Western Australia Airbnb guest slams landlord after staying at nightmare house

A mother has lashed out at an Airbnb owner after she was promised a luxurious getaway house that ended up being a nightmare.

Western Australian woman Jen paid $3,000 to rent out the house for a week over the Christmas holidays.

She said the getaway was meant to be a treat for the family as the property was  close to the beach.

Jen realised she had been misled by the owner as soon as she turned up to the front door of the property.

'The Airbnb host had been economical with the truth and the home wasn't as described,' she wrote in an op-ed for news.com.au.

'The pictures showed a light and airy space when it was in fact really dark and unloved; the description said 10 minutes to the beach when it was 30; and the grass in the garden was so high we couldn't go for fear of snakes.'

Jen said she complained about the state of the house to the owner but received no response. 

Maurice Blackburn lawyers Alison and Jillian Barrett suggested the mother take photos of the property to back up her claim.

They then advised her to contact Airbnb if the owner did not respond to her request for a refund within 24 hours of receiving her message.

She was told to contact the organisation within 72 hours of checking into the property.

The lawyers pointed out if she had already left the property, then she should lodge a complaint within 60 days of the checkout date. 

Airbnb offers a guest refund policy that reimburses guests if the property is unsafe or unclean.

Guests can also make a claim if the features of the house are misleading, such as the wrong number of beds or a broken air conditioner. 

The mother was then advised to make a 'chargeback' request at her bank if Airbnb did not resolve the issue.

A customer can make a request if they used a credit or debit card to pay for their accommodation.

The bank will investigate the complaint and refund the money depending on the outcome.