I have never written a bad review on Airbnb before, and the purpose of this review is to warn anyone thinking of booking this listing. I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through the stress and struggle that I have been through. I am also writing this in the hope that the host takes action on some of the issues with the apartment and takes the responsibilities that come with being an Airbnb host more seriously in the future.
The apartment looks great online but don’t be fooled. I stayed at this apartment for 5 weeks in late May and June for a work trip. The previous reviewer who mentions that the apartment is not good for long stays is right (in addition to their comments, the kitchen does not have a kettle or toaster) but based on my experience, I also think that the apartment is not even good for short stays.
On initial arrival, the apartment seemed great. It is spacious and the roof terrace is lovely. The bathroom and kitchen are a little dated but seemed functional. It seemed to be as it was advertised in the listing. However, the apartment did not have the one amenity that I had actually made my booking on the basis of: air conditioning. This was clear from the first night of my stay in late May when the temperature was 35 degrees. Imagine trying to sleep when the temperature in the apartment is 25-30 on a nightly basis.
To explain: The living room AC Unit was broken and simply didn’t work. The host either hadn’t bothered to have it serviced or simply didn’t care (based on my experience, I suspect both). The spare unit in the bedroom wardrobe (mentioned in previous review) was not actually hooked up to any external outlet I.e the exhaust pipe did not hook up to an external outlet, so the hot air simply circulated in room making it completely ineffectual not to mention a waste of energy. The co-host tried hooking it up to an outlet in the wall in the living room (after removing the old unit) but it didn’t work properly. The bedroom still did not have any air conditioning and was simply unbearable (I spent the 5 weeks sleeping on the sofa bed in the living room because this room was slightly less hellish). Imagine trying to perform at work when you haven’t slept properly because of the heat over the course of 5 weeks. I had been planning to have friends and family visit during my stay and had to tell them to cancel their trips because it was so unbearable, and I didn’t want to put them in the position that I was in.
To continue: As the portable unit (now in the living room) was not properly hooked up, the water condensation pipe had nowhere to go. If I tried using the unit (which sounded like an airplane taking off) I had to use a pan to collect the water and empty it at least twice during the night otherwise the floor would be flooded with water. I gave up trying to use it after three nights of this, which didn’t stop the host accusing me of blowing the power to the apartment on an evening when it hadn’t even been running (which was rich considering that I had already told her that it was useless and a waste of energy).
I reported the issue to the host within 24 hrs of arriving via a WhatsApp msg (she indicated this platform was best for communication). I gave her the benefit of the doubt and was patient over the course of two weeks while she made noises about putting in a new AC unit. This never materialised and because I used WhatsApp (at her request) instead of reporting the issue directly to Airbnb (a mistake I have now learned from) I wasn’t entitled to compensation. I couldn’t leave the apartment because I was in Rome for a work trip and as it was high season, everything was booked up. When it became clear that I had no option but to stay, the host gave up all pretence of fixing the AC and showed a complete lack of interest or empathy for the situation she had created and continued to prolong.
The host’s misrepresentation of the apartment amenities and their behaviour throughout my stay ruined my trip to Rome. One of the worst parts of my experience was that after returning from my stay, the host had the audacity to come after me, to blame me and accuse me of leaving the apartment (which I had left spotless) in disarray, including leaving linens on the floor (ie I had kindly stripped the bed and put the sheets by the washing machine), breaking the shower door and blocking the bath drain (I had informed the host of these issues earlier in my stay and she didn’t do anything) and breaking the dishwasher (which I didn’t even use and which an earlier Airbnb guest in April mentions as broken during their stay). I found out that the host instructed the co-host to find anything that she could use against me – the co-host was not comfortable with this as he has advised her to simply fix the AC problem from Week 1 of my stay and he ended his professional relationship with the host because of her unethical behaviour. This host has absolutely no credibility and was unbelievably vindictive after the stay ended. Suffice to say, I won’t be returning and will avoid this host at all costs in the future.