When we arrived we noticed the unit hadn’t really been cleaned. There was hair, grime, and moldy black stuff growing on the walls of the tub. The shower curtain was riddled with a sheen of pink and moldy black spots. Every ceiling fan was covered in a thick layer of dust visible from the underside. If turned on, the beds and their occupants would get dusted! We noticed food crumbs stuck to the counters, on the floors, and lodged into a trivet sitting on the table. Greasy fingerprints and food debris were apparent on the handles of the fridge, freezer, oven, and dishwasher. The carbon monoxide meter (gratefully there was one!) was covered in a yellowish food grease and more debris. Door knobs were sticky and greasy, and even the couch has a smear of grease on it. We felt pretty sure we didn’t want to sleep in the beds or step into the shower! These are just a few examples.
Seth met us at the unit and I pointed out a few things. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and suggest he talk with his cleaning person. Seth became defensive and claimed that with his low cleaning fee I shouldn’t expect a thoroughly cleaned space. I mentioned that his listing includes his commitment to “Enhanced Clean.” He reiterated his remark about having a low cleaning fee. He left seeming annoyed. I called Airbnb who instructed me to take lots of photos. I did and sent them in and was given a full refund. Airbnb helped us find another place to stay that evening.
What I have learned from this is to really look closely at photos and reviews. I also recalled that when I booked the place, the nightly price shifted up about $30 more/night!! than advertised in the listing, and it was unclear what the cleaning fee was. When I asked about why the price shifted, Seth told me I had to ask Airbnb. I booked it anyway because there weren’t any other affordable options in the area. I’ve since found out that the host sets the price and he could have helped settle on a fair price. All of our good Airbnb experiences (all of them up till this point) have been straightforward and transparent.