Airbnb is not helping with a horrible experience

[Gregory612]

This is my first experience with Airbnb. My partner, and I are having our home remodeled and needed to live someplace for three months while the project is completed. We booked with Airbnb for the entire three months. Everything was going well until we went in the home and smelled what was coming from the basement. It’s an old home with a mildew, musty, moldy basement that smells of cat urine. The smell is throughout the house especially now that we have to turn the heat on. No reviews talked about this. On top of that the windows don’t open and there’s only one window air conditioner in the entire Home. During our first week here, the electric was turned off due to no payment, and a notice was put in the door that the water was going to be shut off to. The host did get the power back on within four hours, but I work from home and lost half a days worth of work . Five weeks into our stay, and we’ve had to take our dog to the vet twice due to respiratory issues.  The vet confirmed my dog was getting ill due to environmental issues with where we’re staying. That day we booked a different Airbnb to stay at for the last half of our three months.  Airbnb is leaving it to the host to determine if we can get a refund for the last six weeks with our original booking, we have already paid for the second month. This is a horrible experience and we may be out $2000 or more. I will never use Airbnb again.

Has anyone else ever experienced something like this?  Does anyone have suggestions on how we might be able to get some of our money back?

[Helen3]

Did you follow the process outlined in your booking confirmation for raising concerns ? @Gregory612 

What did the host say in response to the issues you raised? 

it is surprising that you would have stayed for five weeks in a place that has the severe problems you outlined . 

if you wanted a refund for the rest of your stay it would have been better to have agreed this through Airbnb before you booked an alternative stay.  

as you cancelled the booking you will be charged for a month not six weeks under the long term cancellation policy. 

[Gregory612]

I am also surprised we stayed as long as we have.  I think we were so worn out by the time we got here that moving again was just something we couldn't think of.  When the vet said our dog's condition could get worse, that was the kick in the butt we needed to make the change.  We couldn't wait any longer as we do not want our dog's illness to turn into something long term and difficult to treat.  

We are in the process of working with Airbnb with our vet's statement on the issue.  The Host seemed sympathetic but then didn't approve our change in a way that would refund our money. He also didn't seem to understand how what's coming from the basement could be problematic. The process just seems way more difficult than it should be. 

Thanks for your comments, Hellen3!