Issues with Vrbo rental flat

veni1986

Back in 2019 I rented a flat via Vrbo in Dublin for April 2020. All flights had been canceled based on Covid so I contacted the owner. We aligned on a later date but then there hadn't been any flights either. The owner promised me that I could use the flat for the booked 4 days sometime in 2020 or 2021.

Now I was planning my trip to Ireland as it is possible again. I noticed that the flat disappeared from Vrbo. I contacted the host again and they told me that the flat is now used for long term rental. I could use it maybe in April 22 or maybe not, depending if it is free. They only could give me the availability information on short notice. From my perspective a long term rental flat is very unlikely empty exactly during dates I need it.

They told me that the possibility to maybe use the flat during the time in April is pure goodwill and they are refusing to refund me the money.

Is there any possibility in Ireland to settle such a topic without hiring a layer and cause costs which most likely be much higher than the 480€ the issue is about?

awsah

Noone will be able to answer that question without reading the full terms and conditions of the rental.

If you go down the legal route and win then the court could award your costs to be paid

You might be able to get a free consultation with a solicitor who can inform you of the likelihood of your case succeeding

You can also reach out to the the rental tenancy board and see if they can assist, but im not sure if they assist in these situations

veni1986

If I check the terms and conditions of VRBO they are pretty vague regarding any cancellation topics. In their policies I can only see recommendations how to act. My personal feeling is that they are relying on the law and do not interfere if there are problems between the owner and the traveler.

I found the European small claims procedure. Sounds like the right way to me or am I wrong?

awsah

But what was the terms of your rental? What does it say about cancellation, does it say anything about natural disasters or acts of God?

What I'm trying to find out is what exactly is your argument, is it that you are entitled to free cancellation with full refund or that you're not but you think you should have been?

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118348335#Comment_118348335

You need to read the confirmation email because that is where the cancellation details are.

https://help.vrbo.com/articles/Can-I-receive-a-refund-for-my-cancelled-reservation

awsah

I'm not going to click on the link but if it says your entitled to a refund then small.claims court is probably your best bet for the amount you stated

You could send them a letter stating that you are entitled to a refund and fiakure to return within a specific time frame will result in a claim being brought

veni1986

My confirmation email only refers to a link to check the cancellation details and this link is not working anymore.

I had a talk with VRBO and from there perspective the owner should refund.

One main issue is that I only have name and phone number of the owner not the physical address. If I want to sent any letters or want to use small claim I would not know how. Any ideas how I could solve this? Vrbo told me that they are not going to give me the address.

endofrainbow

could you do a search through Google Images?

veni1986

Found the address in the web! I think the small claims stuff is the way to go.