Host notified me about major construction NEXT DOOR after free cancellation ended –(Budapest)

Posted by homehh@reddit | budapest | View on Reddit | 13 comments

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on a tricky situation with an Airbnb in Budapest.

The Situation:

My partner and I booked an "idyllic and quiet" apartment for a stay starting April 28th, 2026. The free cancellation period ended on March 29th. Just now (early April), the host messaged us saying that the apartment next door has started a "major renovation" which is "loud and dirty." She apologized and offered "early luggage drop-off" as compensation—which feels like a bit of a joke considering the loss of peace.

The Red Flags:

Timing: The notification came right after the free cancellation window closed.

Calendar: I checked her listing, and she has blocked all dates leading up to April 26th. My stay starts on the 28th.

Property Type: These are apartments in a residential building in Budapest. Usually, major renovations in these old buildings require planning and notice to the house management. It’s hard to believe she "just found out."

Our Problem:

We work as undertakers/funeral directors. It’s a high-stress job, and this is our only vacation this year. We specifically booked this place for the "idyle" to recover. We absolutely do not want to spend our only week off in a construction zone.

Questions for the community:

Since the host admitted to the noise in the Airbnb chat, do I have grounds for a full refund through Airbnb support even though the "free" window has passed?

Has anyone dealt with the Airbnb "Major Travel Issue" policy regarding construction?

Does the fact that she blocked the weeks before our stay suggest she knew about the renovation (or is doing her own) and just wanted to lock in our booking?

Any advice on how to handle this with the host or Airbnb support would be greatly appreciated. We just want a quiet place to rest.

TL;DR: Host warned about loud renovations next door right after cancellation deadline. She blocked dates before our stay, suggesting she knew. We need peace for our only holiday of the year. What are our rights?

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AnnieLangTheGreat@reddit

AirBnB had a tremendous negative impact on Budapest's housing market, and the tourism makes the inner diatricts virtually unlivable. You chose to ignore this and decided to be part of the problem -- this is karma.

picurebeka@reddit

That is where you are wrong... No clearance needed with house management unless you are planning to move walls - most people own and not rent, so they are free to do whatever they want if they keep with the house rules (no noise before and after specified hours). In a lot of cases they don't even bother to let other tenants know before they start (quite rude), so it is entirely possible what your host says.

AZ424242@reddit

Actually, this is sadly not true. In Hungary at big old buildings, there is a constant chaos. A common representative as "manager" is mandatory, but they are notoriously bad at doing anything. It can absolutely happen, that you wake up one morning at 7 am to your new neighbour's vehement kitchen tile removal frenzy. Most people are very tight on money, so renovations can take years, because they don't have the founds to do everything in a short time.

Massive_Raspberry132@reddit

I think it is possible that she did not know about the work or did know, but supposed they would finish before your dates (that might have been the reason why the dates earlier were not open for booking). In my opinion she should let you cancel, but I am not your host. There are rules for such works in a condominium, so they cannot start before a certain hour and must stop after a certain, but otherwise there is not much anyone can do.

benbehu@reddit

Law only requires the owner doing noisy construction to put a leaflet up at the corridor about it happenings seven days before start. As an airbnb host they probably don't go there every day. You should ask your host to cancel on their side or contact support about the validity of your claim. Construction work is limited to between 8 am and 7 pm by law.

bacondesign@reddit

Contact support asap. It seems very scummy what the host is doing but just as a little additional info, it's entirely possible she just found out about the renovation. I live and have lived in similar downtown residential buildings for a long time and even next door neighbours won't find out about such things until they actually start. Especially if they don't even live there just manage a rental property. But in your case this doesn't matter, have support cancel and refund your booking.

molyhos@reddit

I just want to say it's's very possible that she was just notified. It's anyway just a courtesy thing that in apartment buildings you should notify the next door tenants like a week earlier or so. Sorry but you're not booking a hotel room so either contact Airbnb customer service and book an actual hotel or spa or cut your losses and figure out how to spend your day outside of staying in an apartment in another city.

homehh@reddit (OP)

I'm not looking for an Airbnb police force, but rather for advice if anyone has experienced something similar. The problem is that the cancellation option has expired.

mackotestver@reddit

These are perfect questions to ask from the Airbnb support with the explanation.