A Paddington apartment was labelled “disgusting” and “unsafe” after rats were spotted in the hallway and bare wires were left partially taped up.
A veteran who stayed at Paddington Flat on Spring Street last week described piles of unopened mail in the hallways and filth and mould in “every part” of the bathrooms.
Alun Stewart, a veteran, spent two nights at the property, told Westminster Times that “the whole place was disgusting” broken and damaged furniture.
Mr Stewart said: “The room itself was shocking.
“The carpet was disgusting, stained, threadbare and when you walked on it you could feel the dirt getting on your skin. It made my skin crawl.
“All areas of the room were covered in dust, stains, grease and grime.
“The furniture in the room would not look out of place on a skip with doors hanging off, drawer fronts not secure and a filthy sink area.”
Serious potential safety and fire risks were also noticed, including covered up smoke detectors and exposed wires. A fridge and a hotplate were connected using the same plug with live wires not properly taped up.
Mr Stewart added that a hot air fan was plugged in with wires crossing in front of it and held together with insulation tape.
While heading to the shared bathroom, he spotted a rat on the staircase.
Paddington Flat is advertised on several online travel agencies including Booking.com and Agoda. A standard double room costs around £58 per night.
According to its website, the self-catered rooms come with a TV, microwave and dining area with oven and refrigerator. Optional “extras” include bed linen and a desk.
It has an average of two stars on Trip Advisor, with reviews describing toilets without loo paper, the smell of cigarettes in the hallway and even faecal matter in one bedroom.
On recent visitor commented: “Never ever ever in my whole life have I witnessed a hole like this. The bathroom was rank, mouldy dirty mildew shower, no toilet roll, a dirty mop bucket just left in the bathroom. A shower curtain that literally has never seen a day of soap in its life and not to mention the stickiness of the bathroom floor. The toilet you wouldn’t even let your dog go near.”
Mr Stewart, who served as a member of the Royal Signals for 13 years, visited the capital for the Festival of Remembrance. Despite complaining to the landlord about his stay, he did not receive a response and was not refunded.
He said: “As an ex-member of the military, I have stayed in some bad hotels/rooms, all over the world, so I am used to roughing it. This accommodation, however, is the worse place I have paid to stay in, ever.”
Paddington Flats have been approached for comment.
I am appalled and embarrassed that this disgusting landlord should charge ANYTHING at all for this revolting accommodation. They should be forced to close down