What to do if something goes wrong during your homestay stay

Most homestay stays go fine, but knowing what to do when something doesn’t makes a real difference to how the rest of your trip goes. Here’s a practical, calm approach based on the issues that actually show up most often in guest feedback. Many of these are avoidable in the first place by asking the right questions before you book.

The most common issues, and the first move for each

Issue	First step
Host is slow or unresponsive	Try multiple contact methods, give a reasonable window before escalating
Property doesn’t match photos	Document with your own photos immediately, message the host with specifics
Appliance not working (aircon, water heater, washing machine)	Report it right away, most hosts can arrange a quick fix or replacement
Water pressure or supply issues	Ask the host if it’s a known, temporary issue or something that needs attention
Cleanliness below expectation on arrival	Raise it before unpacking, most hosts will send help or offer a resolution

Document first, then message the host

Whatever the issue, a quick photo or two taken as soon as you notice the problem is worth more than a description after the fact. Then send the host a clear, specific message: what’s wrong, when you noticed it, and what you’d like to happen. Most issues get resolved faster when the message is factual and specific rather than frustrated, even if you are frustrated.

If the host doesn’t respond

Give it a reasonable window, an hour or two for something urgent, longer for a minor issue, then escalate:

• Try a different contact method if you’ve only tried one.
• If you booked through a platform, most have a support channel for unresolved issues.
• Keep your documentation (photos, timestamps, messages sent) in case you need it later.

Asking for a resolution

If something significant wasn’t delivered as promised, a calm, specific, reasonable request is fair: a partial refund, a discount on a future stay, or a fix during your current one. Most hosts would rather resolve it directly than have it show up as a complaint afterward.

Keeping a level head during the conversation

It’s easy for a message to a host to come out more frustrated than intended, especially if the issue affects the first night of a trip you’ve been looking forward to. Messages that stick to facts, what’s wrong, when it started, what you’d like done about it, tend to get a faster, more useful response than ones that lead with frustration. Most hosts want to fix a genuine problem quickly, both because it’s the right thing to do and because they know it affects their reviews. Giving them a clear, specific starting point makes that easier for everyone.

When to involve a third party

If a host is genuinely unresponsive over an extended period, or refuses to address a significant issue, and you booked through a platform or agent rather than directly, that platform’s support channel is the next step. Keep your documentation ready, photos, timestamps, and copies of your messages, since a third party resolving a dispute will want to see the full picture rather than just your side of it.

After your stay

Whether the issue was resolved well or not, an honest review helps the next guest, and it helps good hosts stand out. Mention both the problem and how it was handled, since a quick, effective response to a real issue says as much about a host as a stay with no issues at all.

Most of what’s covered here applies rarely, the majority of stays go exactly as expected. Knowing the steps in advance just means a real issue, when it does come up, doesn’t derail the rest of your trip.

Before you book, checking a listing’s recent review pattern is one of the best ways to avoid these issues altogether. See our scoring methodology for how recent sentiment feeds into each score, and browse listings from the directory homepage with that in mind.