Boston resident Rachel Valerio thought her $90-a-night Airbnb apartment in New York City was a good deal until she realized she had booked an apartment in a New York City Housing Authority complex.
Valerio tells The New York Times that the apartment was highly rated on Airbnb but it smelled like gas and there was a roach trap next to the bed.
On the plus side, the apartment in the Housing Authority’s Fulton Houses was next door to the High Line and Chelsea Market.
Subletting a government-subsidized apartment is illegal but it does occasionally happen. The Times reports that an Airbnb listing appeared last week for a “charming, private apartment” at the Queensbridge Houses in Queens.
The Housing Authority says it is investigating.
Airbnb refunded Valerio’s money last week.
