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Woman calls out Airbnb after “nightmare” stay at $2,500 roach-infested unit

Isabelle Docto
Isabelle Docto
|
Jan 10 2024, 7:46 pm
Woman calls out Airbnb after “nightmare” stay at $2,500 roach-infested unit
@SureAsMel/X | Diego Thomazini/Shutterstock

When author M. L. Rio booked a month-long stay at an Airbnb, she didn’t anticipate the “nightmare” experience that was ahead of her.

The writer documented her stay and posted it on X, putting the vacation rental company on blast after she said it initially refused to give her a refund for the disappointing experience.

“For a fun game, let’s do a tour of the unit [Airbnb] refuses to give me a refund for!” her post reads.

“I’m sure they’d hate if you liked it [and] shared this, which seems to be the only way to get their attention.”

One of the red flags Rio shared was the “general filth” between the fridge, cabinets and in the entryway.

She says she saw cockroaches and signs of rodents, as well as mouse droppings and rodent repellant in a cabinet.

According to Rio, the hot water didn’t last very long either. She reported it to Airbnb customer support but was frustrated when they insisted she provide proof there was no longer hot water.

“How would I document that?” shows her reply in the post.

Water issues also manifested as leaks in the ceiling entrance and bathroom of the Airbnb.

When the author first arrived at the unit, she was immediately met with an apartment that was not as advertised with “a crappy futon” instead of a couch.

She noticed that the heat didn’t seem to be working. The host sent a handyman.

“He removes an HVAC filter that is BLACK,” writes Rio. “Like the cancerous lung of a lifelong chain smoker.”

And the cherry on top? After leaving one day and locking the door, Rio says she returned to find it unlocked with a screw missing from the deadbolt.

Despite providing all of this evidence to the company, it initially declined to give her a refund for the $2,500 stay.

In a screenshot of Rio’s conversation with Airbnb, customer support tells her that “as a neutral third party not present during the reservation” it must make a “fair decision” based on documented evidence from both the host and guest.

They said her claims were “not enough evidence for a refund” and that it was up to the host’s discretion to provide one.

“So, for a recap: roaches and rodents and water and filth and (possibly?) breaking and entering? Oh my! But not, apparently, oh my enough for [Airbnb] to give a rat’s ass,” she wrote on X.

Rio said she spoke with over five different Airbnb representatives throughout this ordeal, most of whom ended up “ghosting” her.

People flooded her comments with messages of support.

Rio’s latest update Tuesday night was that she was finally in talks with Airbnb to get a refund after her case was bumped up to its escalations team. It seems she was correct in having to call the company out online for it to notice her case.

She said they were still trying to make her pay 70% of the cost of the nights she spent in the unit.

In an email statement to Daily Hive on Wednesday, Airbnb said it has fully refunded Rio.

“We were sorry to hear about our guest’s experience, and our team has fully refunded them and offered further support through our AirCover protection for guests,” said a spokesperson. “We enforce quality standards for listings, and have suspended this listing from the platform.”

The company does provide a free AirCover for guests, which helps guests find a similar place or receive a refund if there’s an issue they can’t resolve with the host.

Have you experienced an Airbnb horror story like this? Let us know in the comments.

Isabelle DoctoIsabelle Docto
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