Villa Oleandri - Villa Oleandri

Be careful about damp and mold, especially in winter. We could only give the house two stars at most. There was clear mold in several rooms, particularly the bathroom and bedrooms, and on different walls. We also saw damp and flaking plaster. We took pictures. When we arrived, all the windows and doors were open, and nearly every socket had an air freshener plugged into it. The landlord said this was “normal” in the Ostra area during winter, but several local landlords and property owners we spoke with disagreed. We complained on the day we arrived and several times over the following days. The only response was to apply some bleach cleaner. In our view, that wasn't an effective or lasting way to deal with mold, since the cause was clearly in the masonry and pointed to a building defect. Herr G. (the landlord) didn't want to hear that and repeated that it was normal. There was no proper fix or further help to resolve the mold. My health got worse and my lungs were noticeably affected, so we decided to leave early. At first Herr G. was friendly, but afterward he seemed unconcerned that I had to leave for health reasons. His answer was, “That's business.” We got our deposit back, at least, after waiting an hour. We were also pressured into paying the rent through PayPal Friends, which has no buyer protection and doesn't charge a fee. In hindsight, that was a big mistake. We never received a rental contract, despite asking. He kept four weeks' rent even though we stayed only one week and these serious problems were present. At the end of the conversation, he offered a “discount” of €100 if I gave up any further claims. I refused in front of witnesses, since that wouldn't solve the problem. He wasn't interested in a fair resolution, so we're involving our legal counsel to prevent other guests or incoming tenants from being cheated out of what they're owed. It's a real shame, because the house and especially its location and view have potential. But the state of the place at the time of our stay, and the way the problems were handled, badly affected our visit and made us leave early. Be cautious about staying here, especially in winter.