Terrible stay being flipped back on us - what to do? [USA]
I'll try to be succinct. My wife and I use AirBnB when we travel, even in other countries, and have never had a single problem. I have read horror stories before and just chalked it up to bad luck as our experiences have been so positive. This weekend made up for it, and we could use advice. Unit was a basement unit in a renovated home. There was a host and a co-host, and I refer to them together for simplicity.
The instructions to get in were incomplete, wrong, and confusing. We arrived around 8PM Friday night. The host omitted the front door code in the "How to Get Inside" section; the rear door, for which a code was provided, didn't work. Under "Instructions," they included a photo of a lockbox and the code, which had a key in it, but the key didn't fit anything. We messaged the host, waited about 15 minutes, then called thru the app. The call went to a voicemail box that was full. We called support; support finally got the host and they messaged us the code and also helpfully mentioned that we should ignore the lockbox and key. So, finally, after 30 minutes or so standing on the sidewalk, we got in.
There were no sponges, hand soap, shower products, etc. as included in the listing.
The toilet backed up the next morning. We left as we had family stuff to do. Wife texted the host to tell her (host gave wife my number the night before for "emergencies", blaming AirBnB for not having the phone number correct in their system) and also mentioned that the amenities were not there. Host called a plumber who fixed it while we were out, and the host dropped off the amenities that were supposed to be there. Host sent an apology for these "minor issues that had never happened before" (i.e., not being able to get in, no amenities).
Host orally offered my wife a refund on the phone yesterday. Yeah, good luck with that, I know.
We got home tonight (after we checked out), and see that the host is NOW demanding $1200 as compensation for the plumber, stating that the plumber found paper towels or wipes (wtf? - we absolutely did not use paper towels or wipes), and also that we ruined the towels and linens.
I have photos of the used towels on the floor, in a corner of the bathroom, just as we left. Just "used," no makeup or anything weird. I didn't take pics of the linens as my wife made the bed.
We realized this morning the unit in the listing photos is not the unit we rented; it's the one down the hall. They are very similar looking, same size probably, but definitely different. Not material to us, but it's absolutely not the one we stayed in.
We learned tonight that the municipality in which the AirBnB is located recently banned short-term rentals like AirBnB. Violations punishable by fines and/or jail.
How would you handle this? I have seen some discussions about cancelling the card, etc., which would be a huge pain as we have so much autopaid out of it. I would think that AirBnB would have a problem with (i) a host renting a unit that is not actually what is in the photos and (ii) the actual illegality of it (I looked up the law and confirmed the ordinance is in effect). I greatly appreciate any advice.
PS part of me wants to text the host and tell her to give me a refund or I will report her to the municipality, but my temper is up and that may not be wise.