We booked a VRBO apartment in Paris…
We booked a VRBO apartment in Paris several months in advance. The listing stated that the property was not wheelchair accessible, the pictures showed an appartment like on a first floor (rez de chaussée) even if i watched through the windows, but it did not clearly disclose that the apartment was located on the 4th floor with no elevator.
My husband has cerebral palsy. He is able to walk independently and does not use a wheelchair. He can generally manage stairs, especially going up, but going down multiple flights of stairs is significantly more difficult and can present safety concerns. For that reason, knowing that an apartment is located on the 4th floor with no elevator is essential information for us.
We only discovered the 4-floor walk-up through the access video sent shortly before arrival by the agency Séjour à Brive. And I have to mentioned that the last thing they said was... It was write in the announce the 4st step without lift... LIER... even VRBO (Abritel) as seen that NO ! After that no more communication...
As soon as we learned this, we contacted both the property management agency and VRBO and requested either a relocation or a refund. The agency never responded. VRBO refused any assistance, arguing that the "not wheelchair accessible" notice was sufficient, despite the fact that the listing did not clearly state that the apartment was on the 4th floor without an elevator.
Because the apartment was not realistically usable for us, we had to book and pay for alternative accommodation in Paris.
What disappointed us most was not only the lack of transparency regarding the property's accessibility, but also the complete lack of response from the agency and VRBO's unwillingness to address the specific issue we raised.