I am staying at an AirBnb instead of a Valpas member hotel. How can I try to stay safe?
I am staying at an AirBnb instead of a Valpas member hotel. How can I try to stay safe?
Preventing bed bugs
Airbnb has had an enormous impact on the travel and hospitality industry. Since the company was launched in 2007, they’ve gone from one rental to 5.6 million active listings and 4 million hosts. It is a unique alternative to hotels, you can always find a stay within your price range and it's convenient for families as you can prepare your own meals to save costs. But as bed bugs may tag along all people who travel, airbnbs are, just as hotels, always at risk of being bed bug infested. The best option to stay safe from bed bugs is to stay at a Valpas member hotel – as they are 100% bed bug free. Since there are millions of people that stay at Airbnbs, we wrote a short article about what is important to think of when it comes to bed bugs in Airbnbs.
Airbnb Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are not uncommon when it comes to Airbnb but they will still have you believe this is a rare occurrence. So what can you do about it when reality can be quite the opposite? Nobody wants to stay in a bug-infested bed so that is what we are here to help you with. In this article, we will go into details about everything you should know about Airbnb bed bugs. When dealing with bed bugs there are certain things you should consider. You can for example check for signs of bed bugs in your room, which is something we’ll take you through how to do. If you do end up finding bed bugs you need to get proof of that and we will guide you how to gather proof for a proper complaint. Lastly, you can take legal actions against Airbnb as well as get refunded, so we will also go over the legal actions you can take. Stay tuned to stay safe!
Check For Signs of Bed Bugs
Firstly, as a guest of an Airbnb, you should check for signs of bed bugs. But how can you tell if there are bed bugs in your room? What are the signs of bed bugs? Below we are mentioning the most common signs of bed bugs in your room:
Firstly, make sure to look for black spots and bug feces, they look very much like black ink stains.
You can also look for bloodstains on the bed frame, the mattress, or the sheets that may look like spots of rust.
Bed bugs shed their exoskeletons as they grow, so another sign of bed bugs would be finding brown exoskeletons.
After spending a night in the bed and you find itchy and red bite marks that are in a zigzag pattern, then chances are you are dealing with bed bugs. They also occur in straight rows and small clusters.
Lastly, you can often even see the bed bugs themselves. They are large enough for you to notice them even with the naked eye.
Make sure you look for these signs whenever you stay at an Airbnb. Especially if you wake up feeling red and itchy bites and be sure to gather proof for a proper complaint – which we’ll cover next.
Gathering Proof
If you want to take action or get a refund for your stay because of the infestation you will need to have some kind of proof. But what kind of proof do you need?
Photographic Evidence
Earlier we mentioned some of the signs you can check for in your room. If you find any of the above-mentioned signs, be sure to take pictures. These pictures will act as your proof when you make your complaint.
Doctor Confirmation
Besides the photographic evidence, you may also be required to provide a confirmation note from a doctor confirming the bite.
However, this step can prove to be difficult depending on where you are and whether your travel insurance has you covered. Getting a doctor’s note in a foreign country is usually very pricey so if your insurance does not cover it, it can be a problem.
An alternative may be sending the photo evidence first and getting a doctor's note confirming the bite from a doctor on returning home.
What To Do After Finding Bed Bugs?
After getting proof, you should reach out to the host of the Airbnb you are staying at. Often you can reach some sort of agreement with them that is beneficial to both of you. This is a lot easier than having to wait for customer service to get back to you regarding your issue. Some hosts can even help you find another place to stay for the night instead or provide you with a full refund. Whatever agreement you reach with them make sure you communicate with each other regarding the problem. Communication is key to solving any issue and helps maintain trust between the tenant and the host. However, if your host is not cooperating and refuses to communicate you will need to contact customer service. If you have the proper evidence Airbnb’s customer service can help you file a case against the host to help you get your refund.
Airbnb’s Bed Bug Policy
Sadly, the Airbnb policy concerning bed bugs is very unclear. In fact, beyond asking customers to reach out to customer service it seems they may not have any concrete policies for it. According to their official customer care Twitter account all cases regarding bed bugs are handled on a case-by-case basis. However, this statement directly conflicts with Airbnb's prior claims. Earlier they claimed to take this seriously and suspend the said listings till the case is resolved. Another frightening fact is that Airbnb has these victims sign NDAs after settlement. As a result, preventing the information from reaching the public.
What Do You Do If Your Luggage Gets Infested?
Another downside of bed bugs in your Airbnb is that they may come home with you through your luggage. These pests are the hitchhikers of the insect world so you want to get them off your luggage as fast as possible – but how do you go about it?
Firstly, before leaving your Airbnb pack up all your bags and suitcases in large plastic bags. This will stop them from spreading right away once you get home. After you are home, make sure to dry wash all your clothes at the highest possible temperature – this should kill them.
Lastly, vacuum up your suitcases and seal them. Any remaining bed bugs will most likely suffocate inside the plastic bags. Be sure to check for bed bugs in your home for the following few months if you do not want another infestation.
Can You Sue Airbnb for Bed Bugs and How?
Yes, you can most definitely sue Airbnb for bed bugs. The hosts who provide short-term rentals are obligated to provide a safe and clean environment. However, if a victim is attacked by bed bugs in their homes that means the host failed to meet these obligations. As such we recommend getting in touch with a lawyer and discussing your next steps.
Bed bugs lawsuits are very common nowadays, and the compensation can vary depending on how severe the issue was. Based both on the financial loss you incurred due to the bed bugs as well as the physical and mental damage you sustained.
When it comes to financial losses it usually relates to the medical expenses that you had to pay due to the bites. However, any loss of wage that occurs due to spending time dealing with this issue must also be compensated. As well as any damage to your luggage and personal belongings.
However, physical losses come in the form of bites sustained from these bugs. As well as the level of pain and suffering that this experience caused you. You may also be compensated for emotional damage.
At the end of the day, you will need to prove that Airbnb had prior knowledge and was negligent. If you have a strong enough case against Airbnb, we recommend seeking out an experienced lawyer who has dealt with bed bug lawsuits. However, you should be aware that if there is a chance that you brought the bed bugs you will not be able to sue them.
Minimizing The Damage Of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs in Airbnb are not only a problem for the tenants but also for the owner who is offering the short-term rental service. As a result, preventing an infestation should be the first thing on an Airbnb host's mind as well. Here are some things that hosts can do to try to minimize the potential damage of bed bugs. If you see any of these preventive measures at the site where you are staying, it is a sign your host cares about your safety.
Mattress Encasement Covers
Protecting the mattress from contamination is one of the most obvious ways to prevent bed bugs infesting the mattress. Using mattress encasement covers can stop them from getting inside the mattress altogether. However, mattress encasement covers do not prevent bed bugs from attacking you, following you home, or infesting the room.
Metal Bed Frames
Unlike termites, bed bugs cannot burrow into wood. However, they do take shelter in crevices and cracks that wood frames have. Metal bed frames do not have the cracks and crevices for them to take advantage of - thus, limiting their hiding spots. Not to mention, bed bugs dislike crawling on metallic surfaces which makes metal bed frames even safer.
Foam Sealant
As mentioned above, bed bugs take shelter in cracks and crevices. So, they can also hide in the cracks in the walls. To prevent this, one can use foam sealants to cover these cracks making it difficult for them to hide away.
Traps
Like for any other pest, there are traps to deal with bed bugs. These traps are designed to be on walls to make it difficult for bed bugs to climb up and get to you while you are sleeping.
Luggage Rack
As we mentioned earlier, bed bugs are the hitchhikers of the pest world, and their main medium of travel is luggage. If your host is providing you with luggage racks it reduces the risk that the previous guest has brought bed bugs with them. Thus, decreasing the chances of bed bugs hitchhiking onto your bed..
Conclusion
AirBnB bed bugs can be a real issue. For both the customer and the host. As a customer you should do the checkups before you get cozy as bed bugs can be really common on AirBnB stay-ins. Also, if you are a host then ensuring the safety of your guests is of utmost importance and doing whatever you can to prevent any health hazards is your responsibility.
