DAB
Extremely Concerning Experience with Yirental
We had a harrowing experience on 8/30 with Yirental when using one of their Airbnb-managed properties. We booked this property because it was conveniently located near the apartment we were moving into two days later. Our flight was delayed, so we arrived around 11:30 p.m. and followed the check-in instructions we had been provided. When we entered the apartment, there was a stranger sleeping on the couch with the television on. As a woman arriving at an unfamiliar property late at night, discovering an unknown person asleep inside was particularly frightening and made us immediately concerned for our safety. This immediately raised serious safety and security concerns. We had no idea who this person was, why they were in the unit, or whether the property had been double-booked. It also raised questions about the security of the entry code and whether the property had actually been properly cleaned or prepared for our arrival. I immediately contacted Yirental. At 11:35 p.m., the host told us they had contacted the person and instructed them to leave, and then told us we could "occupy the other unit." When I asked what the other unit was because I was not comfortable attempting to enter another unknown apartment at 11:30 p.m., I was told at 11:39 p.m. that they would check and get back to me. By 11:49 p.m., after receiving no useful information, we told them we were going to a hotel because we could not continue waiting on the street at that hour. At 11:58 p.m., instead of providing an immediate solution, we received another generic response saying they could contact Airbnb Support to "facilitate a resolution." At 12:01 a.m., we explicitly told them: "This is truly unacceptable to leave us on the street." Then, at 12:04 a.m., we received an automated message saying Yirental's support team was offline for the night and would not respond until the morning. This was particularly troubling because Yirental advertises on its website that it handles guest messages and even "2am issue[s]" around the clock. Our experience was the opposite: when we had an immediate safety and access issue at 11:30 p.m., we were left without a safe place to stay or a meaningful solution. Yirental ultimately canceled the reservation at 8:59 a.m., when we were already dealing with the consequences of having been stranded overnight. There were safety concerns for everyone involved here: for us as guests entering a property where an unknown person was sleeping, and for the person who was apparently left inside a rental while someone else was given access instructions to enter. The responses also felt highly scripted and impersonal given the seriousness of the situation. At no point that night did anyone provide a concrete, immediate solution or demonstrate concern for where we would safely stay overnight. If you are considering booking an Airbnb managed by Yirental, I would think very carefully about whether you are comfortable relying on them if something goes wrong outside normal business hours. A property management company should have a reliable process for exactly this kind of situation.