This was perhaps the worst Airbnb property we have stayed in, and the host was has not taken any responsibility for it.
Aurora's review in November 2021 accurately described the condition of this place. It was filthy and there was no maintenance of the property. Inside the flat was dirty, mouldy and smelly, the balcony seem to have been abandoned with broken and mouldy wooden flooring, with the old cleaning bucket and mop that were simply left there. The hob was broken, the master room is incomplete with a missing part of the wall, and covered by a broken window blind. The windows have not been maintained, and one can always feel the draft from the streets coming in. Alongside every radiator being broken, it made the property very cold. There is a loud boiler by the master bed, but good luck trying to figure out how to use it without it potentially exploding for the sheer lack of maintenance.
On the last night of our booking, there was no electricity in the property, even when the my mother checked the fuse box. She contacted the host for the electricity issue but only received a response around 6 hours later. She had no choice but to pack and move out into the dark and cold. We asked for a refund for the last night, yet the host tried his very best to find one excuse after another and ran away from his responsibility by offering a “free night“, which nobody would ever need unless they change their travel plans nor would anyone ever want to return to the property. It was certainly cunning to suggest the offer, rather than owning up to the mistakes. Airbnb refused to cooperate with us by saying that we have passed the deadline for a request due to the cancellation policy. Airbnb also “encourage guests who booked the listing to be present the entire duration of the reservation, in any cases like these arise.” Sure, would love stay in a property with no electricity, heating, or any functional or clean amenity for £105 a night.
This was a last minute booking and did not have time to read the reviews. Now that we have and have experienced it, we will certainly place a heavier emphasis on the experiences of past guests.