not only how cool this place is, but also whether it's right for you.

To answer this question, you must have a clear idea of ​​what you are looking for. So take a piece of paper and a pen and write down your most important needs. If you need an apartment not just for one night, but to live there for a while, decide what amenities you need.

Do you mind living with a neighbor or don’t want to encounter strangers in the kitchen every day? Do you smoke? Do you want to invite guests? Do you need internet? Are you going to cook yourself or will you have breakfast in a cafe?

An apartment differs from a hotel in that it gives you the opportunity to feel a little like a local. Therefore, I want to see in it the same thing as at home: good internet, a kitchen with a stove, or at least a refrigerator and coffee maker. Having a washing machine is not a prerequisite, but all other things being equal, I would prefer an apartment with one.

Elena Khrupina, Airbnb user

Compare your needs with the list of amenities the owner offers. Read the list carefully and do not rush to ask questions. Hosts don’t really like to answer questions whose answers are already in the text of the ad.

Please note that Airbnb fees are non-refundable for any cancellations.

9. Leave feedback

After each trip, do not forget to rate and write an honest review. Describe your impressions of the apartment and the owner, cleanliness, renovation, location. Write about both the pros and cons. This will not only help the next travelers, but also you.

The more reviews a host has, the more trust potential guests have in him. The more positive feedback you, the less likely you are to be denied a reservation.