Misled by the ad... Cheerful 4 bedroom 2 bathroom in a central location. By far, this is the worst Airbnb accommodation and experience. Frankly, this property is quite old and lacks regular maintenance with many existing issues relating to home safety, security and privacy.
We reported the existing issues to the Host shortly upon arrival. Our request for relocation was declined due to no vacancy, and according to the Host, our request for partial refund was also declined by the Owner. To retaliate to our honest reporting and feedback, the Host accused us of damaging the property and claimed for reimbursement: " window forced open in main bed, hinges bent and now not able to be closed, and window handle in bunk room broken, likely due to force being applied...as all windows were open when we (The Host & his partner) arrived, I (The Host) expect they (An elderly couple) forced this one too." Shortly after check out, the host also accused us of not returning the house keys. When in fact, the house keys were returned to the same lock box in the same place. The above incident has been reported to Airbnb because of the Host's initial harassment, the misrepresentation, and the home safety, security and privacy breaches.
Here are the facts and the house condition for public review. The property had a damp smell on arrival. We opened the door and some windows to let fresh air in. A window in the main bedroom failed to close soon after opening, and one existing broken handle was found on the window sill in the bunk room. The same reported to the Host within half an hour upon arrival.
The third bedroom had a hole on one door and the other door had incomplete repair. The 4th bedroom with its bathroom/toilet/laundry was attached but external to the main building.
The place wasn't really set up or ready for 8 guests as booked. There were 2 towels, 3 cups, a small dining table with 4 chairs in the kitchen for 8 guests.
Within an hour of reporting, the Host arrived and stocked up the towels, cups and pans. The Host and his partner, who are not licensed tradespeople, attempted to force close the window from outside with a screw driver, a hammer and a timber block. When they failed, they used a L metal plate to screw one end onto the window and forced screw the other end to the timber surface. The plate that was installed externally could easily be removed by any intruder with a screw driver, leaving us feel insecure staying there.
Home safety breach. All smoke alarms were not hard wired. 2 smoke alarms were located in the main building: one with a 9V battery sitting on the bench of the central heating in the lounge, and the second smoke alarm had no battery found on the top of the dryer in the external laundry area. The 4th bedroom (external) had a smoke alarm with a loosely fitted 9V battery on the window sill.
The main bathroom had a flip lock that consisted of 2 pieces of a cut metal plate with sharp corners and edges that imposed a potential risk of injury to any users. The oven had a black tape to hold the door. Whether it's safe to use the oven remains questionable.
Privacy & Security breach. Although the external toilet had a lock but the door access to the external bathroom had no lock whatsoever. Any intruder could easily access the external bathroom via the garden gate (no lock). To this, we felt extremely vulnerable and unsafe to use the external bathroom.
Cleanliness. We showed the Host there were dirt and a small dead cockroach on the window sill in the second bathroom. In the next day morning, the Host called me to argue that the dead body was a moth, not a cockroach. Compared to other reported issues, in fact, this was the least concern on the list.
Integrity is essential to business. Misrepresentation should never be allowed. Accurate information should be provided for the guest to make an informed decision. Should they choose an accommodation with less or more facilities, the basic requirements of home safety, security and privacy should never be compromised.