2/10 Terrible
Shannan T.
6 Oct 2025
This was by far the worst experience I’ve ever had with a vacation rental. The property was falsely advertised, and the host engaged in unethical and coercive practices before allowing us to check in. About 24 hours before arrival, while we were already en route by plane, he demanded extra money for an “Austrian tourist tax,” even though the listing clearly stated there would be no additional charges. He then added 10 per day for parking. He refused to provide the door code until we paid and would only accept PayPal or a personal credit card number. We ended up paying about 85 more so he could advertise a lower price on VRBO.He also demanded passport photos for all guests and, when VRBO’s chat blocked the upload, forced me to send them via WhatsApp. The listing prominently advertised air conditioning, which was one of the main reasons we chose this property. Once there, the host refused to let us use it. We had no choice but to sleep with the windows open, enduring constant loud street noise, pedestrian chatter, which also aggravated allergies. It was miserable and completely avoidable.The entire process was complicated, intimidating, and unprofessional. Another guest reported the same behavior in May 2025, yet VRBO still allows this host to operate. This ruined the first part of our trip and left us feeling trapped and misled. I now have serious doubts about VRBO’s credibility and whether they protect travelers from dishonest hosts.
Shannan T.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025














