Host refuses to refund guest despite BLACK MOLD found in home!

[Hillary-and-Adam0]

I'm absolutely furious! 

My mother and I checked into an Airbnb in Granada after a long trip from Chicago, through London & Malaga, to Granada.  We were eager to check in and get settled and relax.  However, I noticed water on the floor of the kitchenette (and the bed wasn't far from there -- it was a one-room place), and I looked under the sink to see if there was a problem with the pipes, and I found BLACK MOLD all over the back wall where there had clearly been water damage.  We had smelled something musty when we had first entered the place, but figured it was just an old building -- it was the mold! 

Worried that we'd be left homeless for the night, I immediately booked another AirBnB nearby (one that had "instant booking"), and we left.  Once checked into the new AirBnB down the street, I sent the first place's host a polite message saying what we had found, and told him that unfortunately, we would not be able to stay there, and would like a refund.  Well, the guy put up a fight! 

He said I wasn't behaving "correctly," and that I was trying to find things to complain about!  WHY would I want to have to worry about finding another place last-minute like that, if there was no SERIOUS problem with his place?  It makes no sense!  I had taken photos of the water on the floor and the water damage and BLACK MOLD on the wall, and I sent him the photos.  He said, "That's burn."  LOL!!! 

So, he fought me over it, and I told him that if he wouldn't grant the refund for an uninhabitable place, I would involve AirBnB.  So I did.  And after seeing the photos and hearing the description of the premises, THEY REFUSE TO REFUND ME!!!  They said that I didn't abide by the policy of contacting the host and letting him try to resolve the situation!  AS IF YOU COULD RESOLVE BLACK MOLD IN AN HOUR!!!  Black mold is a toxic, serious problem that affects the air quality -- especially for people with asthma like me, which I also told AirBnB -- and it needs to be professionally eradicated, which takes at least a few days.  I told AirBnB that it's not a typical "spill" or something that the host can clean up in a few minutes.  It's a serious problem that would take DAYS to resolve, and my mother and I were only in Granada for a few days! 

And what was I supposed to do, leave us HOMELESS for those 3 days that the host would be resolving his home's MOLD issue???!?!??!  It's so unfair, and I'm absolutely FURIOUS about this.  I tried writing to customer service again, and after a few days, I've received the same response.  I'm incredulous.

Does anyone have any suggestions of how to get through to higher-ups at AirBnB to get this refunded?  And to get this guy reported for renting out MOLDY premises?  I can't believe that they even saw PHOTOS of the mold, and did nothing about it!  I'M SO MAD!

[Nikki235]

I agree you should have too! I am dealing with this now. I stayed in Barcelona this past week and we left early due to the mold. The owner replied to me that she was aware of the mold and that the insurance company is coming out to take a look at it. She never told me about it ahead of time. My daughter is asthmatic and spent the vacation coughing and miserable before we left. So now I don't have a lot of faith in a refund though the resolution center. Black mold is a health issue and should be disclosed. It is unfortunate that airbnb does not recognize this and until there is a law suit, it will just be a board of upset people. I wish that mold didn't affect my daughter's health, but it does!!! We were cheated out of a week of family time. 

[Hillary-and-Adam0]

Thank you for your encouragement.  It's good to hear I'm not crazy for thinking that BLACK MOLD is good grounds for a refund!  Here are a few images for reference -- and they're refusing to refund me because I didn't give the host the opportunity to "resolve" it!  As if you could resolve a mold issue like this in a few minutes!  What was I supposed to do, wait in the street with my mother and our luggage while he hired professional cleaners to eradicate the mold and wash all the linens??!??!

Black mold at pipe joints...Disgusting black mold due to clear water damage!Water leaking onto floor...

[Regina673]

@Hillary-and-Adam0  I’m sorry you had such a terrible experience. It can be dangerous for susceptible individuals. A lot of doctors know this in the United States. I’m not certain of this research in other countries or perhaps the genetic types of those in those countries are less likely to react to mold abnormally. It might be less common in other countries. There have been proven lawsuits of those who have gotten ill from black mold and one case a lady had brain damage obviously caused by the mold. She actually had a CT scan before and after exposure to compare. I doubt you could sick over one night but longer time you absolutely could although only you know your body and what you can handle. If your immune system cannot properly recognize mold and eliminate it, you could have mold sensitivity. There are many immunohematologists including one from the the University of Oregon who specialize in this study if you want that information. Also how do I remove my earlier posts in here. I wanted to respond because I felt like so many people responded poorly to you without actually identifying science based knowledge of the issue. But I honestly don’t want to keep my posts up on here bcs I’m not a host just a guest at most places. All my experiences have been great. Do you know how we can delete our posts? I wouldn’t waste your time on here either honestly. Ignorance is bliss for a lot of people. 

[Kathie21]

Is that it?  Good grief, I'd just have got a cloth and cleaned it up.  And you don't need to keep capitalizing 'black mould'.

[Regina673]

@Kathie21

Certain immune types are unable to properly dispose of mold in the body leading to serious illness. There are doctors who have researched this and produced peer reviewed articles. Even small amounts of mycotoxins can create severe inflammation in susceptible individuals  

[Hillary-and-Adam0]

Anyone with access to the internet and some quick research skills can find tons of factual resources about the danger of black mold in the home.  It's not as simple as "getting a cloth and cleaning it up."  Mold = spores in the air and in all porous materials in the room = more than just a simple clean-up with a cloth.  Maybe I have higher hygiene standards than you, but yes, for me -- and for many people in the world -- black mold is not something I want to sleep around, nor do I want to subject my mother, who is an asthmatic, to it.

And I'll capitalize whatever I **bleep** WELL PLEASE, thank you very much.

[Jennifer464]

You can also google black mold and find that it takes large amount of it to make you sick unless you have an alergy. If you have an alergy you should disclose it prior to booking.  This amount of mold seems pretty normal to me. It's equivalnt to the what you'd find in shower caulk. 

And as others have said, you didn't give the host an oppurtunity to correct the issue which is part of the guest terms. 

[Regina673]

Black mold can be highly toxic to certain genetic types as researched by Dr. shoemaker in his peer reviewed articles. About twenty five percent of the population have genes which make there immune system unable to properly dispose of mold. The mold will build up in the persons body and lead to chronic inflammatory response syndrome. Just because you may not be susceptible doesn’t mean that those who are should be disregarded. And even small amounts can cause serious illness in susceptible individuals 

[Kathie21]

Yes, exposure to large quanties of any mould over a period is thought to be responsible for health problems.  But much of what you read on the internet about the extreme toxicity of 'black mould' is sensationalism, or designed to sell treatment services.  Stachybotrys chartarum  is the suspected species, but there have been no actual actual scientific studies that have corroborated a suggested link between it and acute symptoms.  Stachybotrys chartarumthis happens to be black - but it is not the only mould that is black.  Some moulds look black to the naked eye but actually are another colour under the microsope.  So unless you have it tested you have no way of knowing whether any mould that you see  is stachybotrys chartarum, rather than one of the tens of thousands of other species.

The amount of mould shown in the photos is very small.  You probably enter buildings containing that amount of mould (and probably more) every single day - it's in lofts, basements, bathrooms (eg under baths and shower trays where you can't see it), in walls where your plumbing pipes run, behind kitchen cupboards.... Have you pulled out your washing machine recently and checked behind it?  Or your fridge?  Or pulled apart your AC unit?

Of course, you have the right to capitalize whatever you want - but you may wish to be aware that in an internet forum it makes you come across as hysterical.  Especially when combined with a totally disproportionate response to a rather unexceptional occurence.

[Mike2235]

Kathie, 

It's very evident that you have never suffered from mould illness/over exposure. It is not just a little cough or a sore chest. Short/Long term exposure dependant on sensitivity leads to severe anxiety and panick attacks as mould spores in your lungs/trachea absorb into your blood stream and impact your brain. I am in recovery from being exposed for 3 months and I can barely breath.

I am very athletic individual who takes care of my diet, exercise and vit/minerals, sleep and sunlight. 

The quote which Best suits your reply: '' empty vessels make the loudest sound'

Word of wisdom: use facts not assumptions or theorys. 

My 2 cent. 

[Regina673]

Black mold can be highly toxic to certain genetic types as researched by Dr. shoemaker in his peer reviewed articles. About twenty five percent of the population have genes which make there immune system unable to properly dispose of mold. The mold will build up in the persons body and lead to chronic inflammatory response syndrome. Just because you may not be susceptible doesn’t mean that those who are should be disregarded. And even small amounts can cause serious illness in susceptible individuals 

ive seen many patients who have mold illness

[Regina673]

@Kathie21 

certain haplotypes are unable to break down mold properly. Their immune system cannot recognize it as foreign and the mold cannot be eliminated and it will attack the body leading to severe inflammation. This probably will not happen over one night but a week or more absolutely. Even small amounts if black mold can release mycotoxins. As a medical professional many patients can get sick from mold exposure. 

[Hillary-and-Adam0]

Well, as I said, our standards for hygiene are clearly different.

And yes, actually, I have recently pulled out my fridge, etc.  The mold that is eating away at this guy's kitchen cabinets (and likely the wall behind them) is not "unexceptional," unless you're used to and expect mold to grow in your cabinets.  I, for one, do not.  And if I'm paying someone to stay in a place they're renting out (not even their actual home -- it's one of these multiple-property AirBnB hosts), I expect a minimum level of hygiene to be that there's not a bunch of black mold I'll have to be breathing in as I sleep a few feet away!

But fine: you're entitled to your opinion.  We clearly just have different expectations of basic hygiene in a living space.

[Ben551]

@Hillary-and-Adam0 I’m sorry you had a bad experience. Whether the issues present were real or not, it’s clear this situation has caused you some distress. I hope you find some way to get past it.

Something I noticed that might be confusing Airbnb is that you seem to be changing your story in regard to who is asthmatic, yourself or your mother (or both?). It might seem trivial, but these kinds of inconsistencies can mean the difference between something they take seriously and something they disregard as “not well founded”.

Specifically, in your first post you say “Black mould is a toxic, serious problem that affects air quality — especially for people with asthma like me, which I also told AirBnB.”

3 posts later you write “Black mould is not something I want to sleep around, nor do I want to subject my mother, who is an asthmatic, to it.”

See the issue here? It looks like you are either changing the owner of a medical issue or extending that medical issue to another party. You may think it trivial, but these little inaccuracies add up over time when a story is revised and revised...

I hope you can put this behind you soon.

[Hillary-and-Adam0]

Yes, I see what you're saying. If I had known I wasn't posting to an unbiasedu forum, but rather a judgmental tribunal of hosts who tried to pick apart everything I said -- even my photos -- then I would have paid more attention to where and when I mentioned details like that.

For the record, everyone:

1) My mother and I both have asthma (and my mother has allergies on top of it), which is important, but is not some "overreaction" or "sensitivity" to an otherwise clean space. The space was musty, damp, and growing mold. Even those without asthma shouldn't be expected to stay in a place like that without complaint; asthma makes it ten times worse.

2) I contacted the host, who was at work, before we left his place, to tell him about the problem, but I was well aware that a water damage and mold problem like that couldn't be fixed in time for us to stay there. While waiting for him to respond, I decided I needed to ensure my mom and I would have a safe place to stay at least that night, and booked and moved to another Airbnb, and wrote him a follow-up message once we had gotten to the new one.

What I got out of this thread was not people offering truly helpful advice or even helpful criticism. I got a bunch of people questioning my firsthand experience in the first place, and ended up having to argue about how much water was on the floor and if it's mold at all. I added photos, and even those weren't good enough for this jury (which, as I said, I didn't realize was going to be judge and jury in the first place).

So what are you supposed to do when you say things were a certain way, show photos of it, and instead of people assuming the best in you and your integrity and your intelligence, they question your very ability to recognize water from a mop vs. a puddle leaking from under a sink, or mold vs. dirt? There's nowhere reasonable to go from there.