I’m sorry to have to write this review, but AirBnB has failed to respond in a timely way to my written request to them, and because I (apparently naively) relied on their promise of a quick resolution, I didn’t call them … only to repeatedly call them almost two weeks later and be disconnected each time because the reservation I’m calling about is not active within 72 hours. Talk about bait and switch!
About this stay: I arrived to find out that the host is essentially running a hostel or boarding house whose listings would be more appropriate for Craigslist than AirBnB, i.e., multiple rooms with long-term guests. In fact, the host was not even there when I arrived and one of the other guests (housemates, really) showed me where things could be found. There were 5 people on site when I arrived, not including me or the host and her daughter, who were out of town … so a total of 8 people if everyone were present and there was still one more room for rent on AirBnB. The property was not nearly big enough for so many people in normal times and definitely not in COVID times. When one books on AirBnB you (I) presume a certain standard that was not met ... in this situation, one should be able to visit and inspect before committing to a stay.
I pulled a plate out of the cabinet to peel an orange to eat it while I contemplated this situation and discovered it coated in grease—so obviously not washed properly. Another housemate entered from the back door, exited the front door without closing it, and then reappeared in the backyard via another entrance a few moments later—so not security conscious at all.
I do not begrudge the host trying to earn income from renting out rooms, but AirBnB is not the way to do it. To her credit, when I contacted her within 30 minutes of arrival to voice my concerns, she immediately said she would approve cancellation but that AirBnB required me to initiate the request. I did so and received a nice “thanks, we will review quickly and get back to you.” Then crickets for weeks, despite me continuing to contact them. I don’t get the issue—host and I were in agreement, but AirBnB is giving me the silent treatment. At this point, the review window is about to close and AirBnB is impossible to reach so I am choosing to publish this review.