10 Things Women Should Look For When Booking an Airbnb

Making Airbnbs safer for solo women over 50

by Carolyn Ray

On my most recent trip to Italy, I stayed in a palazzo. Without a doubt, it was one of the best homestays I’ve ever experienced. Not because it was beautifully decorated or centrally located, but because it felt like a home. The family had lived there for years, and owned the building for generations. The owner’s son, Luigi, met me at the front door.  He showed me how to open the front door gate and locks, the quirks and special features of the apartment, and how it came into his mother’s family. There were family photographs on the walls, well-read books, comfortable furniture, and a fully stocked kitchen — all of which made me feel that this was the kind of place I could stay forever. Isn’t that the point of a homestay in the first place, to feel like you’re living in someone’s home, to ‘belong anywhere’?

As an (almost) full-time traveller, I’ve had the opportunity to stay in many different places. Most of my travel tends to be for weeks or months at a time. In the past three years, I’ve stayed at more than 40 Airbnbs in Spain, Italy, Mexico, Canada, the UK, and the US, not to mention countless hotels and hostels. However, I’ve consisently noticed two problems with Airbnbs, related to safety and longer stays. While Airbnb says that solo safety is a priority, their focus is on women who book private or shared rooms, which I rarely do as I like my own space.  The second trend I’m noticing is a reduction in the essentials for longer stays. Airbnb recommends that owners have the basic necessities in place, including toilet paper, hand and body soap, but in my experience, that doesn’t take a one or two week stay into account. I have had to purchase all of these things multiple times at recent stays. 

Saving money on accommodations

If you stay at a hotel, look for one with a kitchen. When I travel solo, I often make lunch my main meal out and eat dinner at home. Many hotel chains, including Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt now offer apartment-style rooms with kitchens and laundry facilities but you have to keep an eye out for the “resort fees” which can be charged for a simple bottle of water. I often use booking.com to find discounted stays with flexible cancellation policies with hotels. Eating out can add a lot of expense.

Another alternative to Airbnbs for budget-conscious travellers is house and pet sitting services, like Trusted Housesitters, which offer a viable alternative for women on a budget where you can stay for free with an annual membership, in exchange to looking after pets. However, this depends on what inventory is available in a particular region or country.

If you stay at an Airbnb, look for those with offer multi-week discounts, reduced service fees, and minimal cleaning fees. In many cities, including Florence and Lecce, there is a new city tax for Airbnbs which is payable in cash to the owner.  In Florence, this was 5 euros a day per person. I prefer Airbnbs or boutique hotels because I want to feel a part of wherever I visit. Large hotels just can’t compete with the local experience that Airbnbs offer, especially when they are owned by people who live in that community.

For more on women-recommended places to stay, including hostels, monasteries and hospitality services, see Recommended Places to Stay in our Women’s Travel Directory.

How to book an Airbnb for a long stay: 10 things to check before you book 

With accommodation being such an important part of any stay, I put hours into research. If you haven’t booked Airbnbs before, these tips will help you be able to discern the right Airbnb for you. One thing I’ve learned the hard way is to look closely at the photographs. When there are too many close-ups, it’s a clue that the owner doesn’t want to show the larger environment. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions before you book, and always negotiate pricing in the low season. Another tip is to read the reviews and look at how the owner responds to negative feedback. The longer the response, the more defensive, in my experience.

Airbnb owners are motivated to have good ratings, and they don’t like it when you have negative feedback. I stayed recently at an Airbnb in Bari, Italy that had a 5.0 rating and beautiful photos. When I arrived, the lights were burned out, the street noise was terrible and the elevator didn’t work. It was among my worst experiences. Fortunately I was only there one night. After I gave it a negative review, the owner texted me multiple times on WhatsApp asking me to remove it, with an explanation that they were planning to replace the windows. I eventually had to ask him to stop sending me messages and told him I would only communicate on the Airbnb platform.