Another AirBNB Nightmare in Aveiro, Portugal

I got too comfortable in Aveiro and then BAM!

Along a Canal in Aveiro, Portugal (photo by author)

After leaving Porto with mixed feelings about how life might be there, I headed south to explore the coastal town of Aveiro.

A Much-Needed Change of Scenery

After bidding a bittersweet goodbye to Porto, I headed south to Aveiro, the next stop on my year-long trip around Portugal. I’d enjoyed the city of Porto but the apartment I’d rented through AirBNB created a month of chaos, making it difficult to fully appreciate my time there. On the hour-long train ride south, I was looking forward to exploring life in Aveiro, a city on the west coast known as the “Venice of Portugal” due to its location on a series of canals.

My apartment in Aveiro was situated on one of its famous canals, which inevitably has caused people to draw comparisons to Venice, the floating city in northern Italy. I’d seen numerous advertisements and reviews of Aveiro that said it was a “must see” in Portugal. I’d also been told by locals that it was a wonderful place to set up a home base. This was truly a place I considered one I might choose to make my next home.

When I arrived, I followed a quiet back street, crossing one of the famous canals in the city center and made my way to the apartment I’d rented. It was a lovely place, a little studio with everything I needed. I even had a balcony where I could sit and watch the stars at night. This was going to be a perfect month.  

As I was settling in, I noticed spots all over the ceiling. I touched them to make sure they weren’t mold but they just seemed to be spots, nothing more. Perhaps they were some leftover marks of water damage that was probably sorted by what had to be a recent renovation. 

The Apartment Looks Great...But Don't Look Too Close (photo by author)

My AirBNB Apartment Nightmares Continue

Flash forward almost two weeks. I had begun feeling sick, with my lungs burning and an incessant cough. Those spots that initially concerned me, were becoming darker. I crawled on a chair and ran my finger through a path of the dark circles. I could easily have drawn my initials in the mold. After checking the closet for something to clean with, I found “mold spray”. Clearly, the owner knew of the mold infestation as the bottle was almost empty.

I dreaded the idea of having to move but as I frantically tried to scrub the mold away, I knew I had to get out of the apartment before I had a massive asthma attack.

In search of fresh air, I went to a cafe so I could think clearly. I contacted AirBNB as useless as that always is. I opened different complaints with them and received the same canned responses. Even if I did not get my money back, I knew I had to find somewhere else to stay. As the scripted responses were coming in from AirBNB, I sent inquiries to places asking to see them before committing to staying.

Mold Spray (photo by author)

Finding a New Home in Aveiro, Portugal

The owner of a place just a few doors down agreed to meet me that evening so I could check out his apartment. I headed down to have a look, hoping it would work out so I would not have to spend the night on a park bench with a view of the canal. 

The host opened the door to the apartment and immediately, I saw shadows on the wall. “Oh no!” I panicked. “Mold!” 

When he flicked on the lights in the long hallway that led to the tiny attic studio, I realized what I thought was mold were simply marks from luggage that had been dragged in and out. 

Relieved, I continued my inspection in the main area. Outside of a minor bit of mildew in the shower, the place passed inspection with flying colors. While the place was a little worse for the wear and resembled what I call a “Harry Potter” room, I was ecstatic at the possibility of not sleeping under the stars.

The Fastest Apartment Move in History

“Is it possible to stay now?” I said, with hope in my voice.

The host looked confused as if he did not understand the request. “The place is empty. There is no one here.”

“So can I stay tonight?” I asked again, thinking it was too good to be true.

“Yes of course you can.” he said, still somewhat confused by the question. “There is no one else here”, he repeated.

Surely there must be a street camera that captured my movements between the two places over the next 12 minutes or no one will believe how fast I transferred my belongings to the new place. In less than an hour of meeting the host, I had thanked him for the tour of the place, paid for the stay, hauled all my things down from the other attic and dragged them into this one. Oh, and unpacked. 

A Change of Perspective

After settling into my new place, I was tempted to shower and crash as I was physically and mentally exhausted. However, after all the negativity of the day, I needed to see some friendly faces. I popped down to the pub, hoping some of the locals I’d gotten to know would be there. 

As I was sitting at the bar, reflecting on the day, I recalled all the nasty things the owner of the apartment wrote to me after I reported the mold. She accused me of growing the mold in the apartment myself, going on and on in a hateful tirade, calling me a liar and accusing me of blackmail. 

What hurt me most was her saying that even though I had told her I was trying to learn Portuguese and enjoy the Portuguese way of life, I was now a “persona non grata”. She informed me that no one wanted me here in Portugal.

While I knew I did not deserve this verbal diarrhea, it hurt my feelings. 

If I was not at such a low point after the experiences with nasty Portuguese apartment hosts in Porto and now Aveiro, I probably would not have let this bother me. But I sat there with a few tears running down my face until a couple of very kind locals I’d gotten to know asked me what was wrong. I shared what had happened and the hurtful words the woman said to me. One of them responded, saying “You must put her out of your mind as from our perspective, you are far more a person that embodies the Portuguese spirit than she is. We all want you here!”

Those kind words helped to lift my spirits. I was determined to make the most of my remaining time in Aveiro.