Flat covered in MOLD -- very little financial support for finding new accommodations from AirBnB

[Rose1879]

(I've also posted about this on Reddit, so feel free to read for more detailed information about the entire ordeal there: https://www.reddit.com/r/AirBnB/comments/u2pqeu/moldcovered_flat_in_london_suitable_replacements/ ). A few of the many photos of the flat available here: https://imgur.com/a/8EVji7I 

The quick summary is that my partner and I checked into an AirBnB flat covered in mold yesterday, to the point that it was covering the wall underneath the peeling wallpaper. I started to experience a sore throat from the mold within 30 mins of arriving, and the smell was unbearable. (Sore throat went away after leaving the property, so I have no reason to think I'm sick). We contacted the host within less than an hour after arriving, and after not receiving response particularly quickly, we also brought AirBnB support into the mix -- our first contact sent at around 4:45 pm. It took until after midnight to get AirBnB to promise to help us cover the difference for a night in a hotel, up to 50% of the cost of one night in our original booking. 

That late at night, it was hard to find somewhere to stay that still had space and was within that price, but thankfully we found one. This morning, they notified us that our booking was cancelled for the remainder, and they would offer us a mere $117 (total) to help cover the difference of a new booking. All the booking suggestions they provided cost, at a minimum, $123 more PER NIGHT, meaning we would be spending at least $738 more for our remaining nights than we would have if the flat had been in the advertised condition, which of course, we haven't budgeted for.

It's been incredibly difficult to get in touch with them (I only got a response from support last night after I began tweeting about the problem), and I'm sleep-deprived and at the end of my rope. 

Worst part is, the flat is STILL AVAILABLE TO BE BOOKED starting on the day we were initially able to check out, meaning additional guests are potentially about to wind up in the same horrid situation as us. 

Any advice on how to proceed, or other ways to get in contact with AirBnB other than support message? I totally understand them not wanting to shell out a bunch of money for small issues or guests being unreasonable, but this seems to me like an obvious case where we are VERY clearly not the ones at fault!!! 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Rose1879 As a minimum do leave a review for the listing to warn future travellers. I am afraid I have no solution for the rest of your issue.

[Rose1879]

Do you know of a way to leave a review if you've had a booking cancelled but never stayed in the location? I'd love to be able to warn future travelers, but I don't see a way for me to leave a review, as we did not spend a single night in the flat, and the entire booking was cancelled this morning. 

[Ann72]

That's frustrating @Rose1879 because we've seen here many examples of guests who didn't spend a minute in a place and yet were still able to review.  You might be able to after your original booking ends.  I don't know if that's happened yet, though.

[Rose1879]

@Ann72 I woke up this morning to an automated email inviting me to leave a review, thankfully! I guess it was just a bit delayed -- glad it came through eventually.

[Ann72]

Go for it @Rose1879! 

[Debra300]

@Rose1879,

This is a hard way to learn a lesson regarding travel disruptions.  I always recommend that a person should obtain travel insurance or use a credit card that provides that type of coverage regardless of the travel distance, destination and duration.

[Rose1879]

Unfortunately, while I did obtain travelers insurance, this kind of circumstance is not covered under our policy (despite paying for a higher tier of coverage). Rest assured, I definitely will be seeking out a different brand of insurance in the future based on this experience.

[Ann72]

I’m sorry @Rose1879, it does sound horrible, but London is expensive and you get what you pay for.  When I go to London, I first calculate what I’d pay for a hotel room, then search for Airbnbs slightly below that.  I read all the reviews (one mention of mice could be a one-off, two mentions means I won’t book a place), check the host’s response time (within an hour shows a far better average than within 24 hours), and try to get a sense of the location.  A cheap flat outside the city center might be okay, a cheap one in Mayfair would give me pause.  I’m sorry Airbnb didn’t cover more but hope you only paid for the night you stayed in the original flat.

[Rose1879]

Thanks for your response, @Ann72.  I will say, I am familiar with how expensive London is -- I lived here for 3.5 months back in 2018.

I should be clear that the flat we booked was not deceptively cheap. It was perhaps 10-20 pounds cheaper than some of the other similar offerings in the area, and I figured that as a result, perhaps it might have some cosmetic deficiencies, I anticipated that the "kitchen basics" were likely going to be less than what other flats provide, the bed might not be exceptionally comfortable, etc. I was not anticipating a location covered in mold, a reasonable assumption of mine -- I'm a savvy enough traveler to not fall for very obvious scams. 

The only reason that comparable locations in the area are now so expensive is due to the low supply -- we are approaching Easter weekend, and London is a popular holiday destination for many. As I'm sure you're aware, market prices reflect supply and demand -- currently, supply is significantly lower than demand (not to mention the time cost for a Host to prepare at the last minute for a new booking), and prices understandably reflect that. The cost of places in the area currently is not a reflection of the quality we could have received if we had booked well in advance with a different, legitimate Host that would have ensured the appropriateness of our listing prior to our arrival. 

[Ann72]

That makes everything clearer, @Rose1879, and worse, of course.  It's horrible to hear about bad hosts such as the one you encountered.

You can go to small claims court to try to get some money back.  Airbnb probably won't show up, and you would therefore win.  Worth a try!

[Rose1879]

@Ann72 Oh that's a great idea, thank you! I hadn't considered it. I'm not sure what that looks like in terms of it occurring in London (e.g., is there a process for that here? Would I file here or in the US?) but I will definitely look into it! 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Rose1879 @Ann72 I am not sure a small claims court case would work as I suspect Airbnb are clear that they will not pay for replacement accommodation. Also the jurisdiction is unclear. I guess the contract is in the USA but again Airbnb might claim the contract is with the host hence in the UK.

As a matter of interest was the flat managed by a large scale outfit or an individual person? The former do seem to cause issues in London.

[Ann72]

@Mike-And-Jane0 @Rose1879  I'm not sure either, and I agree that the jurisdiction is unclear.  But it's worth exploring.  Here's a helpful web page:  https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money