Family ‘stranded’ after discovering Byron Bay Airbnb was a construction site

Family members were shocked when they visited their Airbnb in Byron Bay to find it was under construction.

Renee Menzies, from Ulladulla in New South Wales, taken from TikTok to explain how his sister and 11 other relatives traveled to the popular coastal town for a wedding, only to find themselves stranded “on the side of the road”.

In a series of viral posts, Renee said the vacant home was in the midst of a massive renovation, claiming she had not been notified by the company.

“When they called you for help, you accused them of lying, that wouldn’t help [them] find another place to stay and did not provide them with a refund,” she said of Airbnb.

“You left 12 people and three children under the age of three literally standing on the side of the road.”

In one clip, she walked around the rental property which looked nothing like what was advertised in the photos.

Instead, he showed the stripped-down property undergoing a paint job and no flooring.

He also showed the rental pending the installation of a new oven and refrigerator.

She said they had paid “a lot of money” for “the shell of a house” and would only get a 30 per cent refund which would take 15 days to process.

“What a joke,” she said in the comments section.

“We will never book through them again. We understand that mistakes happen but their response has been HORRIBLE and lacking in compassion.”

She said while disappointing from the landlords, Airbnb’s “lack of response” made the situation worse, saying they hadn’t helped the family find alternative accommodation.

“The owner in this case is the one in the wrong. We just wanted Airbnb to respond fairly to refund and apologize,” she said.

“Shame on landlords who do what it takes to make Airbnb let the platform down.”

However, in its latest TikTok, the mortgage broker revealed that the family have now received a full refund – and money back for having had to book another property.

She shared a screenshot she received from a member of the company’s Escalations team.

“I have reviewed your case and first of all, I am sorry to hear about your recent registration experience and frustration with this issue. I hope to put things right for you and provide you with a resolution. fair,” it read.

“After careful consideration and given the circumstances, I will go ahead and process the remaining refund for your alternative booking…”

An Airbnb spokesperson told news.com.au action has been taken against the host and a refund has been issued to the family.

“We were disappointed to learn of this experience and have fully refunded the guest and provided rebooking assistance,” they said.

“We have taken appropriate action against the host while we investigate further and have contacted the guest to provide further assistance.

“In the rare event that something doesn’t go as planned upon arrival for a stay, our Community Support Team is on hand 24/7 to assist you.”

However, Renee claimed the power of social media prompted the company to address the issue.

“It’s crazy that it takes social media for a business to do the bare minimum,” she wrote to a TikTok user.

News.com.au understands that all Airbnb customers are protected by AirCover for free on every booking.

It covers four protections – booking protection guarantee, check-in guarantee, guarantee to get what you booked and a 24-hour security line.

Renee’s clips have collectively been viewed nearly half a million times, drawing hundreds of comments from shocked viewers.

“This is appalling and one of many such posts I’ve seen lately!” one person wrote.

” It’s crazy ! Oh my God ! a second person said, while a third added, “Hotels all the way.”

Meanwhile, Renee thanked the real estate agents “who worked overtime” to put them in a vacant rental at a reduced rate.