Upon arriving at the location of the host’s apartment, I immediately noticed that the building was not at all true to the way it was portrayed in the host’s pictures. The exterior was in poor condition, and there were enormous amounts of trash in front of the building. The trash basically formed a wall, not to mention the horrific smell was unbearable. The trash issue was not the worst problem but the safety issues. The overall area seemed very unsafe, and when I went to retrieve the key, a menacing-looking man approached me asking if I was the person that would be staying at the Airbnb apartment, while pointing at me the safety case where the key was kept, he was very aware of everything in the apt, something that made me feel uncomfortable. I was extremely shaken due to this interaction, and I felt unsafe retrieving the key. This experience already made me feel like my stay in said apartment wouldn’t be safe, especially with this man roaming the apartment’s exterior, and knowing where I was staying. Once inside I immediately noticed that the apartment’s interior was not faithful to the appearance of the advertised photos, and I called the host to let her know that the listing was misleading, I talked to her about the trash as well, and about the gate of the building been open. She informed me that she could only give me a refund if I canceled with 5 days prior arriving for my vacations. To this, I replied that it’s impossible to know that a place doesn’t match the description in the listing if you’re not there. Shortly thereafter, a man knocked at the door, saying that the host had sent him to check the apartment and make sure everything was in order. I hesitated to open the door but he insisted that the host sent him. The man’s appearance didn’t inspire confidence, and I once again felt unsafe and in harm’s way. The man asked to come inside, and he checked the apartment and changed the door lock and kept a key, I didn’t know who this man was and since I was staying at that place alone, I didn’t feel safe. . During this entire time, I felt extremely unsafe and in danger. I’m lucky that the situation didn’t turn into something dangerous because I was helpless at that moment, a woman in a foreign country. . The host was completely unhelpful and inflexible, although she knew I was not feeling comfortable. The fact that the man changed the lock as soon as I arrived was massively disconcerting, and a safety hazard. The entire situation was extremely uncomfortable, potentially dangerous, and unprofessional on the part of the host. I had to leave due to the immense anxiety I felt and the fact that I was made to feel unsafe from the get-go. I knew I was not going to be able to sleep during the nights if I stayed at this place experiencing fear and safety issues, which is totally not the purpose of a vacation when I decided to relax for a week. Due to the aforementioned I was forced to book a hotel and incur additional costs, due to the host’s misleading listing, and the overall lack of safety and security I experienced upon arrival at the Airbnb listing.
Alexandra G.
(USA)