Family’s New Year trip ruined by filthy Paris Airbnb littered with bloody sanitary towels, cockroaches and mould

14 January 2025, 10:47

A family trip to Paris for New Year was ruined by an unusable mouldy Airbnb, where they also found cockroaches and even bloody sanitary products.

Aaron McLaughlin and Mahonni Correia planned to bring together the two sides of their family from the UK and Brazil for the first time in a trip to the French capital - but were forced to cut the holiday short and found themselves out of pocket.

The flat they booked on Airbnb had mould up the walls, used menstrual products in cupboards, and yellow stained pillows as well as the pests.

The North London couple also said that the shower in the flat gave them electric shocks when they tried to use it.

The group, which also included a three-month-old baby and a relative who is suffering from cancer, decided that the flat was simply too unpleasant to stay in.

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Mr McLaughlin said they tried to contact Airbnb and the French hosting company that manages the property via the platform, but were unable to get hold of them.

They eventually resorted to going to the offices of the hosting company, which is called OpenFlats, but were unable to get any help.

Mr McLaughlin even claimed that OpenFlats staff laughed at the request for a refund.

Airbnb properties don't have to be hosted by individual owners - it is also common for independent property management companies to rent out homes via the platform, and several such businesses exist.

It can be a more convenient option for property owners who want to rent out their homes but don't want to be hands-on day-to-day - but questions have also been raised about how accountable the management companies are to guests.

In the case of Mr McLaughlin and Ms Correia, the family were left out of pocket for several days after being forced to book alternative hotel accommodation.

Airbnb told LBC they had refunded the couple this week, but the listing for the property is still live, and it's unclear if OpenFlats will face any sanctions on the platform.

Ms Correia said of Airbnb: "They have said they're closing the case now but somehow we still don't feel satisfied", and suggesting that if the story had not been taken up in the media they might not have got compensation.

A spokesman for Airbnb said: "“We were disappointed to hear about this experience, and we have issued a full refund to the guest in addition to reimbursing other expenses.

"This listing has been suspended from Airbnb. All bookings come with AirCover, meaning in the rare event something isn't as expected on arrival for a stay, we’ll help the guest find a similar place or give them a refund.”

OpenFlats did not respond to a request for comment.