The cold shoulder! Airbnb told snowboarders Lake Tahoe rental ‘wasn’t obligated’ to provide them with HOT WATER during snowy break, forcing them to take icy showers
- A group of friends travelled to Lake Tahoe to enjoy the snowy weather and rented an Airbnb property
- On the first night, everything was fine but on the second and third days, there was a shortage of hot water forcing the group to take cold showers
- Upon contacting the owner and Airbnb to report the issue, the company stated the host was not obligated to provide hot water
A group of friends were in for a rude awakening when they found there was no hot water at the Lake Tahoe Airbnb they had rented, despite the stay taking place in the depths of winter.
Alexander Yee travelled from Alameda in northern California to the wintry getaway in the Sierra Nevada mountains to spend some time skiing and snowboarding.
The group believed they’d found a bargain with the three-bedroom, three-bathroom property priced at just $186-a-night.
After a day out on the slopes, the vacationers looked forward to a steamy shower to warm up – only to find that hot water wasn’t part of the deal.
Although there was warm water on the first day of their stay, by the second and third days it had completely run out, forcing the group to take cold showers.
A group of friends travelled to an Airbnb in Lake Tahoe to enjoy the snowy weather and rented an Airbnb property
On the first night, everything was fine, but on the second and third days, there was a shortage of hot water forcing the group to take cold showers
An outdoor view of the Lake Tahoe Airbnb the five friends rented out – just to find there was no hot water to take a shower
One of the three bathrooms inside the Lake Tahoe Airbnb rental where the hot water ran out on day two
‘Because of that, we had no hot water at the Airbnb and we reached out to the host,’ Yee said to ABC13.
‘We just let them know that there was an issue with the hot water and that we were taking cold showers, which wasn’t great in the cold Tahoe weather, of course.
‘When we heard back from the Airbnb customer service, we were quite surprised by the response,’ Yee explained. ‘They had mentioned that because hot water wasn’t specifically included as an amenity at the Airbnb that we were staying at, the host was under no obligation to provide hot water.’
Airbnb’s response initially sided with the owner of the property in that the listing was accurate, with hot water not listed as an amenity, although a hot tub was.
Alexander Yee, pictured, contacted the owner and Airbnb to report the issue. The company stated how the host was not obligated to provide hot water
Following the complaint, Airbnb refunded a service fee and cleaning fee, equivalent to the cost of one of the nights, with the host also issuing a partial refund
‘We do allow hosts to self-select hot water as an amenity, however this is meant to be used for remote, off-the-grid listings so that guests can plan properly,’ Airbnb stated.
‘For this particular case, our team did follow up with the host to inquire about any amenity issues that may need to be addressed,’ an Airbnb spokesperson told the TV station.
Following the complaint, Airbnb refunded a service fee and cleaning fee, equivalent to the cost of one night’s stay. The owner of the rental property also issued a refund for a portion of the stay.