The Unsuspecting Question You Should Not Ask Your Airbnb Host

On the surface, renting an Airbnb is a bit of a disorienting experience. You stare at a handful of sometimes doctored photos online, can't see exactly where the place is, and after you pay, you receive an address and a four-digit code ... then just hope for the best. Naturally, that type of vague process tends to prompt a few questions, like what the amenities are, the parking situation, and of course, if the area is safe.

There is perhaps no more important concern than whether the immediate neighborhood is dicey — except if there's coffee. Crime tends to put a damper on any vacation, and no one wants to spend the entirety of their stay wondering if the car is still going to be there in the morning. It's a totally reasonable question to ask, it just might not go over well with some of the Airbnb hosts — especially if they live there. You can always do a bit of detective work and see what information you can find about the area online using the map and visible street names. It's more time-consuming but comes with one less annoyed host.

As one of those Airbnb hosts notes in the Courier Journal, chances are the host either lives on the property and-slash-or lived there in the past, which means they chose that area as their home and probably did a bit more research than scrolling through Airbnb or Vrbo listings. When they hear the question of whether the neighborhood is safe, it might come off as if you're a member of the royal family asking if the area they live in is good enough for you.

Granted, that's probably not what you meant. It's just likely that they've invested a great deal of time and money into that home and area. They don't want to hear a tourist put it down. It would be like if a friend is staying over with you and asked if they should be worried about their safety. You'd probably want to send them to a hotel at that point.

The difference here, of course, is that you're paying. So you have a right to know what you're getting into. There just may be a better way to find out.

Safety obviously can't be assured anywhere, but there are a few things you can check through the Airbnb listing to get an idea. Offhand, the very budget-friendly price. If it's egregiously lower than usual for the type of place you're renting, the area is likely less than hospitable. Read the reviews to see what people mentioned about the neighborhood and whether they felt the need to flee. It's important to remember that everyone has a subjective definition of safety. There's a vast gulf between serious crime and a general feeling of unease, so read the reviews with a grain of salt and determine your comfort level.

Perhaps the best, if a bit overly-cautious, approach, is to look at the map itself. The exact location can't be seen, but streets and neighborhood names can. Feel free to put on your detective hat and look up the area's crime stats. If the crime map around there has so many incident pins on it that you can't see street names, it might be best to stay away. You can also look up general, non-Airbnb reviews for that neighborhood, which sometimes provides a clearer picture since those are written by residents.

Still, if none of the above does the trick, you can always take the leap and ask the host. Just don't be surprised if they respond with something like, "It's safe, your highness." For more travel tips, check out the best way to show Airbnb hosts gratitude.