A group of snowboarders were horrified to learn there was no hot water at snow-covered Lake Tahoe — and even more outraged when Airbnb told them the owner was under no obligation to provide it. Alexander Yee (pictured left) traveled from Alameda in northern California to a winter retreat in the Sierra Nevada mountains to ski and snowboard.

The group believed they had found a bargain with three bedrooms and three bathrooms for just $186 a night. But what Yee didn’t notice was how the listing made no mention of hot water. Even though it’s winter, AirBnb supports hosts: “We allow hosts to choose hot water as an amenity, but this is for use in remote, out-of-reach listings so guests can plan accordingly,” the company says in its terms.

After a day on the slopes, campers looked forward to a steam shower to warm up – only to find out that hot water wasn’t part of the deal. Although there was warm water on the first day of their stay, it ran out completely on the second and third days, forcing the group to take cold showers.

“Because of that, we didn’t have hot water at the Airbnb and we contacted the host,” Yi told ABC13. “We just let them know that there was a problem with the hot water and that we were taking cold showers, which of course is not good in the cold Tahoe weather. When we got a response from Airbnb customer service, we were very surprised by the response,” Yee explained.

“They pointed out that since hot water was not specifically included as an amenity in the Airbnb we stayed at, the host was under no obligation to provide hot water.” Airbnb’s response initially sided with the property owner in that the listing was for all intents and purposes accurate, with hot water not listed as an amenity even though a hot tub was.

In the end, the group was partially compensated for their accommodation. “In this particular case, our team contacted the host to inquire about any amenity issues that may need to be addressed,” an Airbnb spokesperson told the channel.

After a complaint, Airbnb refunded the service fee and cleaning fee equivalent to the cost of one night. The owner of the rented property also returned the money for part of the stay.

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