It’s unfortunate that as a first-time user, you didn’t know about that. They will read all your messages between a host if a problem arises. As a host, they have sometimes taken my side and other times they’ve taken the guest’s side. But their decision was always based on what they read in our messages.

I’ve learned that if any problem arises at all, I will message the guest through Airbnb’s system. That way everything is on record.

If you had known this, you could have asked the host to put it in a message that you weren’t allowed to use the living room. And if he didn’t put it in a message, then I would have gone ahead and used it. If he then said you couldn’t, I would have said, ‘tell me in a message’.

But Airbnb is totally ridiculous telling you, you have to “document” a verbal conversation. We had a guest one time who destroyed our $300 microwave. We wrote to Airbnb about it, seeking compensation through their insurance guarantee – but we were told since the guest didn’t admit to destroying the microwave, that they wouldn’t pay us a dime! So it goes both ways. Sometimes the guest gets screwed, sometimes the host.

While I think Airbnb and companies like it will always exist, they will also help a few people remember that sometimes hotels aren’t so bad!