Woman's Long-Term Airbnb Rental Is the Stuff of Nightmares
By Kelly CorbettJan. Eleven 2024, Updated 5:00 p.m. ET
Remember the days when Airbnb used to be the go-to for reasonably priced and out there accommodation instead of lodges? Those days are lengthy gone. Airbnb prices now rival hotels, often even exceeding them. And the recent surge of Airbnb guests discovering hidden cameras in their rentals no doubt isn't a excellent look for the corporate.
One woman's recent Airbnb revel in further highlighted the rental platform's growing issues. While her keep fell some distance below appropriate standards, customer service claimed she wasn't eligible for a refund. It was once simplest after she posted about her awful experience on social media in a now-viral post that the platform finally took action.
A girl tests into an Airbnb for a month only to discover that it has no scorching water, the ceiling leaks, and there's a roach downside.
On Jan. 9, writer Melanie Rio, aka M.L. Rio, took to X (formerly Twitter) to detail her grievances with an Airbnb rental she used to be staying at. While she did not reveal the location, she famous that she had rented it for an entire month for $2,500.
But it wasn't long after checking in that she found out the house was riddled with problems. Besides being unclean, Melanie claimed the rental's front door did not lock, there have been roaches, the heat and scorching water were not working, and the ceiling was once leaking amongst other things.
"For a fun game, let's do a tour of the unit Airbnb refuses to give me a refund for!" she wrote in her now-viral thread. "I'm sure they'd hate if you liked [or] shared this, which seems to be the only way to get their attention. Let's start with the entryway. Not off to a great start re: cleanliness."
She attached two photos of the carpeted stairwell main up to the rented unit, which seemingly hadn't been vacuumed in some time.
For a amusing recreation, let's do a excursion of the unit @Airbnb refuses to give me money back for! I'm sure they would hate in case you preferred it shared this, which seems to be the simplest method to get their consideration. Let's start with the entryway. Not off to a super start re: cleanliness. pic.twitter.com/wRIeIVGQIw
— M. L. Rio (@SureAsMel) January 10, 2024Next, she connected pictures of the entrance door. Melanie defined that she had long gone out at one point and locked the door of the unit. But when she returned, the door was once unlocked and there was a screw lacking from the deadbolt.
Piggybacking onto that, she found cockroaches in the unit and what she believed were mouse droppings.
When I first got here, there used to be a small cockroach in the kitchen. I killed it, which was once evidently my mistake, as a result of @AirbnbHelp wanted evidence. Since then I've killed two more and one were given away, however this is your proof! pic.twitter.com/PWC4GEYC4X
— M. L. Rio (@SureAsMel) January 10, 2024Her hypothesis that the rental had a mouse problem used to be additional showed after she discovered a pack of "natural rodent repeller packs" in a cabinet.
Melanie first reached out to Airbnb handiest inquiring about the unit's lack of sizzling water, as she hadn't found out some of the other issues but. Chatting with a representative, she was asked to offer documentation that the scorching water wasn't working, to which she answered: "How would I do that?"
She was once no longer given a solution. And the longer she waited for help, the more problems she found with the unit, main her to sooner or later ask for a reimbursement.
Other images she shared in the thread include the rental's grimy rest room and leaking ceiling. Despite sharing these types of images with the platform, Airbnb nonetheless wasn't very helpful, claiming that there used to be not enough evidence to factor her a refund. She used to be informed she would have to take it up privately with the host.
But why keep the amusing in the front room? Let's speak about the toilet, @Airbnb pic.twitter.com/YKyGxsgpm1
— M. L. Rio (@SureAsMel) January 10, 2024Melanie famous that she spent hours on the telephone speaking with other representatives, all of which made her get started from the beginning of her story, hinting that the company hadn't documented any of her court cases.
However, it seemed that the quickest technique to get Airbnb's consideration was once to proportion her unfortunate instances on X. Melanie's publish collected over Forty million perspectives, with many strangers commenting on it and urging the company to supply her a reimbursement.
Guys we did it pic.twitter.com/A9FTQyrrf3
— M. L. Rio (@SureAsMel) January 10, 2024The next day, Melanie shared an replace on X claiming that Airbnb was once issuing her a full refund.
"Guys we did it," she wrote, including "Hugely grateful to everyone. Wow, it has been the weirdest 18 hours."
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