During the two years of short-term rental travel, I visited more than 100 cities and regions and experienced countless accommodations. But among the many accommodation experiences, there were two experiences of being made things difficult for me that left a deep impression on me. Today, I want to share these two stories with you, hoping to resonate with everyone and raise awareness together.
I remember it was last summer when I went to Haihua Island in Hainan for vacation. The prices for sea view rooms there were attractive, so I quickly booked a B&B online. However, when I arrived, I found that the actual room was very different from the pictures online. The originally promised one-bedroom apartment became a single room, and there was no basic wireless network. Although I was a little disappointed, considering the trouble of changing rooms, I decided to stay first.
However, within a few days, I decided to leave early due to an outbreak nearby. I communicated with the landlord and hoped that she would return the deposit. The landlord readily agreed over the phone, but when I actually left the room, she regretted it. She refused to return the deposit for various reasons, and even sent two middle-aged men to knock on the door to drive people away. Witnessed by the police, I finally took a video as evidence and successfully got my deposit back.
Another experience of being made things difficult for me happened in 2020. At that time, I rented an empty house in a city and was ready to start my short-term rental life. Before leaving, I deliberately cleaned the room to show my respect for the landlord. However, the landlord withheld the deposit for various reasons during the house inspection. She first found a little oil stain under the range hood, and used this as an excuse to deduct part of the deposit. Then, she discovered that a small light was not working and asked me to bear the cost of repairs to the property. Despite my arguments, the landlord still insisted on deducting the deposit. In the end, I reluctantly accepted her request and only got part of the deposit back.
These two experiences of being made things difficult for me made me deeply aware of the chaos in the short-term rental market. As consumers, we must be cautious when choosing accommodation. First, check the room pictures and description carefully to make sure they match the actual room. Secondly, when signing a contract, you should pay attention to the detailed terms and avoid being bound by some unreasonable regulations. Finally, make sure the room is tidy and clean before leaving the room to avoid the landlord withholding the deposit due to hygiene issues.
At the same time, we should also call on relevant departments to strengthen supervision of the short-term rental market. Only by establishing sound laws, regulations and supervisory mechanisms can consumers' legitimate rights and interests be protected from infringement. We hope that the short-term rental market will develop in an increasingly standardized and healthy manner in the future so that every traveler can enjoy a pleasant accommodation experience.
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