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• A woman shared her "nightmare" experience with Airbnb on TikTok.
• Lexi, who is a nomad, was supposed to be staying in a trailer in Portland, Oregon.
• But it was so cold she could see her breath, and the host seemed unwilling to help.

A woman has shared her "nightmare" experience with Airbnb on TikTok, saying her host was unwilling to help when the rental was so cold she could see her breath.

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She said she was ignored by Airbnb when she complained, until her posts about the situation went viral, getting her a refund.

Lexi is a digital nomad who travels around the US while working remotely and shares her journey on her TikTok account wildcoyotebb.

On January 11, she complained to Airbnb about the trailer in Portland, Oregon where she was staying, saying it was freezing cold, with no insulation or proper heating. She said the host wasn't helping her improve the conditions.

"I am in a hell of a situation with Airbnb and I'm not getting anywhere," she said, posting her complaint to X as well.

@wildcoyotebb

#landlord #fyp #portland #airbnb #landlordsfromhell #airbnbhorrorstory

♬ original sound - WCoyote

Lexi said she had never had Airbnb issues in 10 years of using it, and she was used to long stays and renting tiny places.

Business Insider reviewed the Airbnb listing Lexi used, which was taken down after she complained.

The hosts had Airbnb's "superhost" status, and offered the trailer for minimum stays of 30 days. One such stay was offered for around $1,000, plus a $90 cleaning charge, and over $100 of Airbnb fees.

It was described as a "cozy" camper with access to a house to use the bathroom there. It had an average rating of 4.82 stars out of 5.

She was supposed to stay in the trailer until March 2, but she wanted to leave almost right away.

"The first night I was here I was so cold, so cold," she said.

She said the hosts recommended she use blankets and turn on the space heater, which was "the size of my hand."

"It did not warm up," Lexi said. "The other night I woke up and I could see my breath in the trailer."

It was forecast to snow that weekend, so Lexi said she was scared for her health while staying there. She was also afraid for the well-being of her cat, who travels around the US with her.

"The trailer in general is really run down," Lexi said. "Most of the stuff in here doesn't work, the oven doesn't work. The host suggested I turn the burner on for heat."

Lexi said she thought Airbnb would be happy to help her, and she'd be refunded immediately.

But that wasn't what happened, she said. She said the hosts "want to keep their money," and her messages from Airbnb support were contradictory.

"They'll keep their money regardless of whether or not I'm comfortable," she said.

She said she and the hosts had gotten into an argument, where they said she was "impossible to please."

Then, she said they shut off the power and the WiFi.

"This whole thing has been so eye-opening," she said. "I will never, ever, ever use Airbnb again. There's no point in it."

Lexi said she'd recently heard people complaining about Airbnb, with the ever-increasing cleaning fees and host demands.

"I guess I just never thought it would happen to me," she said.

Lexi posted screenshots of what appeared to be her conversation with Airbnb support on X, where she was offered a refund of $1,912, but then it was rescinded.

"The Host has responded, stating that they have addressed the issue by providing a larger heater and suggesting you to close the ceiling vent, which was meant to be shut," the message said. "As the Host has offered a resolution, the decision to process a refund is within their discretion. In this instance, the Host has agreed to refund you for the dates after January 24th."

At this point, Lexi said she had already moved out of the trailer. She said the heater that she'd been offered was "not enough" and "not suitable," and that she was "disgusted" by Airbnb's response.

"This is insanity," she replied. "You cannot confirm I have a refund and then go back on your word. I spent 2 hours today moving out and cleaning."

On X, Lexi said she was "shaking" because she was so upset by Airbnb's response.

"I cannot be in this trailer any longer," she wrote on January 13. "It's too cold and the hosts are becoming abusive and mocking."

Lexi posted an update on TikTok on Sunday night. She said Hilton, the hotel chain, had stepped in and offered her a room for her and her cat to stay in for the weekend.

"If I had even attempted to stay in that trailer, it would have been dangerous," she said.

@wildcoyotebb

An update on the Airbnb horror story… Bit of a rollercoaster of a month thus far but hopefully this is finally over 🫠 Thank you Hilton for hooking it up and giving me a warm and beautiful place to stay during the snow storm while Airbnb tried & failed to get their act together. #hiltonforthestay #airbnbhorrorstory #airbnb #portland #airbnbexperience #fyp #landlordsfromhell #hiltonhotel

♬ original sound - WCoyote

She said she argued with Airbnb support back and forth, but her issue was escalated when her TikTok started gaining traction. It amassed over 800,000 views.

She ended up getting refunded $1,600, and she was also given a $1,300 voucher for her next Airbnb stay.

"I'm using it, and then I'm getting an apartment," she said. "I've been a nomad long enough. It's been great, it's been cool, I don't want to do it anymore."

This experience was "the straw that broke the camel's back," she said.

An Airbnb spokesperson told Business Insider they were in contact with the host and were looking into the situation.

BI tried to reach the host directly too, but did not hear back.

"We were sorry to learn about this guest's experience and provided them with a full refund and a travel credit towards a future stay," they said. "We are also taking steps to address our original handling. Every booking comes with AirCover and with over 1.5 billion guest arrivals to date, issues on Airbnb are incredibly rare."

Lexi warned that people living the nomad lifestyle should have a plan B when staying in an Airbnb in case the same thing happened to them.

"If you end up booking with Airbnb and god forbid something goes wrong, you're fucked," she said.

Axel Springer, Insider Inc.'s parent company, is an investor in Airbnb.

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