Attention Dear Potential Guests, please beware. Alexandros has opened a complaint about me inflating the truth and making unreasonable accusations about me to air bnb, in order to charge me for 130e in damages. It feels awful to be unjustifiably accused.
If you choose to stay at this air bnb make sure you take pictures before you leave. I clean air bnbs before I leave, and not to paint myself a saint but I will state how I cleaned further on as he is charging me for cleaning time and probably the damage is the ’Lock I broke on a closet.’ For context, I’m a 35 year old woman, I’ve stayed in plenty of air bnbs with only good feedback from hosts. I live in Greece. I was working and visiting friends in Athens! Alexandros’ place is a poorly ventilated basement studio and I stayed here for a week, its nicely designed but there is a smell coming from the drains. Here are the accusations from Alexandros and my defence.
Claim 1: ‘I broke the lock into a cupboard and used everything in it that was for other guests’ : As someone who has never broken into anything, I can only say that the cupboard was not locked at all, perhaps it usually is. But It must have opened easily as I stored my clothes in there and I used extra towels & sheets. It’s hard to get the dirt off ur feet in Athens in the summer and it’s very sweaty. The white sheets that didn’t fit the bed properly got easily dirty. The closet, I assumed was open, so I assumed I could use these.
Claim 2: ‘Unpleasant smell of cigarettes and the house keeper finding cigarettes’: There was no smoking in the apartment - the apartment is below street level. I would sit just outside the door and smoke using the ashtray they provided. Which I emptied into the trash bag I left behind. The only possible answer is the smell came from the trash bag in the poorly ventilated apartment. Apologies for that part, I should have thought about that and taken the trash out but I did forget. As far as the housekeeper finding a ‘ton of cigarettes’. If she physically went digging around into the trash bag - that’s where she found cigarette butts of course.
Claim 3: Mess inside the fridge: The fridge had a minimal amount of ice cream that dripped into the fridge, from the top freezer drawer because their freezer didn’t work. That would have only taken minimal cleaning as well.
The apartment was clean enough when I got there, but as I stayed for a week and I like a clean environment, I cleaned as I went. Alongside the accusations of me ‘using all the clean linen/towels’ that weren’t meant for me. I also used their cleaning supplies. I hoovered some areas 3 times while I was there (It’s a bare floor mainly and I hate the feeling of bits and dirt sticking to my feet) I also mopped twice. I also cleaned down every surface (except for the high table) washed my dishes and put them all away. I took my own trash out every day, except the last 2 days when I saw a roll of black bin bags inside the cupboard I allegedly broke into.
Laundry & cleaning are expected as an air bnb host. I left the laundry in a bundle on the floor at the end for cleaning. I got up earlier before check out to make sure the place was in the same state I left it, bar the rubbish bag to take out, and the drip of ice cream that I forgot about.
Having to justify myself and being faced with a reimbursement request has left me feeling shocked and uneasy. It’s unjustified, his statements are highly misleading, and one is just a lie. I honestly thought that the linen was available for use - but apparently it was for other guests, and Alexandros believes I consciously broke a lock to get in to the closet. As evidence to air bnb he sent 3 pictures - 1) a picture of the bundled laundry and said this is the laundry she took. 2) The empty cupboard I ‘broke into and took everything’ 3) The picture of the spill in the fridge.
Phew - if you made it this far thank you for listening and here is the complaint he sent.
‘’Alexina, left the apartment in a very messy situation, which led to additional housekeeping time and additional linen and towels. The guest opened, no clue how, a well locked closet where we keep our supplies, and used everything, including all the clean linen/ towels that are intended to be used for next guests. She broke the lock of the closet. Finally, the housekeeper found a ton of cigarettes and unpleasant smoke smell in the apartment, something that is strictly prohibited and referred also in the rules. ‘’