WARNING. Read before booking.
We have recently completed our trip through Italy staying at various Airbnb's with wonderful hosts. HOWEVER...
We were very excited for our trip to Florence and found a great looking apartment with terrace (advertised as the main attraction). Upon arrival, we immediately discovered that the terrace was not private but is in fact shared with other residents of the building (although it is divided). Along with this, the outside bed was not as shown in the pictures and instead was old and tired, with no cushions or white cover.
Upon entering the property, we found it very tidy although could have been cleaner. After unpacking, we put some clothes in the washing machine however quickly discovered a foul smell coming from the drum, which was filled with stagnant water. We had to remove the clothes and soak them in the sink to remove the stench. To try and resolve this, we put the machine on an empty cycle to get rid of the water and smell. Unfortunately this smell quickly filled the whole apartment.
In addition, the bathroom light was a health and safety hazard. When flicking the switch to turn the light on, a loud crackling sound came from the switch itself and the light flickered. The light failed to stay on unless you held the crackling switch.
We discovered all of these issues within the first 20 minutes of entering the property and we immediately contacted the host (who we had not met due to self check-in). We asked him about the light and we finally received a response (some hours later) he suggested putting a lamp in the bathroom - we didn't think this was a very safe solution!
We then mentioned the washing machine and the smell, he told us that previous guests may have caused the water and smell. Instead of offering a resolution to the issues, he told us that we should leave if we didn't like it and he would be phoning Airbnb immediately. We were forced to find a hotel which was not so easy at such short notice.
As a young and easy going couple, we found him rude and aggressive in our communications and left immediately. When we told the host of us leaving, he then tried to say we were lying about the issues raised, using the fact that he is a 'superhost with only 5 star reviews' as a way to demean us.
We had high hopes for our stay in Florence and fortunately this experience didn't dampen our enjoyment of this amazing city.