This Airbnb was our last of 5 on a trip around the UK. All the others were so gracious and welcoming that it was disappointing to have this as our last.
When we arrived there were a few homeless encampments and various individuals passed out or staggering on drugs. We are a bit used to this from our neighborhood at home but I was traveling alone with my son and it did not make me feel safe.
I had sent a message a few days prior to make sure there would be a fan in the studio as over 90 degree heat was projected. The host said there would be. There was not. Wallpaper was peeled off of the walls. The coffee in the kitchen was moldy. The unit itself seemed like a dungeon with no exits. Things did not seem right.
Host assured me that a fan would be placed while we were out sightseeing. It was not. They also sent me a message asking if a maintenance man could come to the apartment to change a light bulb. I said I was not comfortable with that. I could deal without the light bulb during my stay.
There were three different hosts sending me messages on the app. One message would address me and my issue directly and then a form email addressed "dear guest" would be sent. It was confusing and did not engender trust between me and my hosts.
At 9:30pm, after I had put my child to sleep, I received a call on my mobile phone from one of the hosts saying he was outside my apartment door with the fan I had asked for. I have stayed all over the world in Airbnbs over the last 5 yrs and have never had a host call me on my mobile or say they were outside my door. I was instructed always to use the app. As I was traveling alone with my young son I did not feel comfortable with this in so many ways. Within the hour, I checked into a hotel and cancelled my reservation. This turned into an expensive last leg of the trip. The cancellation requirements seem to have changed on this unit since I cancelled and I have not been able to receive even a partial refund.