(WHTM) – Many travelers these days stay in a Airbnb to save money and stay in one place. But, a woman says she ended up in a basement dungeon and can’t get her money back.
Noel Short needed a room in St. Louis as part of his internship at the University of Kentucky. So she booked a room in this “pretty house” that she found on Airbnb.
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“There was nothing that really described the bedroom itself, it only really described the house and said, oh, there is a bedroom,” Short said.
However, when she arrived for her two-month summer stay, she found this small basement room with no window or door to the outside.
“It doesn’t have windows, it doesn’t have a vent. You couldn’t tell from the only photo provided, ”said Short. Short added that the listing also didn’t say anything about it being a lower level piece.
When Short told her parents, they begged her to move out because a relative recently had a house fire that could have trapped someone in the basement.
“We had someone in our family whose house had a fire, so it was a very recent and very personal experience,” said Short.
We checked with Airbnb, but there are no rules for basement rooms. However, he says all rooms must meet local codes and almost all cities in the United States require a basement bedroom with a door to the outside or a window 24 inches high to allow escape. .
Short said the owner wouldn’t give him back any money.
“She said she had a cancellation policy and if I had to cancel I would have to pay for the next 30 days,” Short said.
So Short paid for what she describes as an airless dungeon. We contacted Airbnb and asked if they could refund Short’s money if that room is not up to code. In the meantime, research your accommodation carefully so you don’t waste your money.
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