‘Filthy’ cottage rented through Vrbo ‘ruined’ a family vacation, Ontario woman says

Rhonda MacDonald says she booked a cottage in Kawartha Lakes for a family reunion but says the home was grimy and had unusable appliances.

An Ontario woman says a “filthy” cottage that she rented on Vrbo nearly derailed her family’s annual vacation.

Every year, the MacDonald family gathers together from different parts of North America for a group vacation.

But Rhonda MacDonald says the Kawartha Lakes cottage that they booked this year wasn‘t what they expected. She said that the cottage was covered in grime, the fridge contained moldy food and there was mouse feces found in the kitchen.

“My daughter and her husband and two boys flew in from California. My son arrived from Peterborough, we arrived from Brighton, dog in tow, all of our food and supplies and whatnot, and we’re a little surprised at what we encountered,” MacDonald said in an interview with CTV News Toronto.

MacDonald, 71, said she booked the cottage six months ago for a weeklong trip starting June 19. She made the booking with a premier host through Vrbo, a rental platform that MacDonald says she has used a handful of times without any issue. She adds that it cost them around $7,100 for their stay.

As soon as MacDonald pulled up to the property last Friday, she said they immediately noticed something was awry: one of the windows was boarded up. That was not evident in the Vrbo listing, reviewed by CTV News Toronto.

“It was apparent that the yard was unkept, that there was a lot of things piled against the fence,” MacDonald said. Trying to stay positive for their trip, MacDonald said they decided to set their suitcases down and walk throughout the property.

“Open the fridge first, fridge was moldy. Food, filthy shelves, cabinets, freezer, all nine yards,” MacDonald said, adding she spent about an hour-and-a-half scrubbing it all clean.

The fridge wasn’t the only kitchen appliance that was covered in grime, as MacDonald says the oven was also “beyond repair.”

“I wouldn’t do anything more than throw it out. It was so coated in grease and grime and filth,” MacDonald said.

There were also mouse droppings in the cupboards, MacDonald says, and greasy pans found in the cupboards.

Then her family saw the barbecue in the backyard, and MacDonald thought they could perhaps use that instead until the host could have someone clean the kitchen. But, instead, she was met with further disappointment.

“That barbecue, I swear, hasn’t been cleaned in years,” MacDonald said, noting how there was a thick layer of “crud” coating the bottom of the appliance. “It was not usable at all, and I know there’s a fire risk to that.”

It was at that point that MacDonald texted the host and asked if they had a cleaning crew. In text messages reviewed by CTV News Toronto, the host said her husband could come to clean things up in about an hour or provide a refund of $200. The cleaning fee that MacDonald was charged when booking the cottage was $300.

They waited two hours before making the call to pack their bags, return the key to the safe lock box, and find somewhere else to stay for the night.

“I left it cleaner than it was when we arrived,” MacDonald wrote to the host. “This has ruined our family vacation. I’m in tears.”

‘Deny mode’

MacDonald says there have been multiple phone calls and emails with Vrbo in an attempt to get some sort of resolution, ideally seeking a full refund.

In one of their initial calls, MacDonald said she was assured by one supervisor that, based off the photographs they had provided, their claim appeared valid for a refund or relocation to another Vrbo.

That call disconnected. An email sent to MacDonald said they had tried calling back but it went straight to voicemail.

MacDonald said that she connected with four other supervisors and only received canned responses from them that her complaint had been formally registered. One supervisor went into “deny mode,” MacDonald recounted.

“It’s hours on the phone every day, it’s very frustrating,” she said.

Vrbo apologizes

In an email to MacDonald, a member of the Global Traveler Resolutions Team said they had contacted the host regarding their refund request.

“The host stated that when their husband arrived at the cottage, you had already left and they were not given the opportunity to address the issue,” the email reads.

“That said, we fully understand that the property should have been properly cleaned prior to your arrival. We have once again requested the host to issue a refund and are currently awaiting their response.”

MacDonald said they paid an additional $7,400 to find alternate accommodations: one night at a hotel, and a new AirBnb cottage that could only house about half of their party. Ultimately, MacDonald hopes to be refunded for the Vrbo they never stayed in.

In a statement provided to CTV News on Thursday, a spokesperson for Vrbo said that they would issue a refund in the case.

“We sincerely apologize that Ms. MacDonald’s experience didn’t meet her expectations,” the spokesperson said. “We thoroughly reviewed her case with our customer support team and are issuing a full refund of her Vrbo reservation as a gesture of goodwill.”

MacDonald was thrilled to get refunded.

“We are extremely grateful to CTV News, Pat Foran and his wonderful team for all your help in resolving our vacation nightmare,” MacDonald said.