Couple reveal foul Airbnb discovery during getaway

A Queensland couple received far more than they bargained for inside a Melbourne Airbnb they booked for a six-night getaway.

A couple have shared the moment they made a foul discovery in their Airbnb apartment, five days into their expensive romantic getaway.

Queensland pair Chloe and Matt checked into their Melbourne CBD Airbnb on Wednesday last week, and though they were instantly aware of some cleanliness issues, they decided against letting it ruin their stay.

They soon regretted their decision though, when on Monday as Matt stepped out of the shower, he discovered a filthy drug instrument resting amongst a pile of dust and grime.

“I noticed what looked a bit like a straw on top of the shower cabinet and was curious so went to see what it was. I picked up a crack pipe,” Matt told news.com.au.

“There was definitely residue left inside it.”

Chloe and Matt found this crack pipe. Picture: Supplied

And a filthy air conditioner. Picture: Supplied

The discovery was the final straw for the couple, who already felt the apartment was far too unhygienic to be hosting guests.

“Comparing it to a hotel, at least you know a hotel has been cleaned by room service. Whereas with this, it was like someone else had just left. It definitely didn’t seem like it had been cleaned,” Matt said.

“It made us feel very unclean.”

They were offered a $23.23 refund. Picture: Supplied

Airbnb couldn’t do much because more than 72 hours had passed. Picture: Supplied

The couple complained to Airbnb which told them because more than 72 hours had transpired since the start of their stay, it was limited in how much assistance it could provide.

“The way Airbnb has reacted to the situation just doesn’t seem right. They didn’t even say sorry,” Matt said.

Of the $1500 the couple forked out on the accommodation, Airbnb said it could refund them 10 per cent of their first night – equivalent to a measly $23.23.

Photos shared with news.com.au showing inside the apartment revealed surfaces caked in dust and debris, seemingly having not been cleaned in years.

An Airbnb employee did them help finding somewhere else to stay, but the message didn’t come through until a few hours before they were due to check out.

The couple spent six nights in the CBD apartment. Picture: Supplied

The host seemed unbothered by the paraphenalia. Picture: Supplied

“The holiday was great, just the Airbnb kind of dampened things,” Matt said.

Even after they informed the host about the paraphernalia, they simply responded: “thank you for letting us know. We will go and dispose [of] it”.

The couple felt strongly the company should “do better” to support guests.

“It’s turned me off from ever using Airbnb again, because of the customer service and the approach they took with the apartment.”

Airbnb responded to news.com.au with a statement

“We have zero tolerance for this type of behaviour and have taken appropriate action on the Host,” a spokeswoman said.

“We recognise the distress this must have caused on the guest, and have reached out to apologise and issue a full refund. While issues on Airbnb are rare, our global Community Support team is available 24/7 and we take action on issues brought to our attention.

“The safety of our community is one of our top priorities and we continue to enforce strict policies and community standards on Airbnb.”

Update

It is understood, that Airbnb has issued a full refund to the guest as well as a travel coupon towards a future stay in addition to the rebooking support already offered. It is also understood the company has taken action on the host.

Keep the conversation going, email [e-mail]