How To View Hidden Airbnb Charges
Airbnb lets people rent out rooms, apartments, and houses to anyone looking for a place to stay. If you plan on staying in a city where a hotel is too expensive or rooms aren’t available, Airbnb might just save your trip. For the most part, Airbnb is a solid business model. It takes into account the safety of both renter and host. It likewise also lets you rate your experience but as with anything, people tend to take advantage of it. Many hosts on Airbnb list the full cost of staying upfront but others might hide it away. For example, if you rent a place that can accommodate two people, it might still charge you extra for the second person. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to view hidden Airbnb charges.
View Hidden Airbnb Charges
To view hidden Airbnb charges, simply use the Australian version of the site. Change the domain from Airbnb.com to Airbnb.com.au.
Please note that the place featured in the screenshot above does NOT have any hidden charges. The screenshot is for illustrative purposes only.
Why Does This Make A Difference?
You might wonder why changing your country to Australia enables you to view hidden charges on Airbnb. The answer isn’t so much technical as it is legal. It has to do with a lawsuit brought by the Australia government against Airbnb over drip pricing. As a result of this suit, Airbnb is obliged to show you every single charge you will incur during your stay. The lawsuit and its ruling don’t hold outside Australia though so if you visit a different country domain, the hidden charges will not be shown upfront.
Change Currency On Airbnb
When you switch to the Australian version of AirBnB, the website automatically changes the currency to Australian dollars. You will obviously want to use your own currency and sure, you could manually convert it to the currency you want to use but that’s incredibly inconvenient. It’s simpler to just have AirBnb use a different currency. To change the currency on AirBnb, scroll to the very bottom of any page and change the currency from the dedicated dropdown in the footer. Airbnb will save your preference regardless if you’re signed in or not. All rentals you see will be converted to the currency you selected and you will still be able to view hidden charges.
Most hosts on Airbnb do not look to exploit renters but it’s always better to be cautious. Hidden charges aren’t limited to just being charged for a second or additional person. They may include a charge for use of basic utilities, WiFi, and other charges you might have to pay in cash.
