Landlord owner in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Solène has around fifteen years of seasonal rental behind her. “In 15 years of rental, I think I’ve seen it all!”she exclaims to Capital. Starting with “beautiful people”among the travelers who rent his furnished tourist accommodationshe wants to clarify. But she also had to deal with some complicated situations. The most extreme being the case of people renting their accommodation for pimping purposes: “I had to remove young women who were engaged in prostitution”confides Solène, who rents her accommodation via the Airbnb and Abritel platforms.
A rare but not isolated case, as evidenced by the signing, in May 2024, ahead of the Paris Olympics, of an agreement between Airbnb and the Interministerial Mission for protection of women against violence and the fight against human trafficking (Miprof), in order to combat sexual exploitation and human trafficking in the accommodation offered by the platform. “Our Neighborhood Helpline allows anyone with urgent concerns about accommodation or guest behavior to contact us directly”indicates Airbnb to Capital.
Sofa with holes, broken dishes, spilled drinks
Once the platform is informed of a problem, it “conduct an investigation and take the necessary measures, which may go as far as deleting the accounts of the users concerned”without forgetting “collaboration with the French police to help them in their investigations”. The same goes for Expedia France, parent company of Abritel, which, “in the event of a legal request, remains available to the competent authorities to transmit any information in its possession”. Authorities that owners must notify “if they notice that a traveler has acted inappropriate way»recommends the platform, which also advises reporting such behavior to it.
In a slightly lighter register, Solène, who lives “right next door” of his furnished apartment, remembers having put an end to “a birthday party with around twenty people” in his accommodation, not designed to accommodate so many people. Beyond noise pollution, “the damage was already done, with the sofa full of holes from cigarettes, drinks spilled on the floor, broken dishes, and the toilets in a state of filth that I had never seen!”sighs Solène. A mishap that has only happened to him once, in 15 years: “This is the third convertible sofa, although of good quality, that I have purchased…”she grumbles, also citing “Towels that disappear and condoms at the bottom of the bed or on the nightstand”.
Don’t be afraid of cleaning
“Our rules for travelers make it clear that they must respect the hosts, accommodations and neighborhoods in which they stay”responds Airbnb to Capital, adding that his “AirCover program covers guests up to $3 million (2.6 million euros) in the exceptional case where a traveler damages the host’s accommodation or property during the stay and does not pay for this damage”. Abritel applies for its part “a strict policy prohibiting any parties in accommodation and bans travelers organizing unauthorized events from the platform”.
But more is needed to discourage Solène. “I hand over the keys to travelers each time and, with experience, I’m starting to know if there are going to be problems»she said, philosophically. While conceding “still manage to be wrong about people’s sensitivity to cleanliness”. Pthere is no question for her of giving up seasonal rental but “you shouldn’t be afraid of work, replacing furniture and cleaning work!”she warns.
