On Airbnb, we looked for a property for our young family and dogs. We chose Little Eden as it was advertised as appropriate for dogs and a young family.
“for a young family to take that long overdue getaway where they can truly relax, enjoy the splendour of the Barossa Valley, and even bring your pet with you.”
Before we arrived at the property, we had to provide property with photos of our family, which showed we had a young family with dogs. We also contacted the property who emphasised there was a large yard for children to play in, which the photos from Airbnb backed up.
Once we arrived at the property, we identified that we could not find a cot (Listed as an inclusion on Airbnb). We rang the contact number and asked where the cot was located and were told that there was no cot at the property, but one might be able to be organised for the next day and that our child could sleep between us for the night. (Cot was listed as an inclusion on Airbnb - On the same list as air-conditioning, washing machine, heating etc).
According to the Australian Consumer law this is a major fault. We gave the property the opportunity to fix the fault, but they could not within a reasonable time (Next day).
We also identified that the cottage was not safe for our young family as advertised on Airbnb.
Example:
- Fire place did not have a safety guard
- Chemicals stored at ground level accessible to children (Under sink)
- Power cords and power boards accessible to children
- Power points with no child protection
- Breakable items accessible to children and heavy items that could fall on children on tables
- Outside area was not clean and bushes not cut back (as shown in pictures on AirBnb website)
We quickly identified that the property was not suitable for a young family and we left the property within 1 hour of arriving.
We have found the property owner not very understanding of the situation and are having to take the matter further with only a partial refund offered which we have not accepted. We are taking this matter to ACCC.
AirBNB attempted to support us with a partial refund which we did not accept. AirBNB’s response was “I am sorry however, I will have to close this case. I have already helped in best manner and unfortunately I won't be able to help any further.” They have closed the link and we cannot get any further support from AirBNB.
A suitable place to stay for couples but not suitable in our opinion if you have a young family.