Real time Airbnb situation @ Lantana, Florida USA. Airbnb left us in a moldy, unsafe unit during clinicals — support closed our case without consent.
I’m honestly exhausted and frustrated at this point, but I want to share my experience so others don’t go through the same thing.
My roommate and I booked an Airbnb from March 28 to April 22 for about $2,400 because we’re here for nursing clinicals. We specifically needed a safe, stable place to stay so we could focus on school—not deal with housing issues.
Everything seemed fine when we first checked in. But literally the next day, after heavy rain, we noticed water coming into the unit. The wall started bulging, and there was clear water intrusion. We immediately reported this to the host through the Airbnb app. Their solution? They just gave us towels and didn’t actually fix anything.
We were already uncomfortable, but things got worse. After another round of rain, the mirror attached to that same wall came loose and fell off. Thankfully it didn’t shatter, but when we checked behind it, we found visible mold on the back of the mirror and wall.
At that point, this clearly became a health and safety issue.
We contacted Airbnb support right away and followed all their protocols. We sent photos, explained everything, and expected them to step in—especially since Airbnb claims to prioritize safety and has policies like AirCover.
Instead, we got passed around and eventually assigned a case manager named Ricardo. This is where things became even more frustrating.
He barely responded, didn’t acknowledge most of our concerns, and kept offering a hotel as the only solution. We explained multiple times that we are students with clinical schedules—we’re not here on vacation, and staying in a hotel is not practical for us. If we wanted a hotel, we would have booked one.
We asked for relocation to another Airbnb within the same price range (since we already paid) and a partial refund for the days we stayed in an unsafe environment. That seemed completely reasonable.
Instead, he told us that certain policies (including AirCover) “don’t apply” to us because we are still staying in the unit. That made no sense how are we supposed to leave immediately without a confirmed alternative? It felt like we were being penalized for not putting ourselves in an even worse situation.
Then, without resolving anything and without our consent, he CLOSED our case.
We have screenshots of everything our reports, delays, lack of response, and the case closure.
Meanwhile, we’re still here, exposed to a potentially unsafe environment with mold, while trying to keep up with our clinicals. This has been incredibly stressful and honestly unacceptable.
We followed every step Airbnb asks guests to follow:
• Reported the issue immediately
• Communicated through the app
• Provided evidence
• Gave them time to respond
And yet, we’re the ones left dealing with the consequences.At this point, we’ve filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and are considering further escalation. No one should be paying for a place that is unsafe to live in, especially when the company advertises safety and protection.
If anyone has advice on how to escalate this further or has dealt with something similar, I’d really appreciate it.