The only stars I’d be able to give this apartment is for location and the check-in process.
Imagine an apartment with black scuffs, old nail holes, orange stains, old drill holes and punctures in the walls. Imagine a grey carpet with a huge dark, very suspicious liquid stain on it. Imagine a black coffee table with a sticky substance on the top. Imagine a thick layer of dirt on the top of the fridge at eye level, and on most surfaces. Imagine a lamp that needs the wall to lean against because it’s broken in three places and can’t support it’s own weight. Imagine one bed being the old spring mattress with absolutely no padding that stabs your back. Imagine a toilet with toilet paper half-flushed. Imagine a dishwasher filled with dirty dishes from the previous guests, with noodles in a glass bowl, starch in the colander and dirty glasses. Imagine the floors unswept with dirt in the bathroom and fluff and dirt on the main living space floor. Imagine hair on the pillows and sheets. Imagine the dryer full of wet clothes, smelling damp and gross.
This was what we were greeted with. I took photos of the things that I could, but there was ultimately too much wrong with this place. We’d arrived late in the evening, and were unable to book another place to stay in instead. I’d booked this place for my mother’s Christmas get away and spent the whole time apologising.
I requested the refund of the cleaning fee through AirBNB, which I received ($55). I received no apology or comment from the host (Gabby).
The next morning was the last straw. I took a shower in the morning, and found the silver foil in the shower (precious guests’) suggesting the shower had not been cleaned. There were no bath mats and no face washers and the towels were threadbare.
But it was the black mould in the shower fan that had me mad. Black mould is a huge health hazard, and the fan was so full of it that the mould had begun to creep outside the cavity and the space.
In the ten hours we’d been there, I had had to take three allergy tablets because I was sneezing non-stop and my allergies were set off by the uncleanliness of this place.
We booked another place for the next night, and were out of this apartment by 9am because I couldn’t stand the thought of staying here any longer. There’s uncleanliness and then there’s the safety hazard of black mould. I requested a partial refund for the remaining night, and was denied, with Gabby claiming “minor cleaning issues”. Black mould is not minor, that occurs over weeks. With COVID running rampant, cleaning should be of upmost importance.
Gabby has not communicated with me to try and solve this matter, and only responded via the issue I rose through AirBNB. I’m waiting AirBNB’s resolution. She offered no apology despite the state of her apartment.
Honestly, just spent the extra money and get a hotel apartment from a reputable chain that you know has standards. Because clearly these apartments are simply an investment and source of side income, with no care or consideration of guests’ safety or health.
As my mum said: “I’m glad you didn’t show me the photos [of the apartment] before we arrived because I’d have been so much more let down.”