A major problem during our stay was the discovery of a significant mold issue in a bathroom and downstairs bedroom. These were rooms not initially accessed.
Notified the property owner and asked for a proposal to refund a portion of the cost of my stay. My rationale was simple - as an environmental professional, I know mold does not spontaneously manifest itself in a day or two. It was evident that neither a cleaning service, the property owner or their caretaker sufficiently inspected the property between guests as the presence of mold was plainly visible. Mold can pose a real health hazard and is a respiratory irritant. Just google health effects of mold. I contacted the property owner via email and included several photos.
The property owner's response to my request for his proposal to refund a portion of cost: I received an apology, an acknowledgement that they understood if we wanted to leave the day I notified them and a proposal for a refund that was woefully inadequate; equivalent to one night's stay based not on the total I paid for the rental, but on the total minus VRBO's take prorated over the remaining 4 nights. Their offer was equivalent to approximately one night's stay. I sought a 50/50 split of the cost of my stay. My view was that no one should have to rent a property that has the potential to impact your health. Acknowledging that they understood if we wanted to leave the day we discovered the problem meant nothing. We were several days into our stay and the likelihood of finding a comparable accommodation (minus the mold) for 4 nights in Bar Harbor was highly unlikely. There was no offer from the property owner to cover our cost even if we could find something so that made it that much more disingenuous. We essentially had no other option but to stay the course and not utilize the space with mold. Even taking that step, understand that you are still being exposed to mold as it would have likely be airborne throughout the home.
We agreed to have the caretaker inspect the situation (another disruption to the vacation) who observed what we observed.
Bottom line: no reasonable refund offered, significant disruption to vacation, VRBO non-supportive.