We’ve stayed in many VRBOs since 2014, and this is the first time I’ve left a negative review.To be upfront, we didn’t stay overnight or ask the host to fix things. We were in town to meet our newborn grandchild and needed a clean, comfortable place.The unit was not clean. Floors were sticky and visibly dirty. There were unclean dishes put away in cabinets. The dishwasher had standing, foul-smelling water. We found crumbs in the microwave and drawers. Appliances had smears and drip marks. Walls had numerous marks. Vents were heavily soiled, and one was coming loose from the ceiling. The bathtub had ring stains. The couch and chair had noticeable stains, including what looked like a spill that had not been cleaned. Overall, surfaces felt sticky and unmaintained.There were also environmental issues. The neighboring unit was extremely loud—we could clearly hear music and lyrics—and there was a strong marijuana odor in the bedroom closest to that side.We left and booked another place that same night and documented everything.The host mentioned a partial refund, but since we didn’t stay, we went through VRBO under their guarantee. In practice, that guarantee did not help—VRBO deferred to the host, who stopped responding, including about refunding the cleaning fee.Maybe this was an isolated issue, but our experience was very different. I’d suggest confirming expectations around cleanliness, noise, and how VRBO’s guarantee is actually applied before booking.