Hello,
Airbnb is only as good as the quality of its hosts, so I hope those reading this will understand that hosts and guests have a relationship in which trust and good will is essential. My family and I (party of 6) booked one night in London prior to our flight the next day. After changing my reservation to a different location the last minute, the host ("Mo") insisted on a large security deposit (more than the cost of the night's stay), which I sent (although I felt uncomfortable doing so). When we arrived, there were a number of problems with the apartment (panel loose on bath tub, water damage, furniture damaged, no key to the back door (a fire hazard), a strong mold odor, etc.). In part, because I feared that the host could easily blame any of these problems on me and keep my deposit, I decided not to stay there and booked two hotel rooms for my family. I've been messaging the host for almost a week, indicating that since we did not stay at the apartment, there is no reason to hold my deposit. The host keeps avoiding the issue stating there is some sort of Airbnb process to go through, so I still have not received my money back. I've contacted Airbnb and am waiting to hear back, but just want to know if anyone has any suggestions. All hosts with a conscience should be concerned about such behavior, as it hurts the Airbnb image. There's more to the story, but I'll keep it short. Thanks.