Scots mum 'locked out' Airbnb and 'ignored' by rental firm during horror holiday

A Scots mum was left stranded outside her holiday apartment in Spain with her two dogs locked inside after being ignored by Airbnb.

Christine Brett wanted to start 2024 on a positive note after sadly losing her brother to leukaemia last year, but her Hogmanay trip became a disaster. She headed to Malaga, Spain, on December 30, 2023 - her 42nd birthday - but their positivity was quickly quashed.

Before they set off, their Airbnb host had demanded a €500 (£420) security deposit otherwise they "wouldn't be let in". Unimpressed with the late request, Christine paid it to make sure they were able to stay in the property.

After getting settled in, the family left their two dogs within the flat then headed out for dinner, returning around 11pm - but they couldn't get inside, The Mirror reports.

Christine said: "We tried calling the host but they didn't answer. We then called Airbnb, who said they would contact the property owner and get back to us."

Airbnb failed to respond to their initial messages leaving the family to find alternative accommodation on their own. After being forced to travel around the city in a taxi - as their car rental keys were also locked in the apartment - they were eventually able to book a room at Only You.

Christine continued: "The room was €600 (£500) per night, but they reduced it to €400 (£340) after they heard the ordeal we had been through. At this point, it was 2am. "

The Airbnb hosts finally responded to Christine the next day, informing her that they don't take calls after 8pm. After the family met with the owner outside the property, none of them were able to get in and the host was forced to get the locks changed.

The family felt uncomfortable about staying in the apartment for the rest of their trip and Airbnb, as part of their Aircover policy, promised to find alternative accommodation. But the holiday firm, once again, failed to get back to Christine, and the family had to stay in the property. The mum said: "We were left paranoid the whole time."

The ordeal continued once the family returned to Scotland, with the hosts refusing to refund the original deposit, claiming the visitors had broken a plate in the microwave and a parasol on the terrace.

Christine said: "[The plate] looked like someone had taken a hammer to it... And [when they said] the parasol on the terrace was broken, I was like 'it's winter — we never used it and we barely went up there."

After complaining to Airbnb - including sending numerous negative reviews from the hosts' other properties, with some describing them as "scam artists" - the rental firm only refunded Christine for the one night she didn't spend in the apartment.

They also sent over their policy, which the mum quickly sent back, highlighting the instances where they had broken their own guidelines. She said: "They didn't seem to care."

Christine added: "I even tried the small claims court... [But] in the end I just gave up. Basically, we had to write off over €500 that we lost on the deposit and the €400 on the hotel, and the money we wasted on the whole holiday in the first place."

After spending January trying to sort out a proper reimbursement for additional costs or a full refund for their stay, Christine got nowhere. She turned to our sister title, The Mirror, as she wanted to "warn people".

After being contacted by The Mirror, Airbnb confirmed this week that they have "apologised to the guest, issued a full refund and reimbursed other expenses as a goodwill gesture."

A spokesperson added: "With 1.5billion all-time guest arrivals on Airbnb, issues are exceptionally rare. If a guest feels unsafe during an active stay, they can call our 24-hour Safety Line for urgent specialist support.

"Our hosting quality system identifies listings that may have failed to meet the expectations of our community. Since its introduction in 2023 we’ve removed 100,000 listings that didn’t meet our high standards and we continue to evaluate every listing after each stay.

"In the rare event of an issue, our global Community Support team is on hand to help 24/7. In 2023, we answered 94 per cent of community support calls in English in two minutes or less."

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