We had a terrible experience in Joe's place. It was right beside a forest, so if you're going in summer (like we did), you should expect to be swamped by A LOT of flies. Unfortunately for us, we stayed on a blistering day which saw record-high temperatures of >40 degrees celcius. This was made worse when we arrived in an apartment which had poor housekeeping and was very stuffy. The air conditioner on the top floor was also broken, making the bedrooms unlivable. I sounded this out to Joe, who told me that he knew the air conditioner was spoilt earlier in the week, but for some strange reason, did not inform me. The corridors in the apartment also had spider webs and spiders all over, and the furniture (living room couch and dining table) were covered in dust. The toilets were also smaller than expected. We did not bother going outdoors (he mentioned a spa / jacuzzi) as it was covered in leaves and looked dirty.
After speaking to Joe on the phone, he agreed to give me a refund of half the total amount paid. He asked me not to go through Airbnb and would instead do an immediate bank transfer. 2 weeks on, I have not heard back from him nor received the refund. I am very disappointed as he sounded sincerely apologetic over the phone. I hope he does not take these comments personally and look at these as feedback to condition his apartment in a more livable state.