Going to get to the point. Not just one, not just two BUT THREE MICE ran across the room from the heater towards behind the fridge.
I called Tom the host more than three times before hearing back 30 minutes later. When I told him about the mice, he immediately said it was “impossible” and asked if I had any proof and said he wouldn’t give me a refund unless I had proof. I’m sorry but when THREE MICE run across the room and you’re terrified, my first instinct was to hop on a chair and grab my stuff — not to take videos so someone could believe me.
Lucky for us, the mice left droppings and I took pictures and sent them to both Tom and Airbnb.
Besides not receiving any assistance from Tom (he said he would look for another place and never followed up) and waiting for someone (a technician) to arrive, and them never showing up, here’s a list of other issues with the place:
-the photos displayed are photoshopped to look brighter and cleaner, in reality it’s much more dingy
-leaking from a cabinet above the bathroom (I noticed the water dripping down the first day I arrived before we used the bathroom)
-Wi-Fi password sent to us didn’t work so I had to get to a phone store/public Wi-Fi place just to get in contact with Tom to resolve the issue
-the fridge smelled like someone left something in there that had gone bad
-the hand soap and dish soap had dust on them and the dish soap in comparison to the new one I bought looked expired
-the toilet paper also looked dusty so we purchased our own
- uncomfortable, lumpy bed
- super thin windows (sounded like they were never closed)
- exasperated by the early morning construction work going on right outside the window everyday
- hardly a bathroom, more like a converted closet (every time I turned around or bent over, I was knocking my head on something)
- only scalding hot water in the shower (even after following Tom’s directions)
- the mice
Don’t stay here unless you want THREE MICE and an unhelpful host that denies responsibility. The host was not responsive to the request for a refund-so beware. I’ve had to connect to Airbnb directly and it’s been a week and they are still working on my case.
I know Airbnb guidelines aim to be fair to both the host and guest but I think it should offer more protections to guests and a maximum additional refund clearly stated that covers costs of finding a new place to stay etc.. not just a coupon to reuse their service. Guests are at a disadvantage and go in blind, expecting what they are told from a listing and reviews. When the reality doesn’t match up to what has been sold, there’s not much set in place to help guests. It was an uphill battle to convince Airbnb to provide a fair refund and had I not been persistent, I may not have received a refund at all.
Pros:
Walking distance to two tube stations and a tesco express
Was super excited about staying here but was very disappointed. Do not recommend. I suggest paying a little more for a hotel so you can have a peaceful stay.